Bartimaeus

The winds of Storm Franklin this morning sounded at least as fierce as anything the other storms had produced.  We weren’t unduly bothered by it.  I found out later that the metallic sound was just the zip pull for the cover tapping the deck.  Later in the morning I was under the cratch cover to finish painting the shelves.  It was obvious then how effective the double-glazing is at keeping out the noise of the wind.

The rain in the last few days has raised the level of the River Trent to the extent that the river sections are closed until further notice.  So we are currently restricted to the canal about five miles either side of Burton-on-Trent.

I heard this morning, however, that there is no need to stay in Burton-on-Trent any more.  The local hospital stood ready to provide a course of treatment, but this would have required funding from NHS Lothian which has been refused.  We went for a walk in the afternoon to digest the news and stretch our legs.

We headed back to The Washlands and set off to walk some of the paths we’d used last time we were here.  Unsurprisingly a few of the options we’d previously used were not available today.

We found our way to the other side of the Trent on the raised causeway and bridges.  The bank of flowers in Stapenhill Gardens were starting to show some colour, but still have some way to go to be described as a riot.

When we got back to the boat I checked the paint was dry on the shelves and fixed them in place. They are now populated with various kitchen essentials that have lived on the counter tops until now. We are particularly proud of the hot spices arrayed in front of the fire blanket.

The abrupt change of plan means we will no longer need to frequent this spot in Burton.  It is a remarkably pleasant spot despite being close to the town.  We picked it for its proximity to the hospital, but it also has a pleasant outlook.  We’ll stop here again if we are passing this way.