Now Near Nuneaton.

 It 'turned out nice again' today and we were up and off by 0945. There was some sort of junket starting upo in one of the units as we left. I managed to spring round the corner and head out without looking bad, enough for a lady to come over and tell me she was impressed. She had just bought a boat herself and had never seen that done before.

In the day every boat had to leave the basin every night and as there is no tow path through the bridge they were able to secure the place from pilfering.

Along the Coventry Arm are various sculptures. This one, just outside the basin is titled 'The Journeyman' by Stephen Hitchin.

Just a little further on is the old municipal electricity generating plant that has been converted to flats. On the building are numbers that relate to the number of subscribers taking electricity from the plant each year from when it was opened in 1905 when it was 637 and by 1924 it was 11283. I wonder what it would be now!

Just a little further on, in a loop of the canal is a very large building that was built in the 1920's as offices for the Coutaulds Factory on the other side of the canal. In 2012 it became managed office space and recently has had planning permission granted for 100 apartments. At one time it was used by Fed Ex.

The mural by the bridge is great and with the carved bollard and heavy duty mooring rope it makes a nice little sitting area for the locals.

This is a massive building and was part of the Courtaulds Factory where rayon was made. It looks as big as some of those massive sheds being made for Amazon etc.

The Rioch Stadium is one of those few that can be seen from the canal. It seems that Wasps Rugby play there, but Coventry City didn't play there for several years, first sharing with Northampton Town and later with Birmingham City. This year they have returned to the ground that they initiated but could not pay for so have to pay rent. It is to be called the Coventry Building Society Stadium. I wonder if they will ever take the Ricoh signs down. I doubt they will bu the new name up as, like a telegram, it has too many letters to be cost effective!

Exhall Basin Moorings seem a little empty at the moment, but look like a nice place to be. They say that this was a transhipment basin from canal to rail but this must have been carried out after 1948 as there is no sign of such on an OS map of that year.

We stopped for water at Hawkesbury and I was going to dump the rubbish too, but extraordinarily there is no disposal site there! Can that be true or was I just looking in the wrong place. We missed a lot of action at the junction and sailed past serenely with the foot bridge and the old pump house empty of people. The pump house had an old steam pump istalled in 1821 that had been used on the Griff Arm for around 100 years. It ceased work in 1913 and now is in a museum at Dartmouth. it was called Lady Godiva.

We passed Marston Junction with nothing coming out again today. This is another trip for us to accomplish this year perhaps. We went on a little further and moored before Bridge 17.

After a bite to eat we set off on a walk to Nuneaton. We headed down Gypsy Lane which was too busy really and there was no pavement and the verge wasn't continuous. The amount of rubbish was appaling. We were soon on the Riversley Cycle route into the town. This mural is very well carried out and looks like it could be the same artist as that one near the Courtaulds Factory down the Coventry Arm.

The next building was also beautifully painted too.

Surprisingly, only because we didn't know it was there, we came across the Nuneaton Museum and Gallery. There was a WWI and II memorial and this one to the South African Wars. It was free and open to 1630 so it would have been rude not to have a gander about. They have taken George Elliot to their breasts and there is a fair bit about her there.

We were soon in town and had a wander about. The markets stalls were just packing up. On Saturday they have a very big market that is worth the walk down from the cut. Helen bought some stuff from Superdrug and we didn't stop otherwise for an ice cream or pint, or anything!

WE wended our way through the terraced streets and back to the canal instead of walking back up the busy road. This is turn over bridge that carried the towpath over to the other bank so that access could be gained to the Griff Arm.

We were soon back at the boat and had a drink and a sit down. My feet were hot!! Another 5 miles to add to Helen's tally.

Coventry, Old and New.

 We were off just before 1000 this morning after a quiet night in Coventry Basin.

This is the entrance to the basin that is a nice spot as it is not too far at all from the city centre and the buildings protect you from the traffic noise too. We were booked in to the Two Tone Exhibition at the Herbert Gallery at 1045

We went via Priory Row which has some lovely old buildings. Timbers of this , the Lychgate Cottages are dated at 1414/15 and formed part of a the old monastic range of buildings prior to Henry VIII closing the monasterys.

A little further down Priory Row is this lovely Georgian house. This enclave seems to be a little area of calm just next to the city centre,

St. Michel's Church is the parish Church and right next door to the old and new cathedrals

I think the new cathedral actually looks more imposing from the outside and the area between the new and old is linked by a covered porch to show the connection. St Michael stand over the devil on the east of the new Cathedral, a sculpture by Jacob Epstein.

The Herbert Museum is just close to this place and we were there soon after 1000. Our plan was to look round the other exhibits until our booked slot at 1045. They said as they were quiet we could go in straight away, so we did. The exhibition about the rise and fall of 2 Tone music here in Coventry was very good, and just goes to show that saving everything pays in the end. All the old fag packets that had lyrics written on them were very interesting as much as the more conventional items.

After a coffee we decided that we would head over to the Transport Museum. We got there to see that the entrance was £14 each! Neither of us thought that when we had been before that we had had to pay. Being good Yorkshire folk we decided we had 'done' it so declined to pay this time. It always makes us realise how lucky we are in Hull to have magnificent free museums. This is Millennium Square in front of the Transport Museum and the large artwork is the Whittle Arch after Frank Whittle who designed the turbo jet engine. His statue is just between the two vertical arms.

This is the Coat of Arms of the City. It is red and green as they have been associated with the city since 1441. The elephant is a symbol of strength and Christ's redemption. The wild cat is for watchfulness. The motto 'Camera Principis, The Prince's chamber, is said to refer to the Balck Prince who inherited the manor of Cheylesmore near Coventry.

A small part of the Medieval walls survive, as do two of the gates in and out. 

This is Cook Street Gate.

Completely different is the Elephant Building, alluding to the symbol of Coventry. It was built in 1977 as an extension to the public baths. The zinc cladding gives it a 'look' of an elephant along with the prism shapes, it is said! We were then walking to FarGo that is a craft.boutique coop type place that independant people have opened up in an old industrial building and in old containers. There was little of it open, but I did get roped in for some publicity photos of an exhibition of local artists just opening! We had a nice cup of tea and homemade Victoria sponge to go with it. (Just thought that makes me sound very old!). Fargo is on Far Gosford Street that has lots of timber framed buildings and is a fusion of old and new, with plenty of international foods etc. Well worth a stroll out to see, when open.

On the rear of the Herbert Gallery, or main road side, is these two sculptures called 'Man's Struggle, inside and outside the mind. It was done by Walter Ritchie in 1959. The were facing each other either side of a fountain in the precinct. If you like 50's/60's art like this and brutalist concrete architecture there is still a fair bit around Coventry.

On Earl Street is the Coventry Council House. The foundation stone was laid in 1913 and it was finished in 1917. Obviously WWI added some delays. It was designed by two Birmingham architects in the Tudor revival, Elizabethan style. The official opening was carried out by the future King George VI in 1920 due to the War. The statues over the main door were added in 1924. On the left is Leofric who was patron of Coventry monastery, Lady Godiva is on the right who did the same and above the door is the figure of justice.

On the east side of Broadgate Square is the Lady Godiva Clock. On the hour, every hour Lady Godiva comes out on her horse and peeping Tom does his thing from the upper window. In the legend Peeping Tom was struck blind for looking, and Lady Godiva took to riding a horse naked as her husband wouldn't listen to her regarding reducing the taxes of the poor. He said he would only do it if she went naked round the town!

I had overheard somebody talking about good pub called the Gatehouse on Hill Street and as we needed a sit down we headed there. On the way we passed this fine collection of buildings which is the college of Bablake and Bond's Hospital. In 1344 these were the collegiate buildings of St. John's Church. The priests quarters were rebuilt in 1560 as a boy's hospital and later as a boy's school. The school remained until 1890 when it was developed on another site. Endowed by the will of Bond or Bablake in 1506 it still.

We had a couple of pints and then fatally the barman told me of another pub just round the corner so we went there for another, and as we had seen a new micro pub also nearby we went for one there too. It was with a light tread that we landed in Sainsbury's for a top up shopping. We got a curry meal deal too, so that was tea sorted. 

I am thinking that Hull made a better fist of the City of Culture Thing, but realise that we didn't have to contend with COVID, but there were no volunteers in the their nice blue uniforms handing out stuff and giving positive vibes. In Broadgate there are a lot of streamers hanging above it. We heard that these were all done by the local school kids. We could see no info about this and when we did talk to a volunteer on Monday afternoon, underneath them, they never mentioned them! I'm sure it will grow and grow when restriction are less severe and of course they are City of Culture for 4 years. Don't forget that you are now supposed to book to moor in the Coventry Basin, but just outside the moorings are fine and do not require pre booking.

Coventry, UK City of Culture .

 We decided to head off early this morning to make up a bit of time. I got up to make the tea and left Helen in bed. I got underway just after 0800,. No locks today, so no rush for Helen.

You can't not take a picture of the tele'wag pole tat still hand about on this stretch. There aren't many of them about anymore, but when we were kids they were everywhere.

Past Nuneaton s this sign post to Vulgaria ahead and Fradley the other. It looks like there is a sentry box, or boarder post for each direction!

There was still a work boat at Marston Junction fixing heavy rubber fendering to the newly installed piling. I'm not really sure if they are there to protect the cladding or the boats as most 'contacts' should be bow on. We managed to meet a boat at the blind bridge just to the south of the junction, Bridge 15, but all well.

There was a hire boat just leavng the stop lock as Hawkwsbury Junction so we were glad to be heading straight on to Coventry Basin. It looks like the Greyhound is a little smarter than the last time we passed this way, seen under the bridge at the 'new' junction with the Oxford Canal.

I'm sure we have sat on one of these in Rugby. For a concrete bench It adds a touch of class. No tv or coffee table though!

Halfway down toward Coventry I saw this animal run across the tow path, hesitate and then leap into the water. It had something in its mouth and headed across the cut. It was heading straight for the boat. In the water it was very long and just collided with the boat before recoiling and passing round the stern!

As we passed there seemed to be several bronze art piece along the tow path. This was is to celebrate the Daimler factory on the off side of the canal. It was where the first car was built in Britain in 1897. The only bit of the factory remaining is the power house that has been converted to flats. This bottom (top) end of the canal has been tidied up a,ot with lots of new buildings and the canal and tow path looking much cleaner.

We stopped for water just before the Basin and I went ahead to see what the situation was, as Monday was the first day of having to book moorings in the basin. There was room and the floating market is starting at the weekend. We thought we would risk it as we are leaving on Wednesday and moored up across the end of the two arms so we can easily get out if we need too. It is a handy berth as there is a bloke that keeps watch over your boat, what ever the weather. He was just visiting from Etruria!

As soon as we had had a bite of lunch we were off to explore. We were underwhelmed at the 'presence' of the 'City of Culture', there din't seem to be much signage for it. We realise that there has been COVID and the start is delayed and there is an effort to stop crowds but in Hull you would have to be blind not to see it was our year. There were a few volunteers in Godiva  Square but they didn't seem to have much information and guided us to the shop. They didn't have much information, mainly merchandise and we were directed to the Tourist information office that was near the station. We recognised the bloke in the shop as we had worked with him in Hull. Small world. It wasn't too easy to find. There there was little about the City of Culture either but we got a few leaflets and planned a walk.

This is the narrow courtyard of the Ford's almshouses that were erected in 1509. They were badly damaged in the air raid of November 1940 but were repaired using the original timbers between 1951 and 1953. It is said to be the most perfect example of timber framed architecture in the country. The carvings are still very strong.

This is the sort of City of Culture 'thing' you get. A short street that seems nothing when you walk past, but becomes a photographic magnet and emblem of the culture at the time.

This is the ruins of St. Michaels Church that became the Cathedral in 1918. On that November 1940 night it was ruined, and left as you see it today. It is used as a venue. The undercroft was used as a place of worship until the new cathedral was built in the 1960's.

I try my best to like the new Coventry Cathedral but it doesn't do it for me. It is not up lifting for me, although the 1960's style is worth looking at as there isn't that much of it about.

The side or lady chapels are also very distinctive. We headed to the pub for a couple of pints that we enjoyed especially due to their rarity over the past few months. We then headed for our tea.

On the way for a Pizza we passed this little guy using his super powers to leap off tall buildings, even if it was from only one step up!

More planned for tomorrow, with visits to museums etc, but it was good to get back to the boat for a sit down.

No Spark of Intuition causing blushes.

 I missed posting yesterday as we had a waiting type of a day. When were ready to go the engine wouldn't start. The problem that had hit us at Hartshill Wharf had returned. I fiddled about a bit and then called RCR just after 1000. They answered quickly and after taking the details she told me that the engineer for the area had just called in sick, but they would sort something and let me know. 

I thought it was the isolation switch for the starter battery switch as the symptoms were the same as had occurred previously.

They had told me that the engineer wouldn't be there straightaway as he had two calls already to deal with. I called again at 1600 and they said that he would be there very soon. The engineer, Andy, arrived just after 1700. It seems he had been down to Droitwich to stem a leaking stern gland that had the owners finger over the end of the pipe. Having sold that he was on his way to another 'sinking' boat up towards Birmingham. He then went back to Worcester for a job and then eventually to us half way between the two. Having arrived he refused a cup of tea and set to. He checked the volatges across the engine and declared that the isolation switch was working.

He then checked the multiblock connector by the engine, as above. He fiddled with it to check it was tight, tried the engine, and it started. Again and again! How embarrassing. I should have checked that, especially as I had done the same previously. Still he wasn't very long and could go home earlier than expected. The black sausage in the photo above is the connector. Andy but a cable tie between the two halves to stop it coming apart again and gave me several tips before heading off again. Thanks very much for your time, especially on Father's Day. He had a bit of a trip back home to Cannock Chase too. 

We debated whether to head off to make a bit of time up, but decided to go for a walk instead.

We headed towards Springwood Marina and Bridge 28. There we walked away from the canal towards the railway, passing under it and to a bridge over the River Anker.

Caldecote Hall is now a private estate and access is limited. There is foot access to the church on site that takes you past the buildings. This looks like it could have been the stable block, dated 1880. With a courtyard. It has obviously been altered for apartments.

The house itself was also built mainly in 1880, hut the state was in the Domesday Book. It suffered a siege in 1642 when the owner William Purefoy, a Parliamentary MP lived there. Prince Rupert, Charles I nephew lay siege to capture him, but he wasn't there. The siege was resisted for a while by his wife and children, son in law and eight men before the building was set fire to and they escaped! The remains survived to 1880 when it was rebuilt. In 1926 it became a home for inebriates of all classes. How successful it was may be judged by the fact that when it closed 3 truck loads of empty bottles were cleared out of the attic space! There was another fire in 1955 that damaged most of the building. The owner continued to live in a small apartment at the front until his death. In 2005 it was bought by a developer and converted into apartments.

The church of St. Theobald and St Chads has been here since the Domesday Book, but this building stems from 1857 when it was largely rebuilt. It is not used for worship anymore but there does seem to be some interesting graves by the church.

The church was closed and is  Grade II* listed. The OS map shows paths through the park and past the church, but having had a good mooch a bout we couldn't find them.

There are several ponds in the grounds with sheep grazing.

It is a lovely little spot on the River Anker with a weir and what looks like a little pump house for the Hall next to it. We had to retrace our steps out of the park land and onto another footpath to continue.

Unfortunately some other footpaths couldn't be found and out walk became longer. When we eventually got back to where we should have ended up there was this little bridge with swans with the front of the hall in the distance.

Over the fields of barley we got back the railway line and over a bridge that was original. We walked up to the canal and were soon heading back to the boat.

It was a relief to see the boat. Instead of a 3 mile walk it had extended by 5 and a bit, and extra hour. It was good to sit down and watch the TV  'Time' final episode which we found very good indeed.

I had been thinking about why I hadn't solved the starting problem on my own. I am not an engineer so I don't think I think the analytical way. I had come across the problem before and the isolation switch had been the problem, so it must be again. I am never happy with electricity. It should be easy but I always get confused by it! As I say the problem of the disconnected multi block connection had crossed my path before but I didn't put the two together as I had already settled on the 'wrong' thing. Oh well, I can stand a bit of embarrassment, and Andy was very gracious and kind to me. I expect he was just pleased that it didn't take him long to solve. I hope he got home to Cannock Chase quickly. Thanks to RCR for their assistance.