This was not our plan! Today we would make Fazeley Junction, moor and continue to Glascote locks tomorrow. It was the long-awaited 10 am opening of Glascote that initially made us decide to leave the madness of trying to make it through the lock to others. We anticipated a queue, a long, long queue and really didn't want to be part of the long line of boats all standing around with center ropes and moving a boat's length every 10 minutes or so. It's funny how things change in one's mind. Having left Huddelsford before 9 am, we made great progress, not another boat other than moored boats seen, so we had the canal to ourselves. The usual vegetation problems slowed us down, but these days we expect it. Clearing reeds is not important in CRT's thoughts!
It took roughly 2.5 hours to reach Fazeley. We turned left to continue onto the Coventry canal, fully expecting there to be loads of boats on the moorings, but there wasn't! Had all the boats made it through Glascote at the opening of 10 am? Maybe there were not the amount as first thought so we did, what turned out to be, a silly thing. We continued toward the lock.
It was all going so well until we turned the corner by the road bridge. OMG, boat, after boat, after boat, all with folk on center ropes waiting to use the lock! Nothing for it but to tag onto the end, we were committed!
Ian decided to walk to the lock to find out what was going on, fully expecting CRT to be there. Not a hair on their heads were seen, they had unlocked at 10 am and left. The news when he returned was not good. We were 16th in the queue! Baring in mind the time was now 12.15pm, over two hours had already passed. Makes you wonder exactly how many boats had been waiting for the 10 am opening. Maybe 25-30? Anyway as usual I took photos, most of these are self-explanatory.
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| Turned left. That's the junction looking back |
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| This was the sight that greeted us |
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| Having to leap frog that moored boat. |
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| I walked up and this was the middle pound. |
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| And these were all the boats still waiting. FS was still a few boats back through the bridge hole. |
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| Ian went up to help |
Time was getting on. The email from CRT had mentioned last boat into the lock by 2 pm. Five boats were still in front of us and expected CRT to turn up at any minute and close the flight. Luckily, they never did come! In fact, we got through the flight just before three and still no sign. Two more boats had arrived, and we felt sure they could make it through too. They did with Ian's help.
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| Finally, in the lock, time was about 2.45 pm. |
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| Might as well start them young 😉 |
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| Waiting in the middle pound |
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| Three lovely lads helped us through, I even gave one of them a ride on FS out of the lock. Treat the youths right and they are as good as gold. |
With the next set of locks at Atherstone a couple of hours away, we went as far as we could before it got too dark. Several of the queuing boats have been passed, and we did actually make it to Atherstone bottom lock. Lots of boats moored, whether they are all for the lock we don't know, but we have been told that only lock 7 of the flight has been padlocked. Several boats have since gone, leaving us slightly nearer to the lock. We will decide whether to leave early and by pass the moored boats tomorrow morning.
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