Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Sunday 1 May 2011

1st May '11

Sorry that there has been a bit of a break but the last few days have been somewhat hectic but .... we are here in the Marina now and the maiden voyage has been completed! phew...............

27th. We left the mooring early and attacked the Atherstone Locks - all 11 of them, pretty much in a line with a bit of a break between the 4th and 5th ones. Thankfully they were single ones so I wasn't too bad and there were other people coming the other direction so it made it relatively easy. We had a call from Jim saying he wanted to meet us on Friday (Royal Wedding Day) at Willington so we realised that we had to motor on as much as we could (at 3mph that's not that easy) to get there on time. This meant that we needed to get to Fradley Junction tonight - and that was MILES away!

Fearlessly we continued on and through the Glascote Locks (only 2 of them I'm pleased to say!) and then Fazeley Junction which was empty and we got straight through it - back onto familiar territory now as we had got as far as Fazeley with Susan and Malcolm a couple of years ago. Somehow it's easier when you know the way! We were getting pretty tired by now and decided that mooring at Whittington would be sensible with an early start the next day. We had been going for 10 hours which is enough for anyone believe me.

28th  Strangely neither of us slept well last night and another early start, knowing that we had to get quite a long way although we decided that if we could get to Burton then at least we would be able to start early and get to Willington in time for Jim the next day.

Fradley Junction arrived quite quickly and we stopped for water as it was easy to get it - there is a small swing bridge to open just before the junction and while we were getting the water John went to have a look at the junction to see what boats were around. The junction is a tricky one because the Coventry meets the Trent and Mersey at right angles, opposite a pub with a lock immediately around the corner to the East (the way we were going) and another a bit further on to the West so no matter which direction you are coming from it can be a bit of a delicate operation!

Naturally there was a boat waiting to go down our lock but luckily there was minimal wind and John got the boat around and moored at the side behind the waiting boat perfectly - he's really good at this stuff! There are 3 locks in our direction going down but we had done them many times and I hardly knocked anything! The wind was getting up as the day was going on and I was very aware of the rest of the locks ahead.... wish I was as good as John, but I'm improving and at least I'm not QUITE as scared now!

We stopped at Alrewas which is one of my favourite places on the Trent and Mersey to have a brief lunch and then back on the way. We promised ourselves that we would go back at some point and have a proper stay there as there is the National Memorial Arboretum just outside which is worth visiting but we have never had the time.

A couple morelocks and the phone goes - Jim can't come on Friday and will come on Monday. Not best pleased as we have been beating ourselves up to get there on time. We could also have stayed in Alrewas longer if we had known in time. However it meant that the rush was over and we decided to stop at Branston (of the pickle) as there is a nice water park there to walk around. We got a brilliant mooring right by the opening and walked into Branston which we had never done before. Nice little village with a couple of good pubs and some shops and only 10 minutes from the canal. Couldn't believe we had never been there before, considering that we must have been on that canal about 6-7 times in the past!

We gave Paddy a good walk around the water park and settled down to an early night with no alarm in the morning.

29th  We decided to stay on the mooring and watch the wedding then move on in the afternoon as I wanted to be at Willington on Saturday morning to get to the post office - I'd been ignoring the blanket for a while and knitted Chloe some bits for her birthday and had to post them on Saturday so that she'd get them on Tuesday. The reception was awful - we still have no TV and so were trying to watch it live on the computer. In the end we had the radio on for the live commentary with the computer silent - the text was a minute or two behind the action and the computer was buffering continuously and was on average about 4 minutes behind the text! I was very upset that we didn't have any bunting or flags to decorate the boat but enjoyed our rather strange version of the event. I'm a royalist and proud of it!

After the wedding we set sail and the sun had come out - the wind was still strong but we sailed without mishap to Willington. The pub on the green has been re-opened as the Dragon and had tables out so we sat outside with a beer to celebrate the day and treated ourselves to a burger in the evening - we know how to live!

30th  Stayed at Willington because we are tight and the rent is monthly at the Marina so going in tomorrow means we save a significant amount! We did however go to the Post Office to see about getting a PO box. They suggested we simply use their address and have the mail sent down to the marina which is what most people do - yes we said that's good can we have the forms - you have to go to the marina to get them they said. SO we went back to the boat - got Paddy and walked up the canal, over the bridge, along the entrance and into the shop at the marina. Yes they said , here's the forms - you need 20,000,000 forms of ID to show that you are not illegal immigrants or aliens and that you have a permanant address. so we walk back along the entrance, across the bridge and along the canal and turn the boat upside down looking for said bits of evidence! Living without a permant home for nearly a year means you have little proof of identity and John's driving licence is currently at the DVLA as he needed to update the photo! Eventually we got as much as we could and decided to cycle back to the marina along the road - leaving Paddy behind! Much quicker and they then had the gall to LAUGH at the number of letters we presented to them! Anyway we now have an address for post which is good!

1st May Cruised - or should I say battled against the force 8 gale that was blowing - into the marina and into our berth. It feels good. Home at last.

John turned to me yesterday and said "Now that it's all over, I wouldn't mind going back to the rivers at some point." "Mmm" I replied,"I know what you mean, it doesn't seem that bad now it's over."

We are now planning our next trip, probably leaving at the end of next week, we want to go to North Wales to the LLangoglen (probably spelt wrong) before it gets busy in the summer..........

Love this life :-)


Swing bridge approaching Fradley Junction



Perfectluy moored at Fradley waiting for the lock - Paddy in charge of the boat!



In the lock looking back - the junction is just on the right of the picture opposite the pub.


In the lock looking forward - this is typical of many locks on the Trent and Mersey - a vary low and narrow bridge on the bottom gate - note ttat there is only one bike on the roof now! Even that was dodgy for some of them!



We have just come out of here but you have to get through it to go up the lock - interesting at times!


Wonky bridge at Wychnor which is actually on a river stretch on the canal - the first time we ever came through here there was a boat festival on and there were boats moored 3 or 4 abreast and getting through the gap was quite tight - luckily with our long beast there was nothing in the way today!



Almost there!



About to make the turn!



Despite the wind doing it's worse we got around and are on the approach!



Beautiful sunset for our first night in the Marina!

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