Battlefield Line.

We had a lazy morning, with tea and toast in bed whilst watching the TV. I then got up to take Paddy out for his walk.

Walking the gang plank was not his favourite moment, but he did it with a scrabble at the end to make sure he was on dry land. Poor old Pad is a real wimp. We managed to get our walk in whilst it was quiet and not other dogs around, which is always bonus, because we then do not feel we are running the gauntlet.

After running the generator and a coffee, we locked the boat up and walked up to the railway station to the Battlefield Line.

There is always something so wonderful about watching a train in steam, especially as it comes towards you. The GWR 3803 arriving at the station. She is a 2884 class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight work for the GWR (Great Western Railway) and was built in 1939. C. B. Collett's 2884 class is a development of G. J. Churchward's highly capable 28xx class of heavy freight locomotives of 1903 which were the first engines to pull 2000 tons.

Unfortunately we were not allowed on to the station platform with out a ticket, so the photographs were taken outside of the station, but I think I did the locomotive justice.

This class 08 is looking splendid, it has had a paint job.

The moorings for the Shackerstone Festival are beginning to fill up.

 

No historic boats on their reserved moorings yet.

Once the weekend is over they will begin to arrive, a lot of them will probably come from the Alvecote Rally. Then the fun will begin. For lunch I made us some bacon rolls, I do love the smell of cooking bacon, grilled not fried of course. With little else planned for the day, I am going to enjoy a film before thinking about dinner. There have been a few boats coming past us, if they are not coming to the festival, they must wonder where the hell they are going to moor up.