Our fridge has died, we had it re-gassed at the beginning of May and were hopeful that all was well as it appeared to be holding pressure. Over the last four weeks it has been getting progressively warmer and now it is back to the same state it was in before we had it 'fixed'. Like everything that is electrical for the boat it is about three times the price of a 240volt one, about £600 which we don't have at the moment so we will have to resort to more frequent shopping trips and using the cold box.
Our progress has been slow even by our recent standards, neither of us have been in the best of health, not ill exactly but definitely below par.
We spent a couple of days at Lapworth, then moved on to Knowle, where we adjourned for another couple of days. Whilst we were there Nimue managed to get herself stuck on the wrong side of the canal, after dark of course which excluded the simply solution of paddling Merlin across. Ray tried to encourage her home by walking towards the nearest bridge, calling her as he went but she only appeared to follow him part way. She must have got the idea though because she eventually arrived home at about three in the morning.
From Knowle we carried on as far as Catherine de Barnes, pausing enroute to buy a gas bottle,a clear indication that the weather has been warmer, it has already lasted a week longer than normal.It's all the salads we have been eating. Our next stop was at the top of Camp Hill locks, then a couple of nights by Aston University before the trip back into the center of Birmingham.
We have just spent a couple of nights on the moorings at Brindley Place before heading out to the Netherton Tunnel today.
We went for a wander round trying to identify some of the sites mentioned in Samuel Barfield's obituary where he did work of note, some I am sure no longer exist but the Chamberlain Memorial stands outside the Museum and Art Gallery and the style will be familiar to anyone who remembers my picture of the Clock Tower in Leicester.
Our visit coincided with a food fair which made it hard to get a clear shot, if I had know about the fair I might have skipped lunch, as it was I had to pass on the temptation to try a goat curry or a kangaroo burger.
Our plan is to head down to Stourport, then onto the River Severn and back to Birmingham via the Droitwich Canal and the Worcester and Birmingham.
Since my last post we have traveled 25.9 miles, 36 locks and 3 tunnels
This year we have traveled 365.5 miles, 340 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 13 tunnels
In 2012 we traveled 876.9 miles, 675 locks, 55 swing bridges, 23 lift bridges and 31 tunnels
In 2011 we traveled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels
During 2010 we traveled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Since Ray retired we have traveled 2444.54miles, 2101 locks, 118 swing bridges, 76 lift bridges and 84 tunnels
