There & Back Again ……

So, where’s ‘there’?

This is it:-

This is the current terminus of The Ashby Canal.  Since we were here four years ago the swing bridge and moorings the other side have been installed.

The Ashby Canal Association work tirelessly towards the ultimate goal of one day having the canal restored as far as Moira and the Conkers Visitor Centre.

Four years ago we got on our bikes and cycled to Moira to see the 200 year old blast furnace and it was really worthwhile.  Unfortunately, cocker spaniels don’t fit in our bike baskets as safely as Cavaliers did!!

Apparently funding of £1.3 million has been pledged by UK Coal towards the restoration of the remaining canal.  It will be a really good thing for the area when that does eventually happen.

At Shakerstone we were joined in The Rising Sun (dogs allowed in the conservatory) by my friend and ex colleague, Annette, and her husband, David.  Our good friend, Ron, also called in to see us on his way back to The East Midlands Airport.  It was a lovely impromptu thing seeing Annette and David as we haven’t seen them for four years and it was her birthday!  All very good!

They now live in Droitwich and said it was only about an hour’s drive!  Travelling around on the canals can distort reality!!

 

There is no denying that The Ashby is a very pretty canal – very rural and very free from noisy roads.

Cruising in the Autumn sunshine at Shakerstone.

 

  Looking back down the canal from the visitor moorings at Snarestone.

A local resident!  Don’t know what to say about her really!!  It was a ‘her’ because youngsters were still hanging around.

Back at Market Bosworth we made the decision to ‘get a move on’ and head back to Crick.  Things to do and people to see and all that.

Heading towards Stoke Golding we needed to pass yet another Ashby Canal Co hire boat.  (They must have been offering good weekend deals because the entire fleet seemed to be out on the water over the weekend.)  We pulled over to the right and tilted up on the mud; they pulled over to the right and tilted up on the mud!  Their children screamed and then ………………… their dog, who was not on the boat with them but running along the towpath, decided it would be a good idea to launch himself into the water in an attempt to reach them!  More screams.  A lot more screams!  At least that alerted John who, looking behind, saw the poor dog disappear under our fenders. Already in reverse because he was trying to get off the mud, he slammed into neutral and, thank goodness, the dog emerged and, seemingly unscathed, swam back to shore.  It doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened.  We didn’t see anyone on the bank with the dog and if that was the case, STUPID, STUPID people! 

On one other occasion we’ve seen a dog running alongside a moving boat – this was with a single hander.  That dog looked well used to the routine but, what if it got itself into some sort of trouble?  Who would be there to help it?  And, obviously clearing up anything nasty it might (did!) deposit on the towpath is just not a consideration!  Completely irresponsible in my opinion.

This mutt, on the other hand, is undoubtedly cossetted far too much!

         

We left Crick with a puppy and we’re returning with a canine ' Kevin’!!  The apple looked like a ball but clearly didn’t taste quite right!

xxoo