Hatherton to Penkridge - Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

 

Wednesday 7^th July

We were staying put today but have decided to move and go straight to Penkridge just stopping at Gailey for services as I have had a stomach upset for a few weeks and it’s not getting any better and can hardly eat anything.  There is a doctors surgery at Penkridge so I will get in touch with them when we get there and hopefully they can sort me out.  Kev said we should have a blue light to go on the top of the boat so we could get priority at the locks, silly devil!!

It was quite sunny when we set off but rain was forecast for later, so hopefully we won’t get too wet.

                                                    

We chugged along going under a few bridges then came to the chemical works which runs alongside the canal and has signs telling you no mooring and no stopping even if you hear the alarm! Mind you if we heard an alarm we would put our foot down and get past as quickly as we could or as fast as you can on a narrow boat!

We got past there okay and no alarms, then was approaching Gailey.  We wanted to stop at the services so we pulled in and the two boats in front of us said they were waiting to get water and there was another boat in the services a bit further up, so we decided to go through the lock, moor below and walk back up with the rubbish and water container.

                                                                                 

I walked up to the lock and in the water point there was one boat but plenty of room for another boat so God knows why the other boats waiting were moored all the way back from the water point and didn’t move up was beyond me especially as there was two taps so two boats could fill up at the same time.

There was a chap at the lock and he kindly helped me with the lock so that was a big help. By the lock is a large, round, toll keepers watch tower which is now someone’s home and there is a small gift shop.

                                                      

We moored below the lock and walked up with the rubbish, toilets and water container. The boats waiting for the services were still phaffing about so we made a good decision.

We walked back to the boat and untied.  A boat had just come through the lock so we waited for them to pass and then set off.  We then realised that we had done a Red Bull on the boats that were getting water, we under cut them at the services, that made us smile, Lewis wouldn’t have been too happy though!

                                                                                        

We have four more locks to do this morning to get to Penkridge.  We got to Brick Kiln lock where there was some chaps doing some work by the lock. The boat in front of us was a single hander so we helped her through the lock, another boat was waiting to come up, so when they were up and out, it was our turn.

We were soon through there and on our way to the next one, Boggs lock.  There was several boats coming the other way this morning so that always makes life easier. It also rained a few times so we got a bit wet.

                                           

The next lock, Rodbaston is right by the M6 motorway so quite noisy.  We had to wait for the boat in front of us to go through then it was our turn.  We were soon down the lock and on our way to our last lock for today, Otherton lock.

The lock was against us, so I filled it up and opened the gate and Kev brought the boat in.  We went down the lock and out we went.  There was a boat behind us so the lady shut one gate and I shut the other as no boats were waiting to come up.

                                                                                                    

We went past Otherton marina and then was approaching Penkridge. There are some moorings by the Cross Keys pub and a space on the end was free, so we went in there.

In the afternoon, we walked down to the doctor’s surgery so I could temporarily register.  The receptionist said I would get a call from the doctor later this afternoon, but as we were walking back, the receptionist rang and said that as I had put on the form I had had a stomach upset for over three weeks, it was classed as routine and therefore I would get a call tomorrow instead, if I had put on the form I had had it for less than three weeks, it would be classed as urgent and a doctor would have rang me that afternoon, seems back to front to me, but that’s the rules!

I did get a phone call from the doctor on Thursday and went to see her shortly after, I have to have a blood test and be referred to the hospital for some tests, she thinks it’s a bacterial infection or Diverticulitis.  She said to tell the receptionist the blood test was urgent and the first appointment they had was next Thursday!

So we are here in Penkridge until at least after I have had my blood test and will probably wait for the results if they are only going to be a couple of days.  It is okay here and there are a few shops, although not a big supermarket but we can get the bus to Stafford and there is a train station so we can easily get to places if we need to.

Hopefully the sun will shine while we are here and we can get out and about and also do some trading from the towpath, then when things are sorted, we will move on to pastures new.