Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The mooring at Bonehill Road bridge was OK, so we stayed until today. Even though we were on the edge of Tamworth, the only trouble observed was when the local squirrels mugged the birds for the net bag of peanuts we put up on a tree outside the window. The weather stayed fine through the day, with rain at night.
The warm weather has certainly brought the flora on!

Daffodils.
I made a couple more “doughnuts” for the lights (see earlier post), until the drill went into meltdown. I’ll get a descent quality replacement. It’s right, you do get what you pay for, and I hadn’t paid a lot.
The good towpaths in the local area gave me the opportunity to have a couple of good runs. The training is going well, so I’ve entered the Liverpool ½ marathon, in March. Aiming for around 1:50.

We set off around 10:50, back down to Fazeley Junction and under Watling Street bridge onto the Birmingham and Fazeley. (Strictly speaking, we were already on the B&F, the first 5 miles north of the junction was built by the B&F canal company, although it is commonly accepted as being part of the Coventry Canal, which it becomes at Whittington).

Watling Street Bridge.
Looking back, Fazeley Mill and Watling St Bridge
Another fine, dry, warm day with sunny spells and a breeze from the south. We passed under this splendid footbridge about a mile from the junction. The steps up to the walkway are spiral staircases housed in the castellated turrets either side of the navigation.

Drayton Footbridge.
We carried on down to the winding hole just north of Curdworth bottom lock, turned and moored a little way back towards Fazeley.
We’re just killing time at the moment. We’re intending to head back up the T&M, and onto the Macclesfield Canal at Hardings Wood. But stoppages not far north of Fradley Junction till the middle of March are keeping us in this area.

Locks none, Miles 4

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