Time slips by

I have been here at Hawkesbury Junction a few days now

 very warm sunny days but very cold nights and foggy mornings. I managed to get my doors finished, along with the edging to the storage boxes in the bow well deck and the solar panel box.

So this morning I took a walk into the village but it’s nothing special, I posted a couple of letters and bought some eggs in the store and headed back to the boat.

At 1pm I headed along to the pub to do some Gongoozling of my own, armed with camera and newspaper.

A view from the footbridge over the junction.

Coventry Canal heading north Left, Oxford Canal heading South Right,
actual junction beneath me.

The old engine house where boatmen once received their orders.

I sat for about 2 hours reading the paper and watching the few boats negotiate the junction, it was very quiet and all the boats made it look very easy and gave me nothing to laugh at, spoilsports! 

Another one makes it look easy, he got around ok.

Just one hire boat made the turn a seven point attempt, when I thought they were going to do it in one, but the lady steerer looked like she had planned it that way and did not even get close to being flustered.

I think my time here is done so weather, as usual permitting, a move tomorrow.

A walk around Coventry city center.

I don’t like shopping centers, nor particularly do I like town centers, city centers or anywhere that is overly busy and in my opinion often often ugly.

So I set off with the usual lack of enthusiasm, camera to hand and wallet closed.

I’ll just post the pictures I think and let you see some of what I saw.

Quick picture of the basin before heading off to center.

Entrance to the basin viewed from walkway over the ringroad.

No idea what it was but I like it compared to what surrounded it.

The pretty side of the square.

Describing picture below.

Another pub I walked past, what's wrong with me!

Coventry Cathedral

Sorry I could not move the Sun, Coventry Cathedral again.

So as can be seen I did not take any pictures of the University, the bus station or the many coffee houses, fast food outlets, and retail chains, I did however visit Wilko to buy some varnish and then got lost, as I frequently do in these places, not knowing which entrance I had used to enter the complex and having finally got back outside found I had come out of the wrong one at the furthest point away from where I actually wanted to be.

Overall it wasn't unbearable, in fact I quite enjoyed it, Coventry seems like quite a nice city.

After a quiet night in the basin I left yesterday at 9:35 and with a stop at Tesco on the way headed back to Hawkesbury Junction, when I arrived the sun was shining and so having purchased the varnish I needed while in Coventry, I set to on prepping the front doors which are in a very poor state, I will stay here until they are done, weather permitting, I am on the 7 day moorings so I have time,  more on the progress of that later.

At some stage I will have a proper look around here and may even indulge in a bit of Gongoozling from the front of the Greyhound Inn.

Sent to Coventry......

.........no I chose to go there.

The forecast today was good and I had the urge to move on to Coventry passing through Hawkesbury Junction which I will stop at on the return leg.

So at 9:10 I cast off on the 3 mile or so trip to the Junction, it was fairly uneventful although you soon know you are arriving by the sudden increase in moored boats.

Approaching Hawkesbury Junction

First you have to pass through the shallow lock which I am informed is where the area got it’s more communal name of ‘Sutton Stop’ as it was the surname of the lockkeeper who took tolls from the passing boats in the early 1800’s.

Lock ahead below the bridge.

Hawkesbury is a famous canal community and a conservation area, with the ‘Greyhound Inn’ pub right at the junction where the Gongoozlers take much delight in watching any unfortunates who make a mess of the tight turn formed by the junction when travelling from the Northern approach of the Coventry and joining the Oxford canal, many a laugh for them and no doubt some abuse back from the boaters as they pass the pub having recovered steerage.

Left To Coventry, Right to the North.

I am about to turn left here to head for Coventry but if you are coming into the Junction from the right the canal turns through 180degrees back on itself to head down the Oxford, the pub is just behind me in this picture and evidence of failed turns can be seen on the damaged edging below the bridge on the left, imagine that with another few boats turning in differing directions as well J

A quick stop just to empty the Elsan and offload more rubbish and then off again passing beneath the M6 a brute of an ugly bridge.

A bit slow going due to shallow depths and debris with not much to see apart from bridges and industry until you reach the Ricoh Arena where Coventry City play, I’ll get a picture on the way back.

Past ‘Cash’s Hundreds’ 3 storey terraced homes built for Joseph Cash’s workers with accommodation on the ground and first floors and weavers looms on the second floor, although it was intended to build 100 only 48 ever got built.

Compare those to these new ‘modern’ homes.

You are then faced with a large development on the left and a new footbridge  before arriving at Coventry Basin.

Visitor Moorings on the right leg.

Quinquireme on the far side.

After sorting out where to moor and getting myself reversed in I had a need to venture into the weed hatch again.

In among that lot was a pillow case, I thought the engine was a bit sleepy.

This afternoon I walked around the city, more on that in the next post.

Totals today: 8 miles : 1 lock

P.S. Late afternoon N.b. Briar Rose turned up, another blog I follow, I've just looked at their blog and they've posted this evening and Quinquireme got in a picture on it.

Moving on again at last

My confinement due to back problems probably ended yesterday but the weather delayed my progress again, I did get ready, even started the engine and was about to move when the heavens opened and it stayed wet on and off all day so frustrated and not a little fed up I postponed the move.

This morning looked like it was going to be much of the same but it was dry so at 9:30 I set off, heading for Ansty, stopping for water at Rose Narrowboats which has a tiny swing bridge for pedestrians to cross, you can just see it behind this boat.

While the tank was filling I also replaced a gas bottle and my back coped with that ok, so a relief there.

Leaving there I passed this forlorn looking chap looking pretty much how I felt yesterday.

The weather was murky and cold but the rain held off apart from a few short, light showers.

But even with the weather as it is cruising along is very enjoyable even if I had to get the winter hat back out and put the 'Crocs' away til next year, see how happy I look.

You try taking a selfie with an ordinary camera whilst steering the boat with your back
 and remembering to smile at the same time, anyway it's almost a smile and I was happy. 

Some monkey business on this boat J

Passing under the M6 where the bridge is also shared by the West Coast Mainline which follows the canal for a few miles.

A spot of train racing, he won but only because the speed limit on the canal is 4mph.

The canal slices through Ansty Golf Centre where they have an underpass to access both halves of the course, just one lone golfer out from what I could see left of centre in the picture, his ball hadn't made the green.

The weather brightened as I passed this canal side house for sale, not my cup of tea, a bit plain and it did not have its own mooring.

I did intend to stop at Ansty, not for any particular reason as there isn’t much there but as it was the moorings were full so I carried on until the weather suddenly got worse and I decided to moor up for the night, a fortunate decision as not long after stopping it began raining heavily again, although it did brighten late afternoon.

Tonights mooring

Totals today: 6 Miles : 1 Swing bridge ( a teeny weeny one)

Back again.

I waited for a brighter morning and took a ride into Brinklow on Tuesday, it was downhill J

The wide main road through the village has a mix of housing a couple of pubs (no pictures as they both had large delivery lorry's out front) and the church, and not much in the way of shops, a small post office store a bridal shop and some takeaway resturants.

St John The Baptist is located at the top of the main street.

It appeared to have an overflow cemetery down the road on the way out of the village.

Unfortunately, probably carrying my bike up or down the steps from the towpath to the road, I have aggravated my lower back problem and spent most of the last two days lying flat hoping the pain will ease enough for me to get moving again tomorrow.

I did briefly wander along the towpath yesterday morning, sometimes a bit of exercise helps, and took these pictures of a bat box placed on Bridge 34, but it was too uncomfortable so I was soon back on the boat frustrated. 

The offending stairs leading up to the road and the bat box.

I'd never seen these before so looked them up on Mr Google, a similar design to this one is about £130 and once it is fitted it can only be opened by someone holding a licence for the purpose, they are meant to try and encourage bats into the area.