Gloucester - Tirley

Captains Log Canal Date 11th August 2009 Travels 24 Miles (2 trips) I large river lock (Loads of manned swing bridges) Current Location Tirley (The Haw Bridge Inn) OS Ref SO 846 – 280 Lat – Lon 51.57’00.0 2 13’32.5W John & Lynne Joined us on Sunday morning so after John failed miserably to sort out my Face Book problems we set of to Frampton on Severn for Sunday Lunch. The weather was just as good as it gets with loads of sun and just enough breeze to stop us getting too hot. We moored up by the bridge at Frampton and walked into the village to the pub – Yes me walking!

On the way John received a phone call from Richard & Ruth saying they were in Taunton and would like to join us for the afternoon’s return trip to Gloucester. No problem, we will have our lunch and wait for them either in the pub or watching the village cricket match. We did not have to wait very long. They were with us before we had finished our lunch. (40 minutes from Taunton to Frampton on Severn must be some sort of record) We all had another drink and a sweet together and then left and returned to the boat. The return trip was all very relaxing and pleasant until we went through a lift bridge just outside Gloucester. The bridge keeper informed me that I was running late and I would have to go as fast as I can in order to make the Gloucester lift bridge before it closed at 18.50. I have never travelled that fast on my boat before. Normally 3mph is plenty fast enough for me. This time we were travelling at about 8mph. Now I know that does not sound very fast but believe me, it is fast enough for a narrowboat. The bow wave was splashing the girls on the front deck, however the canal is wide & deep enough to absorb the wake and no wash was reaching the banks. We made the last bridge with only 1 minute to spare. I suspect that I used as much fuel in the last 2 miles as I had in the rest of the journey. On Monday we set off just as soon as we had taken a DAB radio back that did not work. Why does everything I buy refuse to work as it should? We went down the Gloucester dock where Charles had become so wet the week before, this time we were in the dry. We were aiming for Tewkesbury but I had a text from Sarah & Steve arranging to meet in Tewkesbury on Friday so we started looking for moorings earlier. The river Severn is not like canals, there are very limited moorings and many are occupied. We stopped at the first one we could find, and what do you know, it is at a country pub. Not just a pub but a pub with a campsite that the Landrover club has used many times. I think that perhaps I am the first club member to approach it from the river. We shall say here for a day or so before moving on to Tewkesbury and meeting up with more friends. Oh I do love this low stress life style!!!