FS all good

 Thursday 9th

So much for them at Harrison's telling Ian that they would fix the alternator 'first thing'! Wednesday we waited for a call and after wondering when that phone call would come, decided we could no longer wait and phoned at 2pm. They hadn't done it, not even looked at it, even after the assurance he had when he dropped it off on Tuesday evening. But they did have a new alternator on the shelf...yeah right.... I expect that was their plan all along. Make us fork out more money! Their excuse? There was too much work on; they would have known that when Ian dropped it off, so who was telling a porky, eh? Anyway, all we could do was to agree to the new one. £135...ouch. We had to go with it because for two days we had no way of charging the batteries, apart from the solar panels putting a bit in, and sitting with only one light on at night and worrying about the food in the freezer defrosting, it was all we could do. With our daughter unable to help us out, Ian decided to take a taxi. Uba taxies quoted £15 one way to Burton, Ian wanted them to wait so he could make the return journey, that would be another £15! I suggested a local taxi, one in Branston itself, and guess what? They could do a there and back for the same money as a one way from Uba taxis. Moral of this tale, phone local companies first! 

 Before the removal of the alternator Tuesday afternoon.

The towel was there to stop Ian burning his arm. The engine was still hot when our daughter came on Tuesday to take Ian and the alternator to Burton.

Ian fitted the new one last night, and just before 8pm he started the engine and yes...it was doing the job.  Shame we couldn't leave it to run to charge batteries, but we had some sun during the day yesterday, so put in enough charge so I could watch Celebrity Traitors!

 

This morning was an early start. There was some catching up to do, although the amount of boats passing us yesterday must mean some are trying for Glascote. Barton Turns had a boat coming out of the marina. Good job I wasn't any closer because the two people at the bow never even motioned to the skipper that a boat was coming. I forgave them later when they pulled up further along to let us past. The two at the bow were visitors and had never been on a boat before, so had no idea they should have mentioned seeing us. At Fradley we caught up with a couple of those boats that passed us yesterday. They, too, were heading towards Milton Keynes, so I expect to see them on route, hopefully as we pass them whilst they are still  moored! 

Fradley was really busy, not a mooring to be had, so good job we wanted to carry on. CRT volunteers were on, great to get help but as we turned up at the lock, they left....it was their lunch break!

Turned onto the Coventry canal with no idea where we would stop. Huddersford seemed a good a place, yes, that would do for tonight. Tomorrow Fazeley and then Saturday we make our way to Glascote locks. It would be just our luck for the low water situation to come into being with the amount of boats locking up, as well as those waiting to come down, and for CRT to close the waterway again!

 And some pretty locks and cottages on route.

Alrewas

Branston