Day 44: Nottingham to Holme Lock. 1.6 miles 2 locks

Hello family, friends and followers.
The photograph above is of the sunset last night, which was our last night in Nottingham as we go on our way down onto the River Trent.

With not far to go, we did not set off until 10.15am. The sun was shining and it was incredibly warm for April. Another year older and yet I still feel the same. Age is just a number in my opinion. As long as I can work locks and pull the boat in on a mooring, I will always be 21 in my head.

On our way. You may notice a heck of a lot of rubbish in the background. That was left all over the ground following a busy weekend. People really do disgust me, with their attitude to putting their rubbish in the bin which was close by. Or better still if the bin is full take the litter home and put it in your own bin. Arghhhhh.

Into Meadow Lane Lock, all ready to go out onto the River Trent.

After an hour and a half on the move, we moored up at Holme Lock. Our friends Jenny and Dave came across and invited us to join them for lunch and a coffee, which was so lovely of them. We locked the boat up and went over to their boat on the residential moorings. A lot was chatted and laughed about over lunch. It is always such a joy to see them.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a walk around the National Water Sports Centre, where people were in their canoe's.

It is somewhere I could quite easily sit all day and watch people wrestling with the water and the poles, which they duck between on there way down the course. We will be off again tomorrow morning.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 43: My Birthday and Easter Sunday in Nottingham.

Hiya Family, friends and followers.

I have tried to think, but I cannot remember when I have had my Birthday on Easter Sunday. It is so cool having Easter eggs on your Birthday. When I say eggs, I mean one egg and I shared it with the OH.
So there was I waking up another year older and hopefully a bit wiser. I think I have learnt a lot this past year and I know this year is going to be a very special year, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. You will have to wait to find out why. Anyway, just because I am a year older, it did not mean that our routine changed. I was up first making a brew. I had the strangest start to my day with what felt like sea sickness, which I have never felt before. But we were not moving, so it was a little strange. Anyway it soon cleared off thankfully, so I could enjoy my Birthday.

We took another walk into the city to have further look around and to see more of the architecture, which is beautiful.

The old British Waterways building and Fellows, Morton and Clayton building. Both now have different usage.

Nottingham Train Station is a stunner of a building.

The station was first built by the Midland Railway in 1848, and rebuilt by them in 1904, with much of the current building dating from that later date.

Some of the many building in the city have characters all of their own. You just need to look up to see their splendour.

The Theatre Royal was completed in 1865.
After a nice stroll, we had lunch at Tamatanga again and then went onto Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn for a Birthday Pint. All in all a wonderful day.

Pop back soon xx

Day 42: Still in Nottingham.

Hello family, friends and followers.

After my previous rant post about rubbish, I am back to normal, well as normal as I can be.
Tomorrow is E day and I for one am hoping I get an egg, chocolate or otherwise.

We walked into Nottingham again this morning. This time for some retail therapy. I wanted some paint from Wilko's for the engine room and the back cabin. We needed a new tin opener as well. Then on to Holland and Barrett for supplies. Nothing mega exciting, but needs must and all that. We did have another wander around and ended up looking around the lace zone, where of course Nottingham lace was made and sold.

Nothing of it exists today, which is sad.

Like so many places, some of the history is lost unless there are information boards around recalling the history and those who made it. Of course Nottingham is known mostly for Robin Hood.
We had lunch on the boat today. Our first salad of the year was enjoyed. Who would of thought it, a salad in April. The weather has been glorious again today and is set to do the same tomorrow.
Just a short post today.

Pop back soon xx

A load of rubbish.

Hello one and all.

This is not my normal posting, because I am going to have a bit of a rant. If you read my blog, you will know of late, I have been having a moan about the amount of rubbish we have seen whilst on this years jaunt. It makes me both angry and sad that we as a nation feel it is right to blight our beautiful country with tonnes of dumped rubbish and litter.

It seems way too easy to throw your litter on the ground or into our waterways and rivers. It even seems it is too easy to fly tip and this is because so many cannot be bothered to use a bin or go to the tip, or wait for the refuse men to come and empty the bins.

Yesterday I was so annoyed and this is why I am posting today. We were standing on the towpath talking to boating friends, when a man (I will not call him a gentleman) walked past us with a paper cup from a well known coffee shop in his hand. He had literally gone a few steps past us and deliberately dropped the cup on the ground. All of us on the path called to him saying "Excuse me, you have dropped your cup". The man did not batter an eyelid (not that I could see his face), he just walked on at pace and ignored us completely. This was a man, because he was in his late 20's early 30's. This is the example that is being set to the younger generation. How on earth are we supposed to make children and grandchildren understand, when someone of his age, who may well have children does this sort of thing. I can only think that he does this on a daily basis, when he gets his morning cuppa from the well known coffee shop. Geesh it makes my blood boil.

When we were involved in the clean-up in Birmingham, it really did bring it home, just how disgusting some people are. I am no saint, but I was always brought up to put my litter in a bin and I would never ever dump rubbish in the cut. As a boater, I know only to well what can happen when you get rubbish around the prop. I am also well aware of the dangers to wildlife and waterfowl. I so wish I knew the answer to what is now a huge problem. If there are more laws made. Who will police them?
If there are more fines. Who will police them?
The only people who can stop this, are the people who do it in the first place. I and many like me will continue to clean the rubbish up, but that is only touching the tip of the iceberg that is the rubbish which blights our beautiful country.
PLEASE stop dumping rubbish and littering our country with your litter. #stopdumpingrubbish.

Rant over for now.

Day 41: Visiting Nottingham.

Hello Family, friends and Followers.

Happy Easter. You will soon be tucking into your Chocolate eggs and then worrying about all the weight you have put on. My advice is enjoy the chocolate and then work the weight off later, life is way to short to worry to much :-)

Here we are in Nottingham. I enjoyed a peaceful nights sleep until the early hours when I heard the banging of metal. It sounded like someone was banging on an empty drum. It stopped for a few moments and then began again. I did manage to nod back off to sleep for a while, but then was once more awake and so there was little point in going back to sleep. I as always got up and made a cuppa. The boat was definitely rather to snug this morning, because of the temperature outside rising. The fire was going to be let out for the first time in 2019.
After having a relaxing start to our day, we strolled into Nottingham.

We paid a visit to see Robin Hood and the castle, before just strolling around being nosey.

Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn looks fascinating. It claims to have been established in 1189; however, there is no documentation to verify this date. The building rests against Castle Rock, upon which Nottingham Castle is built, and is attached to several caves, carved out of the soft sandstone. These were reputedly originally used as a brewhouse for the castle, dating from the medieval period. We may just have to pay it a visit before we leave.

We then went into the city, which I find is rather beautiful, with its differing architecture and many eating houses. We went to Wetherspoons for a cuppa and some toast, as we were both peckish, having not had breakfast. We wandered around, just enjoying the atmosphere, because it was quiet yet there were musicians playing on the street corners. We visited a couple of charity shops, but I was not having any luck with finding a tank top. So the search goes on.

Having eaten at Tamatanga in Birmingham, we were keen to try the Nottingham one and so we decided to test it out for lunch and we were not disappointed. It was just as good as the Birmingham one, but not as busy, although it is Good Friday. We may just go again for my birthday.

A statue of Brian Clough OBE. He managed Nottingham Forest from 1975 till 1993.

The sky mirror. This stunning sculpture by Anish Kapoor is situated outside Nottingham Playhouse, providing a magnificent centrepiece to the theatre forecourt area.

Having walked our feet off, we sauntered back to the boat, where feet were up, whilst enjoying a coffee. We had both had such a lovely day and love Nottingham.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 40: Shardlow to Nottingham.

Hiya Family, friends and followers.

After a pleasant stay in Sharlow catching up with friends, we left there this morning and headed off towards the River Trent.

It was a misty start to the day, but it was most definitely warmer than it had been over previous days. I had taken off the jacket and gone down to my body warmer, so that was a plus. I am a river lover, so to be on the Trent was so wonderful. We had two lovely lock keepers at Derwent Lock who saw us through. I did not have to do a a thing.

By the time we got to Beeston Lock, I had Sausage Rolls in the oven and a coffee on the go. Having worked the lock, we pulled in to the Sanitary station, to do all what needed to be done and then we carried on to Nottingham.

We are both looking forward to visiting Nottingham again and to see things we did not see last time. Having moored up, we soon realised it is shallower than the last time we were here. We are not in at the bank, but never mind. As we no longer have Paddy, we do not have to think about how to get him off. I still miss our old man, but take every opportunity to say "Hello" to other people's Collies. Yesterday I met to wonderful Collies and their owners.

After a much needed coffee, we decided that we would go and do our food shopping, because you can guarantee that tomorrow being Good Friday it will be heaving in the supermarkets, as everyone prepares for their weekend. Now the dilemma was, do we walk over a mile and a half to Aldi, or walk up the towpath to Sainsbury and pay more for the shopping. No brainer, we went to Sainsbury and to be honest we did not spend much more, mainly because I did not need a lot. With it going to be a hot weekend, I have plumped for salads and stir fries, so easy to do and it kept the cost down. Once back on the boat, neither of us had much energy left for anything else, so I have sat reading Whisper by Rosie Goodwin, which I have to say is excellent so far. I am halfway through and find it hard to put down. Anyway nothing much else to say, so I will say "cheerio".

Pop back later xxx

Day 39: Stayed put.

Hello family, friends and followers.

It has been a stay put day.
We had a leisurely morning, with our usual cuppa before getting up and beginning our day. After the usual boat chores, we got on with greasing the propshaft joint and nipples, because they have not been done for a while. I also checked the gearbox oil and gave it a bit of a top up. With the floorboards back down, the lino got a much needed wash, before the rag rugs went back down.
Whilst having a coffee, I heard a toot toot of a horn.

It was Ruth and Richard on Mountbatten and Jellicoe, who were coming through and mooring up ready for a fuel delivery tomorrow.

After they were moored up and sorted, we paid them a visit and had a wonderful natter over coffee. I think we managed to out the world to right and no toilets were discussed for a change, because that is where most boaters conversations end up.

After lunch, Ruth and Richard came down to see the railway, so we decided we would get two bottles of gas from them, which Richard kindly delivered to the boat. We then spent more time nattering. When you have not seen someone for a while, there is always loads to chat about, including the festivals we may see each other at throughout the Summer. As it turns out, we will see them at a couple this year, so lots more chatting to be done.
Tomorrow we will be on the move again.

Pop back soon xxx

Day 38: Ragley Boat Stop to Shardlow.

Hello family, friends and followers.

We had a lovely evening at the Ragley Boat Stop after our dinner and a pint. After what was a good night's sleep. We were awake early and listening to the birdsong and the drone of a train, trundling along the track. The radio went on and I made us both our first cuppa of the day. The decision was to head for Shardlow and stop if there was a mooring available.
Having gotten up and done the boat chores, got the stove going in the back cabin, we got the anchor, chain and rope out of the hold. It was all arranged on the forend ready for our river cruise in a day or two. We have a 25kg anchor, which go with a large chain and rope. Trying to stop a 27 tonne boat requires something substantial. With it all in place, we set off at 8.35am.

The cruise was pretty uneventful. We shared one lock with another boat, they then had to pull over with engine problems. They are hoping to get up the River Soar. 

We arrived at Shardlow at 12 noon. I dished up lunch and coffee. We then had a surprise visit from Viv and Meg, which was wonderful. Later in the afternoon, we went for a wander and are now back onboard. Today we did 7.3 miles 3 locks.

Pop back soon xxx