Tuesday 8th November 2005
Brinklow - Coventry Basin (13¾ miles, 1 lock)
Another early start to make the most of the weather, which was forecast to deteriorate during the afternoon. Approaching the Sutton Stop Lock at Hawkesbury a boat pulled out with feet to spare and proceeded to reverse towards the lock. We had to stop and wait while he carried out his manoeuvres. I had assumed that he was going to travel forwards when he pulled out so we were well over to the right with moored boats both side and the wind blowing me further to the right. I must confess that I resorted to our noisy old bowthrusters.
We turned towards Coventry and were now on a stretch of canal that was new to us. I can't pretend that it is a particularly pleasant journey, although the basin at the end is worth visiting. On the way a BW work boat pulled out right in front of us and then realised he was caught on something. Were we invisible today? He apologised and reversed back to the towpath and he waved us past while the bows swung out. In avoiding him, I disturbed a fisherman who was hidden by the bushes and apologised profusely. "No problem mate, it's their ****ing fault. They knew I was here and they should have ****ing told you". I must admit that I ****ing agreed with him.
On arrival in the basin, I winded the boat. There wasn't much room, with boats moored in the winding hole and I used quite a lot of propeller in the process, washing water over the path outside the smart offices in the wharf development. Jen then pointed out the notices telling you that the paving blocks are porous and DO NOT SPLASH WATER onto them. The path is only a few inches above the water level so the only way to avoid splashing would be to pull the boat round with ropes. No doubt the choice of porous stone was made by award winning architects who thought that "Canal Basin" was just the name of the development and never considered that would be a real water feature.
A warden came to give us a welcome pack. He didn't notice the puddles on the opposite path. Perhaps the water had already soaked in and flooded the underground offices which the welcome pack warns about after the event. What happens when it rains?
We walked down to the Belgrade Theatre where it was the second night of an adaptation of Moliere's "The Hypochondriac". The tickets were only £7.75 so that was an easy decision. We also checked the times at the cinema behind Spon Street and then returned to the boat for lunch.
In the afternoon, we had a lightning tour of the old and new cathedrals and then got lost in the shopping precincts whilst trying to take a short cut back to Spon Street in time to see "Wallace & Grommit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit". Then it was back to the boat to get ready for the evening, back to Spon Street to eat at the "Tumeric Gold" restaurant, and finally to the Belgrade Theatre in the torrential rain. The play was excellent and extremely funny and I am pleased that it has subsequently received good reviews in the national press.