Persisting in Penkridge

The rain persisted for much of the day, but we managed a stroll into Penkridge for a mooch about.  This is obviously a rather well-to-do area, despite all the English flags flying!  Sorry folks, but I find it rather tedious that the only time the English are in the least patriotic is when they're playing football in the World Cup - once they lose (which let's face it is inevitable!) half of England subsequently returns to a sullen mood.  Maybe I just don't understand the intricacies of it, having never seen the attraction of watching 22 men kicking a ball around a field knowing they are paid obscene amounts of money for such incredible (?) feats. 

I expect we'll try and watch 'The All Whites' playing somewhere along the way though, but won't be too downhearted when they lose - New Zealand was just chuffed to get through in the first place!  We'll wait until 2011 when we can win the rugby world cup - yeah right!

 

'The Boat' pub right by the canal - all ready for Sunday kickoff - aaargh!

 

Just a short walk into the village

 Not the greatest of weather today ...

but still some adorable sights to be seen

The gaol and stocks - unfortunately only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays! 

There's a definite air of affluence around the town, even the schoolchildren we saw were well behaved and courteous - and a surprising number of pubs which all seem to be thriving, which is amazing considering the population of Penkridge is less than 8,000.

 

The River Penk which is named after the town, not the other way round

 

 

 

   Penkridge basin and winding hole - the inhabitants of the nearest boat were a couple of Kiwis from Paeroa and Thames, here on holiday

   Lots of runners on the towpaths - dodging the doggy-do in some places!

As the rain cleared, we decided we'd move the five miles up to explore Stafford next, on our way to Shugborough Hall.  After our journeys through industrial Birmingham and Wolverhampton, it's refreshing to be back in the English countryside once more and the Staffs and Worcs canal meanders through some wonderful scenery.

  Under the very busy and noisy M6 north

Doesn't take long before the motorway fades away and we're back amongst the lush green foliage

Teddesley Boat Company and 'Lady Hatherton' 1898 moored beside

 

 

 

 

   Park Gate Lock

 

They're just sooo cute!

 

Some old boat woman!

 

Park Gate Lock cottage complete with dovecote

 

There's no shortage of canal side cottages along this stretch ...

 

Deptmore Lock and cottage - just a shame that this one was sadly neglected and derelict - what a waste :-( 

 

 

 

 

It's good to be chilling with the ducks and birds again

   Coming through Stafford Boat Club

 

A view into the marina

 

 

A very well maintained old working boat

 

 

 

 

 And back with the stunning swans and cygnets

 Just short of Radford Bridge where we moored for the night

I wasn't sure what was in Stafford, having never been there previously, so we had a two mile walk into town to explore in the evening to check it out ...

A literary delight

I managed to find some bacon, eggs and left-over potatoes to fry for a brunch this morning, so despite having no bread and hardly any milk we still ate a hearty meal to commence the day.  We were amazed not to wake up until 20 past 9, so just took our time as we hadn't much on today's agenda.

The entrance to the now disused Hetherton Canal - under the bridge is Calf Heath Marina, with Misty's pub on the right

Barry went for a short walk before breakfast and found this idyllic fishing lake complete with boat

This would have been full of water at one stage surrounded by the stone wall - it must've been a very special place in it's prime

We re-visited the round house at Gailey lock, but this time we weren't so frugal!  We took delight in sitting down in the bookshop on the first floor and skim read a few books before deciding which ones we'd spend our precious cash on - there's so many it was a struggle to contain ourselves!  The great thing about the shop, apart from the array of books, is the chairs available to sit and read in order to choose from the eclectic collection at a leisurely pace.  I found one that had interested me yesterday but I wasn't sure if the writing would be to my taste; having read the first three pages I was hooked.  It's called 'Kiwi Afloat', by a woman from Auckland who travelled on Britain's canals during the 70's and 80's before she returned to New Zealand in 1990.  She apparently self published and marketed her book - you can discover more on the canal shop uk website.  I'll let you know whether it's worth purchasing when I've read it in a few days or weeks.

Sandra immersed in her soon to be purchased book!

We got talking to the cheery lady who owns the shop and she informed us that she'd bought the building over 20 years ago.  It was originally built as a toll house in order for the toll keeper to see all angles of the canal and ensure that boats didn't slip through without paying, especially those carrying coal as they were charged extra.  When they bought the place it was derelict, but they've lovingly restored it and now live on the top floor.  What a wonderful place to reside.

Another shot of Gailey lock and toll house from Sunday's trip

This boat was called 'Yorkshire Rose' and had written on the side - "You can take the Lass out of Yorkshire but you can't take the Yorkshire out of the Lass" - wonder where they're from?

We meandered casually to Penkridge, arriving just before 1700hrs - we'd only managed about 5 miles and 7 locks, pathetic really!  Of course being on the canals should be the fastest way to go slowly - so we had a festina lente day (make haste slowly), such a luxury in this crazy 21st century of busyness.

Luckily the Co-op was still open and we stocked up on much needed provisions.

Today we've woken to persistent rain that appears to have set in for the day so it's unlikely we'll be moving far - but Penkridge seems like an interesting place so we'll be off to find out ...

Aboard the Captains Ship

On Sunday we were treated to a day out on a narrowboat!  Not just any old narrowboat though - Captain Ahab's Wand'ring Bark.  We moved just a couple of miles up the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal to Calf's Heath Marina, where they plucked us off Northern Pride.

Picturesque bridges and lock cottages at Moat House bridge on the way

Wand'ring Bark and crew pull up to gather their day visitors

We journeyed through six locks to Penkridge, with the two captains chattering away about canals and photography at the stern and Belle and I gossiping and giggling about midwifery and women's 'stuff' at the bow (that's the flat end and the pointy end Belle!!).  Poor Jeff had to try and amuse himself between the two sets of jabbering, bless him.

Gailey Lock with 'Viking Afloat' hire boats - the peak of the Staffs and Worcs canal at 100 metres above sea level

There's a very quaint 'roundhouse' at Gailey lock, which was once the toll keeper's house, built around the 1800's, the last inhabitable 'roundhouse' on the canal ...

The round house has a fabulous book shop on the first floor - containing the largest collection of canal related literature, for all ages and tastes, I've seen to date.  There's also a gift shop on the ground floor, all 'manned' by an elderly lady who apparently has lived on or around the canals all of her life - we'll try and get some more information on our next visit.  We made two trips to the shop, on the way up and down, and will be visiting again today!  I think we may be a little obsessed :-) though we've yet to part with any cash!!

Above is the Cross Keys pub, on the outskirts of Penkridge, where some random bloke tried to chat Sandra up!  Belle and Sandra got a 'pint-to-go' from here - you take in a plastic pint glass, get it filled then take it back to the boat and continue your journey - what a novel idea!!

Captain Ahab looking completely chillaxed at the tiller 

 Sandra and Belle putting the world to right at 'the pointy end'

On the return journey through Gailey lock 

Belle, the Captain and the two boats almost kissing!!!

What a great day.  It's always reassuring to find other like-minded folks who enjoy the waterways of Britain and relish the simplicity of life afloat.

In the evening we had a visit from another friend and her partner - Adele and Andy - and we had a couple of drinks at 'Misty's' bar across the canal.  Unfortunately they weren't serving food and we'd almost run out of food and beverages on the boat so weren't the best of hosts, but we did find a smidgen of boat-brewed Kahlua from last year's trip that we had as a night cap. 

Andy, Adele and Sandra

Today's exciting plan is to fill up with water and gas and find the 'Co-op' in Penkridge and get stocked up.

Family and foul play!

It was an early start Saturday for the public transport experience to Malpas, Cheshire, to visit my eldest daughter Lisa and her husband Rob - oh and their new chickens!!  The journey there was smooth and seamless, we managed it in just over two hours; the return journey however was fraught with differing timetables, and took four and a half hours arriving back on the boat just before 11pm!  Ah well, such is life when you live on a narrowboat, we should've been more meticulous at checking schedules.

Barry wore his best NZ wedding shorts for the visit, as they'd also taken the opportunity to invite Rob's parents - so Barry met his step-daughter's parents in-law for the first time ...

 Diane, Dave, Rob, Lisa and Sandra

Lisa, Rob, Sandra and Barry - don't 'ya just love the matching beards!

Last weekend they'd had three chickens delivered to the house and they'd been in their 'coop' since then so that they became familiar with their new surroundings.  Saturday was the day when they were to be let out in the garden for their first run around, guarded by their carers and visitors in case Shimmy, the resident cat, decided he fancied a meal.  Lisa had warned us that they may be a little 'chicken-obsessed' but we didn't anticipate how much fun three chickens on the run could be!

Rob advises on the complexities of chicken care

Betty, Cambria and Ginger enjoy their 'Big Day Out'

  Pecking the grain from the hands of Rob, Lisa and Barry

Lisa was brave enough to hand feed       Cambria laid a perfect egg

The problem came later in the day when we realised how foolish we were wearing shorts and not bringing a change of warmer clothes - we were chilly and feeling silly walking through the centre of Wolverhampton and waiting for the bus from 2145 to 2215hrs.  The forecast was 25 degrees and we must've imagined this meant a balmy summers day (which it was) and evening - yeah right!

Today we're at Calf Heath, about to board Wand'ring Bark ...