Shardlow

Since our last post we have enjoyed a real mix of weather with some cold evenings and rain so the stove has worked it's  magic and warmed us and dried us well.

From Fazeley Junction we continued up to Fradley Junction where the Coventry Canal meets the Trent and Mersey. En route we passed the Huddlesford Vintage Gathering. Sid was so engrossed with the beautifully turned out working boats and the sound of the vintage engines it was surprising he didn't bump into any. It was very tight in places. It was good to see so many people enjoying the sights and sounds of the gathering despite the grey day.

Fradley Junction is always buzzing a and it 21st good to have some cheerful volunteers to help us through the locks. We pressed on to Alrewas, pronounced ol-r-wus ( I think). We had been advised that there was a brilliant butchers  in the village and we also wanted to visit the National Memorial Arboretum.

Having found the butchers, yes it was brilliant, we decided to walk the mile to the NMA. It was raining a little but we pressed on. Little did we know what a horrible walk it was going to be! The rain git worse and worse and the pavement disappeared so we ended up walking through the long grass on the verge of a very busy road! It was quite a well worn route and apparently  the is a campaign to get the pedestrian route improved.  It needs to be. Needless to say we were like a couple of drowned rats  by the time we arrived. Thank goodness for our Rihanna waterproofs but we discovered we both need new walking boots! They leek ed badly!!!

The Arboretum covers a huge area and is a humbling and moving place. Neither of us were aware that so many service men and women had lost there lives since the end of WWII and it is a worthy of a much longer visit than we could give it.

We decided to get a cab back to the boat since there is no longer a bus service to the site. However, the company that the staff at the NMA gave us only had voice mail on their land line and mobile numbers  and the other nearest cab company we found on an Internet  search was in Tamworth! So, we walked! Yes,  we got even wetter. Thank goodness for  our central heating and stove! !!

When we reached Burton-on-Trent we just had to visit the National Brewery Centre. The tour was excellent as we're the beer samples.

Now at Shardlow, nearly at the end of the Trent and Mersey. We are going to explore the Erewash Canal before heading south towards Loughborough and Leicester on the Leicester Arm if the Grand union.