Party time at Fradley and Rugely, canal rage at Haywood

Today – Moored Gt Haywood
Weekend – Fradley Junction to Gt Haywood, Trent and Mersey Canal, 13 miles 5 locks

We had a great night in the Swan Pub at Fradley Junction on Friday night. We were just about to leave when Bob from Birmingham produced a guitar and started strumming.. a very full pub then all broke into voice with Whiskey in the Jar, Wild Rover and the like.. then somebody asked for Edelweiss… Errrrrr I don’t think so, for sure Bob from Birmingham did not have that one in his repertoire, and I sure was pleased about that as we all burst into song again with a loud rendition of Coming Round the Mountain!

I had a couple too many Stellas that night and felt it in the morning, but a walk along the towpath with Lucy soon cleared my head, and it wasn’t long ‘till we pulled the pins and turned left onto the Trent and Mersey Canal leaving behind the memories of a smashing night in The Swan …

We pushed on through the three locks at Fradley with just a short wait at the first one.. the day as you can see was wet again, but we wanted to get to Gt Haywood to get these canopies done.. Vic did the locking on Saturday..

And we had a steady cruise all the way.. Vic checked ‘Armitage Tunnel’ and sure enough a boat was coming, so I was happy to wait rather than going round the corner and having to back out again as I did last time I was here.. it is a very narrow channel on a bend, the tunnel roof now removed, but room enough for just the one narrowboat to get through the short distance.

We got as far as Rugeley, and I noticed Valerie moored.. “Nah that can’t be Les” I thought.. I didn’t think he was anywhere near this place, the last I heard was that he was on the way to Gloucester.. “But how many other green boats do we know called Valerie” I said to Vic.. so peering in the windows I could see no life… and presuming nobody was around almost went past when I heard an “Oi!!”.. and sure enough out popped Les!

So we spent the night there and caught up with all the gossip and towpath news over a couple of pints aboard No Problem.. so two party nights in a row, I wondered how my head was going to cope with that in the morning!

I need not have worried, felt good and fresh and we said our fond farewells and pulled the pins to make the final bit of the cruise to Haywood…. A boat caught up with me not far along from Rugeley at Brindley Brook where there is an aqueduct.. I thought it was Louis Hamilton for a minute ducking and weaving about behind No Problem.. my guess was right he wanted to pass.  So I pulled over a bit and he steamed alongside and past me.. he sure was in a hurry.  But his haste was short lived as we approached Colwich Lock I could see a lot of boats.  It is not a place where there are moorings so it could only mean one thing.. queue queue..

You can see four boats in front of us, in fact there are more round the corner, and this was a queue of seven boats! .  And there in front of No Problem is the Louis Hamilton of the waterways.  He was none to happy, and while I took the opportunity of going inside to make some homemade potato and celery soup for lunch and do some housework Vic was telling me that he was effing and swearing and moaning about all the boats on the waterways, and how there should be two effin locks here and how different it was 28 effin years ago when he first started boating.. he got in a right state!

On through this one then, and just the one more lock to encounter.. and handily a boat was coming out as I approached.. but I noticed the lock gates shutting.. I was about 20 yards from the lock.. sounded the horn to no avail, and as I drifted into the jaws of the lock expecting the gates to be re-opened I could see the paddles being raised at the other end of the lock.. ah well someone else in a hurry I suppose, so I backed out and tied up on the lock mooring.

“You must be new to boating” says I “You really should look to see if a boat is coming before you shut the gates and refill the lock”.. An older narrowboat with a well worn crew.. I don't think they were new to boating somehow!  Teehee  “The lock was full when we went in” says he.. I thought well that is true at least, it would be full when he went in.. he just forgot – he filled it first! “You got a problem with that” says he.. “Nope” says I “Just thought you needed a bit of tuition thats all”.. to which a got a victory sign round the wrong way..

What is it with Tixall Wide??

I walked Lucy yesterday.. 33 narrowboats moored there.  These people are mad, it was like an Asda Car Park for boats.  If they were to venture to the East of England they would see a ‘Tixall Wide’ round every corner and they could moor there all on their own!

Other bits of good news this evening.. The two D’s are doing OK on the Thames, click here to catch up on how they are faring, and I walked 5 miles today.. legs were a bit sore going up the hilly bits but I am determined to just get going again after all the latest tests from the docs came back as normal..

A knock on the door last night and it was Mick and Jill who have been reading the blog for two years now, calling into Gt Haywood on the off chance we were there.. Nice to meet you both, and we do hope you will pop along again for a cuppa..