The heat, tetse flies and Atherstone flight.

Sunday 6th May 2018

Another beautiful day. We set off and almost immediately greeted Terry (nb Grace) as he was crewing on the charity boat that passed us heading South. The passengers were amply supplied with pots of tea and having a good time.

As we approached Hartshill the Alpaccas were in the field beside the canal. As I was inside the boat, Graham took this picture just for me.

Further on, Graham was surprised at the change that has happened to Mancetter wharf. Obviously Rothens are moving in to use it as a base.

We met even more volunteers at Atherstone locks – they, and a procession of south bound boats working up the flight gave us a very easy path down with every lock set in our favour when we arrived.

We are told that we all need to work into our 70’s in order to keep the state pension pot topped up. Regardless of the arguments for and against I suspect that the gain to state and society afforded by an army of volunteers would be lost. What they do would be lost or have to be paid for. And while I’m all political . . . . .  equality. There are many religious, cultural and social restrictions upon women to dress modestly. Seeing “summer blokes” out and about today we need equality. Chaps – at best you risk a nasty dose of sunburn in places that haven’t seen the sun for years, at worst, a session with the NHS for a skin cancer – and really – there is an aestetic case for most of us to be a little more modest at the very least. What would you say if the woman in your life dressed like ‘that’ in public spaces? Equality please, anything else is just  . . . .  pants!

We stopped at the bottom of Atherstone flight  for showers before moving up to Grendon Sani-station to refill the water tank. Brenda found these gates around the back of the Sani-station buildings – very unusual.

Then onto Polesworth for a peaceful mooring opposite the empty factory. A pair of towpath walkers informed us that an Eagles tribute band were performing in the Spreadeagle pub that evening but we decided not to be pseudo ornithologists.

Brenda