Not the best end to a day (2)

Saturday 23^rd March; the Boot moorings to Cape Locks

We started at 8, dropping down to the water point opposite the lake by the road to Kingswood village.  I left Dave bringing Chuffed down lock 18 while I nipped across to the shop for some essentials.

Dave had started the water filling as I returned with the paper and a nice-looking loaf of bread.  This tap seems to have much better pressure than the one at the junction and we were soon on our way again.  The swans have built their nest and Mrs Swan is sitting on her eggs.

I noticed what looks like some fishing line across the picture when I cropped it for the blog, so I’ve contacted CRT to tell them about it.  It looks as though it would be out of the swans’ way, but stray fishing line is not a good thing.

We paused briefly at the junction to empty 2 cassettes – we were getting perilously close to having no cassette space left!  Violets were blooming along the path where we moored.

We turned south towards Warwick and made tracks towards the Hatton flight.  The pair of derelict boats is still looking very neglected, but two new license plates have appeared – red, does that denote something in particular? – and the mooring lines look strong and fairly new.  Very much a project for someone.

We got the brolly out in preparation for Shrewley tunnel.  It’s usually wet, at least in part, and today was no exception.

Fortified with cookies we started our descent of Hatton locks.  The canal was very quiet and we had seen no other moving boat all morning.  We really need to get these locks under our belt today, so down we went, though keeping a wary eye out behind us, so we could wait if someone else arrived at the top.  They didn’t.

The CRT depot is above lock 42

We had to turn every single lock, but we could lock ahead, slowly but efficiently.  The sun was out, and there were plenty of gongoozlers, but none were interested enough to ‘have a go’ so it was hard work.  We only raised paddles on one side – Dave timed us last time we came this way, and you gain a mere 45 seconds a lock by opening both paddles.  The lock fills and empties more quickly, but the extra labour involved is not worth 45 seconds!  From the top of lock 40 I could just see, in the far distance at Middle Lock Bridge, the boat in front of us.  They must have been moored at the top of the locks last night and were 7 locks ahead.

We had a lunch stop on the long pound above lock 29, and were comfortably moored at Cape locks before teatime. 

Oh yes, the less-than-perfect end to the day.  When you are having chemotherapy, you are at higher risk of infection than normal.  In order to destroy any remaining cancer the drugs have to target cells that are actively dividing.  This unfortunately includes the production of new blood cells, so your white cells, the ones that fight infection, get a hammering.  Symptoms such as the sore throat and low temperature that I have had for a couple of days need to be checked out pronto, in case you have a bacterial infection instead of just a virus.  So, with me feeling a terrible fraud, we crossed the top lock and walked to the conveniently close Warwick hospital.  After having my wrist metaphorically slapped for not having gone to a hospital two days earlier I had the full works – multiple takings of temperature, blood pressure, blood tests, ECG, chest x-ray, then intravenous antibiotics. They give you ‘just-in-case’ antibiotics before the bloods come back, as without your normal white blood cell level you are at high risk of any bacterial infection turning to sepsis, which can quickly be fatal.  While I knew all this, after a lifetime of ‘not bothering the doctor’ and dealing with minor ailments myself, I just didn’t take my symptoms seriously.  I know better now.  Luckily it turned out to be ‘just’ a virus so I was discharged, with another gentle wrist-slap to make sure I will be a good girl if there is a next time.

By the way, we can highly recommend Warwick A&E.  They were calm and efficient, and lovely with it.  We were in and out within 2 hours, even on a Saturday night.

8 miles, 6 narrow locks, 21 broad locks, Kingswood Junction, Shrewley tunnel.