Thursday 18/6 Hopwas Hays Wood to Wychnor, Bridge 44

Tim was up at 5.30 to make us all tea, unfortunately the rest of us weren't awake to drink it. I was next to emerge at 6.00, then Mike about 7.00 and Lawrence a laggardly last at quarter to eight.

Looking down on the River Tame from the towpath in the early morning sun

Tim and his tea and our little red BBQ

By the time our Captain had arisen, abluted and breakfasted it had clouded over and was bloody cold as we got underway at 9.15. We had to continue on a further mile down the Coventry Canal until we could turn the boat around at the winding hole.

Looking westward toward Hints. The tall transmitting tower was erected in 1956 to broadcast TV to the West Midlands. It is as old as me, but has kept its slender outline.

This boat with its man ans 4 dogs made it difficult for Lawrence to begin his turn at the winding hole, however with the aid of some deft reverse thrust he managed it very well.

He was growing lots of strawberries on his roof

Turned around we started to retrace our steps to Fradley Junction.

Passed where we moored last night and there was our evening visitor

Hopwas Wood and military firing range was verdant in the returning sunlight.

Lawrence decided we should stop at The Plough for lunch seeing he missed out yesterday.

Passed this continuous cruiser who must be very tall to see over all the stuff on his roof which included a good crop of greens, peas and herbs

Hunts Lock, the last in a flight of three going down from Fradley Junction, where we stopped for our LAST waterfill and some more unholy swan food.

Through the pretty village of Alrewas, our chosen destination for the night.

Unfortunately we missed the only mooring left. A cottage getting a new thatch roof

So we had to continue through Alrewas and lock down onto. For a very brief period, the Rover Trent

Aqua Life got the bit between her teeth and fairly flew down the 200 metres before the River left us and we were back on 'the cut'

A black headed gull, just to give you all a change for swans and ducks

Past water meadows

And at last we found a mooring and slipped in in front of this boat about 7.00pm

Whose occupants, I must say, with such an auspicious name, were not open, friendly, warm and welcoming (like someone else we know with the same name) but who took one look at the riffraff mooring in front of them and promptly shut their doors. Mind you, we are starting to look a tad unkempt and rough around the edges - well, more so than usual.

12 miles, 6 locks, 7 hours