Easter Jaunt – Easter Saturday
It was cold and dull when we poked our heads out of Caxton on Easter Saturday. Across the way, the old dog that we had become acquainted with in the Greyhound the evening before had barked at every passing boat but was quite happy to watch us untie before we started our trip into Coventry.
We were away for nine o’clock on the two hour journey into Coventry’s canal basin. The route continues to be improved but we saw only a handful of people on the towpath and met no oncoming boats as we made our way into the City centre. Nevertheless, we arrived in the basin two hours later, turned around and reversed onto a mooring where we tied up for the day. After we had showered and changed, we had some soup and then headed off through the City in search of the local Hobbycraft store which we found half an hour later.
After Sue had raided the “Fat Quarter” shelf, we wandered back into town and visited “The Flying Standard “, one of the local Wetherspoons pubs. We called in Sainsburys on our way back to the basin and then we sat on the back deck in the late afternoon sunshine. We engaged in conversation with a group of Asian ladies who expressed an interest in our boat and Sue then showed two of them around the interior of Caxton. No sooner had they disappeared inside than I was approached by an Indian couple who asked if they could have a look inside our boat. Needless to say, we obliged and Susie the tour guide continued with her work! Soon enough we were left on our own and we retreated indoors for the evening and had ourselves a roast beef dinner before settling down.
Easter Jaunt – Good Friday
As expected, it was damp and drizzly when we awoke on the morning of Good Friday but we had no intention of hanging around for the day so we got up and were underway by nine o’clock. We passed a few boats heading towards Snarestone for the Easter weekend event as we made our way to Hinckley. Sue nipped home for some cough medicine for me while I bought some diesel and coal at Trinity marina. We had a brief chat with old friend Jim who has had a winter mooring there before setting off again. We were photographed by the crew of a tug heading north who told us that the pic was one for the first owners, we presume that she meant Lesley and Joe so maybe our mugshots will appear on another blog somewhere. The drizzle persisted for a while but it wasn’t like travelling in the rain and eventually we reached Marston Junction at the end of the Ashby where we turned hard left.
Sue rustled us up some soup to keep us going until we reached our stopping place for the day, the seven day moorings on the approach to Hawkesbury junction. Along the way we had our photo taken again and later appeared on this guy’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/CanalSideArt?ref=ts&fref=ts
No sooner had we gone through all of the normal mooring procedures than the heavens opened, we had been lucky again with our timings but would there be a window of opportunity to nip to the Greyhound for a pint?
Of course there was, we toddled off down there during a dry spell and not only did we have a drink but we had haddock & chips too! Suitably appropriate fare for Good Friday.
Easter Jaunt – Maundy Thursday
With the Easter weekend finally upon us, we took up residence on Caxton on Wednesday evening in preparation for our weekend break. While I worked on Thursday, Sue worked her magic cleaning Caxton thoroughly so that when I returned, our her boat gleamed in the early April sunshine. All of my regular chores had been done for me so all that was left was to untie and escape!
We edged out on to the Ashby just after four o’clock and headed in a southerly direction on what was to prove to be a pleasant sunny afternoon. It was lovely to be back out on the water again, in the fresh air and watching the wildlife in action. We saw a couple of water voles, a moorhen on its nest and a swan starting to build a nest before we pulled up at “duck bend” near Stoke Golding. Once tied up, we sat down to dinner, home made lasagne for me and home made spinach and ricotta cannelloni for Sue, she does love her “meat free Maundys”!
The Contortionist returns
On Friday morning I had a call from Cox Automotive at Atherstone to tell me that I could collect the Travelpower. In the afternoon I drove there, parted with a load of money and picked up the reconditioned unit. It’s only a few miles to Market Bosworth from Cox’s so by four o’clock I was on board preparing to start work. The control box was relatively easy as had been its removal. Then it was time for the difficult bit, the generator. It must be nice and easy for Beta’s engineers marinising engines in a factory but it’s a different matter removing and replacing bits in the confines of an engine ‘ole. With spanners, sockets and screwdrivers handily placed, I lowered myself into the small space between the engine and the cabin bulkhead. The interference fit of the generator in its mounting bracket had made removal difficult but replacing it was impossible so I decided to remove the bracket and try to tap it into place with a mallet. Bent double, I managed to get it off, tap it into place and then remount it. It sounds easy but the whole process took 45 minutes and after I had extricated myself from my cramped workstation it was time to test it all. I’m pleased to say that it all worked and after an hour’s running, everything was still tight. I logged the output of the Travelpower using the mastervolt software and found that it was producing a consistent 240 volts. Cox recommend getting it serviced again in three years so hopefully I won’t be stuck down the front of the engine until then.
The on/off switch for the Travelpower is located on the front of the control box which is in the back of the cupboard below the switch panel. This makes it easy to forget to switch it off so after consulting with Mr Cox, I extended the cabling and mounted the switch outside the cupboard.
With the job complete, all that remains is for my newly acquired aches and pains to fade, we have mains power on the go in time for the Easter weekend so Sue will be able to run as many washloads as she likes! We’re hoping to make a trip to either Coventry or Atherstone.
The Wireless
When I was a youngster and in the days before internet, email and social networking we got our entertainment from the television and the radio. Of course back then, radio was known as “The Wireless”, a term which is now used in computer networking. No conflict there of course because in the early seventies, we got transistor radios or “trannies”, another term that has a different meaning today. Wireless was dead and radios were great, they were portable for a start so they could be listened to almost anywhere but more importantly, it was all live and available virtually 24 hours a day unlike its rival, the telly. Television was crap, it was only on a few hours a day, there were only two or three channels, most of it was pre-recorded and a lot of it was broadcast in black and white.
Times changed and so did technology, by 1980 The Buggles were singing “Video killed the radio star”, a homage to the satellite television station MTV. The internet, digital tv, smartphones eventually all conspired to strangle the old radio technology with high speed delivery of multimedia experiences. Did they succeed? Absolutely not! The problem with the newer technologies is that they are audio visual and the more complex they are, the more reliant on connectivity they are. They also demand attention, the user has to concentrate on the media delivery. Radio reception is easy and the listener can give any level of concentration that they want at any time.
If you’re still with me on this, you’ll be pleased to learn that I’m actually going to get to the point in a moment or two. The biggest issue with all of the more modern methods of media delivery is content, we now have hundreds of television channels to choose from but invariably there is nothing to watch on Saturday evenings.
I listen to the radio when I am driving but rarely when I am in the house. In the car it will be the Alan Brazil sports breakfast in the morning and Jeremy “we’re all doomed ” Vine in the middle of the day. Steve Wright accompanies me home as he did 35 years ago. I enjoy Simon Mayo’s show but if he’s in the car with me, I know that I have had a long day.
Then it comes to life on board Caxton, we have television and radio as well as mobile internet but more and more , the radio is taking precedence. Mr Mayo is a welcome companion but we do not miss him when he slips away and leaves us in the company of Bob Harris or Desmond Carrington. There is no dish or aerial to align, no mobile signal to slow us down, we just have to press a button to listen to a football match, a play or music from the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Buffett or Elvis Presley.
So despite technology seemingly marching on, the oldest method of broadcasting not only still has its place in modern society and arguably is the strongest medium that is available to us today. Television viewing figures continue to be diluted whereas radio listening figures remain stable at least and in many cases continue to grow.
The joy of boating is…….
…. That sudden surprise expenditure!
When we took Caxton out at Christmas, we discovered that there was a fault with the Travelpower generator. The problem only caused us to have the minor inconvenience of not being able to use the washing machine, no big deal only being out for a week. I didn’t do anything about it until the weekend just gone when it was mild enough to get into the engine room and remove the generator for inspection. As is the way with these jobs, it was a real pig to get off, even a double jointed strongman would have struggled but I persevered and eventually it was out and disconnected. Removing the control box was much easier by comparison and then today it was off to Cox Automotive at Atherstone, specialists of this parish, for a proper diagnosis.
I had hoped that it would be no more than replacement brushes or something similar. No such luck, the rotor in the generator has failed and needs to be refurbished- £340 + vat. There are some resistors in the control box which have cooked and although it may not be essential to replace them just yet, it seems pointless to ignore the problem so that will be another £180 + vat.
It will be early next week before the work is done so there won’t be any cruising this weekend, hopefully I’ll have the time to get it all back together again before the Easter weekend.
A hearse, a hearse, My Kingdom for a hearse!
The day began with the sun coming out, which was a great start. If you’ve read Sue’s post you will already know that it didn’t end so well. We wandered up to town around midday and already crowds were gathering in the streets. We walked around the Farmers market before making our way to the old forge where a blacksmith was giving a demonstration. The church bells were ringing out as we passed by and made our way to the parish field and then the country park where there were a number of stalls selling craft items both modern and medieval. Our walk eventually took us to the new cemetery from where we could see Ambion hill in the distance. Distant cannon fire signalled the start of King Richard’s final journey but since there was another two hours before the cortège was due in the town, we decided to visit the Dixie Arms for some lunch.
On arrival, we were greeted by the landlady who eagerly showed us the cellar bar that they have there. This is a great pub with a fabulous restaurant run by a hard working couple who deserve to do well. Their hog roast and real ales were certainly pulling in the punters when we visited and of course we sampled both food and drink there. We spent an hour in the company of some visitors from as far afield as Bolton and Pembrokeshire and with Sue already having engaged with some Canadians earlier in the day, it felt good to be part of something that had grabbed the interest of people far and wide. When we left the pub, we were impressed by the sheer number of people who were now packing the streets.
We made our way to Shenton lane where we took up position and waited for the funeral procession to pass by. At 3pm an air ambulance passed overhead, 530 years too late of course!
Eventually the hearse containing Richard’s coffin arrived, escorted by Police motorcycles and with a police helicopter hovering above. We followed it into the marketplace where a short service was held before the cortège continued on its way to Leicester.
With the show over, the crowds began to disperse and we too headed back down the hill towards the marina.
Below are just a few photos taken around Market Bosworth.
Great Send Off.
We had a lovely day in Market Bosworth and only had two drinks each in the pub after all because we wanted to be outside in the sunshine. It was a great day with the streets lined with people giving Richard 111 a fabulous send off. After it was all over we started to make our way down the hill and I was hurrying a bit too fast and ending up falling off the kerb and banging my head on the pavement. George took me to A & E where they thoroughly checked me over and we are home now. I have badly grazed hands and knees and a big egg sized lump on my cheek with accompanying bruise. I am now going to sit here and let my lovely husband pamper me all evening.
The Sun is Shining
The sun is shining on Market Bosworth today and we are getting ready to walk into town. As George said today is the day of King Richards funeral cortege so there are many celebrations going on which should be great fun……but he did fail to mention what he is most looking forward to so I will tell you. The landlady of ” The Dixie Arms ” told us that she will be opening the bar in the cellar and that the staff will be dressed as serving wenches, of course it will upset him if they all turn out to be men. We will be putting our drunken post on this evening unless we are too drunk of course.
Looking forward to a funeral!
Market Bosworth is preparing for tomorrow’s funeral cortege when the mortal remains of King Richard III will pass through the town from where he was slain in 1485 to his final resting place in Leicester. Estimates vary but the local businesses are expecting up to 10,000 visitors, which seems like a lot but this event is unprecedented so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Regardless of the final visitor tally, the weather looks favourable, the monthly farmers market is on, medieval re-enactments are planned, there are at least two hog roasts and the pubs are stocked with real ales, some of them brewed for the occasion. The battlefield line is in steam this weekend so all in all it promises to be a good day out.
Post with pictures tomorrow.