It’s spring (or so they tell us) and the Wrens-Nest blog emerges blinking and yawning from its winter hibernation. Yes its time to untie the ropes and set off on our annual trip around the waterways of England once more.
We’ve not really been idle since last September having done a few projects on the boat including fitting a new stainless steel chimney liner, and sourcing and fitting a new 12v powered DVD player (actually incorporated in a car radio) and also a Hitachi Freeview box with HDD recorder from our local ‘re-use’ centre .
We have enjoyed visiting, and having visits from, family far and near, the furthest being our daughter & family from Australia.
Our saddest news, however, is that we shan’t be sharing our cruise this year with our beloved cat, Jade as she got ill last month and despite the vet’s best efforts we had to make the agonising decision to have her put to sleep.
She was over 12 and had shared all our 8 years of boating adventures with us and we miss her a lot.
Tuesday 3rd April
We untied at about 12:15 arrived at the top of the eleven Atherstone Locks by ten past three working through them in typical April showers. We briefly stopped and I walked down the to Co-op for a few last minute provisions and then enjoyed travelling on in the sunshine passing nb Jenny Wren moored up on the visitor moorings.
I often look at old, overgrown wharves and imagine what they were like in their heyday so I was delighted to see that Mancetter Wharf has been cleared and acquired by A. R. Rothen coal merchants who also have a workboat contracting division. We got as far as Hartshill, before the rain came back so we moored up for the night. We had passed nb Campanula just before we moored, so we invited our friend Penny down to share a bottle of red and catch up on each other’s news.
Wednesday 4th April
Just a short hop today dodging the showers down to Springwood Haven to get a pump out and have now moored opposite, hoping the weather forecast is true for tomorrow as it promises to be fine all day!