We’re firm believers that if we don’t have to travel in the rain then we don’t!
Unlike hire-boaters and those using their annual leave, who are generally on a schedule we have no need to hurry, well there has to be some compensation for getting older and being retired.
Saturday 8th May 2021
As mentioned yesterday the TV signal here is poor, even further fiddling today only produced a bizarre selection of programmes and bad quality reception at that!
So, again, it was radio,YouTube and Britbox for us.
This morning Joy prepared a stew for our evening meal, meanwhile Chris indulged in a little upholstery. The cushions in our cratch (the canvas covered pointy bit) had been getting the worse for wear so before we left Stourport I cut some plywood to shape and bought some rather fetching yellow ochre leatherette (it was on offer!).
I divided each cushion into three to (hopefully) improve the access to the lockers underneath. Its my first attempt at upholstery so I don’t suppose it will pass close inspection.
As ever, I found other things to do as the job progressed, that bin on the right really needed a better fixing bracket, I found a broken wire on the hanging light that involved a bit of soldering and I vacuumed out the whole area before lunch.
Sunday 9th May 2021
Through the night we had heard various noises and when I got up this morning more scrabbling was heard so I went to the window and a passing dog walker said that there was a squirrel on our boat which his dog had chased. We saw it again later but it didn’t oblige by posing for a photo, likewise the three ducklings; they must have been an early brood as they were out and about on their own.
By eleven o’clock we had decided that the anticipated rain was not coming so we decided to go up three more locks, turn and come back down and moor in the same place ready to go back to the river for Tuesday.
When we arrived back at Lowesmoor Visitor Moorings we decided the weather was so good we would carry on and moor near Asda again as I had some things to collect from Toolstation. I managed the 1½ mile walk there and back OK, I found a Lidl en route where some more provisions were obtained and a visit to Homebargains to stock up on sweets.
After some lunch the weather was still nice so we decided to do the two broad locks down to the river ready for the trip down to Tewkesbury, as we thought the volunteer lock-keeper might be on duty, they weren’t but we managed alright with some children helping to open and close the gates.
The pontoon moorings were full so we went upstream again and moored by the railway viaduct near Worcester Racecourse at 4:30. the trains made us jump at times but thankfully all went quiet by bedtime.