We awoke Monday morning to a lovely still day, with the rising sun burning off the low lying mist that floated above the canal and across the adjoining fields. We had travelled down the Trent & Mersey canal from Stone to our overnight mooring in Weston and our destination pub the Saracens Head. The mooring was noticeably quieter than the busy towpath in Stone with just the occasional dog walker passing alongside the boat.
After turning the boat round on Sunday, we moored up again close to the centre of Stone and called into a couple of pubs at lunchtime. One of the pubs we visited was a Titanic pub called The Royal Exchange. This got me wondering why Titanic beers are so prevalent in this area, so here is a little fact for you. Captain Smith of the Titanic (full steam ahead and ignore that lump of ice) fame, originated from Stoke, hence the Titanic brewery is based there.
Our plan for today is to continue along the Trent & Mersey to get to the Vine Inn Pub and Brewery at Rugeley for lunch time and discuss over a couple of beers whether to continue along the Trent & Mersey or head back to Great Haywood and take the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal. So after a full English breakfast we set off for our day's adventure, with the added trepidation of not quite knowing where we were going to end the day, but more importantly if there would be a pub, open and waiting for us.
The thing about narrow boats when you first go on board is that, well, they are narrow and long. I don't know why that's a surprise to me, I mean I've been on plenty in my time but I always expect some tardis like experience as I enter the boat. The boat is 6ft 10" wide and just over 19 yards long, for those that need a guide to help visualise, it is just a bit longer than a football pitch penalty area, if you have no interest in football then you will have to get your tape measure out.
The boat is separated into roughly three sections, each of which represent your standing on the boat. The front or bow bedroom is for the cabin boys, that's me and Bob - thank god neither of us is called Roger. We are the odd jobbers, the lock openers, the pot washers and tea makers. Next comes the Captains luxury cabin. Full double goose down feather mattress, located next to the toilet. It's not en suite, but having your bed next to the loo does give Captain Neil certain privileges in the mad dash for the toilet first thing in the morning. Finally at the rear or stern of the boat is the lounge and kitchenette, where our Sous Chef Stevie lives. I say Sous Chef, because although he commands the kitchen on the boat, he is under instruction from Head Chef Dawn, who prepares and freezes our gourmet meals, which this year have included - Coq au Vin, Lasagne and Meatballs in Goulash Sauce, bloody gorgeous. Would you agree, she has done us proud?
For the majority of the day we are all on deck, chatting and either eating buns prepared by Dawn, ham sandwiches, provided by Captain Neil's good lady wife Susan, or drinking beer from our onboard polypin, (this year we have selected Fuggle Bunny, Cotton Tail.) However once evening comes and we move into the lounge area next to the log burner, this is where you take your life into your hands. How no one has ever ended up with third degree burns is a total mystery to me. For something so small it generates heat equivalent to a thermonuclear reactor. It's every man for himself when it comes to claiming a seat furthest from the log burner.
Well that's it for today, I hope this has given you a flavour for life on the boat, Sous Chef Stevie is about to produce a plate pie and hendos (if you are not from Sheffield I'll have lost you at that point).
I think I will sleep well tonight providing Bob doesn't start snuggling up to me, plenty of beer, good pubs, finished off with red wine. Life is good.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog, why not exore the full narrow boats adventure series
here
No comments:
Post a Comment