Stratford on the bike

„Today I hitch-hiked for the first time in my life. Onto a canal boat. Quite the adventurer me!

There had been omens that there might be trouble ahead…

Being as I was back from work so early I thought I’ll jump on the bike and cycle to Stratford to check out the route along the canal. Got all ready just to discover that the front tyre was flat. Like in flat flat.

So far from giving up on my plan as reasonable people would, I just pumped it up and thought: ‘Let’s just see…’ And off I went.

Got to ‘The Wharf’ in Hockley Heath ok, tyre still perfect, got onto the canal, made it to Lapworth, made it to Lowsonford, made it to Wootten Wawen Aqueduct (‘AquEduct? Really?), made it to Edstone Aqueduct about 6 miles from Stratford when I noticed that my BEHIND was flat. Like in flat flat. And a beautiful big hawthorne thorne sticking out of it. It made this really big sssssss-sound when I pulled it out. Of course I had to pull it out. Shouldn’t have. Sticking it back stopped the sssssss-sound but did not help. Suffice to say all my pumping action was in vain, the tyre remained flat flat flat…This in the middle of absolutely NOTHING but fields, and ducks, and lambs, and bloody hawthorne bushes. Nice and peaceful though. Very peaceful…

Fortunately I saw this narrowboat approaching the aqueduct, with a lovely old couple and a dog. From Knowle. Unfortunately going the opposite way, not even down to Stratford but only 1/2 mile down the ‘road’, to Wilmcote. Whilst enjoying the ride I had a message from hubby in China asking what to bring back, and my boss, fortunately not asking me to quickly cover a call. They both had a good laugh about my hitching a boat ride.

Half an hour later we made a gentle approach to Wilmcote (time passes very slowly on a narrowboat). Apparently Wilmcote has a train station. And sometimes even a train into Stratford! But no ticket machine or anything else other than a help button. I had the opportunity to very thoroughly explore every detail of the cast iron pedestrian bridge until eventually a train stopped! Yes, it did! Fortunately my good Samaritan had told me which platform to wait on as both very helpfully said: Wilmcote. To Mary Arden’s House.

So this is how I did make it to Stratford after all. Well, to the train station. Not the most exciting place to visit in Stratford but hey ho, at least I made it back to Dorridge.

I love going out on the bike. I never know what will happen next.
Unfortunately now I have to wait for the fairies to come and fix my bike. I do many ‘manly’ things but fixing the back tyre of my bike is not one of them. Because.
Photos to follow. Once I decided which of the 78 to post. Most of them are of the cast iron bridge at Wilmcote train station…” – a real story by my friend Iris Knight

Comentati?