Thursday 30th April - Worcester to Ventnor Waterside and Marina
Today we have packed up the flat for the month of May and driven over to Ventnor. Unpacked the car and settled on to the boat. We are in our new mooring in Sunset Basin and a beautiful sunset to welcome us back.
Friday 1st May - Sunset Basin
We waited around the marina during the morning as Simon Pollard was due to carry out a full service on the engine. Dave liked Simon’s Landrover Defender parked beside our Landrover Discovery! As you can see, the weather was delightful and it was no hardship to sit in the sun and read!
We also met the swans that had been nesting near the boat when we moored up in March. Delighted to see that they have hatched 4 gorgeous cygnets. They return to the nest each evening to sleep and most of the day is spent exploring the canal.
We did our final shop in Daventry, returned to the boat, packed everything away and tidied round ready for leaving the Marina tomorrow morning.
We are booked on the Birmingham Explorer Cruise leaving Birmingham in the middle of May to explore some of the lesser used canals. There is a group of about 8 boats travelling together with visits to historical places and talks on the history of the canals.
Saturday 2nd May - Sunset Basin to Long Itchington
Final preparations before we set off, empty rubbish, fill water tank and then we are good to go!
We passed our swans from the Marina, Mum and Dad and the 4 cygnets, they had come quite a long way and were having a quiet moment opposite this boat.
At the Stockton Locks we met another boat, nbGin O’clock, they were heading for The Blue Lias where there was a music festival happening. It was good to be able to travel side by side between the locks and then share the lock working with their crew.
We parted company at the Blue Lias and continued down the next two locks into Long Itchington. Walking along the towpath was a troop of Morris Dancers heading for The Two Boats Inn. Loved their hats, very colourful! The Earlsdon Morris Dancers perform north west clog dances and are based in Coventry. The North West Morris style originated during the industrial revolution, particularly in the cotton mill towns of Lancashire in the north west of England. The ordinary working men of the time danced in their everyday clothes - knee breeches and heavy iron shod clogs. To add colour to their drab costumes, bright sashes were worn and flowers were woven into garlands and placed around the traditional bowler hat.
After mooring up and lunch we went for a walk into Long Itchington. Unfortunately Toby found a lovely stream which was more silt than water and came out looking like this! I think it’s time for a shower!
In the village we came across a beer festival in the garden of The Harvester, it was very busy and jolly, everyone enjoying the sunshine on this bank holiday weekend. After our walk back Toby had his shower and is now a clean dog.
3.25 miles, 10 locks, 2hrs 30mins
Sunday 3rd May - Long Itchington
Today we have decided to stay put and enjoy a bank holiday.
We set off for a walk along the disused railway line, now known as The Lias Line Greenway. We are heading for the bridge in the picture and will turn left over the bridge and see how far we get.
The tarmac path soon turned into a path through the woods, all very picturesque with lots of smells for Toby to explore.
Then we came across more and more trees down and scrambling under and over them became more of a challenge until finally the path disappeared into a swamp and we gave up and headed back to the canal.
We continued along the Greenway towards Long Itchington until the junction with the Millenium Way where we turned right and walked into the village. Toby didn't like the look of these gates and we had to put him back on the lead to get him through them.
A very narrow bridge over The River Itchen, again keeping Toby on the lead as we didn’t want a repeat of yesterday, and a very pleasant walk through woods and farmland into the village.
After calling into the village shop for bread and milk we continued on to The Harvester and watched the Morris Men doing one of their clog dances, very noisy and hugely energetic and all great fun! We treated ourselves to a buffalo burger from Napton Buffalo Farm and I also had a buffalo milk ice cream, quite delicious!
The Coventry Mummers performed ‘St George Play’ in the garden, the first Mummers play I have ever seen. Coventry Mummers was formed in 1966 to promote the performance, research, study and public awareness of Mummers Plays or 'English Ritual Drama'.
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