THE words 'we are not staying here, raining or not' from She Who Must, etc, etc, meant we had no option but to vacate the attractions of Fradley Junction—in the rain.
Even the dubious fascination of Cart's 'Welcome Station', whatever that is, did little to tempt, so off we went, with the locks volunteer-less, they obviously having more sense than us and staying tucked-up inside.
Cartism?
But what, I hear you ask, is a Cart 'Welcome Station'? Another 'Cartism', like 'Boater Damage' that it uses to explain when a lock gives up the ghost, and the ever increasing other terms it now foists upon us to attempt to either con or to excuse.
Using the word 'station' rather confuses, but wasn't the boss-man previously employed by London Underground? Perhaps here is the clue.
Still at Fradley, it was difficult to understand the grass mowing at Shadehouse Lock. The grass around the lock has been completely missed whilst the completely fenced-off part by the side of the lock had been closely mown! I expect there is some explanation somewhere, but for the life of me I don't know where. It was not even any one's lawn.
On to Woodend Lock and the first of our 'out of action paddles', wrapped of course in its statutory black plastic, and no doubt still will be when we pass this way again in a couple of weeks.
That Elsan closed again
So it was buckle down to the rain until a respite when we came across the moored boat of our Keith Gudgin, spending a happy hour inside whilst one of the things he told us of was that that now famous Elsan disposal unit at Braunston was again completely out of action—twice in two weeks—with Keith's very fair description being that it has more repeats than the BBC!
Then it was back to the rain as stock was running low until our favourite canal-side town of Rugeley was reached. Seemingly many boaters were taking shelter there as every mooring East of the bridge was taken, but we were lucky a little further on.
Tesco
It was the first time we have visited Morrison's in the town for some while, the first time in fact since the new Tesco had been opened, and what a difference it has made. Morrison's was virtually deserted, with most of the tills having to be in use the last time we were there to only three now, and no queues at any of them.
Mind you it did a similar thing to the former Co-op Supermarket in Rugeley when it took over the town's Safeway supermarket in 2004, instantly reducing its prices and shortly putting the Co-op out of business. Which leaves me thinking of the phrase 'what is sauce for the goose...'—you know the rest.
Out of Rugeley we espied a very handy diesel seller, offering the red stuff for just 55p a litre, very near half the price we had paid at Sawley, so it will definitely be a stop there on the way back. Anyway we should support such boaters, who I am sure get no favours from Cart.
Wellies a must
The new lock moorings at Colwich Lock were a great welcome from the jagged Armco and crumbling bank of the past, but a pity about the state of the walkway from the mooring to the lock — wellies definitely a must as the picture clearly shows.
And the reason it is not too well known to regular boaters by its proper name of Colwich Lock, but the more obvious one of Cow Shit Lock, with lots of the stuff liberally spread by the cows as they make their twice daily trek across the canal bridge.
Less than half full
A surprise at the long Handsacre moorings, with it being less than half full. It was 1997 when we first passed these moorings on the Trent & Mersey, having done so many times since and have never seen less than a couple of empty spaces in all that time.
Have noticed a great many of the mooring sites with empty spaces, yet more and more moored by the towpath in out of the way places, yet certainly not enough to compensate.
Packing up ownership
Our contributors have told of people packing up boat ownership, not only due to the ever increasing cost but people getting older, with Ralph Freeman we met up with at Bridge 85 reminding us of this, like us all getting older and most likely soon to give it up.
Here's a picture of the Bridge with one of its endangered species—a walker. The first after being moored exactly five hours 20 minutes. Then surprise, surprise, another with a dog just half an hour later, but alas no more that day. A lack of such visitors that Ralph and also the state of the towpath clearly confirms. That means 517 missing according to Cart's figures. Just where are they all?