Saturday 5th May 2007
We couldn't take full advantage of the Bank Holiday weekend because I had to attend the technical rehearsal of the next production by Waterside Theatre Company, an amateur group for whom I appear to have become the resident "award-winning" lighting designer over the past few years. Don't you just hate it when people brag about their achievements....
We had finished the lighting plot by 4:30pm and I rushed home for the roast dinner that Jen had cooked. She had already packed the car so we were soon en route, accompanied by our dogs, Tess and Tim. This was a new adventure for Tim since he had reached the grand age of twelve, but had never been on a boat before, unlike Tess who had accompanied us on Hawksmoor six weeks earlier at the tender age of eight weeks.
When we arrived at Stafford Boat Club at 9:30pm, we thought we should join in with the social scene, so we walked up to the club house so we could sit outside with the dogs and have a swift pint. It was rather quiet - just the one volunteer behind the bar, although a couple more people turned up later. After we left we wondered if everyone was hiding in a back room until we had gone, then it's PARTY TIME ! - or is that just too much paranoia?
Sunday 6th May 2007
Stafford Boat Club - Haywood Jnc - Tixall (7½ miles, 1 lock)
Tim and Tess seemed very relaxed on the boat and we all had a good night's sleep. After a late breakfast, we set off for Great Haywood. It was windy again from the west just like last week, but with gusts of over 30mph, making it tricky to turn after reversing from the arm that is home to the boat club.
Near Tixall Lock, we spotted a large family of geese. If I had just fathered seven children, I would sign up for a vasectomy as a matter of urgency...
It was very busy at Tixall Wide with no free moorings as we went up to wind at Great Haywood Junction, so we came back and moored back towards Tixall Lock at a very peaceful spot. I had spotted Tia moored at the Wide, who we had seen at Foxton a few weeks earlier. Later in the afternoon, the lady on board was walking her dog and recognised Tess. I'm absolutely terrible at remembering the names of people, so why are boat names so much easier?
The couple on Tia live on board and sell Ecover products, travelling around the GU and Oxford canals from their home base near Napton. We stocked up - what goody goody environmentalists we are.... apart from the car journeys to and from Stafford....
Monday 7th May 2007
Tixall - Stafford Boat Club (4 miles, 1 lock)
We went for a walk before breakfast and got chatting with the couple on Shearwater, based at Norbury Junction. Like Hawksmoor, there are twelve owners and the boat is managed by Ownerships. They gave us some suggestions for circular walks through the local countryside and we all had a good moan about the way new boaters steer with their bow thrusters - they must think it's sexier than that boring old manual tiller thingy at the roundy end of the boat. We have some good memories of Norbury Junction and look forward to passing through on Sophie-Jane No.2 later this year.
The weather forecast for the weekend had been pretty terrible, but we had got away with it so far - at least until we set off back to the boat club, by which time the drizzle had started.
We successfully moored Sophie-Jane No.2 without me falling in the canal and loaded the car before taking a last walk to Deptmore Lock and back to keep the dogs happy before the drive home.
We have too many commitments over the next few weeks. Apart from being overloaded with paid work, I have two theatre productions and a holiday in Devon to get through. Last year we promised our youngest, Rosemary, that we would go back to Croyde Bay. For some reason she prefers sand and surf to the backwaters of Birmingham. After that we are going to my niece's wedding in the Lake District, using Sophie-Jane No.2 as a stopping off point on the way and for a weekend break on the way back.