How does he steer like that?

Shortly before we set off from Bedworth this morning fuel boat Callisto came past. (No, the title of this post does not refer to the steerer of Callisto.)

That brief excitement over, we had an uneventful passage to Hawkesbury Junction and onto the Oxford Canal, stopping beyond Bridge 19 for lunch having joined the mini-BCF convoy of nbs Grace and Chyandour.

I always look out for the collection of old cars by Bridge 4. This Volvo P1800 is sadly becoming overgrown. (No steerer there.)

After a socially distanced lunch on each of our individual boats we set off in convoy once more (Stephen having seemingly abandoned the helm (yes, there's the reference)) ...

… to stop again at All Oaks Wood for (socially distanced) cups of tea on the towpath. That is to say, Jan and I sat on the towpath while Stephen and Gwyneth sat in their well deck and Terry and Chris occupied their rear deck.

They were staying there for the night, whereas we wanted to get to Brownsover for a Tesco shop and so I can get a paper in the morning. There was plenty of space on the towpath side; the offside moorings were all taken. We're handy for reversing across the cut to the water point in the morning - or we could stop below Hillmorton Locks (or are the water points there the slow ones? Could just wait until Braunston …)

Scissor Sisters do their thing in Atherstone

I thought it wasn't meant to rain much today. OK, it wasn't heavy, but it was persistent. We went up Atherstone Locks with the help of our friend Stephen, who had driven over from Coventry for the fun of doing some locks. Thanks Stephen, it made a big difference. We stopped for water at the top and gave our friend coffee, then we moored at the first available space. We now had some hours to kill before Jan's appointment with a hair dresser in Atherstone at 4 pm.

Moving on, we passed this interestingly painted boat: Wobbly Limited.

Presumably it refers to something in popular culture which has missed us.

We ate tea in shifts on the move, and tied up to Terry and Chris's boat Grace in Bedworth. We joined them for drinks and chat in their conservatory. Tomorrow the plan is to go with them in a loose convoy up the North Oxford, picking up Stephen and Gwyneth on Chyandour from the Wyken Arm on the way.

Side hatch rain protector

It's been a long, long time - but we are, at last, under way on board Jubilee again. And I'm doing another blog post. I should have blogged during lockdown, I suppose - after all, I had enough time - but, as with doing my tax return, I managed to keep putting it off. Now the rules are being relaxed and we are allowed to stay overnight on our boat, so here we are. In Polesworth, as it happens.

We set off from our mooring in Fazeley at about midday when it wasn't really raining. Our first lock for ten months (!) was Glascote Bottom Lock.

Locks! Hooray!

As we steered along the Coventry Canal we passed a boat with an interesting rain hood for the side hatch.

Not much good in windy weather, I imagine, but just right for today's still but drizzly conditions.

At 5 o'clock, with the rain getting heavier, we decided to stop. We should be able to do the Atherstone flight tomorrow in the dry, if the forecast is accurate. For tea we had the remains of yesterday's curry which we enjoyed with Andrew at an Indian restaurant in Sheffield, the first meal out for a long time.

We had come to the boat on Monday, driving up to Sheffield the next day. Only a couple of hours after getting to the boat nb Harnser came past with Brian and Diana on board. They were going to be heading our way, towards Coventry, but had detoured up the Birmingham and Fazeley to allow a stream of boats to clear Glascote and Atherstone Locks.

Jan will be having a long-waited for hair cut in Atherstone tomorrow afternoon, then we shall crack on to Bedworth. We are on our way to Debdale Wharf for blacking, something which should have happened in March or April.

It's good to be back.

One of the most photographed bridges?

When the rain - and the threat of rain - passed I put a second coat of paint on the well deck. The pits are still there but are smoothing out as they fill with paint. I had thought of smearing filler over before painting, but reasoned that it would crack up as the deck flexes when walked on.

I took only one photo today, that of us et al at the Indian restaurant. Before showing that here's one from yesterday as we approached Drayton Footbridge.

I guess most boaters who have travelled along the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal will have at least one photo of this unusual bridge.

Several historic boats passed us on their way to Birmingham. Some, if not all, will have been at the gathering at Huddlesford Junction last weekend. This is Whitby having just passed the entrance to Fazeley Mill Marina.

And so to the meal out tonight. Nine boats have now congregated in Fazeley for the BCF event this weekend; fourteen of us enjoyed a meal at Kudos Indian Restaurant. I realise I have omitted Gwyneth from the photo, sorry Gwyneth.

Stephen, Hazel, James, Elizabeth, Richard, Sally, Chris, Chris, Gill, John, Tony, Jan

A sign on a sinking boat

We were just about to set off from Minworth this morning when our friends Chris and Di came past on Ultreya. We followed them down Curdworth Locks and stopped just above the Dog and Doublet where they joined us for lunch on board Jubilee.

While there Alder and Clover passed on their way up the locks. This is Clover, looking immaculate as ever.

At Bodymoor Heath some wag has put a sign on a sinking boat.

"HMS Brexit".

Yes, well, I have a sinking feeling about Brexit too.

All too soon we were doing our last lock of the year (probably): Curdworth Bottom Lock. After yesterday's deluges it was a pleasant change doing this in sunshine.

We topped up with diesel at Fazeley Mill Marina and had hoped to get a new gas cylinder too, but they had run out. We winded at Fazeley Junction and tied up by Tolson's Footbridge ready for a BCF event this weekend.

In the evening we joined David, Mary, James and Hazel for a meal in the Peninsular Chinese restaurant.

Jan, James, Hazel, David, Mary

Overspill weirs doing their job

We noticed last night that the Farmer's Bridge flight seemed to be set in our favour, so we got up reasonably early hoping to be the first down the locks. While we were having breakfast, listening to the rain, at least one boat went down, scuppering our plan. Then Edwin appeared on Ferrous with his remote control at the ready.

As we were no longer in a rush we attended to the boat's needs at the services before entering the flight in the pouring rain.

By Lock 4 my shoes had so much water in them that they squelched with every step. My hat and coat performed well, though. Did I mention the rain? We had planned to be in Fazeley by Wednesday evening so we were on a schedule. Having done just six locks in the previous two weeks we had 27 today, all but one against us. At least it wasn't cold, and once you're wet you can't get much wetter.

I don't remember ever seeing overspill weirs doing their job with so much vigour.

One of the new houses where (I believe) the Cincinnati works used to be has made a big effort with the bank, mowing the grass and putting in many potted trees. Incongruously a bus stop stands amongst them.

One for Jim?

I'm pleased to report that the new well deck paint doesn't seem to have suffered in the rain.

Is this a boat counter? (As in counter of boats)

On our way to Birmingham this morning I put a topcoat on the well deck. I had applied the primer a couple of nights ago so it had had plenty of time to harden. I've used a cheapo topcoat as a temporary protective measure; we'll see how long it lasts. It's certainly looking a lot better then the rusted, pitted surface it's covering. I doesn't seem to have suffered from the rain which came this afternoon, about four hours after I had finished.

We had a peaceful passage along the Old Main Line, the only incident of note being a moorhen's nest (we think) getting round the prop. There were a lot of quills - when I opened the weed hatch I thought it was a dead peacock.

I was pleased with this photo - very different from Telford's New Main Line.

At one point fixed to the bank close to the water were a couple of low metal boxes, one each side of the canal, with apertures for what looked like an optical sensor. Is this a boat counting device?

The centre of Brum looks very different from the last time we looked round. Tram tracks have appeared coming close to the Symphony Hall. It will look very smart when it's finished.

Few people, much rain and some paint

Day two at Tipton Canal Festival has been pretty much a washout. There was very heavy rain at 0500 - yes, it woke me up - and people stayed away. So when we went to St. Matthew's Church five hours later the site was almost deserted.

A two-piece band played throughout the weekend. The Master Butchers Band comprised accordion and drums and they sounded really good. They played mostly old classics, segueing between them for what seemed like hours on end.

Today, though, they were largely playing to themselves.

Those traders who had bothered to return today packed up early. It didn't actually rain much during the day and the sun even peeped out occasionally, but the punters didn't come back. Boats drifted off too, among them Darley steered by Blossom.

Shortly before 6pm we moved round the corner to the BCLM facilities and moorings and will head to Birmingham tomorrow. Oh yes, last night I primed the well deck, finishing at 2230. An hour later there was a light rain shower but I don't think it caused any harm. By the time the heavy rain came it had dried sufficiently; it now looks much better than it did.