A busy day on the Coventry, but Fradley Juction is sad..

Brookhay Bridge to New Bridge, Fradley, Coventry Canal, 2 miles 0 locks

I didn’t know Kevin (Scraggy) and his wife Viv, but I did hear on the ‘towpath telegraph’ last week that Kevin died of Weils Disease ( leptospirosi ), which is a rat urine related virus which can be picked up from canal water.  He felt a bit poorly on the Sunday, went to work on Monday, only to return in the afternoon feeling worse.  From there to doctors called out to intensive care, and by the following Friday he had died.. It’s scarey really when you think that this can be picked up from even wet ropes that have been in the canal on hands that might have a cut or graze on them.  I found out a bit about this awful disease here when I heard about Kevin’s death..

Anyway as we were close to Fradley I decided to moor just outside tonight as his funeral is tomorrow, and I thought there would be many narrowboats around.  Kevin’s boat, the old steam narrowboat Monarch, is now converted from steam to diesel.  I walked down to Fradley Junction this evening, and there she was in her normal spot.  Tomorrow morning they are using her as a hearse and transporting Kevin down the two locks on the Trent and Mersey before onward by road to Stafford.

I spoke with friends of Kevin, Sue and Mick at Fradley this evening, Sue was telling me that there will be a large gathering of people as well as quite a few working boats escorting Monarch.. and for sure there were many old boats about this evening.  We talked about the disease, and how it could happen to any of us really..

Mr Tesco duly delivered our order by midday today, and I spent over two hours tracking down the farmer who owned the field where the huge trees had been felled and left.  Eventually I found a retired farmer who knew the phone number of the owner.. “Yes help yourself to as much as you like”  Mr H said, Great stuff!

We left some though!

Actually this little lot were cut down by British Waterways.. I was told this by locals while I was trying to track down Mr H to ask permission to take some.. Mr H was quite upset apparently, because BW just cut these trees down and left them there without even consulting him I was told by locals.  The lovely trees were considered to be a danger to canal users..

I see Mike is moored near the junction this evening, narrowboat Phoenix is on my ‘boaters blogs’ list.  He wasn’t in when I passed earlier.. I might knock his door tomorrow.  He’s been doing a bit of DIY lately, and set off his fire extinguisher

“Don't really know what happened, but there was a loud noise and general chaos as the fire extinguisher dumped a Kilo of dry powder all over me. I dived off the boat coughing and spluttering, scaring the life out of an elderly lady walking her dog. Lord knows what she thought as this white apparition came hurtling off the boat.”

No that wasn’t me walking by either!! 

Do hope he is all cleaned up when I call tomorrow though!