Bimbling About

Since our last post ( bugles come to mind), we heard from the sign writer,  Jon Lee's on,  that he can't fit us in until 6th June, which is a lot later than he had first implyed and a lot later than we had hoped.  However, we have confidence in him and would like Hunters Moon to be finished before journeying too far so have decided to chill,  take it even slower than usual bimble about until then.  We can then continue with a slightly adapted cruise.

Hitching a lift

We have just returned to Hawkesbury Junction from a night down the Coventry Arm in the Coventry Basin, which is situated just a short walk from the centre of Coventry.

Statue of James Brindley, 

one of the great canal engineers,

in the Coventry Basin

Having visited the Cathedral and the Transport Museum on previous visits we turned right as we entered the city centre for a change.  We came across some fabulous old buildings which have survived the terrible bombing that Coventry suffered during WWII . Remarkable when you think the city was vertually flattened.  These building have been put to modern day use including offices and a beautiful wedding boutique.
We also came across a brilliant haberdashery,  unusual in this day and age and just what Jenny was looking for.   She needed buttons and some more knitting yarn having come away with insufficient to keep her occupied.

A useful newsagents came next then on a little further on guess what we encountered? Ikea! We just had to go in and wander through the joys of this enormous store. And needless to say we didn't come out empty handed!

A visit to the enormous indoor covered market followed then to crown off this little trip we visited Wilko. We know how to have a good time and find the high spots of a city. Oh! I nearly forget on our way back to the basin we popped into Machine Mart!
We have moored in the basin on a number of ocassions but never at a weekend or Friday night. We definitely won't moor there on a Friday again. The loud youths kept us awake until 2.30am. First one group who were moved along then they either returned or another group turned up. They were not a nuisance other than being very noisy and in an area with high buildings around it the sound carried.

Heigh ho, Hawkesbury will be very quiet tonight! Hopefully!
Heading up the Ashby Canal tomorrow,  twenty lock free miles through beautiful countryside. We just need the rain to stop and it would be lovely if it warmed up a bit!

Our journey out of Coventry was a tad eventful it involved a mermaid (mermaid maybe), some pirates, a hire boat, a strip of carpet wrapped around the prop together with lots of other debris and heavy showers!