Relaxing Day at Birstall - Tuesday 7th June

This morning I walked up into Sileby village to get a paper from the Tesco Express and found the Chine House Vets where we had to take Alexia 9 years ago. They are in a very large old house and have stables at the back for when they are looking after horses or large animals. The Friends of St Mary’s church are having a Tour of the Tower day next Saturday to raise funds which would have been nice to do as the views would have been great across the Soar valley. The pub opposite the church called the Horse and Trumpet was once owned by the Steamin’ Billy Brewery Co. Ltd.

We had a late start today as we only planned to move on to Thurmaston. We arrived at the ill fated Cossington Lock where 9 years ago whilst on a hire boat we failed to see the turn left sign just out of the lock and continued up the river. On our way back down we met up with Graham and Carolann on Autumn Years and they became our most expensive friends as having seen their boat we decided to have one built ourselves. We did not make the same mistake a second time!!

There was no room to moor at Thurmaston so we carried on to Birstall where we moored just below the lock. After coffee I went a walk around the two lakes in Watermead Country Park and spotted this Mammoth on top of a hill overlooking the lakes. Remains of mammoth dating back to the Ice Age have been found in the old quarries from which the lakes have been formed and so a large model mammoth has been constructed on the site to give visitors an idea of what it may have been like in those days.

I walked back along the canal and who should be moored just above the lock but Rose, Andy and Tlley on Nb Isander. They came down to see us later in the afternoon and it was great to catch up with all their news.

After lunch we went for a walk around Birstall village. The lane up from the lock passes the by the White Horse Pub with its garden full of people lunching in the sunshine. At the top of the lane is St James church and further around the village are the shops including a co-op supermarket.