ERDINGTON
We were trying to beat the rain yesterday,
so left at 8:00 am. We went through 4 locks and journeyed past the Middleton
Lakes Nature Reserve. There were no other boats moving on our stretch of the
canal today. We stopped early, and we were thankful that we were snug and warm
when the expected storm arrived with a vengeance.
It was Thanksgiving so we had allowed
ourselves some resting time before venturing out during a lull in the rain.
Walked up to a pub called The Dog and Doublet (which I believe is a piece of a
Knight’s clothing that is worn under his armor). It was set in a beautiful old brick
building, and you could tell this was a local hangout. The bartender seemed to
know everyone.
The typical English pub reminds us of the old Murphys Hotel especially the Hotel I remember in the 70’s. Like many of the pubs we have experienced, the Hotel served the community as a sort of “watering hole” for the locals to “chew the fat”, and you rarely saw anyone you didn’t recognize. The small-town pubs here are comfortable and familiar hangouts. A place where everyone knows your name. A place where strangers such as us feel quite welcome.
I ordered mulled wine which was delicious,
and it came with a mince pie that was the size of a quarter. Delicious but left
you craving for at least a dollar’s worth!
We talked to a gentleman who had visited California as a young man and
had quite the drinking night with a group of Hell’s Angels. Details still a bit
fuzzy.
We had moored not far from the entrance to
the Marston Farm Hotel Bar, Hotel and Restaurant. We were getting drenched so
decided to duck in and have a drink. It was a very quiet spot with just the two
of us in the parlor sipping away. The barkeep kindly built a fire for us which
helped warm those chilled bones.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with a mighty
meal of spaghetti. I am sure the Pilgrims and Native Americans would have loved
having it on the menu. The highlight was Zooming with the kids. Ashley and
family were at the entrance to Disneyland when we spoke, so attention was
elsewhere. Hunter was telling us all about meeting one of his heroes, Captain
America. The young Hitchcock’s were in Oakland with Jessica’s sister Jackie and
family. We interrupted their breakfast. This 8-hour difference can be difficult
to get the timing just right. All the same, so thankful to have seen their
smiling faces on this special day. Made being so far away a bit easier.
Today we accomplished a 5-hour wander in beautiful weather. But it is still chilly despite the sunshine. We feel like knights getting ready for battle with all the layers of clothing donned each morning. Wish we had a knight’s page to help with this time-consuming process.
There were lots of path walkers out in the
sunshine and many canal volunteers doing trimming, weeding, and mowing along
the Curdworth Locks. One volunteer saw me standing by the lock beam and
hesitating. I just could not make myself climb up on it and make my way across
the lock. It was too scary. He came out
of a shed and helped me with the paddles and then ever so kindly walked down
the path to the next two locks and assisted us. I got to be on the boat for the
entire lock experience for the second time. It’s a whole different perspective.
There is quite a network of volunteers who keep the locks and walking paths groomed and report any damage or concerns to the Canal Trust. At one lock a volunteer was scooping up tons of wet leaves which had accumulated by the lock gate entrance. I was having trouble with one of the paddles because of a bolt blocking it from coming up. I asked him for help, and he came over and jiggled the mechanism and it cleared. He said, “I don’t know what I did but it’s fixed for now. Need to report that to the Trust.”
There were a lot more locks in need of repair on this part of the canal. There are two paddles for each section and today lock after lock, a paddle was out of commission resulting in the filling of the lock to take twice as long. Usually there is a narrow plank with a handrail to traverse to the other side of the lock, but today I had to climb up on the beam which is attached to the gate and walk across. It was often on an incline and climbing up on to it made me very anxious. Having that wonderful volunteer take charge for three of the locks today was so appreciated. He didn’t have to be so kind, but people here always are.
As we approached the suburbs of Birmingham, the landscape once again changed to industry, graffiti, and litter. We will reach our marina tomorrow in Birmingham but will have 23 locks to tackle along the way. I need to rest up.
Cruising beneath some large concrete structure
We were surprised to learn that the UK has “Black Friday” sales at the same time we do. There are also “Pound Stores” like our Dollar Stores. Handy for inexpensive items. There is a lot on the news about energy prices increasing for the winter months. The government is subsidizing some of the costs for consumers, but it is a major concern and a challenge for their new Prime Minister who has been referred to by some as “Dishy Rishi”.
Tonight, is the USA vs England World Cup
match. We will be glued to our TV cheering for the home team, but we won’t be
sad if England wins. Fickle.
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