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2004 Trip Reports
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H.C. 7513 - 7520 Distance 15 miles 13 Locks
Crew - Graham & Brenda.
Brenda :Something very strange happened today: we saw yoofs pulling rubbish OUT of the cut - a bath to be precise - and they weren't on any scheme. Well done the good guys. A beautiful day. We stopped briefly at the ruined Priory at Alvecote and acknowledged Mr. Hudson's yard at Glascote appropriately as we passed. Checked out the bike-pump bird/chiff-chaff decision on the internet. Jury out again, maybe a great tit after all.
At about 23.00 a popping sound was heard. It was rather late and rather wet for it to be fireworks in the distance; we decided on the unlikely concept of 24 hour birdscarers and thought it a little wasteful. One beer to many led to our final conclusion, that they enjoy a bit of clay-owl shooting in these parts.
H.C. 7520 - 7525 Distance 10 miles 3 Locks
Crew - Graham & Brenda.
Graham :The lovely blue sky deserved an early start. 5 minutes into our journey through the Hopwas Woods and the 'Military Firing Range' signs killed our theory that the bangs last night were the locals doing Clay Owl Shooting. We joined a procession following a very slow Challenger boat who soon pulled over to let us all through.
After Whittington (no sign of Mary!) we joined yet another queue behind a very slow boat that seemed to have 'summat round t'prop.' She pulled over approaching Fradley, and we turned left at the junction to become 3rd in line for middle lock. We continued through Shade House and Woodend locks before finally mooring up outside Kings Bromley Wharf.
H.C. 7638 - 7641 Distance 6 miles 2 Locks
Crew - Graham & Brenda.
Brenda : Just like yesterday, we had lots of weather today;
typical Bank holiday stuff, a chill wind, a strong wind, heavy and blustery showers and a sprinkling of bright sunshine. We met a boater who'd been born at Alrewas, so we asked
her for the definitive pronunctiation :-
OL as in ''aul(d)' RE as in re(gards) WOSS as in moss.
She told us that she remembers the older folk of the village calling it Alderwash when she was young, she's currently late 30s.... She believes
that was it's original name.
H.C. 7641 - 7649 Distance 15 miles 11 Locks
Crew - Graham & Brenda.
Brenda : Summer has returned now the kids are back at school.
And since it's Saturday the yoof of Polesworth are out improving their football and Thelwellery.
Graham : Brenda got Jannock stuck (on a piece of concrete 'exposed' due to shallow pound)
whilst I was lock-wheeling up the Atherton flight. I came back to find her being rescued by 2 old ladies and a jogger. Having executed a perfect turn around Hawkesbury Junction,
Alan from Willow Wren at Rugby appeared waving his arms and asking if we'd seen one of his Viking Afloat fleet. He told us that after Jannock's paint job had been completed at Rugby
he has had his own boat repainted in a similar colour scheme. He and his wife were responding to an emergency call out by a Viking Afloat hire crew. They had realised they had no means
of making icecubes on board!!! Some emergency.
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