We pulled pins just after 9.00, with the guys heading for the water point and myself heading to Sainsbury's. We left the city looking at it's finest in the glorious sunshine, leaving via Gas Street and the Mailbox. We have had such a good time here and I'm so glad that (after 2 years) we have finally overcome our city phobia and proved that cities can be safe (for us and Daisy), clean and exciting. Definitely coming back - there's still loads I want to do here and a lot of it is affordable (although a lot isn't).
The suburbs out towards the North Stratford Canal were a lot cleaner and tidier than our approach on the Fazeley, but G was a man with a mission today with definite 'push-on-itis' because the Bluebell Cider House was within possible reach (although we were a bit sad to hear that it has changed hands).
But then we hit a bit of a problem ....now someone (hopefully) is going to sort me out on this one....my (ropey) understanding is that this is happening ahead of a posted stoppage and diversion to put in a new bridge.
So we went under the new bridge which was up in the air
and we took several runs at the gap on the other side. Each time we ground to a halt. We threw the working crew ropes to bow haul us (we couldn't get to the bank) which just pulled our bow into the tyre barrier and we ran aground again.
But along comes our night in shining armour! No, he's not ramming us, he's approaching for me to tie onto his front so he can reverse up and yank us off the bottom.
Poor man; the working crew were heard to mutter things like, "what do we do if
he gets stuck then, wait 'til another one comes, there might not be anymore today?" So his reward for chivalry was to wait while they lowered the bridge, sent a digger across, did a bit of dredging, raised the bridge and then let him through. Whoever you were..bless you and I hope you weren't in a rush.
Just as we were on our way again we came across Gypsy Rover & Ucello-Dot & Derek approaching from the direction of Cadbury World with obscene amounts of chocolate (minty varieties in particular) so lovely to see them again and we yacked & yacked with poor D politely enquiring about what and when lunch might happen.
Amongst the yacking was a heads up on wood they'd passed, look at my happy man when we found it. I feel a day's logging coming on tomorrow, plus an oil change. Never did make the Bluebell with all the excitement. Nice to be back in country bumpkin land.
We pulled pins just after 9.00, with the guys heading for the water point and myself heading to Sainsbury's. We left the city looking at it's finest in the glorious sunshine, leaving via Gas Street and the Mailbox. We have had such a good time here and I'm so glad that (after 2 years) we have finally overcome our city phobia and proved that cities can be safe (for us and Daisy), clean and exciting. Definitely coming back - there's still loads I want to do here and a lot of it is affordable (although a lot isn't).
The suburbs out towards the North Stratford Canal were a lot cleaner and tidier than our approach on the Fazeley, but G was a man with a mission today with definite 'push-on-itis' because the Bluebell Cider House was within possible reach (although we were a bit sad to hear that it has changed hands).
But then we hit a bit of a problem ....now someone (hopefully) is going to sort me out on this one....my (ropey) understanding is that this is happening ahead of a posted stoppage and diversion to put in a new bridge.
So we went under the new bridge which was up in the air
and we took several runs at the gap on the other side. Each time we ground to a halt. We threw the working crew ropes to bow haul us (we couldn't get to the bank) which just pulled our bow into the tyre barrier and we ran aground again.
But along comes our night in shining armour! No, he's not ramming us, he's approaching for me to tie onto his front so he can reverse up and yank us off the bottom.
Poor man; the working crew were heard to mutter things like, "what do we do if he gets stuck then, wait 'til another one comes, there might not be anymore today?" So his reward for chivalry was to wait while they lowered the bridge, sent a digger across, did a bit of dredging, raised the bridge and then let him through. Whoever you were..bless you and I hope you weren't in a rush.
Just as we were on our way again we came across Gypsy Rover & Ucello-Dot & Derek approaching from the direction of Cadbury World with obscene amounts of chocolate (minty varieties in particular) so lovely to see them again and we yacked & yacked with poor D politely enquiring about what and when lunch might happen.
Amongst the yacking was a heads up on wood they'd passed, look at my happy man when we found it. I feel a day's logging coming on tomorrow, plus an oil change. Never did make the Bluebell with all the excitement. Nice to be back in country bumpkin land.
Wasn't it the Stanton Family from Lapworth, then?
ReplyDeleteEpiphany had similar problems - see our Snowy Worcester and Birmingham Canal blog