FAZELEY JUNCTION

Fazeley Junction is at the junction of the Coventry Canal (Main Line - Hawkesbury to Fazeley) with the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Birmingham and Fazeley Canal - Main Line) and the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Birmingham and Fazeley Canal - along route of Coventry Canal). The turn onto the Birmingham and Fazeley wasn't quite the smooth "round in one" I would have hoped for but a quick touch of "slow astern both" avoided any bank nudging unpleasantness so not bad for a once a year steerer! The skipper of our good friend nb Katie of AWAY4AWHILE hotel boats had an interesting technique for this turn. Halfway and leaving the boat in slow ahead, he leapt ashore holding his centre line and with a mighty heave ho hauled Katie's pointy end around the turn. As we pulled onto the visitor moorings Katie's skipper waved us a fond farewell as he sailed off into the sunset. With my bad back restricting movement we only managed a short explore of Tamworth's licensed offerings in the vicinity of the moorings. Sad to relate of the five pubs we saw one was closed and the others boarded up. And all this at 6 O'clock on a Tuesday evening. Worse than Bradford on a damp Bank Holiday Monday. I never thought I'd hear myself say this but "Thank god for Tesco Express!"