After some heavy overnight rain, the day began bright and sunny - so bright that again it woke us quite early. Mike walked to the village shop for the third successive day to collect a newspaper.
He then cast off the boat but immediately headed back along the Lapworth Link to the service block so that we could do the full range of filling and emptying.
At the opposite side of the turning basin stands this rather splendid house. We have not yet dis covered what it is - it is certainly on the oldest OS maps we can consult but it may have been a canal house for a more senior official.
After completing those tasks we returned to the Grand Union Main Line for the level run to the top of Hatton Locks - this took us just under two hours.
On Rowington embankment we spotted this rather long lush patch of seeded dandelions. We do not think we have seen anything quite so substantial and dense. Perhaps one day someone will find a way of monetising them!
We first saw this pair of old working boats some years ago. At that time it looked as if they were someone's pet project but, alas, it seems as if the plans came to nothing and the hulks are now in a well advanced state of decomposition.
As we were entering the top lock at Hatton, another boat, single handed, joined us and kept company down the flight.
The locks are unremitting - at first quite close together but gradually are a bit more paced out as the canal reaches the bottom lock. Although the paddles are hard work - 23 turns to fully open - the gates are generally easy to open and close. The good news is that it is really only necessary to sue one paddle at either end as they fill or empty the locks very quickly.
Lock 27 has had new gates - the date plaque says 2017 so it may have been this winter. We donot recall seeing them last year.
Just before the last lock we tied up. By now it was somewhat later than our normal lunch time so that was a priority but the real reason for stopping was so that Mike could pop across to the railway station which is very close. Last night we tried to book some rail tickets for a journey from home to London that Mike has to make early June. Although the online system would let us buy the tickets it totally refused to reserve seats- normally compulsory on this route. Mike tried the online chat and also the phone line but still with no progress. Just before utter frustration set in, Christine had the idea of trying a real person the next day as we passed Warwick Parkway.
A very pleasant young chap in the ticket office made valiant efforts and at one point he thought that he had succeeded only to be thwarted in the same way that we had been last night. Eventually he came up with to possible causes: on the Sunday, Marylebone station is closed and trains are being diverted into Paddington and some of the trains that normally use that station have been altered. Also, a new timetable comes into force at the end of May and there have been several reports of difficulties with it and some services just cannot be booked at all. In the end, Mike bought the tickets (same price as he had been offered on line) together with the promise that when booking is finally available (if ever!) then it is possible to add this to the tickets already purchased. We shall see . . .
We had made inconclusive searches for a church for tomorrow morning. Christine identified two that are close (ish) to the canal but was somewhat put off by the details they give on their respective web sites. She then called Saltisford Canal Centre at the end of the short arm below the Hatton Flight. However they could only offer us a breasted up mooring for tonight so we opted to press on and aim for Radford Semele.
We continued through Warwick and Leamington Spa, calling at Morrisons for a small larder top up. In fact the list was so short Christine offered to collect it on her on (without the usual packhorse!) so avoiding the need to lock up the boat.
One of the houses backing onto the canal has this unusual collection of coloured gals bottlers at the bottom of their garden.
It is not a good enough photo to really see the cottage name but we quickly snapped for its unusual Dogsbody Cottage beside the door. Let's hope the occupier does not mind too much!
As we passed under this bridge, something large and soft caught the bottom of the boat and tilted it significantly to the right. As the boat slid off it quite sharply, it cause the boat to rock the other way sufficiently strongly to throw the items draining beside the sink into the floor. We lost several items including our two person cafetiere. Thankfully we have a spare but a replacement is a priority as we cannot be without our coffee. This particular size is not as easy to find as smaller and larger ones.
This is probably the first nesting swan we have seen this year. We have, howver, started to see ducklings and goslings (including the offspring of the dreaded Canada Geese!)
The small village of Radford Semele is on the very edge of Leamington Spa. The church was badly damaged by arson in 2008 and we saw it gradually restored as we passed by over a number of years. It was re-opened in 2013. Mike took a look at the church last April (see blog) but was unable to visit inside. With luck we will be able to make it to the 10:30 service tomorrow. The forecast is now for rain during much of tomorrow and it actually started just as we approached our expected overnight mooring!
12.3 Miles - 23 Locks
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