Carlsberg don't do Bank Holidays...but if they did....

The Bank Holiday weekend certainly came up trumps again with the weather. We have had three lovely days in perfect cruising conditions. Let's just hope that's not it for the summer.

We had a run down to Fradley on Saturday morning having spent the night aboard in the marina. We were lucky to find a mooring just as we turned onto the Coventry Canal and we stopped for a late breakfast. We then went for a walk around and ended up watching the free entertainment outside the Swan (pint in hand of course). It is an education watching steerers negotiate (or not) the junction. Several near misses and cries of 'hit reverse' rang out from the watching audience. It would have been good to have scorecards to award steerers points for entertainment value and helmsmanship.

This boat brought a smile to our faces as it passed us. The chap at the helm said his boat was named after his wife...a little harsh to say the least.

We left Fradley early afternoon and headed towards Huddlesford. A property that we have often admired is Brookhay Cottage next to Bridge 88. The owners have been very clever and begun advertising it for sale in 2014. The notice on the bow of their boat and another on the towpath is sure to generate considerable interest for this idyllic property. 

Brookhay Cottage

We moored for the night at Hademore, surprisingly in almost total isolation in what is usually a popular spot. Lots of boats passed us on Sunday morning towards Fazeley as we enjoyed breakfast. We headed down through Hopwas and onto Fazeley Junction before turning onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. We travelled as far as the bottom of Curdworth Locks before winding and then moored up for a break by Kingsbury Water Park. The locals were certainly making use of the facilities with hoards of walkers, bird watchers and cyclists about.

Nice spot for a break at Kingsbury Water Park

Having refreshed, we headed back to Fazeley Junction and back through Hopwas and eventually moored close to where we had left that morning. Today we have enjoyed the run back to Kings Bromley, although the wind has got stronger, but the sun and blue skies stayed with us all the way.

Heading home through Whittington

Fradley was quite busy with boats, the majority heading in the same direction as us. One chap described the scene as chaos as we approached the junction...he's obviously not been there on a busy day !!! There were three boats ahead of us and plenty of folks wanting to chat and volunteer lock keepers at each lock, so the time soon passed by. We were soon back at base and tied up having had just the sort of weekend we have the boat for...perfect.