Blowing up a hooley.

It was so quiet last night, that I slept like a baby as did Keith. I actually slept in till 7 am, which is not like me these days. Having enjoyed our morning cuppa in bed, Marmite declared it was time to get up by jumping all over us. She is a cat that once she wants feeding nothing will stop her from telling us so.

Up at 8 am and Paddy was ready for a walk and to do his business. The wind was blowing and fine drizzle was beginning to blow in on the wind. Oh the joys of a Bank Holiday Weekend. We do not have much planned for this weekend, but I did want to take advantage of using the Basin’s laundry. They have American Whirlpool washing machine and tumble drier. I got a card from the shop for £2.50 and put a full load on to wash before lunch. I could have done the washing on the boat, but it would have taken two loads and probably used up our electric card, so decided to do it in one go. Washing done and well spun, so it should not take long to dry.

Lunch was had. Today we had fish cakes, crinkle chips and peas with strawberries and yougurt for pudding. We are both trying to keep our weights down having both lost weight. So we are on small portions.

With the wind blowing up, the boat is rocking and the fenders are squealing against the boat next door. I reckon for any event taking place this weekend, they will be praying tomorrow will be better, because today is not good.

We have so far enjoyed chatting to people here including a lovely gentleman named Joe, who was born on the boats and he worked for Stewarts and Lloyds. I reckon I could sit and listen to his tales all day. He sadly moved onto the bank because his wife back then did not like being on the boats due to not enough space, so he gave up his life afloat and moved into a house. He clearly misses it, but spends his time making fenders.

Hawne Basin is owned by the members of Coombeswood Canal Trust and is surrounded by trading estates on all sides, so it is well hidden away from the outside world. It is a huge contrast to the hustle and bustle of modern life and society and well worth a visit by boat, if you can negotiate the Gosty Hill Tunnel, which has challenges of its own. In the late nineteenth century, Hawne basin was a hive of activity, but that was when the Black Country's industrial hd its heyday.  It was originally a railway interchange station, where thousands of workers woud have been unloading millions of tonnes of steel and minerals that passed through the basin via water and rail on a monthly basis. Sadly in 1977, with the decline of the manufacturing industry, owners Stewarts & Lloyds closed the site and Hawne Basin was left to decline and decay. But today after a lot of hard work it is a beautiful place to moor and work.

There are a couple of nice walks but with the weather so awful today, we are staying put. I can but hope the weather improves, so we can get out either tomorrow or Monday.