A Spooky Coincidence

In my post yesterday I mentioned a small cruiser having gone from its mooring in Hanbury Junction and leaving a bike, complete in every way except for its wheels, on the towpath. Having placed it on our roof for disposal at Worcester, we set off this morning to head in that general direction. Our plan had been to moor somewhere below Offerton locks but, on arrival at Dunhampstead and a sign for the Fin Tree Inn doing 2 meals for 10 pound, we pulled onto a lovely long stretch of ringed mooring's. Ian got off the boat to get a couple of fenders from the top box when he suddenly stopped and did a double take, took one hard look at the bike frame and gasped. On the frame was the name FREESPIRIT!!!! What are the chances of that. Could this be a sign that we are meant to keep the bike? Ian reckons he could repair it, as looking more closely at the frame, he thinks it only just needs a set of wheels. If they are not to expensive then we may as well keep it seeing as its got our name on it!!

Before I go any further can anyone answer this question for me. I'm having to write the pound as a word because now, when I press shift and pound sign above the 3, I get this #  Any ideas???

I thought I would walk to the pub and check the availability for getting a table booked for tonight. I was surprised at how quiet it seemed, with no sign of life and no cars parked in the car park.  Then I saw the sign.

Walking toward the back of the pub I noticed a trailer full of soiled furnishings and carpets and by the garden lay the remnants of sand bags. The proprietor was outside watering his hanging baskets and, stopping for a chat, found out that this was the second time the pub had been flooded, the first having been 5 years ago.  They had new drainage put in then, which led to a brook in the adjacent field, but because the council hadn't maintain the brook, it silted up causing the waters to back up and flow into their premises. He told me the cost would most likely be around 130,000 pound's just to decorate and refurbish the bottom floor and the loss of his trade and earnings at this time of year would probably make the final cost even higher. I felt extremely sorry for him especially as he estimated the work, to get him up and running again, would take at least 2 months.

Sand bags laying at the bottom of the sign

I walked back to partake this information to Ian and got some chops out for dinner tonight. We then set too with polish and dusters to do what we should have done 6 months ago.

If you have ever seen the film Karate Kid and the famous scene with him building up his muscles by putting the polish on and polish off, well my doing the same thing only resulted with a very sore arm.  My lack of muscles made me feel as if my arm was going to drop off by the time I had finished, but the shine achieved on the paintwork after Ian used his super doper buffer tool was outstanding.

This cheeky chappie came to see what we were doing.

These last few photos were of our journey here and our moorings tonight.

The reeds are taking over vast parts of the Worc and Birmingham.

Lovely mooring at Dunhampstead