Having arrived and opened Jannock on Friday night, we were up and away before 9 am ready for a long hot day. We arrived at Hillmorton top lock just as the rush started and found ourselves 3rd in the queue. Once through the 3 locks we had a quiet clear run to just before Stretton Stop where we met Quidditch, amongst the land slides, heading South towards Ricky. We paused and had a quick chat with Will and then continued on passing through the swingbridge and onto a weed-free section up to Sutton Stop. A sharp starboard turn brought us onto the northbound Coventry canal through Bedworth and Nuneaton to moor for the night in the woods adjacent to Springwood Haven.
Between bridges 24 and 27, we were following a tug from Atherstone which was pushing an empty barge. In order to avoid this pair on a sharp bend, a southbound boat went aground on the inside of the corner. We towed him off backwards much to the concern of the newly hired Springwood craft following him. At Springwood Brenda heard her first Cuckoo for the year, found wild garlic and bluebells in the woods and heard a nightingale sing. After dinner we sat and watched the bats skimming the water catching insects and waited for the Rooks to quieten down before retiring to bed. What a wonderful place to moor. Graham www.jannock.org.uk [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
