The rain is lovely and warm for the time of year

I think it was a line from the Goon Show.  Anyway, it seemed a good idea to make the most of the morning rain and give the pram cover a scrub whilst it was wet and being continuously rinsed.

No point in getting my trousers or shoes wet so I stripped down to my Y fronts (boxers don’t give me that same sense of support) and donned the raincoat to venture out onto the cabin roof scrubbing brush in hand.  The strategy worked a treat with clean rainwater rinsing away the green water the scrubbing brush was creating.  

Thirty minutes later I was back inside having hung the raincoat inside the pram cover to dry. 

Short arms (I’m an evolved species) meant I could only reach the front half of the pram cover.  The back half will need to be collapsed for scrubbing on a dry day.

Meanwhile Jan has been researching methods for eliminating (or reducing) the return of the mould.  Apparently Oil of Cloves added to water works.  From Google

Put ½ teaspoon of 100% clove oil into a litre of water in a spray bottle. Spray onto the mouldy areas (patch test first to make sure it doesn't damage the surface) then leave for a few hours. Wipe off with a wet cloth to remove the mould (sometimes it may need a scrub with a brush to get rid of stubborn mould.

We wandered the short distance up the towpath to The Boat Inn for our Sunday lunch.

Plenty of vacant moorings at Gnosall Heath

It was starting to warm up but we decided to eat inside.  Jan opted for the beef whilst I had the lamb.

We each received a gravy boat and the meal was delicious.  I’m not sure if they have a new chef but she approached us twice to inquire whether we were satisfied.  Regrettably there was no spare room for a desert.

After lunch we waddled down to The Bakery which actually turned out to be a Premier mini supermarket which had a small selection of freshly baked products behind the counter.  Gluttony got to me and I bought a cherry pie.

The police weren’t there for me!

Later in the afternoon I decided to go for a local walk to shake the lunch down into my toes.  The Church of St Lawrence is in the centre of the village and dates back to Norman times, although you have to look hard to see some of the structure from that period. 

However it was the Gnosall Lock Up that I found more interesting.  I almost missed it when passing.

Built in 1820 and consisting of a single room with one door and no windows.  There was no ability for the occupant to be fed by his relatives.  Apparently the sole key holder lived in Stafford and would ride the 7 miles daily to check and feed the occupant.  By the 1950’s and 60’s the building had become a hen house.  In 1964 the lock up was in the way of a planned road widening project and rather than lose the structure the Gnosall Woman’s Institute raised funds to have it moved to its current location.

An interesting golden jubilee project!