Going West: Day 21

Today is the first day this trip that I put long trousers on for boating -- in fact I even had my waterproof trousers over the top. There was rain in the night, and although it wasn't actually raining when we set off around 8.30, it was clearly theatening. We went through the short and cobwebby Curdworth Tunnel, to the top of Curdworth Locks. I had to turn the top couple of locks, then we met boats coming up at the next seven. Dove was returning from the Huddleford Boat Gathering, and then there were the Birmingham camping boats, Yeoford and Collingwood (which we saw last week on the W&E).

It didn't rain all the time while we were going down the flight, but there were times when it came down quite heavily. Still, it's just about the first proper rain we've had this trip so we can't complain.

We completed the eleven locks in a little over two hours. At the bottom of the flight we found Lois Jane moored up, and had an all too brief chat with Debbie and James as we drifted past. We continued on towards Fazely Junction, so here's the obligatory photo of Drayton footbridge.

At the junction there were boats going in several directions. I gingerly came under the junction bridge, winded, and reversed onto the moorings, so we're on the Coventry Canal, facing the junction. It was around 12 when we stopped for the day. The new buildings at the junction have now been finished and are inhabited, after several years of lying incomplete.

I made a trip to the small but well stocked Tesco in Fazeley, then went back later to the post box. On that trip I bumped into Dan from Mr Jingles, the candle boat; we'd seem him and his partner, Keri, at Gloucester and again at Sharpness, collecting their new butty. Later, Tacet arrived and Clinton and Sharon came on board for tea and coffe and a couple of hours of very entertaining conversation.

During the afternoon the skies cleared and the sun came out. Having lit the fire earlier, we suddenly found ourselves much too warm.

7 miles, 11 locks. (259 miles, 232 locks)