As we approached the Hatton Flight we saw two men on the
lock wearing the distinctive blue shirt and red life-preserver of the Canal
& River Trust volunteers. We had been told that there were often volunteers
on the flight and it was indeed a welcome sight, particularly since we thought
we would have to climb the flight without the help of another boat. But we were
in luck. As the lock was filling the volunteer told us that he had asked the
boat in front to wait at the next lock so that we could lock up together. He
assured us that the crew of the boat were pleasant people and he was sure we
would all get along. How right he was!
Fran & Roger and Di & Chris were the crew on
narrowboat Umbrellas and we all seem to hit it off straight away. Very soon we
were in a comfortable rhythm and the daunting 21 locks just melted away amid
much laughter and chatter.
I commented on the unusual name of their boat and asked Fran
how they settled on the name. Fran told me a lovely story which I will try to summarise.
Fran and Di had been friends for a very
long time, a friendship that started with nursing together. As time went on and
their respective families arrived, they often took family holidays together in
France. On one such holiday, they were playing on a sandy beach when a strong
wind blew all the beach umbrellas away. A shout of ‘Umbrellas’ rippled along
the shoreline as the brightly coloured umbrellas cartwheeled along, with their
owners scrambling after them. Thereafter, whenever they holidayed together, the
four would toast and clink their wineglasses together, instead of saying chin-chin
or cheers as others would, they said ‘Umbrellas!’ Fran said that when they
bought the boat, there was only one fitting name…’Umbrellas’.
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| Narrowboat Umbrellas |
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| Winedown and Umbrellas |
At the top of the locks, we breasted up the boats and
lunched together. It was then that we discovered that we were all going on to
the Stratford-on-Avon canal so we continued on our way together.
At Kingswood Junction where the Stratford
canal meets the Grand Union, Umbrellas encountered a boat coming towards them
and they slowed to wait for it to pass. We, in turn slowed behind them. In the meantime another boat was manoeuvring to make the same turn that we
wanted to make. Phew, it was all happening at once.
While waiting for the turn,
Umbrellas ran aground on the soft clay at the edge of the canal. Once the way
was clear, we slipped pass them, picked up their bow rope and tied it to our
stern dolly. The momentum and our engine power easily pulled them clear. We were
then able to make the turn and work the first 4 locks before mooring for the
evening.
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| Barrel-roof cottage |
The following day, Umbrellas bid us farewell and continued
on their way. We were in no hurry and wanted to enjoy as much of the scenery as
we could, so we set off some hours later, mooring at Wootton Wawen later that
afternoon. At lock 28 we passed a
barrel-roof cottage that was quite extraordinary but typical of this part of
the canal. The cottages, originally the lock keeper’s cottages have been
largely extended but the strange barrel-roof is still quite evident.
Leaving Wootton Wawen behind on Friday 13th June,
we looked forward to crossing the spectacular Edson Aqueduct but before we had
gone little more than ½ mile, we saw the day hire boat in distress. They had
run aground. Well, since we had practiced the manoeuvre just two days before,
we simply repeated the process. We slipped pass them, picked up their bow rope
and pulled them clear before continuing on our way. At the next lock, the day
boat moored behind us and we discovered that they didn’t know how to work the
lock. Once again, we helped them before continuing on our way.
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| On the Edstone Aqueduct |
The Edstone Aqueduct is as spectacular as it was reported. The canal is carried across a water meadow, a
rail bridge and a road bridge by this aqueduct. While we were several meters
above the road, Ian received a cheery wave from a van driver on the road below.
It was quite surreal.
We ended our boating day at bridge 59 which carried Featherbed
Lane over the canal and into Wilmcote. It is here that the restored house of
Mary Arden (William Shakespeare’s mother) attracts visitors.
Before we could settle down, a Canadian couple asked us to
help them reverse their boat, passed several other boats, to the winding hole so
that they could turn their boat. As all boaters know, there is little-to-no steering
when reversing a narrowboat. Ian assisted at the helm while I took up the
bargepole to use as a punt and between us we managed to reverse the boat is a relatively
straight line.
Shortly after the Canadian couple were on their way, Sheridan and William, the couple
on the day boat returned from the pub and found themselves in a similar predicament.
They had passed the winding hole when they moored, giving no thought to how
they would later return along the canal. They too asked us to help them. And so
it was that Friday 13th turned out to be a day of rescue.
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| Ian with the crew of Umbrellas |
The Canadian couple had told us that the train station was
only a stone’s throw from the mooring and a convenient way to go into Stratford-Upon-Avon
only a few miles away so on Saturday we left Winedown on the mooring and took
the train to explore the birthplace of William Shakespeare. To our delight, we found Umbrellas moored in the Stratford basin and were invited to share a glass of wine with them. We later arranged to meet up with them the following evening to share a
finger-buffet dinner alongside the canal.
Sadly, all good things come to an end and the following
morning, we waved goodbye to Umbrellas and her crew as we all set off in
different directions. I hasten to add… not before we had exchanged contact details. I believe It’s always such a privilege when strangers can lift the curtain on their lives and allow one a glimpse in passing. Here’s to you, Umbrellas, I hope we meet again!
Continuing on our way, we worked the final 16 locks on the
canal and moored in Stratford basin, overlooked by the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre. We had previously booked
tickets for dinner and a play at the theatre so in true fashion we dressed up and
enjoyed the Shakespearian play Henry 4th in Shakespeare’s birth town
at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Since 2014 is the 450th
anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, it would be rude not to!
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| The basin at Stratford-Upon-Avon |
