Saturday 22^nd;

We raised the anchor today at 09.00 intending to get to Atherstone and visit the Co-op for fresh milk and a few supplies. Leaving Mount Judd behind us we headed north toward Hartshill, and although the weather was dry it was cold but sunny, and like my friend John I suffered with my fingertips and had to wear gloves, for the first time in ages.

At Hartshill we passed the moored boats and the BW yard and on under the bridge, and had memories of 2010 when a couple of young children were racing us up the towpath. In no time at all we reached the top of the locks at Atherstone and moored for a walk into town. An hour and a half later, after a nice bacon sandwich and the shopping away we made for the first lock of eleven which dropped all the way down to Bradley Green. The eleven locks took us two hours and twenty minutes and went very well through the well serviced locks, with me walking all the way (me walking)?

 

From here it was a short run into Polesworth where we planned to stop for the night, arriving at around 15.20, a long day but worth it.

I did make a call to Rose Narrow Boats at around 10.00 but had no joy as Anthony was out checking boats in, but he was going to ring me back. I again rang them at just after 15.00 and got through to him to find that the information had been passed onto his insurers, and that we were to have no more contact with him. It looks therefore that he will be disputing our claim and that we shall have to let the insurers fight it out between themselves.

 

Sunday 23^rd;

With a very wet weather forecast for later today and both Monday and Tuesday we decided to push on for Hopwas, where we could spend a couple of days sitting out the rain. Slipping our moorings at 09.00 we wended our way toward Tamworth and the two Glascote Locks, although bad weather was coming, it was quite warm and sunny as we set off with the sun on our backs.

As we arrived at Amington and the built up area, Sally and I were being nosey and checking out the manicured back gardens of the houses that lined the canal on the run down to Tamworth and the two locks. As there was a water point at the head of the locks we pulled over and topped up our tank ready for our lay over because of the forecast rain. This done and the locks behind us we made for Fazeley Junction and on to Hopwas where we moored up before the rains came.