So here we are, sitting on the boat with a howling gale raging outside, thinking: where did the last 4 days go?
Don't know how it happened, but boating sort of got in the way of blogging. However, here are the edited highlights...
Thursday
Headed to Nuneaton for lunch and to do some shopping. Bought some gin in Lidl (of which more later). Saw a fish & chip shop so thought we'd indulge. Resisted the advertised "Easter Special" not because it's October but because it comprised a deep-fried Creme Egg.
On to the Ashby Canal and the land that time forgot (or that's what it feels like anyway). Moored about a mile south of Hinckley. Cannot get BBC1 or 2 but every other channel is fine.
Friday
Onwards to Shackerstone, pausing at Hinckley to take on water and at Sutton Cheney Wharf where we enjoyed rather good bacon, brie & cranberry paninis for lunch in the cafe. The canal is exceptionally attractive, quite twisty so plenty to think about even though there are no locks to do. Very quiet though, we only met one other boat in 3 hours after lunch.
After Market Bosworth the scenery was less interesting and the weather dull and cold, so we were quite glad to reach Shackerstone where we were due to meet our friend Ann for a meal at the Rising Sun. Meal excellent, good time had by all. Arranged to catch up again for Sunday lunch at Stoke Golding on the way back.
Saturday
Although our original intention was to get to the Ashby Canal terminus at Snarestone, we realised that we would need 2 solid days' boating to make it back to Stoke Golding for Sunday morning, so decided to give ourselves some down-time by turning round just beyond Shackerstone and heading back to Market Bosworth.
A brisk 1-mile walk took us into the town centre, which is delightful. We picked up essential supplies and a lottery ticket and returned to the boat. Great to be walking for a change. I really like Market Bosworth - one of those places you feel "I could live here".
After watering up again we headed off to... well basically however far we could get by 4 o'clock. It was warm and sunny but the wind was strong and there were times when we seemed to be going nowhere even at full throttle.
Where we got to was - Stoke Golding! The visitor moorings there, which are on the non-towpath side, were full, but we moored on the towpath nearly opposite. A surprisingly warm night.
Sunday
By 10 am two boats had moved off the visitor moorings so we drifted across and re-moored there. The moorings are adjacent to the road and there is a convenient lay-by so there was a steady stream of dog-walkers and duck-feeders arriving and departing. I threw in my two-penn'orth of stale bread and decided that these must be the fattest ducks on the Ashby.
Ann arrived at 11 and we had coffee before walking up the hill to the White Swan. A lovely, old-fashioned "local" with a friendly welcome and a great Sunday roast.
We said our goodbyes to Ann and set off at 2.30 in an even stronger wind than yesterday. Progress was slowed even further when just before Hinckley we caught up with a boat being driven by a seemingly clueless individual, towing another boat helmed by his even more clueless girlfriend (we assume). We were stuck behind them for nearly an hour, and at times even tickover wasn't slow enough. Eventually, they pulled in to let us past at one of the narrowest parts of the canal.
So here we are, back in the same spot we moored on Thursday. Brian had some Parish Council stuff to do for which we felt the need of a stiff G & T. So out came the Lidl stuff. Our opinion - expressed simultaneously - it's gin, but not as we know it.
Anxious about not receiving BBC1 as we simply must see the last episode of Spooks live. Solved by moving the aerial 12 inches. *Ain't technology wonderful!
(Sorry, no photos - connection too slow to upload them. See above*)
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