The bottom was too close to the top, but a successful rescue

Saturday 30^th July; Atherstone flight to Hartshill

It’s the last Saturday of the month, which means Farmers’ Market in Atherstone.  I had high hopes of runner beans and other lovely things, so I was away with my rucksack at 9.  There had been a few spots of rain before I left, but it soon stopped.  The first thing I noticed was this old milestone, now protected from the mower by a wall.  You can just make out the 18 on one side.

It’s at least a mile to the town, but that was no problem walking along the canal.  The next long pound above lock 8 was indeed low, but the boats moored weren’t on a tilt. 

That was probably because at the next pair of locks, a CRT chap was letting water down.  He said it’s unusual, they don’t normally have to do this here.

The Farmers’ Market was quite disappointing, in that there were no runner beans, but I did get local potatoes and onions, a tasty samosa and sausage roll, and some dried apricots from the zero-waste refill van.  Go to https://ecohealth.online/ to find out where they will be.

After a quick visit to the Co-op, it was a long slog back to the boat with a heavy rucksack and bag.  Dave had walked Meg and gone back down the engine hole, where he had finished cleaning out the rust and started applying red oxide paint – but had had to stop as he had run out.

Looking better now ....

By the time I returned he was greasing the stern gland.  There is much better access to the stern gland and weed hatch than on Chuffed.

We set off again at about 11.30, aiming to stop for lunch below lock 5.  It was slow going, as water levels were down and we were behind another boat.  We had lunch, then as we cleared up Dave spotted a small commotion in the water just outside the side hatch.  Was it a hornet?  A queen wasp?  Big enough for a queen wasp.  I grabbed the fishing net (used mostly for retrieving Meg’s balls from the water) and hooked it out.  It’s definitely not a hornet or an ordinary wasp. 

 

But it is wasp-wasted, at least sort of.  It may have only had one pair of wings, which would make it some kind of fly or hover-fly, a mimic.  But by the time I went out to see it was dry enough for a better photo, it had flown off.  Then Dave went off to the hardware shop for more red oxide paint.  The owner used to work as a boat painter for Andy at the Ashby Canal Centre (Willow Park marina).  We set off again around 2, following a hire-boat up lock 5,

above which they pulled in for water.  I wouldn’t have done that, seeing as the next lock was open and waiting, but we weren’t going to ignore a gift like that!  We had a volunteer there, then carried on to the top where there was another.  Water levels were getting rather dodgy in places, and the lockie at the top said that it was because the Coventry depends on rain rather than reservoirs.  Last night a stoppage notice came through saying Atherstone locks 1-5 would be on restricted opening from next Friday, 5^th August.

I had hoped there would be recycling at the top lock facilities, but no, there were only ‘General Refuse’ bins.  The lockie said CRT maintains that the bin company sorts the general rubbish for recycling, but the bin men say they don’t – and I think I’ll believe the binmen.  So the recycling stays on board for the time being.  There was plenty of mooring available opposite the old Grade II listed hat factory.

According to this NEWSPAPER REPORT, it was due to be sold at auction in May or thereabouts, but I found no further references.   There was a failed attempt to get planning permission for flats a couple of years ago. 

But we wanted to get out in the country – past the alpaca farm, where they are never well-positioned for a photo …

to Hartshill, where we moored approximately where we did the other day.  Meg achieved her heart’s desire when Dave took her for a walk and she found a ball in the middle of the field – having apparently detected its enticing tennissy/dog-slobbery aroma from 20 yards away.

4½ m, 9 locks