Bartimaeus

We left the marina on a bright day. A lot of electric boats were leaving the same day and due to the landslip we all had to turn right. It was no surprise that many people were noticing a lot of electric boats go by. We made our way to Rugby for a quick bit of shopping. The Newbold Tunnel was looking very green on approach.

When we moored in Rugby, Elektra passed us and another electric boat was moored opposite. It was pretty busy and a small plastic boat decided he was in a vulnerable spot near the pinch point near the bridge and told me he was going to move. I was on my way to the shop and he asked if there was a shop in Brinklow. I couldn’t help him there and he decided to go to the nearby shopping centre. He surprised me by sharing a lot of detail about his health and needing to get back to find out about an operation to remove a fair bit of lung. He seemed more cut off from communication than we are and his home mooring was on the other side of the Ribble Link so I thought it was going to be a while before he got himself sorted, but since his COPD diagnosis he had stopped smoking, so hopefully his health is already on the up, if not blooming. He had smoked since he was 13 and didn’t sound like his respiratory system was obviously suffering.

In the shop, the cashier was very chirpy and helpful to the person ahead and commented to me that everybody was looking very summery. I had made it into shorts for the first time this year and had a sunhat on. I had strawberries, Pimm’s and lemonade bottles on the conveyor belt so the summer mood was in full swing.

We moved on to a mooring that was not so near a road. The Rugby one is excellent for access to water and shops but right next to noisy traffic. We stopped by a boat with a very friendly lady with a very unfriendly cat (by her own description, it looked docile to us) who was decorating her boat with fairy lights and felt flowers as we passed. We exchanged suggestions of good places to visit nearby for both interest and food.

The next day was sunny at times but had rain forecast so we had shorts and fleeces at times. I worked the Hillmorton locks and had help at one, from a volunteer and dropped off our glass recycling between one and two. The volunteer pointed out a shortcut. At the last one a family and dog were waiting and the man was explaining the locks to the children. The woman asked if it was allowed to watch and I said it was normal and there was a name for it: gongoozling. The locks are in pairs and the one set for us was on the far side so I told them I would be working that one and it was up to them if they felt it was safe to cross over to get a better look. The man and children crossed over but the woman and dog stayed on the towpath. The children enjoyed helping with the gates but there was a bit of consternation when their dog leapt into the canal to be nearer them. It was swiftly pulled out. Each lock had a barrow full of geraniums between them on approach. They aren’t flowering yet.

We passed Barby moorings, where Bartimaeus had overwintered and spotted some new occupants. They looked warm enough, even overdressed for the weather.

We still had the summery feel though and though had my hands on llama wool making a cosy hat for my niece, we were quaffing another Pimm’s as we went along.

We found a spot with a very good view, where we have moored before with prominent ridge and furrow, hedges and sheep. What’s not to like?

We had an evening stroll in the last of the sunshine. Bar the nettles which are a bigger nuisance in shorts, it was a pleasant walk with some stiles, fields and flowers. The first house we saw as we left the canal had an impressive garden. The clematis caught my eye and the wisteria was in full bloom too.

We went in to the nearby village of Willoughby and had a quick tour round. By it’s picture in the Green it is proud of plants, nature and growing things. I saw blooming peonies in a garden. Our ones, the same colour, in Edinburgh are not yet open but these were well on.

Today was sunny again and we moved on to Braunston, where we aimed the community cafe recommended by the lady moored next to us on Sunday night. We have seen it before but never open and wanted to try it. Today it was and was very friendly indeed. I had a very tasty baked potato with vegetable curry. There was a warm atmosphere and the staff were very obliging and chatty. It was decorated with an array of unusual teapots and had a book exchange.

Shane had a fruit scone after lunch I also got a bite and time to peruse the jam for sale to raise money for restoring a vintage boat, Raymond, and some ‘wonky’ glassware from a local glass artist. There was no charge but donations as a tip suggested. I chose some plum and apple jam and selected, from the glassware, a wall mounting tiny vase for tiny flowers. I can put some wild flowers in it, once we have decided where to mount it. There are plenty around the canal at Braunston to choose from.