Bartimaeus

The National Memorial Arboretum visit was thought provoking, but the thoughts were not all uplifting by any means. People being brave, dedicated and pulling together is all good, but the trauma, death and destruction of war, also present in the memorials, was inescapable. 

Fortunately at this time of year there are plenty of cheering things to see around. We moved to Branston and from there went a cycle ride to Tutbury. Shane had hoped to visit a castle there but we could see it but not get any closer. It may be as well I didn't get another dose of war time history. Most of the English castles make reference to the civil war and Tutbury's history involves two civil wars in the 13th and 17th centuries and  the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots on and off for 15 years in the 16th century, but perhaps surprisingly for a place belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, not involved in the Wars of the Roses.

Currently it is closed to the public but it is hoped, by the locals, that it might re-open. We may get to visit again. Apparently there are attractive Tudor gardens. The nearby churchyard was very prettily kept. One of my favourite roses is there, beautiful and scented, the Peace rose.

I saw two women there tending to the gardens, one was mowing the grass.  Just outside there were peafowl and they regularly called reminding us of their presence.

It was a good cycle ride and we got some shopping in Branston on the way back. From Branston we moved into Burton upon Trent. We have had mixed weather but have mostly avoided the showers. The canal side has had lots of elderflower, blossoming bramble and wild roses along the way. We visited a park in Burton upon Trent that we had seen in February before and looked forward to seeing it in a different season. Peonies were out in force (we used to call them peony roses when I was little, but I mainly hear just peony now) and I was surprised as our one flowered several weeks ago in Edinburgh.

The park had a lot of geese too, which I remember from last time, but there were no goslings then. There might be too many, unless there is another reason apart from over grazing for the sparse grass.

While the canal had plenty ducks nearby, the Burton upon Trent mooring didn't have a duckling or gosling family visiting. But we did get a visit from swans. We didn't seem to have anything they wanted to eat, unless they were getting something off the side of the boat.

The next day we went to turn round. We had done this journey over three years ago a few times, to get to the water point. We weren't actually getting water it is just that you can turn round there as it is at a wharf. I had remembered the lock was under a bridge but not the pictures under the bridge. A woman was coming the other way and we worked the lock together. She was a lone boater. The painting has a woman and baby but I imagined she was part of a boating family, not a lone boater. There were swans interested in that boat too. We had to chase ducks out of the lock before we operated it.

Once we had turned, we headed back the way had come, back to Branston, where we walked to the shop and through the underpass, so much more civilised than standing waiting for traffic to stop. There was more mural to enjoy there too. 

Despite a forecast that claimed the rain would be in the afternoon we found ourselves caught in a heavy shower. There was nowhere to moor so we had to carry on with our raincoats on. Shane was sporting a winter top half and a summer lower half as we went through the lock. That pretty lock keeper's garden of two kinds of pink flowers and white roses was getting a good watering.

We continued through to Alrewas, with a brief diversion to a marina for a pumpout from a cheery woman. On the way we were warned that Alrewas was very busy so we moored up at the first good spot, opposite a thatched house. We had a walk past some sheep and horses, in the evening, and caught a heron catching dinner.

We headed off through Alrewas the next day and passed the spot we had been moored last time. Someone was moored where we had been opposite Slow Down. Shane remarked that it didn't feel tight driving through. I noticed for the first time the thatched summerhouse, with roses beside it. Alrewas is certainly a place to find well kept "chocolate box" houses. No wonder it is popular.

As we passed I saw flags flying at each side, perhaps they both always fly a flag or it could be especially to celebrate the anniversary of VE day.  

 I was doing more locking this time, though somehow I ended up driving through the ultranarrow bridge again. I liked locking where the lock was bordered by roses.

We caught up with a lone boater and helped him through towards the junction. We were pleased to get there early enough in the day that there was no trouble finding a space to moor. Last time our mistake was probably arriving in the evening and this time we had arrived in time to go to the cafe for lunch. I saw another flag flying from "God's own country". We know which side of the War of the Roses this one is on.