So there!

30^th May; Hawkesbury Junction to Anchor Bridge, Hartshill, via Atherstone

We were up fairly early today – the sun was shining – to see the moorhen mum (which had been hopping up onto our roof yesterday) had decided to use the gunwale to keep an eye on her chicks.

We thought she only had three last night, but we saw six little bundles of fluff this morning – they must only just have hatched yesterday.

 

We didn’t leave till 10, and Dave used the time to get a coat of varnish on the cratch board which he had prepared yesterday.  Meg and I had other things on our minds.

There had been a lot of boats passing, and we were fourth in the queue at the stop lock.  We used the waiting time to empty a cassette and dispose of rubbish – unfortunately the recycling bin was full and I could only fit a couple of bottles down the side of it.  A boat waited for us to come round onto the Coventry canal, before cruising smoothly round the turn himself.

There is a house in Bedworth which used to have a gorilla in the garden, and a series of metal creatures on the long retaining wall.  It is for sale again; the gorilla is long gone, and the wall is peeling and rather less decorated than it was, though this lovely fish is still hunting.

Charity Dock is as entertaining as ever.  Snow White is there with a couple of her friends;

the galloper now has a little motor strapped to its tail;

 

we hadn’t noticed this carving before;

and the Stig is still in charge, even though one hand is now tucked in behind his arm!

There were some spooky fishermen (or possibly women) in a Bedworth garden.

Dave needed to visit the hardware shop in Atherstone and we needed bread, so we cracked on to turn before the locks.  We didn’t go on to the winding hole above the top lock in case there was a queue waiting to descend, so tried the one before bridge 40.  Not the best idea it turned out; a hire boat was coming up from the lock, past a long line of moored boats, and as we waited, the wind blew us oh-so-gently into the offside, stern first.  The only way out (we thought) was to turn here, despite the two boats moored opposite leaving only a short gap to get the bow in.  One of the boaters told us it wasn’t a winding hole - but Nicholsons AND Pearsons both say it is, so there matey!  He did at least give us a hand getting Chuffed round – the offside was too shallow for the stern.  I’m sure it would all have worked if it was the bow that had got blown in, but next time we will use the next one if boats are moored across it.

After our shopping (which included a nice loaf from the proper baker next to Greggs) we went back towards Hartshill.  There is an area of old wharf-side along the way, where we noticed that the holes where the wooden support had been had been repurposed by sand martins!  Normally they nest in holes in a sandy cliff or riverbank, but there is nothing like that around here.  I didn’t get any birds on camera, they are far too fast.  Another point of interest – what looks like a row of blue wheelie-bins are actually wooden beehives.

It wasn’t long before we passed under Anchor Bridge and got an excellent mooring spot not too far from the pub yet well away from the road.  But first, patient Meg needed a walk – she had clocked the gate to the field footpath as we passed and as soon as Dave picked her lead up she was off and waiting for him.  Once she had been fed, we were off to the pub.  It turned out there was a 40-minute wait for food as two large groups had just ordered, so we went back to the boat.  While our tea was cooking, there was a rap on the side of the boat – there was the landlord of the pub with our car keys!  Dave had taken his rucksack as we were hoping to eat and they had obviously fallen out.  What a star!  (the landlord that is, not Dave). Unfortunately I forgot to get your name, but thanks!

Our butter bean curry was very acceptable, and so, apparently, was the pig’s ear we bought for Meg in the pet shop.

1 lock (stop lock), 12 miles