Victor on lock flights and a lettuce!
YET ANOTHER cruise undertaken, but only to Hillmorton and back, but nothing more reported than lock flights and a lettuce!
Only perhaps comparing the volunteer lock keepers on the way out. The ones at Fradley as always helping out at all the locks of the flight, from the bottom one right up to Shadehouse Lock at the top, as we espied, as we turned into the Coventry.
At Fradley there was something most unusual, as the picture shows—a completely empty moorings opposite the services, something we have never encountered in the many times we have used them or passed through.
Volunters
However, back to the lock volunteers and I really must pass comment on the volunteer lockies at Atherstone Flight.
Even though we were well into the day we saw just one near the bottom of the main flight who just opened his arms to us and carried on walking, obviously implying helping was too much trouble, even though there was a fairly elderly person working the locks at the time.
Then not a locky in sight until we reached the very top lock, and here they all were, with three sat around passing their time away, with just one actually getting up to help us by working the paddles on the top lock ad closing the gate, as can be seen.
So there were three volunteers, but no attempt to walk down the locks to help us, though they could well see us working our way up. 'Useless', just about covers them—for that is what they were!
Clobbered
Just one other thing I should mention. When making our usual stop at the handy Co-op next to the waterway to find it was one that had been clobbered with a cyber attack, so alas extremely short of essentials.The people were checking the shelves with pens and notepads!
Take a look at the best lettuce on offer, that was so poor we could not use it, so it ended in the bin!
I'm not a fan of the prices of the Co-op, but needs must. Then we were told of another supermarket 'ten minutes down the road'. So guess what's for the future?
There is one offer I never accept, and that is loyalty cards, as it was told that the cyber thieves now have the information from those that have given personal information to obtain one, not only for the Coop, but Marks & Sparks now admitting it too. I'm certainly not amongst them.
A quote
Back to Atherstone and here's a quote for you from Nicholson's about the basin at the top of the flight:
'The small basin at the top has been lovingly restored and is attended to by the lock keeper'.
Alas, rather an old publication when the waterways were under under the proper jurisdiction of British Waterways... As it's certainly not 'lovingly attended to' now, that's for sure.
Good ones at Atherstone
But a surprise at Atherstone Flight on the way back, when two of the volunteers escorted a lady all the way down the locks as she had problems with her hip. But different volunteers from the others—so there are good ones, I have to admit.
Victor Swift—telling tales for25 years...