Another good deed.

We they girls on the hire boat that we helped up to Droitwich soon recovered after a hot drink and some food and a bit of a kip. They were soon knocking on the roof to see if they could buy us a drink. Needing little excuse I soon finished the washing up and we joined Carol and Ellen at the Gardner's Arms just by Vines Park. They are very easy to chat to and by the time we knew it a bloke was coming round with a quiz, just for fun. I wondered why the little pub was so busy. Well that was us set until well after 2200. We didn't do too badly but didn't panic the local teams.

This morning Ellen and Carol were in much better humour, and warmer. I think most folk don't realise how much cooler being on a river is to being on a canal. I'm sure that it is due to the wind blowing along the river valley and making it feel chillier.

When they were ready we filled them up with water and then helped them through the two swing bridges and into the broad lock down on to the River Salwarpe. They were a bit worried by going on to a river but when the gates opened they were relieved. 

Vine Park is a lovely amenity for Droitwich with the canal and river running side by side. This is the second bridge. There is a third between the two but that one seems to be left open. The round white low wall marks one of the middle ages brine wells that provided the wealth of the town right through to the inter war years as it grew as a spa town. You can see the white salt that has precipitated out of the brine with evaporation.

Non of the gates on this broad lock open fully so we assumed that it was to prevent a wide boat managing to pen out into the river as from here on up it is a only a narrow gauge canal. This is Ellen pushing the beam. I think they will be glad to get back onto the narrow locks.

I was expecting a letter Poste Restante to the Droitwich PO so we wandered up to the town after waving good bye to the girls. The letter hadn't arrived but their delivery doesn't get in until 1200/1300 so we bought some milk and Helen saw some shoes that she had been looking for in a very busy local shoe shop so she came home with a prize. I saw this chimney on the Priory House. This is a  mid 17th century house that was tacked on to a 1500 one. It has recently been restored. It would have been one of the rich salt merchant's houses.

Last time we were here the Raven Hotel had a planning application for change of use to flats. It seemed that it was a bit controversial in the town at the time. Today the place seems to be shut up and nothing seems to have been done.

We went back into town at about 1600 and the letter had arrived. This was actually the first time we have used the Poste Restante service so were relieved it works okay but I am aware it isn't everywhere that does it. This sculpture is in the shopping precinct. On the other side are the wife and daughter of the salt wroker. I didn't put them on the blog as the wife is bare chested and it is before 2100. The whole family helped and as the process was largely boiling large pans of water to get the salt everybody would have been stripped to the waist due to the heat. The worker above is using a special tool to drag the salt out of the brine pan and putting it in a wooden box/mould to dry and then the salt block is easily transported.

We walked back through Vine Park and as this was there we wandered over to see what it was. As you can see St. Richard was born in the town and became Bishop of Chichester. He was canonized for the miracle of getting the brine wells to start running again in 1250. You can see the last barge lock in the background.

As I am feeling in such a good mood I suggested that we should eat out tonight. Helen didn't disagree! We are going to revisit the scene of the crime last night for a meal. We like Droitwich as it is a little peculiar with a bit of everything here, but despite having the railway run close by there is a feeling of tranquility on the moorings and at Vine Park and the town.