On the move at last

 Droitwich Spa Marina to Perdiswell Park

It was jolly cold last night in the boat.  The outdoor thermometer gave a minimum reading of 2.8 degrees, but it was largely our own fault as neither of us noticed that the sliding hatch hadn't been lifted over the door until the morning sun was streaming through the gap at 6.30!  So glad the Mikuni is working properly so I could switch it on and get back into bed till the radiators were hot.

After breakfast I went down to Waitrose and came back along the main road, Saltway, to the Veg Shack - it's just a house with a veg stall outside, and at the moment I doubt it's their own produce.  I was hoping for rhubarb (no luck) but got a big bag of excellent purple sprouting broccoli for £1 in the honesty box.  Just past the house is a footpath that cuts through to the car park at the Rugby Club bridge.  It crosses the old line of the canal before it was restored.

In the meantime Dave had readied the boat for the off.  The engine started first time and was running smoothly, so after a chat to our next-door neighbour Jayne we were off.  Another boat went out ahead of us into the bottom Hanbury lock, but with 3 volunteers already on duty we were soon up. We turned right at Hanbury Junction onto the Worcester and Birmingham on our way down to Worcester.  The sun was glorious.  We stopped for an early lunch just past Oddingley (where the best spots were taken).  We saw our first swallow of the year yesterday, there were several more today and a lark was singing when we stopped.  We were on our way again soon after 1, through Tibberton where the moorings were largely closed last October for 'towpath improvement'.  It's good now for wheelchairs and prams, and very popular with cyclists as you can imagine.

 We had only seen three boats on the move all day, so we weren't surprised when most of the Offerton locks had drained themselves.  At the top lock, which you can just see from the M5 if you know where to look, a group of people were inflating their kayaks.  Not a good picture though, it was a bit of an afterthought.  The tarmac continues right down the flight.

I asked the lady with the blue one how robust they were, knowing what a sharp twig can do to boat paintwork!  She said it was only the 4th time she'd been out and she thought she'd already picked up a slow puncture.  It was only £40 - not quite disposable or single-use then, but I wonder how many quickly get damaged and chucked away?

The lock house at the second lock seems to have been sold.  A chap was hauling a bucket up to water his plants, pleased I was filling the lock! and kindly closed up for Dave so I could lock ahead.  Most of the top paddles were pretty stiff so it was a bit of a shock after 6 months of no boating.  But the flight isn't difficult.  Wild flowers are blooming before they get strimmed to oblivion - these two were growing along the flight.  They are both the caterpillar food plants of the little Orange Tip butterfly which is flying at the moment.

 

Cuckoo Fower, aka Lady's Smock and Milkmaids

 

Jack-by-the-Hedge, aka Garlic Mustard which is supposed to be edible though I've not tried it

We were pleased to see our regular place at bridge 17 by Perdiswell Park had space for us - Meg as usual knew exactly where we were and was soon off the boat with one of her two new balls we retrieved from the canal today.  She's been a good patient girl today so Dave took her straight off for a play in the park.

The canal has been very quiet boat-wise, though as it's Saturday the towpaths were busy with families, cyclists and walkers.  The Canaltime time-share boats were coming out of their base at Worcester after we had stopped.  What a lovely day to start your holiday!

7 miles, 11 locks, Dunhampstead Tunnel (dry), 2 new tennis balls for Meg