Back on the Ashby.

Hi,

This week our blog comes to you once more from the Ashby Canal.We’ve come back here to await the arrival of our Granddaughter who is due to be born in a week or so’s time.Our mooring here is about 650 metres past Bramcote Road Bridge,near to Burton Hastings in Warwickshire.This is one of those out of the way places where Lisa and I like to moor so we can get on and clean and rearrange things on Chyandour.It’s quiet here,there’s no other boats,there’s plenty of room on the towpath and the weather is fine so we can do our chores without interruption.There is also a good TV signal so Lisa can get her fix of “Strictly”.We’ve been here since Saturday morning and we’ve just about finished all that we hoped to do,so tomorrow,we will be away in search of another quiet mooring.It’s my Birthday on Saturday so our plan is to be at Shackerstone for then so we can celebrate with a pint or three of good old Pedigree Bitter in the Rising Sun.It would be nice to wet the baby’s head at the same time but I’m not building my hopes up too high,I’ll be happy if mum and baby are fine whenever the little one decides to put in an appearance.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday were spent looking around Coventry,we walked quite a bit out of town too,going out as far as Gallagher retail Park,to get some bits from Maplins and Alvis Retail Park,for Curry’s and B&Q.Coventry Basin,it seems,is quite handy for getting bits and pieces from the bigger stores.On Wednesday though,we spent almost the whole day in the Motor Museum.This museum is a must see for anyone going to Coventry,the exhibits are amazing.There are,what seems like,thousands of bicycles,motor cycles and cars,all with an account of their history.The highlight for me though was the Thrust SSC simulator,this showed Andy Green,the driver,set a,still unbeaten,Land Speed record of 763.035 mph at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.It was awesome to sit in the cockpit as he did it even though it was just a simulation.

 

One of the murals on the road which runs alongside the Coventry Canal.The Local Authority & the local people have done a lot to improve the canal over the years & it would be nice if more boaters were to use the canal as a way of saying “Thanks”.The people we spoke to were proud of Coventry’s Canal & Basin.There’s Chyandour moored in the basin,a few boats did stay while we were there.

 

The Whittle Arch outside the Motor Museum,this is a tribute to Sir Frank Whittle who invented the Jet engine in the Rolls Royce factory in Coventry.just a few of the exhibits at the museum,sorry about the quality of the pic’,I couldn’t get the flash to work.I think Lisa will get me a new camera for my birthday.

 

Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC at the museum.Again sorry about the quality.

On Thursday we left Coventry Basin,after the usual ritual of emptying the loo and filling the water tank and made our way North towards Hawkesbury Junction,where we intended to stop a while.We made one short stop,near the Ricoh Arena by Bridge No 8 on the Coventry Canal.Here,Lisa went off to do a bit of shopping in the Tesco Extra store that overlooks the canal,while I chatted to people passing on the towpath.Lisa says that this Tesco is an Extra,Extra store,it’s massive,bigger than the more usual Tesco’s.From there it was but a mile or two to the junction with the Oxford Canal,where we were to stay for a couple of nights and to also enjoy the delights of The Greyhound pub.We left there on Saturday morning to do the five and a half miles to where I’m sat now as I write this weeks blog.

 

Me doing a few measurements,notice the ever present mug of tea on the toolbox,and our mooring near Burton Hastings.

That’s all again for this week folks,next week I will officially be a pensioner,so be gentle.Since last week we have done all of 11 Miles and 0 Locks,giving us a grand total of,480 Locks and 778 Miles since October last year,it’ll soon be our anniversary.Take care everyone please.