Water, water everywhere...

Alrewas Canal and Music Festival

On Saturday I took the kiddie back home.  Alrewas (pronounced Olreewoss - 'Al' as in alder, 're' as in remember and 'was' as in wash) is the lovely village where I grew up.  It's name comes from it's location on the banks on the river Trent and the Trent and Mersey canal, and the alder trees that flourish in these damp conditions. 

Many a happy hour was spent paddling, dipping nets or just walking along the banks of these waterway.  Maybe that's what triggered my yearning to live by water (that or the fact that my maiden name was Bywater!!).

So, with OH away on a dive trip I decided kiddie and I should take a trip down memory lane and I could bore her with tales of my childhood.  :)  This is the festival site from the opposite bank of the canal as the first of many narrowboats approached the lock.  Kiddie loved helping to open and close the locks and she spent quite a while helping push and pull the big back and white gates.

(I have to say the festival was a tad disappointing.  I had a lovely burger from Coates' Butchers, there were a few nice craft stalls but I was driving so avoided the real ale tent, and kiddie was too tall for the bouncy castle so we went for a walk instead).



What a coincidence!  We hadn't got far when we bumped into my mum and her friend Pauline who had also come to see what was going on, and make the most of the fantastic weather.

With the amount of "clutter" I possess my OH finds it absolutely hilarious that I would love a narrow boat.  That and the fact that he is 6' tall make him rather unenthusiastic about the idea.  I'm determined to get him on one for the day this summer.

What's not to love?  Peace and tranquility, beautiful countryside, wildlife everywhere and a totally different viewpoint.

We reached Bagnalls Lock on the outskirts of the village and mum and Pauline decided that kiddie shouldn't have all the fun opening and closing locks.  They wanted to prove that they still had it in them.

It did take two of them and these gates were much smaller...  I think kiddie's still the lock champ!!

Just around the bend we nipped through the alley and into the open spaces of Walkfield playing fields.  It's weird but this was actually much BIGGER than I remembered.  Usually things get smaller with age.  Kiddie turned cartwheels and then popped up into a bridge.  She's still so bend and flexible.  I wish...

Not to be outdone mum went twirling over the top of this bar at the entrance to the next alleyway.  Not bad for a pensioner!  lol 

We ended up at the amazing new shop that has opened - The Village Rainbow.  Sadly it doesn't have a website or even a Facebook page to link to but it is gorgeous.  They stock lots of lovely gifts and goodies from companies such as Snapdragon, Lubber bags, magical fairies, Rapp watches and scrummy ice cream from a farm a few miles away.  I will be back - DEFINITELY.

As soon as we got back home the small kiddie crashed in the sunny corner of the garden with a cushion, a quilt and her best cuddly.  These youngesters just can't take the pace! 

Hope you liked the little tour of the village.  Join me again to see where our next travels take us.

ttfn

xx