Another early start

We were both awake before 6am, actually Jan was up at 5.30.  It was a hot night, especially after realizing sleeping upright in the fridge wasn’t an option.  We weren’t the first boat on the move with one passing us at 5.35.  It was a quiet move to the nearby water point (poor pressure) where we topped up the tank.  I seized the moment and took a photo of the recently polished side.

It was while we were on the water point that our second boat of the morning went past (nb Tardebigge).

I didn’t hear it (deaf old coot)but apparently the steerer mentioned out names (another blog reader?).  After several months of cruising on northern canals we’ve noticed how busy it is down in the Midlands.

I managed to turn at Hawkesbury Junction without having to use the “girlie button” so I either fluked it or am getting better.  By now there was a boat following us.  Time for a quick photo waiting in the stop lock.

The scene would be even better if it wasn’t for the overhead electrical transmission lines.

This is now very familiar water we were enjoying the scenery and the cool breeze off the canal until 10am when the mercury started to rise.  nb Zulu and butty passed us on the straight near the M6 motorway bridge.  We’d just gone around a bend so that was good luck.

The countryside to the west was a yellow sea of rape (canola) near Les Wilson Narrowboats.  I guess they will be harvesting it shortly.

Well it was yellow, obviously the colour has been washed out in the processing.  One of the staff at Rose Narrowboats kindly opened the pedestrian swing bridge.  By then I’d already slowed to let Jan off and a couple of urban jellyfish seized the moment and grabbed the prop.  We limped on to Armada Boats where we stopped to take advantage of their cheap diesel (54ppl).  The steam powered narrow dutch barge we last saw in Rugby hasn’t moved that far as we noticed it moored on the Coventry side of Newbold Tunnel.

The last coloured light in the tunnel has died so the passage is not as attractive.

We eventually moored at Brownsover opposite the park around 1pm.  Actually we are directly opposite the new water point.  Interestingly there is no signage stating the mooring is for water only and when we arrived there was a boat on the mooring not using the tap.  I guess there will be people like us who will just breast up against him and climb all over his boat to reach the tap.

Later in the afternoon I walked to the nearby Halfords and bought 10 litres of engine oil for the next service.  Jan is doing the first shopping trip to Tesco.  We’ll do the second trip tomorrow morning.  We know the area so well neither of us has a particular desire to linger here any longer than necessary.