Home again, and a little bit of Photoshop magic

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August; Hartshill to Springwood Haven and home

The red sky last night had done the biz and we set off at 9 in bright sunshine for the short hop to the marina.  It was a little chilly in the shade as it was a bit breezy as well.

It wasn’t long before we were at the wharf, then reversing into our berth.  In spite of the wind, that manoeuvre went rather well.  By 11 Dave was setting off on the bike for Nuneaton station to begin his journey back to Alvechurch for the car.  He didn’t take it with him all the way – he padlocked it to the railings at Tuttle Hill bridge (no 23) and I ran up to retrieve it and cycled back to the boat.  On the edge of one of the notorious rubbish hotspots on the system, I didn’t see a single bit of rubbish.

While Dave was hanging about on railway stations, Meg and I enjoyed a short woodland walk near bridge 27.  The sun through the trees was beautiful.

Dave was back by 2, having not done much hanging around at all with train times falling very conveniently.  So we all went out for another woodland walk.  Along one path the local yoof have made a series of ramps for bikes, which looked rather fun.  They don’t show up well in the photo though.

This time we took different paths, and found an area where a camp had been made and an old mattress and other rubbish were tangled and overgrown with brambles.  Not so lovely.  Back on the boat, after a cup of tea, Dave did a few little things down the engine hole between showers and then we just chilled.  We have been very lazy this trip, with not even any paintwork touched up. There was plenty of activity outside though, with boats leaving and returning to the marina.

On the Sunday we were up quite early to clean and pack and were on our way home by 11.  We will be back aboard in the autumn.

When I wrote the blog for the day we went to Rugeley, I included a picture taken as we crossed the Trent aqueduct.  Of course the railings rather spoiled the picture.  My friend Chris (who used to own NB Avon Rose) is a dab hand with Photoshop and sent me an email saying, what railings?  Clever, isn’t he? 

    

Trip stats;

13 days, 85 miles 2¼ furlongs, 54 narrow locks, 1 swing bridge, 5 tunnels (Wast Hill, Edgbaston, Galton, Coseley, Wolverhampton).

Canals; Worcester and Birmingham, Birmingham Main Line. Staffs and Worcester, Trent and Mersey, Coventry, Birmingham and Fazeley.