Conclusion of Journey on Narrowboat Jade Rainmakers on Narrowboat Jade (Chapter 5)

Rainmakers on Narrowboat Jade -- Chapter 5

(Personal Account of Our 1997 Travels in England)

Note: If you missed Chapters 1 through 4 and want to go back, Click here to go back to Chapter 1

Chapter 5 includes the following:
To and Through Birmingham
Back to Braunston
The Cosgrove Experience
All Good Things Must Come to An End
What Three Of Us Didn't Know Then
Epilogue -- Back to the Logs
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To and Through Birmingham

26 June: Back on the Grand Union, this stretch containing the double-wide locks with paddle gear that looks like a white birthday candle on top of a pot-bellied stove, we decided we weren't sure whether we preferred these, which operate more easily but have to be turned over 23 revolutions before they are up, to the type we are used to, which can be almost impossible the first few turns but which go up with far fewer windlass revolutions. We know we don't like their method for keeping the paddles from dropping prematurely -- using what looks like the head of a crescent wrench on a chain, which lets the gear unwind until the chain becomes taut and the crescent-wrench-head holds the gear, precariously at best.

We slogged into Warwick on the Grand Union Canal -- another rainy day. What a change in the Tilted Wig since our last visit there!

Every traveler surely has certain memories that are especially vivid -- the type where just a few words evoke a whole story for years afterward. For instance, we have only had to say the name of a certain lock, and all four of us conjure up a vivid picture of the rhubarb pie we bought on our first canal trip in 1985, and our surprise when we dug into it with gusto and discovered it was made without sugar -- we can still feel our lips pursing!

A similar situation has existed with the words "Tilted Wig" -- since 1990 those words have evoked the memory of an exhorbitantly expensive, skimpy meal we suffered, with Warren's being a piece of salmon no bigger than a credit card on an otherwise empty platter (well, maybe there was a piece of parsley).

We certainly never expected to eat there again, but by a twist of fate we found ourselves at their door this evening, and were totally shocked to see the changes.

Warren, Mary Anne and Paul had lovely fish and chips with peas and salad for GBP 4.95 each; my jacket potato and (spicy) chili cost GBP 3.40. Portions were generous, service was good, and obviously it has become a much busier (albeit louder) place since 1990. We couldn't resist asking the publican how long he had owned the Tilted Wig -- it turns out he took over in September of 1991.

27 June: We were just as favorably impressed this year coming by narrowboat as we were last year when we came by car to Kingswood Junction, where there is a triangular intersection between the Grand Union and the North Stratford navigation. It is attractively kept, with the famous barrel-roofed lock cottage signalling our return to the narrow locks we love.

28 June: We hadn't particularly intended to go from the Lapworth flight on to Birmingham in just one day, but that's the way it worked out. Leaving the Stratford Canal at King's Norton Junction through the always-open Guillotine Stop-Lock, we paused on the Worcester & Birmingham navigation only long enough for a visit to Cadbury World.

The books were absolutely right when they said that a stop by Bridge 80 to get provisions from Sainsbury's would be good but it was an unattractive place to moor. We did stop, and across from Sainsbury's we found a fish and chips take-away with fish and chips or chicken and chips for 99p. We couldn't pass that up! But after our meal (eaten on the boat), we kept going. Since we weren't sure whether we would find a place in Birmingham, we also kept an eye out for possible places to moor along this stretch, in case we had to wind and come back to moor.

We didn't have to worry -- there was plenty of space to moor in Birmingham. It was pretty quiet at Gas Street Basin when we got there, but the Saturday night crowd soon started gathering. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the Basin and people-watching.

29 June: Sunday morning -- we didn't see many other boats coming through the Farmer's Bridge Locks. We had gone under a big building in Manchester, and found it just as fascinating to go under the big tower in Birmingham, and to float past many red brick buildings that look like ghosts of the canal's glory days, some in a sad state of disrepair and others which have been given a new lease on life, for instance as apartment blocks (flats).

Again, we hadn't particularly planned to go as far as Fazeley, but it turned into a cool, dry day and like the Energizer bunny, we just kept going and going and going. After doing 38 locks today (a new record for us), we decided that Fazeley looked like a good place to stop!

Back to Braunston

30 June: Only 13 locks today -- seemed like an easy day, particularly since there was enough traffic coming our way through the Atherstone Flight that almost all of the locks were set for us, and there were only a few boats going the same way we were, so we rarely had to wait.

This is the second time we have moored at Atherstone. Last time we had gone to the pub where the books say they "do Davenports." Since where we come from, a davenport is a sofa, we had had visions of this pub where they also make or refinish furniture. Now we know Davenport's is an ale, but we still have a fond place in our hearts for Atherstone.

This time, a friendly passer-by started talking to us as we waited at the Post Office, and refreshed our memories about the fact that the name Atherstone is derived from "Hatter's Town," and hat-making is still an important source of income for the town. He embellished what we had read in the books, adding details about both the people and the architecture, and we were enthralled that he was interested enough to take time to let these total strangers in on the lore of the place.

Evening found us in the Three Tuns, where we enjoyed a delightful two-for-the-price-of-one supper. Warren had Chicken Kiev and I had Gammon Steak, each served with a salad and jacket potato, and the total bill for the food was only GBP 5.00.

1 July: We thought we had good fortune at the pub in Atherstone to find a two-for-one-price meal. Little did we know that just down the canal, at Bedworth, another tasty and terrific meal was in the offing.

We stopped because of the handy moorings, and were delighted to find the inside of "The Navigation" to be as inviting and attractive as any pub we had seen -- lots of wood, a tasteful collection of canal-related pictures and artifacts, and even bookshelves (since we used to have a bookstore, perhaps that added to the overall effect for us). Furthermore, we had spectacular lunchtime meals (I had a pork chop with applesauce, Warren had lamb with mint sauce), served with potatoes, peas, carrots, a little Yorkshire pudding, and bread and butter, for only GBP 3.95 each.

Paul, who had settled for chili, decided this was the time to test whether he had really recovered from his lactose intolerance -- he had the White Bomb ice cream dessert. He loved every caloric morsel, and he suffered no ill effects, so we pronounced him cured!

2 July: YAAAY -- we woke up to sunshine. BOOOO -- it started to rain at Hillmorten. Oh well, that gave us an excuse to stop for a while at the new canal shop after the first lock, and the rain stopped before we emerged with our purchases.

Mary Anne had been trying her hand occasionally at the tiller, but Hillmorten will go down in our personal history books as the first time we saw The First Mate at the Tiller Through a Lock. She did a fine job, but was happy to have the Captain close at hand.

We moored overnight at Braunston. Only 3 locks today -- hardly enough to earn us a meal, but we ate, anyway!

3 July: We went through the Braunston locks with narrowboat Manx Shearwater, then on through Braunston Tunnel (2,049 yards) to Norton Junction, where we lunched at the New Inn before going through the Buckby flight. The beams in the New Inn are low enough that Warren (6 feet tall, so not overly tall by today's standards) had to duck to miss them in places. I don't remember the date on the New Inn, but we love how the 16th and 17th Century places around Britain are often called "NEW". We have several of Shirley Ginger's books, so had to look over the place where she had her shop, even though it's no longer there.

4 July: Mary Anne produced little flags in honor of our Independence Day! We watched the TV coverage of the Explorer landing on Mars, and decided it was covered every bit as well by the British as it would have been if we were in the USA -- and with more humor.

Part of the stretch beyond Weedon held less interest for us than some of the previous stretches, simply because it was rather flat, with hedges often obscuring the view of the land beyond. Still, there were pretty bridges and cuttings, and we enjoyed the nice houses with canalside gardens at Stowe Hill. Going through Blisworth Tunnel (at over 3,000 yards, this is the longest navigable tunnel in England until Standedge is refurbished), we reached Stoke Bruerne about 2 p.m., mooring there for the night and having supper at the table made out of a huge tree stump in the Boat Inn.

The Cosgrove Experience

5 July: Saturday -- it was a dry day, with comfortable temperatures. It was as though the Weatherman knew the Rainmakers were about to go home, and took enough pity on us to ensure that the end of our trip was a pleasant one.

As we shared locks with Narrowboat Sefton, Eric and Jane Young told us they were heading for Cosgrove for the Buckingham Canal Society's Buckingham Canal Boat Gathering. When we moored at Cosgrove, Eric and Jane arranged for us to sign up for the festivities, and we ended up mooring at Cosgrove for the night.

If they could get the canal navigation resurrected at Tuel Lane in Sowerby Bridge, where it had to go under a major highway intersection, I'm sure there is a way to do it here, where the now-dry cut runs smack into the A5, but it's going to take some time and a lot of hard work. Steve, who led our afternoon walk along the disused Old Stratford and Buckingham Canal Arms, told of the work being done by the Buckingham Canal Society, including a lot of plain old physical labor to clean out the trees and brushy growth, under which the puddled clay is still for the most part pretty sound.

In the evening, we were included in the group to enjoy the Saturday Barbeque. We were part of a jolly group, hearing boat stories about subjects like what it's like to have a narrowboat named Sally Ann (which in Britain is a common nickname for the Salvation Army).

Music was provided by Halfcut, -- who regaled us with music and musical stories. We didn't know what to expect, and liked the traditional feel of the songs, even though some of the subjects were contemporary (like the 100-verse tale of having work done on your house, which Bruce pointed out could apply somewhat to having work done on a narrowboat). The music had the feel of sea shanties and toe-tapping folk music, very appropriate for the occasion.

We found out that Eric was the official ticket salesman for the door prizes, and of course we couldn't turn him down (my arm had already been twisted enough when I dislocated my shoulder, so I wasn't in need of more arm-twisting!!). Just when we decided they had given away the last prize, they drew our number, and Mandy presented Warren with a bottle of wine. We also will treasure our first brass plaque, which we received as participants, so now we have the start of a collection to put in our narrowboat if we ever get one.

All Good Things Must Come to An End

The Cosgrove event was bittersweet for us. Bitter because it was our last "real" night on the cut; sweet because we really felt part of a unique family -- the family of people who love the experience of being on the cut. Jane explained some of the mystique when she pointed out that on the cut everyone is equal -- "regardless of whether you're a corporation director or the lowliest dogsbody, on a boat everyone has a loo that needs a pumpout and it's your responsibility to do it!"

It didn't occur to us until later that not only in Cosgrove, but anywhere we met other boaters, we were never asked what our occupation was, and no one ever told us theirs. It seems to be completely irrelevant to the boating experience.

6 July: Even our bottle of wine from Cosgrove could not drown the sorrowful feeling of pulling into Wyvern Shipping Company's mooring area, knowing that this was the last night of our five-week narrowboat hire. We did manage to console ourselves somewhat by feasting at The Globe Inn.

What Three Of Us Didn't Know Then

Paul didn't tell us that he had been feeling somewhat out of breath towards the end of the trip, with a heavy feeling in his chest. Five years ago he had had a heart attack, caused by a blood clot blocking an artery, but had been pronounced healthy again since then.

We got back to Minnesota on Wednesday evening. Thursday afternoon, Paul said, "I need to go to the hospital. I'm having heart problems," and before we could ask him whether he meant he should go by car or ambulance, he had collapsed.

By the time the ambulance arrived (less than 15 minutes, though it seemed an eternity) the medics had trouble finding a pulse. Paul was rushed to the nearest hospital and from there by helicopter to the North Memorial Medical Center, where there was a cardiac unit. As we sat in the Family Waiting Room, we all had the same thought -- had this happened on Jade, there is no way Paul would be alive today. We didn't even have a cellular telephone, let alone access to an ambulance that could have arrived that quickly.

Epilogue

We are glad to report that Paul is recovering, after receiving a stint to keep the artery open and an internal defibrillator (this is a tiny computer about the size of a pacemaker, which monitors his heartbeat and can give him a little electric shock if needed). They have returned to their mountain home in Colorado. Paul will continue to receive therapy from the medical center in Loveland.

My shoulder therapy lasted for 10 weeks, after which I will continue to do exercises at home for another 3 months. The therapist is confident that I will regain full range of motion, so that I can once again throw a rope with the best of 'em.

We kept the newspaper clipping exclaiming that England had experienced the rainiest June in 110 years. If you ever suffer a drought again, folks, just invite us over!

According to my diary, Warren and I ate a total of 43 servings of fish and chips while we were in England. We didn't count the pints and glasses!

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