Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - The End is Nigh

Set off in time to get to Llanthony Bridge for 8.00a.m. when it opened. The weather was fine but cold – in fact the whole week has been colder than might be expected for the end of April. It started to rain about 10.00a.m. and it continued more or less until after 5.00p.m.  We had a good run down to Sharpness, lots of swing bridges, but they are all manned by bridge-keepers who open them up in front of you.

There are now no visitor moorings in Sharpness Barge Arm, so Stephen winded at the far end and we came back and moored on the canal side. Having had lunch, we decided that if we waited for the rain to stop, we wouldn't get out at all, so we donned wet-weather gear and went to look at the Purton Hulks – it proved to be a very interesting walk with good views across the Severn with the tide coming in.

After an early evening meal, we ventured out in the opposite direction and walked down to Sharpness Point, this time in the dry. Stephen managed to pick up some geocaches in today’s walks.

Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - Another Canal Beckons

We set off at 7.50a.m. – although it was a bit chilly the weather forecast was good. Through Upper Lode lock without problem and then on down the river. The forecast proved to be correct; the sun came out and it stayed dry all day. Going through Gloucester Lock was very slow (we hadn't been asked to tie up, so the lock filling was done very gently). Just after 11.00a.m. we moored in the basin near the Kimberley Warehouse and went for a look around Gloucester.

No wedding stopped our visit here, in fact we were treated to some fine organ playing as we explored the Cathedral. We then found the Tourist Information Office and picked up a leaflet of self-guided walks around the city, which we used to help us see some of the buildings we would have otherwise missed.

We did feel that the post-war planners seem to have made rather a mess of Gloucester with some particularly awful 50s & 60s buildings. Having walked as far as Llanthony Secunda Priory, we returned to the boat.

We had let the fire go out during the day, but re-lit it this evening. The dock area looks good during the day, and perhaps even better at night with some rather nice lighting.

Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - Definitely downhill

We left Worcester at 8.10a.m. on another grey morning. The St George’s flag on the cathedral is at half-mast for Denise Inge.

Only Diglis Lock today before arriving at Tewkesbury at 11.40.  We moored below the Avon Lock on the Old Avon and after lunch went for a wander around Tewkesbury. There was a wedding about to start at the Abbey so we contented ourselves with going to the tea-room for more coffee and cake, and then having a bit of a wander around the town.

The blog titles yesterday and today both give an indication that it is quite a novel experience going twice as fast as usual because we are on a river rather than a canal. 6 mph is almost hairy!

Back to the boat for the evening.

Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - Speedy Gonzales!

Off we set at 7.50a.m. on a misty, moisty morning.  Only 3 locks today, all manned by the friendly Severn lock-keepers.  The mist cleared, but the weather remained moist!  There are several signs of the winter floods on the river – fallen trees along the bank and exposed soil where the land has slipped.

We arrived at Worcester at 10.50a.m. and moored up near the railway bridge as we have done before.  You now pay your mooring fee by buying a ticket at the Pay and Display Car Park across the road. Although still cloudy, the weather remained dry for the rest of the day.

We wandered up to the Hive for coffee and cake, checked the whereabouts of the local Wetherspoons and returned to the car park to meet Jan and Ian James.  After a short sit down on the boat, we all went for lunch at said Wetherspoons – The Crown, and then back to the Hive for coffee and cake as The Crown had run out of carrot cake!

Ian and Jan left at 3.15p.m. and we returned to the boat.  We skipped supper as we had consumed rather a lot of cake today and instead walked a little more of the Severn Way, upstream towards Bevere Lock, though we didn’t get that far.  Again, there seem to be only a few boats around – we are the only ones on the town mooring. The evenings are chilly, so we lit the fire.

Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - To the river

We set out from Kinver at 7.35a.m. – weather was dry with a little early morning mist.  The sun soon came out and, despite the weather forecast, the whole day was sunny and warm.  We had help from a cheerful volunteer (unofficial) at Wolverley Court Lock and more volunteers (official) were on hand at Stourport.  There were more boats and fewer ducklings around than yesterday.

We made good time and moored up on the river at 1.15p.m.  After a little lunch, we wandered up into Stourport.  It appears to be Stourport Heritage Day; the Old Ticket Office on York Street was open so we had a brief look round there.  We had the news yesterday that Bp John’s wife, Denise, had died so we spent some time trying to find a card to send, finally finding one I considered suitable in the Hospice Shop.

 Following a cream tea at Blossoms, we headed back to the river, calling in at the Old Tontine Stables (another Heritage site) on the way.  We also saw Arthur Page and Elaine (another friend) who both promised to call in later, which they did.

After supper, we decided to head out again, so walked along the Severn Way as far as Lincomb Lock.

Post-Easter Cruise 2014 - Off we go

Set off from Wombourne at 1.30p.m. when it was just starting to rain. It then rained, more or less heavily, for the rest of the journey to Kinver. At Marsh Lock we saw our first ducklings – literally in the lock, while Mum quacked uselessly on the bank.  The lock was nearly full, so I gently filled it and opened the gate so that the ducklings could escape and rejoin Mum. Stephen drove the boat in and was joined by one duckling!  It took us a minute or two to catch him and put him back on the bank with the rest of the family before we could proceed.  We managed the rest of the locks with no duck incidents.

There were very few boats about considering it is the Easter weekend – we didn't see anyone to talk to until Stewponey Lock where nb Keynsham was coming up. There had obviously been other boats up and down as one or two locks were almost full when we arrived at them. After Keynsham left, and just as I was closing the top gate, another boat arrived to go down.  Quite unusually, although the woman from that boat came up to the lock with her windlass, she just leaned on the top gate and watched me work both bottom gates (including closing them after us) on my own.

At Kinver Lock, we met some folk out for a walk, a local couple with some French visitors. They helped work the lock and took lots of photographs – explaining the working of a lock in English can be challenging, in French it involves a lot of hand waving!

There were several duck families in Kinver, none of whom had the suicidal tendencies of the Marsh family, though our bow did manage to briefly split up one lot.

Arrived at the visitor moorings below Kinver at 5.45p.m. It was then more or less dry as we sorted ourselves out, but later in the evening there were several heavy showers.