Another beauty spot desecrated by an unwanted railway

Clocks went forward at 1am but the beauty of being retired was it didn't matter one bit. Lovely being able to wake when one pleases and as today is my birthday Ian even cooked my favourite breakfast of kippers. Then with the day looking more promising then yesterday we both made for the Water Park.  Having walked around one of the large lakes and then taken a steam loco ride, it was whilst on the ride that we heard some very disturbing news from the guard. I laughed at first when I saw this,

But it's all true. HS2 will cross over Kingswood Water Park. An embankment 15meters high will be built and a vast area will be desecrated. I asked the guard how this might effect the park itself and his answer, the council will probably walk away and close the park down. Never mind all the wildlife and water birds that visit. Why should those deciding that this train is needed to serve only a few, care about that! I get so mad at the complete nonsense of it all. So my advice is to visit while you can because it wont be around in the future.

Off for a meal later when Christine and family arrive so here is another load of photos from within the park.

A model yacht race was going on and very entertaining it was too.

Then there were the speed merchants

And slightly slower one

Like a proper size engine it needed water and coal

And these even smaller. Boys and their toys eh!

Pretty quiet for Easter

What a miserable Easter Saturday. In fact so awful that no one seems to have ventured out and only 6 boats have passed by us all day. Two came into moor late afternoon, during the heaviest of the rain storm and I did so feel sorry for them as they tried to moor. Made me glad we stayed where we were. And looks like we will be staying tomorrow as Christine, Kev and the grandchildren will be paying us a visit to celebrate my birthday. Good job the Dog and Doublet can accommodate another 4 for dinner.

But first, back to this morning, I was hoping to go walkabout but the wind picked up and drizzle started so I decided to wait for a lull before setting out, and sure enough by mid morning conditions improved. I took myself off to the water park, dressed to the nines in wet weather gear including a plastic bag to protect my camera. Having taken the wrong route and, what should have been a half a mile walk to the entrance, I ended up walking well over a mile through forest paths and it was more by luck than judgement that I came across the lakes.

Really windy but the sailors enjoyed the conditions

Hardly anyone about but the attractions had to open. The train seemed popular but I did feel for the guy hoping to give donkey rides.

No one on the Swan pedal boats

I didn't stay that long especially as the rain started again and that wind...enough to take your breath away. Coming back was much easier....I asked at the cafe and they pointed me the right direction. On my return still no boats moored by us, most unusual for an Easter Saturday. The wind picked up even more and we had proper waves on the canal. So fire was stoked and while Ian re-siliconed the shower where the mould had appeared, I sat watching films on TV.

We think the boat at the back of us belongs to the pub as it's always moored here.

So just a few photos to show of this mornings walk.

Jay

The day did start well....honest!

Too nice a day to stay in bed and as the birdies woke us at some silly hour, we made ready and set off before 8am. For once I walked to Junction lock with windlass in hand and left Ian to take FS. Took photos of a virtually empty Fradley, just the two boats moored, one of which was Lillyanne (yellow).

Leaving Fradley

Left onto the Coventry

 I hummed a tune Fields of Gold as Ian cruised FS past a near golden field of Rape and thought the day couldn't get better than this. We were the only boat on the move until we reached Bridge 86, then 4 came past us heading for Fradley. I said to one of the boaters how busy it had become and he replied " You think it's busy now you wait until you catch up with the 15 boats in front of you!" "Oh 'eck" thought I, that will throw our timings out. 

Rape field on the left

We did catch up with three boats, but luckily two pulled in to moor and left us following one. Unfortunately this one had the slowest helmsman in charge and it seemed to take forever to reach Fazeley. It was at this Junction we turned right onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. Our plan was to reach Kingsbury water park and then go to the Dog and Doublet for a birthday meal. (birthday not until Sunday) So we started our ascent up the Curdworth flight. Above lock ten two boats were heading our way so Ian left the gate open and walked ahead. I then gets it in the neck from a cruiser owner moored on the private moorings right by the lock about leaving gates open. Well I was incredulous and pointed to the two boats heading toward us. He scowled and said too many boaters leave gates open to which I replied, not this boat owner!! Anyway the first boat to pass us was none other than James and Debbie Nb Lois-Jane. Having said a quick hello I then had to contend with the second boat who refused to move over and consequently proceeded to push me ever nearer to the moored boats. I ended up in a right pickle, unfortunately scrapping along the side of a cruiser (which luckily had those massive balloon fenders) and then getting stuck because the pound was that low and was unable to pull back into the channel. Talk about miffed! I had words and said he hadn't tried hard enough to get me to crash into the boats. All I got was a silly grin and a shrug of the shoulders. The photo shows the moored boats, the cruiser with the blue fenders and the idiot on the lock landing.

Having to go up lock 9 because trying to moor only got me stuck again, another almost deserted mooring outside the pub saw us pull in and moor up. Of course the rings were in the wrong place for our length of boat and Ian had to resort to get the cladding pin in the piling under the water line. Hope the levels dont come up to much. Not sure then how he will remove it when we leave! With us not arriving until late afternoon the water park will have to wait until tomorrow. Weather doesn't look promising though!

And wildlife on route,

Never seen this before.

We meet at last.

Sometimes the smell that comes from muck spreading can be a bit odiferous but whatever these farmers were spraying wasn't unpleasant at all. We first noticed them yesterday on our approach to Keepers Lock,  a massive amount of the black stuff piled up along the width of the field. I also heard the mistakable sound of Lapwings obviously enjoying the insects this muck attracted so this morning and before the predicted rain arrived, I went below the lock to see if they were still there. The farmers were once more out with the spreaders and the mound was noticeably smaller. Again hardly any smell so it must be well rotted stuff. 

Yesterday you couldn't see the hedge for manure.

Three lapwings were in evidence although the crows out numbered them by far.

On the way back to the Keepers lock a volunteer lockie was busy clearing the area of tin cans and other rubbish. He was annoyed at the amount of rubbish that accumulated on a daily basis and this only the start of Easter. Wait until the weekend when I expect he will be collecting a lot more.

I had a walk around the Nature reserve in the drizzle and saw the first blue bells in bloom. A Blue Tit was checking out a hole in a tree and a Tree Creeper was busy looking for something tasty. If only the rain had stayed away I could have stayed longer but shades of a defunct camera came to mind due to the rain when I was at Beale Park on the Thames and no way did I want that to happen to this camera.

It must have been mid afternoon, Ian was checking our expenditure on the shopping for the month and I was sorting photos when suddenly, a knock on the side and standing there Pip and Mick Nb Lillyanne. So at last we get to meet each other. Greetings and introductions over we spent the next couple of hours chatting away like long lost friends. Thanks to you both for a very entertaining afternoon. Look forward to resuming where we left off.