Computer programme updates, Humbug.

1 Lock, 18 Miles. Now moored Hawkesbury Junction; Coventry canal.
597 locks, 782 miles, 21 Tunnels, 37 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Two days ago Dot had to update our AVG virus program and firewall at the cost of NZ$37. Well she had no sooner done what was necessary when the whole computer refused to function hence no blog for 2 days. After a lot of muttering and cursing and emails to AVG and Brent (son) in NZ she has now got us up and running again. Running with a temporary virus program in the meantime until the renewed subsription is up and running properly.

Since the last blog we have travelled to Coventry via a stop over at Bridge 4 Oxford canal. We arrived at the Coventry Basin mid morning on the 24^th. Our travelling companions Royce and Kathy left us to travel back to London and then to Holland before returning to New Zealand.

Royce and Kathy on Gypsy Rover

Coventry Canal Basin entrance

The canal basin itself as you enter under the bridge

Shortly after this we wandered into the city to have a look at the Transport museum. When we got there we found Royce and Kathy having a quick look around before catching the train. The general consensus of opinion was that for a FREE museum it was absolutely marvelous and reputedly the biggest display of British made cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and bicycles in the world. I found a similar car to my first old banger, a Standard 8 and also my first motorcycle, a BSA C15. Along side that was the BSA Gold Flash, my Uncle Roy had owned one of these with a sidecar.

After several hours at the museum taking a trip down memory lane we went in search of the old cathedral which was burnt out in the 1940 bombing raids over Coventry. The ruins are still used as a place of worship every day even though the new cathedral is right alongside.

While looking for the Cathedral we stumbled upon Holy Trinity Church where a wedding had not long taken place. A church has stood on the same site since 1113.

The oldest part of the current church dates back to the Benedictine monks in the 13^th century. The church warden told us that this church could have gone up in flames along with the Cathedral across the street because of its wooden roof. However the clergyman of the time along with his son and 2 church wardens climbed onto the roof and extinguished the incendiary bombs with water before they were able to take hold and so the church was saved.

The Holy Trinity Church dating back to 1113 AD

Brave men indeed. Up on the wall high above the congregation is what is called the Doom painting or the Last Judgement which is reputed to pre date the Michel Angelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

A memorial donated by Richard Branston, together with a similar one in Hiroshima in Japan

I would have liked to stop longer in the city but we had heard so many conflicting stories about the safety at Coventry Basin and because it was a long week-end and a Friday night I was out voted 3-1 in favour of leaving the basin and mooring up else where. Unfortunately good moorings are scarce along this stretch unless you want to moor among factories and council housing estates. There were no boats moored along this whole 5 mile stretch even unlicensed live-aboards so perhaps that says something for the area. Pity really.

We are now moored about half a mile north of the Hawkesbury junction on the Coventry canal where we will stay until Tuesday. We will then go up to the winding hole at bridge 13, turn around and head back down the Oxford canal and Grand Union to the Paddington Arm to meet Dots sister and Brother-in-law by mid September.

In Rugby last week we met up with Derek and Christina on narrowboat Kalimera who we travelled with for 6 weeks on the Kennet and Avon Canal. After leaving Reading they returned to Devon for a christening while we headed for Oxford. While we were caught in the flooding in Oxford, they were at home waiting for the Thames to subside so they could move out of the marina at Reading and follow us north. We head our seperate ways after the weekend as we head south to London and they north. We have plans to meet up again next year and travel up north together. We will miss their company.

Derek and Christina on N/b Kalimera

British Waterways Stoppages 2007 - 2008 list is now out and available as a PDF file. Click here for a copy.