Swindon (the other one), Friday 21st August
Wednesday.
We made an early start from the Severn at Stourport, the staircase being the first narrow locks since July 12th when we arrived in Stratford. We enjoy working locks and are pleased to be back amongst them.
The sun was making an appearance as we left the basins and producing a pleasant glowing light effect on the buildings.
A single handed boater was moving away from the moorings above the basin, Myra did not mind helping him at the locks as he was doing his fair share and of course unlocking the anti vandal gear for us.
Approaching the Bird in Hand pub, there is a row of canal cottages. One of them is occupied by one of the all too familiar ‘every one else is out of step’ idiots. He has a sign on the wall ‘Please do not moor outside overnight’ Well, if you buy a cottage on the canal bank the last thing that you want to spoil your view is boats isn’t it?
We spoke to a boater who moored outside his place. The boat was not even tied up when the man appeared and told him to turn his engine off. When the boater went into the pub, he was told ‘He does that to everyone, we don’t understand why he bought it’
Approaching Kidderminster, there is a large housing development at a standstill and all boarded up; closer to the centre, the canal side looks to have been cleaned up and quite inviting. The only pointer as to the suitability of overnight mooring is that all of the moored boats have heavy duty plastic covers over the windows, and one of these has a large hole and crack in it.
We found a quiet spot north of Wolveley and had stopped for the day at 10am.
2009 Totals: 435 Locks – 830.5 miles – 29 Bus pass uses.
