Coventry Canal, Huddlesford

Yes its been a long time between blog postings but thats because we are very busy doing nothing much. Except for frequent sortees to interesting places abounding the canal. We were moored at Weston for 4 nights and at Hardsacre on monday night. Gosh the days fly. Today is the first day we have had a I'net connection since we left Stone. While at Weston we hired a car and went to all the local sights then on Sunday drove to Dorset and back to meet up with two cousins. We have trawled the galleries of Stafford, Stafford castle, Shugborough estate and of course the markets and a huge antique fair at the Staffordshire county showgrounds. Rhapsody is fine, no problems at all and no weed in the hatch since leaving the Caldon canal. We moored on the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction on tuesday and mooved to Huddlesford yesterday, I'net service is sporadic. We have to give a free plug to Enterprise rent-a-car for their excellent service. We have now hired cars from enterprise on 3 weekends, their fri to mon rates are very good and they picked us up and returned us to the boat free of charge.
Fradley Junction and the Coventry so far have been interesting and fairly busy, the boaters call it "frantic Fradley" as there is a T intersection with locks on each side of the T and a swing bridge on the third exit. The 200 year old Swan pub sits on the junction with its patrons spilling out and watching the amusing comings and goings of a cnstant stream of 60 to 70 foot boats negotiating the locks or winding (turning 360) at the junction. On each side are moored boats that reduce the small space even further. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fradley_Junction
what else, oh ducks, black, white, brown and mottled in every combination. There was a really hot sunny day on tuesday and the blackberries lining the hedgerows beside the canal have ripened en masse. Also coming along are elderberries and sloe, the latter being used by many people to flavour gin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloe_gin
Someone I know ate some ripe elderberries today, seeds and all and got quite ill. Coming good now but will be more careful about eating the fruits of the canal in the future.


Plum Pudding Tunnel, coal muning subsidence caused damage so the top was removed and the canal runs thru the sandstone cut. bloody nuiscence them coal miners eh! No worries now, there are no mines thanks to Margaret.
Shawn the sheep and his gang. They look innocent enough....

So does he/she

and so say all of us

and so say all of us

well, most of us

whatever

Mill at Shugborough estate, and it works, wheat is milled for sale in the gift shop.

Duck waving to...

to .... this one who waves back.

He talks bull.... but I'm not going to tell him

Around here the ducks have funny colours and wear thier heads backwards, maybe the canal water has something to do with it.

Lovely canalside cottage at Weston and our hire car parked safely and watched over by the householder...and the chooks

Look carefully, there is a pheasant in the center of the photo

Ingestre stables, the hunt and all that stuff.

The High House at Stafford. Why does each floor jut out from the one below? Well in times gone by the contents of the nights bed pans were tipped out into the street below. Thats if each floor jutted out, if not, watch out below.

Inside the High House, 4 poster Royal Suite bed.

Staffordshire Show Ground antique fair. (and one seller had old rope)

Blackberries are in full swing, so are the stinging nettles

Gate paddles filling the Star Lock at Stone.