Apologies for our absence – we have been experiencing connection problems.
On Thursday, we made our way as planned from Warings Green to Withybed Green on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. A good run with two stops, for shopping and lunch. We passed through the newly-restored guillotine (thankfully non-functioning!) stop-lock at the junction of the Stratford and W & B canals. Sadly, it has already been disfigured with graffiti
However, the journey was undertaken in intense heat and accompanied by hordes of biting insects, from which only Wast Hills Tunnel (2726 yards and 35 minutes) provided relief.
We had a good, if unexciting, meal at The Crown, then walked up to The Weighbridge at Alvechurch Marina, where i partook of another glass of chilled white wine and Brian sampled the local cider. I tasted a drop, and was put in mind of a cottage a friend and I rented many years ago near Stratford, where the landlord had left a barrel of home-made scrumpy outside the back door. We raided it one night when we had a barbecue – the results were…interesting.
I digress. Suffice it to say that the combined effects of the heat, insect bites (one on the face for Brian, which swelled to the size of a quail’s egg) and possibly the cider, resolved us to have another day’s downtime on Friday, and catch up on some domestic chores.
Friday dawned bright, sunny and of course, hot. Nonetheless, Brian set to washing the port side and stern deck of the boat, and fixed our tiller arm, which had been in grave danger of parting company with its handle. Meanwhile I tackled the galley and bathroom and polished some brass. All this was punctuated with drink breaks, food breaks and break breaks, during which we discussed our plans bearing in mind the weather forecast for the next week (hot, then hotter).
We came to the conclusion that reaching Stratford by next Friday (when we had a commitment in the form of tickets at the RST) would mean that we would need some long days and not allow us to really appreciate the Avon as we wished, not to mention the prospect of tackling the Tardebigge flight of locks (30 – the longest in the country) in a heatwave. Accordingly we decided to turn the Avon Ring into the Avon Crescent and head back whence we came, going to Stratford via the Stratford Canal and taking a brief trip down the Avon as far as Bidford (5 miles from home!)
On Saturday we set the alarm for 6 and were away by 7.15, heading first to Tardebigge Wharf to turn the boat and take on water. Three hours later we passed our previous nights’ mooring and then proceeded to retrace our Thursday journey.
Soon after you turn on to the Stratford Canal, Brandwood Tunnel displays a plaque depicting Shakespeare to remind you that you are on your way to the Bard’s town
Ironically, having changed our plans because of the weather, today it has been great – plenty of sunshine, but much cooler, Jolly boating weather indeed.
We are back at the “popular” mooring of Waring’s Green (at the time of writing – 6.55 pm – another boat has yet to join us). However, the ducks seem to have made themselves at home.
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