Hillmorton Co-incidence

Friday 12^th October

*Overnight Mooring with Braunston Church in the background

After a night of heavy rain we moved off in bright sunshine but still with a cool breeze, passing bridges 80 and 79 where the Waterways Recovery Group were busy restoring these bridges built in the 1770’s and may I say making an excellent job of them. We passed the bridges earlier in the year when contractors were busy repairing the foundations so it was nice to see the great progress which is being made by volunteers.

* WRG at Bridge 80

* WRG at Bridge 79

Although the sign says Men at Work the person in the middle is a young lady making an excellent job of the pointing on bridge 79.

Continuing on under the M45 motorway we came to The Canal Shop at Hillmorton Wharf , Bridge 73, where we filled with diesel at 85p/ltr with self declaration. There is also a well stocked Chandlery. They have only been operating for 6 weeks and sell bread, milk etc and have the popular papers but will get any paper if you call ahead the day before. Telephone 01327 844442 or emailsales@canalshoponline.co.uk website is www.canalshoponline.co.uk . I hope they do well in the future.

Motoring on we passed yet another Broadbeam boat but this time it was moored up, why do they travel on narrow canals, by the look of its hand rails it had scrapped a few bridge holes.

* Another Broadbeam

Just before Hillmorton we spied Nb Laplander an 1830’s Diesel Steam Tug Boat and later in the afternoon it passed us.

* Nb Laplander

We moored up just after Hillmorton Bottom Lock and after lunch I took Phoenix a walk back up to explore the lock area as we have not stopped here before.

* Hillmorton Bottom Lock

As I walked back a lady with a 10 month old Labrador came along and Poppy and Phoenix had a great play together. In conversation it came out that Poppy was from the JimJoy kennels run by Mrs Colley of Bewdley. It was these kennels that we had our own Labs. Toffee and Shadow some 30 odd years ago; strange how these co-incidences occur.

* Poppy and Phoenix

An old BW Yard is located at the side of the canal with a small arm entering just above the first lock so I decided to explore it. Tucked away behind what were the stables is a Dry Dock and a Paint Shed with the Old Pump House being used as an Office and Chandlery. I spoke to the current owners David and Deborah Bixter who made a great fuss of Phoenix as they have dogs themselves. It emerged that they do a lot of blacking and other work for boats in our marina and know Adrian well.

* Entrance to the Old BW Yard

* The Dry Dock

* The Paint Shed

In front of the boat yard the buildings have been converted into offices and workshops and a café fronting the canal. This lovely old truck belongs to the café.

* Old Truck

As we passed the Upholsterers I saw a great big black dog who when he saw Phoenix decided to leap over the gate and join us. Mishka as he is called is only 10 months old and very friendly and the owner tells me he is a Russian Black Terrior, one of only 60 pups available in the UK last year. He still has, a lot of growing to do so I dread to think how big he will end up.

* Mishka – Russian Black Terrior

We re-crossed the canal and wended our way into Hillmorton, which has a bus service every 15 minutes into Rugby, and then back to the canal at Kent Road Bridge with it depiction of the old and new canal ages on its walls. We arrived back just in time for tea and home made coffee cake.