Colwich lock?

The lock is open and boats have been through but those that have come up to Great Haywood report ‘no change’. The bottom gates still need two people to operate them. So I wonder what BW tried to do while it was closed to navigation.

Objections are being made about BW plans to close facilities at Marsworth on the Grand Union canal. Apparently the workshops and facilities are to be demolished and a number of houses built on site. What, I wonder, are boaters to do with the contents of their ‘black’ cassettes and not being able to top up with fresh water. I see an environmental problem happening if it goes ahead.

Winter blues

The lack of sunshine is SAD. It may be sunny now but the days are so short. Nothing to talk about but the weather! Thankfully we have not suffered like others near rivers reminding us about our adventures on the Nene. It must be real nasty to get flooded yet again. For us it is another sunny day and the solar panels are putting a little power in. While we are hanging around it seems that engine charging for 2 hours midday and an hour in the evening keeps up with our demands.

Ann walked across from our Tixel Wide mooring and got the bus to Stafford, returning later with more goodies. The local butcher had some venison for sale so we made a stew which cooked on the stove all day. It tasted so good, just pure red meat and very good value.

That lock between us and Rugeley at Colwich should be open soon and many boats are gathering to get away. We keep getting stoppage messages and really wonder about the government’s commitment to the waterways. There are too many failures of the system being reported lately. The winter months are when British Waterways have planned maintenance to carry out but that is not enough it seems. Our waterways need respect and support from all of us. When that major failure occurred on the Shropshire this summer we were surprised how many towns and businesses suffered from the lack of boat traffic. Now we hear about a large hole in the Caldon canal near Stoke on Trent and yet another failure on that popular Welsh canal. Some are putting the blame on Badgers making their sets in the bank!

Biting the bullet

I had the misfortune to possess Vista having replaced a dead computer. Vista was inconsistent, and slow. At first it refused to talk to my trusty Lexmark printer but was persuaded to behave after some Google help! Despite continual updates there was no apparent improvement. Occasional failures requiring reboots and at least one reformat made me think about alternative operating systems like Linux or Mac. My essential T Mobile USB modem worked a treat and could behave on a Mac but not on Linux. I understand that the USB modem supplied by ‘3’ works with Linux.
Vista seemed top heavy and tried to load everything in memory before being ‘strangled’. Much time and effort was used just sorting out the operating system! Now I am not saying that the change I made was the preferred one but was the most economic and worth a try. MS 7 installed in just over an hour and a half and boots up in less than 2 minutes! No time now to get a cup of tea after pressing the button! My USB modem installed OK and was soon down loading the inevitable updates. MS could not find drivers for my Lexmark printer so I found one myself.
I then fed in all my documents and pictures. One nice feature is the desktop background full screen slideshow. I got Google Chrome downloaded because it is better than I E. I begin to suspect that 7 is a simplified Vista! You never know, another bullet could be bitten if Google’s OS comes out next year!

Places to go and things to do

We had time to stop at Rugeley which is just as well because Ann had tooth ache. The local Dentist was able to take a look and provided antibiotics after some treatment. We walked round town doing some shopping but sadly found it lacking. Several shops had closed down including Woolworths which is still empty. Banks, building societies, card shops and low cost stores are open. Morrisons and Wilkins are quite busy. Charity shops are providing worthwhile goods. “In fact I have replaced my winter coat and disposed of our video recorder.”

It was not far to Great Haywood, only seven lock miles but we had to get past Colwich Lock. The lower gates were always hard to open or close because the balance beams are too short. In fact the locks up from Fradley were just as difficult for the same reason. Longer beams would provide better leverage. They all needed two people to operate them. It will be interesting to see what British Waterways can do about it because a bridge across the lock gets in the way of longer beams!
We now have some time in one area to explore due to the stoppages. We are limited to about 9 miles going north on the Trent & Mersey and three miles west on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire. Turning points mark the limit before the stoppage because we need to be able to return to Great Haywood. There are no turns south before that lock so cannot go that way.

We are not too down hearted because boating facilities are available and the village has a Post Office, shops, butcher and even a medical centre within walking distance of the canal.
We got the hourly bus to Stafford. It took a bit longer than usual due to an accident which meant that the driver had to go a different way. We walked across town to the station and got all our tickets for the train home at Christmas. After a bite to eat at a cafe and some shopping we returned to the boat just before it got dark. Shugborough Hall will be having a firework event over the weekend so we moved north to get away. Molly gets so upset with the bangs and whistles, even the TV had to be turned down or off when fireworks were on that as well!
Now we settle down to shop on line, write and post Christmas cards, wrap some gifts and play games! Ann so likes that Nindendo DS with those games and brain training that she could not wait to use it. And wot fun it is too, even I had a go!

Get a move on

Got to use those daylight hours to get to where were going. Sue told us about an unexpected stoppage at Colwich Lock which we must get through before the 9th of November. No rush really. We are getting away early after breakfast and stopping for a rest and sandwiches midday. We have done all those locks at Atherstone and shopped at the Co-op, passed by Polesworth, down the two locks at Tamworth and even passed those lovely gardens in Whittington.

The Coventry still proves to be one of our favourite canals but there are so many other places, towns, villages and moorings which are spread all over the waterway system that we like so much. I am imagining a utopia waterway with all our favourite places and all the nasty boring bits removed. It is something to ponder about during a few otherwise idle moments? No more than 5 locks in a few miles then a long stretch and no wide ones. At least one tunnel which you can see through. Tow paths for walkers, not cyclists and wide enough in places to sit out under the shade of a tree in summer...... I do not know whether to take what we have and remove the bad bits or to make a list of the good bits and paste them together on an interesting track.

By the time we had got to Kings Bromley we had met both Roger n Pip on Windsong and Derek n Dot on Gypsy Rover.

We’ve been moving most days since turning at the end of the Ashby and now stopped for a weekend.

Now what is this? Well, well.......

This 'orable goolie was seen near Atherstone top lock. Ooooooooo!

Daylight / Nightlight

Before we left the Ashby canal we made contact with friends on ‘At Last’ moored near Burton Hastings. We first met them when they stopped to say hello many years ago while on the Coventry canal between Nuneaton and Atherstone. It was good to see them again and have a good old chat on board. We do try to keep in touch with friends on the cut when we are nearby.

Changing those clocks and having to wake up an hour later takes a bit of getting used to. At the end of the day we now have the lights on for an extra hour. What was it called? Daylight Saving? Daylight is free but the nation is now paying for that extra hour of night light. Might have been better to have fallen forward rather than back! Altering our time does not change the fact that as winter approaches the daylight time is getting shorter anyway.

We moved on to the Coventry canal and pushed through Nuneaton early. Stopped at bridge 23 to dump some rubbish and go to the shops. There is a recycling centre nearby. “Old clothes over there, just chuck that lot over there lov”. Oh why did we bother to keep it all separate? Then we went the other way to find the butcher. Good quality at Frank Parker’s no less. Moving on we got diesel at Springwood Haven, this time being able to make our own declaration before continuing to Hartshill.

More on the Ashby

We moved on a few miles to Market Bosworth visitor moorings and found them empty!

On the way we passed a dredger with one operator getting mud from the canal and depositing it on the tow path. Another operator was using a large rake to spread the wet mud level. “It looked like hard work.”

After a sandwich we walked up the hill to the town in sunshine with the copper leaves blowing about in the gardens.

More boats had arrived when we returned to the moorings. At least most of them are moving most days and we see them returning later. It is certainly slow going on this canal as we have averaged only about 2 miles an hour! Any faster and the boat drags on the bottom or makes a wash despite that dredging! The canal gets better after Shackerstone where there are a couple of miles of woodland to travel through. “Just have to clear the leaves from prop every now and then.”

Having heard that the canal trust had got their spades out of the shed we were disappointed to see what had been achieved. A side pond has been created for wild life between bridge 61 and the turn, but there was no progress north for boats. It is no longer possible to walk along the canal beyond the end of navigation. Having spent a packet on that side pond the trust are now waiting for yet more money to come their way. We found the Wendover Arm more inviting at its end.

The Ashby Canal

Our next stop was at Stoke Golding. The visitor moorings were full as we passed so carried round the bend and stopped next to a muddy bank. The canal has been recently dredged but not edge to edge. Only our front end got near while our deeper back end was stuck in mud! It was a bad end to a damp grey horrible day. To their credit the Ashby Canal Association has been getting a fair bit of dredging done. Unfortunately the mud has just been left to dry out as hard lumps of dirt on the tow path.

We kept an eye on the boats at the mooring and when one moved off we reversed into the space and washed the mud off. We were then able to place an order to Tesco who delivered next day.

When it was all packed away we walked up to the village shop during a bright sunny day which was so different to the previous one.

After the two day limited stay we moved off heading for the facilities at Sutton Wharf where we took on water after using the washing machine. There are many moorings on the way but most still have that muddy dredging lying on top of what was a grassy edge. Perhaps one day it will get spread out to make a dry path. We eventually stopped for the weekend at the ‘Battle field’ moorings which was thankfully clear of mud.
It was here that the War of the Roses finally ended when Richard the third was defeated. Henry Tudor took the crown of England and became Henry the seventh. It is quite something to still be able to walk round the fields where the battle of Bosworth took place back in 1485, over 500 years ago!

Parted company

We went home on a bus, taxi, train and car for a long weekend while our friends looked after Molly and the boat. On our return Sue n Vic gave us a refreshing cup of tea before setting off on their long journey north. We cannot thank them enough for their kindness and help over the years that we have known them. Then we stopped at Hawkesbury Junction to top up with water and use the facilities. We simply lost count of the number of boats moving up and down through that shallow lock on October.

Turning on to the Coventry canal we found ourselves following a slow boat to China and decided to stay on the Coventry if it turns on to the Ashby. We headed for Nuneaton but turned at the next winding point and stopped for the night. Next day we got on to the Ashby at a normal speed. Many of the visitor moorings were full so we stopped on a rough edge near Hinckley.

Do we expect too much?

It was not that long ago when many canals were un navigable. Way back when canals were created only horses were available to pull the boats through the water. When diesel engines were put in the boats they were pushed from the back and moved much faster and made waves. There are now more boats moving about the canals than ever before when they were operated commercially. At least the commercial operators showed respect and consideration.

It is perhaps not surprising that the system is suffering from the strain. Pumps now push the water back up the locks so there is enough to let the boats go down. We are lucky at times not to run aground more often. Even when we started 15 years ago there were problems with the water supply. The use of some locks near summits were booked for use and limited to a few days a week. Many others were locked at night to save water.

With limited money and maintenance effort we all may have to realise that limited use will return, if not by design then by failures of the system.

Moving with friends again

Ann had gone off on the bus to Cogenhoe to find them moored on the Nene. A few days later we were together, No Problem and Moore 2 Life. “I knew they were near when I heard dogs barking. Lucy, Meg n Molly rushed up and each gave me a lick!” It did not take long to move on past Nether Heyford and Weedon. The wide canal is weaving its way past the hills of Northamptonshire with a variety of open farmland and woods. Both boats called at Fred Tarry’s for gas, coal and diesel before stopping past the noisy motorway. Next day we continued up the Buckby flight, across the summit, through the bent tunnel and all the way down to Braunston.

We were pleased to see that at least some work has been done at the tunnel to prevent further land slippage.

Sue and Vic went on next day while we took the bus into Daventry. Why do they all come at the same time? This time there were no less than three of them, two for Rugby and one for Banbury. At least the bus companies are running a viable service. We had done a pre winter clearout and donated the majority to charity in town. It was an enjoyable outing in sunshine and we had a snack at the local cafe.

When we returned we paid a visit to friends in Braunston Marina. There were many other boats gathered on the canal which we passed on the way out next day. It was a very windy Saturday as we progressed north to the locks at Hillmorton where we caught up with our friends again.

Slideshows

There is a new feature in our web site called Slideshow. A collection of Waterway pictures that we have taken while exploring the system over the years. Click on the 'moore2life' link on the right and when you have our web page select the new feature.

Lock waiting

We set off two locks below Stoke Bruerne and found two boats about to go in the lock. So we tied up at the bollards and waited. The boats went up in the lock and waited for a boat coming down from the next lock before proceeding.

A single boat swapped places in the lock and waited. We were told they were waiting for another single boat coming down. “Fair enough, better to carry on down two at a time.” By the time the two boats had gone up, that single boat was joined by another to come down! So the single boat that we were waiting for eventually came down. Then at last it was our turn to go up but despite all that waiting, no other boat came up with us. That is the way it is, sometimes it just takes twice as long to get through locks.

Thankfully being September we were enjoying calm sunny weather as nature paused, waiting for autumn.

The state of the waterways

As we travel around the system we are bound to see the deterioration. Soft edges, muddy waters, broken bridges, suspect structures..... In many places the waterway is narrowed by excessive vegetation reaching out to scratch the boat. Been like it for many years with no real sign of maintenance. Some of the old brick arched bridges are in a near state of collapse.

This year several canals have been closed and some undergone emergency repair during their summer use. Even some of the facilities for boaters are ‘on the edge’ of closing. At one place near Milton Keynes the water was off for a while and the waste disposal suspended due to fly tipping. Some Elsan drains have been left blocked for some time. Since the end of August we have noticed more bags of rubbish dumped in the hedgerows.

So it seems there is plenty to do to keep our valuable waterways open, clean and tidy. But does our government have the will to do so? Their own laws and regulations say they should. What must our foreign tourists think of our dirty untidy country side? Will they come again?

Perhaps we should be encouraging those groups of people who do have the will to look after our waterways and countryside. Like the various Trust organisations associated with the waterways and countryside.

Family visit

We were at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes on the Grand Union when they came. Just about 2 hours on the road for them. What a marvellous place to explore between the park and the lakes. “Bring the boys bikes.” The cycle ways are so save away from the roads. We made a picnic and walked to Willen lakes.

There is an obstacle course made of rope and wires strung between several trees. Many children are able to safely climb, swing and jump while strapped to a safety harness. Josh was just tall enough to go on the junior route and we were so pleased that he managed to control his fear and get round without falling.

There was always an adult on hand to help and encourage progress.

After Josh had got back on the ground we found a seat without wasps and consumed our picnic. Then we found some funfair rides for Ben to enjoy. After that it was ice creams all round.

Next day the bikes were out again to explore the park in the morning. We enjoyed their company while they were with us but they had to leave after lunch to get home.

A walk of discovery

At the end of August when everybody is supposed to have a long weekend off it proved to be a bit cool in the mornings. If it is cloudy n damp we may consider warming the radiators. Our fire and chimney has been cleaned out and should now be ready for the winter months.

We went shopping at Water Eaton after Les on Valerie told us about the huge out of town shopping centre there. Plenty of people are crawling around looking and presumably spending some money just like we did.

After lunch we set off on a walk not really knowing where the path would take us. Milton Keynes does it so well, the paths go under roads and heads into open park land. We came across the river Ousel and a seat to relax and enjoy the view while Molly went in for a swim. Following the path took us to Caldecott Lake. We had gone round the back of the huge Tesco ware house and continued with faith that we should eventually get back to the canal. Going under a road with the river and there before us were the locks. Thankfully we got back to the boat before it rained.

Our flower garden has done well this year.

Losing a battle

British Waterways appears to be losing the battle to keep our waterways open. Cutting back on maintenance is going to be very costly in the future so will prove to be false economy as it has in the past. Water loss and emergency stoppages are now inconveniencing boaters. The Llangollen, a popular canal, nearly got closed due to another major leak, the Shropshire Union is closed for the same reason and electric back pumping on the Kennet and Avon canal failed. British Waterways were then obliged to ask the K n A Canal Trust to run their Crofton steam pump to keep the boats moving.

Most canals have a Trust Organisation with a dedicated group of volunteers who are doing their best to look after and extend the waterways. Maybe British Waterways will be asking them for more help in the future.

Starting over

We were reminded about how we started boating on the waterways when a friend came to visit. He had been encouraged by our adventures so he and family were looking for a boat. While doing some research on the internet we discovered that our old boat Moore To Life was on the market again. It is quite amazing how much we have learnt and were very happy to offer advice during their visit. Hopefully we will keep in touch and follow their experiences as time goes by.

Slide show

The Slide Show is a collection of pictures from the 2005 blog. When I have uploaded 2006 I intend to put that one on.

Hot days and cool evenings

We were not alone for long at our next mooring having gone down two locks.

Along came Rock n Roll with George and Carol on board and decided to stop. While Ann helped with the mooring I put the kettle on for a welcoming drink. We had been reading their blog and had wondered if they had passed us when down the Wendover Arm so were pleased they stopped. These things are not planned but we have had company since returning to our boat.

Table and chairs were put out on the tow path and we enjoyed catching up with their adventures since we last saw them. Next day was that very hot Wednesday so we stayed inside with the white sheets outside the windows and watched a DVD. Thankfully there was a strong breeze blowing through the boat. That evening the table and chairs came out again so we could enjoy the cool evening.

We were entertained watching huge fish feeding on our unwanted bread.

We parted company heading north for facilities at Leighton Buzzard. We were lucky to be able to share the wide locks with another boat. The family of four were moving the boat for a friend and it was their first lock. They had no idea how to proceed so were happy to travel with us for a while. After a few locks they were able to do it for themselves.

As we approached the town we pulled into a space before the facilities. Our plan to shop at Tesco then top up with water was achieved in good time and we moved on. As usual the 2 hour shopping moorings were all occupied as we passed. At the next lock we were joined by a hire boat just out from Wyvern Shipping Company with a ‘pilot’ on board giving instructions. Only a mile further on, passing the busy Globe Inn, a quiet mooring was found for the weekend. The tow path was in good condition being one of those Cycle Ways. The hedges were well trimmed and grass cut so plenty of room for the table and chairs.