Power restored once more and the perfect venue

We started out later than planned this morning, and had a call from Charlie about 1130hrs as he'd arrived at the Dog and Doublet.  Unfortunately we were still about an hours journey away, so he found another place to meet at Curdworth Top Lock.  A lovely lady in a cottage there made him a cup of tea while he waited for us.

 

Jamie checking the map to see just where we are in the country

 

First locks of the day at Glascote - in her pyjamas - you're not in Gisborne now!

Across the Tame Aquaduct again! then left at Fazeley Junction

Sometimes you can't find a sign for love nor money, but not here!!

The entrance to the picturesque Fazeley Mill Marina where we had to stop for a gas bottle 

Drayton Manor foot bridge near Drayton Manor Theme Park

There are some long straight stretches through Kingsbury Water Park created from some of the old mining pits of the area

A new alternator was fitted by mid-afternoon so our power is restored once again and hopefully that's it for the drama's in that department!

Jamie and I had a walk along the towpath after lunch, to met up with Maggie, Gary, Mikey and Sophie.  We arrived at The Dog and Doublet in blazing sunshine - it's suddenly the most amazing weather!  What's the chance of it being like this next Saturday?  Slim I'd say, but you never know ...

The pub is right on the canal and we made arrangements to ensure we'd have a mooring on the day.  There's a marquee where the food will be served and we can stay undercover should the British weather not be kind to us!

Mikey & Sophie helping with the locks 

 

 Mikey & Sophie and Mikey's granddad Michael in the background

 Great pub setup at the 'Dog & Doublet' - apparently it used to be called the 'Dog & Jacket' as a doublet is an old fashion jacket

  Gary, Jamie, Mikey, Sophie, Sandra and Maggie enjoying a wee drink

Maggie and co stayed for tea on the boat, and Barry gave Sophie some photography tips as she's hoping to study it at University next year. They wandered over the canal into a hayfield for a quick photo shoot.

The field opposite the pub which is full of fresh hay bales

All sorts of possibilities!

Mikey took this one from lying on his stomach - very clever!

 Sophie got to pose before she could say no!

More hay bales - The Belfry Golf Club is behind the trees in the distance

In the evening we noticed gaggles of geese flying overhead and landing in the hayfield not far away, so Barry and Gary went to investigate.  As they walked closer to them they suddenly all flew away all at once.  The funny thing was that the best photos would have been taken from the boat where they were all flying overhead and making a tremendous noise!  Obviously it's getting time for them to fly south for the winter - now that sounds like a good idea to me ...

  There were literally hundreds of them gathered in the field

After about half an hour they all started to come back again

They've apparently been doing this for the last few days and have left each morning at the same time - 8:30am

Sandra on the front of the boat trying to get a good internet connection

Our final visitor arrives ...

Today we collect Barry's daughter Jamie from Tamworth station, and we'll be going to check out the wedding venue tomorrow.

We didn't have too far too travel from Whittington to Glascote, where we moored up for the evening.  It turned into a gloriously sunny blue sky day, I'm hoping that the same thing will happen on the afternoon of 26th September! 

 The lovely trip from Whittington to Tamworth

There was certainly lots of traffic on the canal today, though with only the two locks at Glascote this didn't cause us much trouble.

Approaching Fazeley

New housing development complete with a marina

Fazeley Junction, through the bridge to Tamworth or turn right to Birmingham

Not sure if this chap is a boater or not but he was making the most of some of the timber by the cut - not sure if it was all old!

 Crossing the Tame Aquaduct approaching Tamworth

The Tame River below

Idyllic day to be cruising the canals

Barry was helping a boat through the locks at Glascote, and got chatting to Richard Swan from Narrowboat World, a web site giving all manner of information about the waterways with a number of contributors who give their time for free.  They'd just had their boat painted and it was very shiny, we had a bit of a perve at it; if only ours looked like that ...  Barry said "It'll look like that by then end of next week!" - yeah right, as if that's possible!

  Glascote locks had a bit of traffic through

    The locks and lock cottage

Richard Swan and his wife with their very shiny boat 

Looking back through to the Tamworth Cruising Club moorings 

We've now travelled a full circle around the midlands and north of England, and have just one small bit of canal left that we've not yet travelled - a section of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal which goes into Birmingham.  We're only going as far as we need to to get to the The Dog and Dublet, our wedding venue next week.

We turned around at the Hudson Boatbuilders entrance and moored there for the night. We were the only boat there which was surprising considering all the traffic about. Maybe the other boaters know something we don't.

Jamie arrived in Tamworth around 1030pm, and we walked back through the town and checked out the spooky castle at night-time.  It was a very lively place with an abundance of Indian restaurants and bars emitting sounds of people having fun.

Guardian angels

My (almost) worst nightmare came true this morning.  All of the batteries on the boat were flat and the engine couldn't start - and of course that meant that the toilet wouldn't flush - OMG!  Even Barry briefly lost his usual cool, calm demeanour and struggled to work out a plan of action!  The best he could come up with was getting on his bike and finding a garage and asking them to lend him a battery and some jumper leads - yeah right said I, this is England, it's not gonna happen!

                                                              Shortly afterwards a small boat cruised by and Barry asked if he possibly had any jump leads on board - "Yes I do as it happens," said the friendly chap.  He proceeded to get on his walkie talkie and asked the boat following him, who he knew, to moor up alongside us so that they could jump-start us.  They had two sets of leads between them which was fantastic as one set probably wouldn't have reached.  And in no time at all we heard the noise of our poor little engine running once more; what a blissful sound!  I reckon my guardian angel has befriended Barry's and they're conspiring to keep us safe.

The crew of Emma and friend on the blue boat - Thanks team!

How lucky were we that they came sailing by?  Thanks guys - we didn't even get your names!  The larger boat was NB Emma, but we didn't catch the smaller boats name.  By the law of Karma good things will be returned to you all in abundance, bless you.

Barry contacted Charlie this morning and arranged to get a new alternator to the boat that he'll come and fit in a couple of days; bless you too Charlie!

 

 

 

The canals are full of little delights - if you keep your eyes peeled!

Part of Hawkesyard Hall, just out of Rugeley

Think this boat was designed by a 747 engineer, it's huge

The 'Armitage Shanks' toilet making factory at Armitage

 with some products ready for action - sorry no toilet humour allowed!!

Now I've seen everything!

We motored along to Handsacre where my niece and great niece live, and they came to the boat for lunch.  Ria-May has grown so much since I last saw here, and after about two hours my arms were aching from holding her even for short periods - I can't imagine how people cope with babies any more, I suppose you just have to get on with it!  She's a gorgeous wee girl, very happy and giggly, a credit to her beautiful mummy Victoria and daddy Phil.

   

Today the temperature dropped considerably and it was only registering 10 degrees on the thermometer inside the boat, so must've only been about 6 outside, brrrr.....

In the afternoon we continued onto Whittington, arriving at dusk not far from The Swan pub where we met up with my eldest sister Kath and her new man Pete. Lovely to see you both and we'll catch you again at the wedding next week!

 

A few shots coming through Fradley Junction turning onto the Coventry Canal