Atherstone To Hartshill.

One war zone.......... then a fantastic chug!

Wandering up to the high street this morning found us in what looked like a war zone. Windows were being boarded over on all of the shops, banks, chemists etc.
I thought there must have been a riot last night until I realised that they were boarding over whole windows not smashed ones.
Curiosity towards men with sheets of OSB got me a totally bemused stare and an attitude of, what rock have you just crawled out from under?

Silly me! I should have known it was the "Atherstone Ball Game" today.

This game apparently goes back eight hundred years. A ball is chased around the town for two hours, this ball must not leave the town and the winner is the person holding the ball at five o'clock.

They are the only rules, the rest is a no holds barred mayhem.

The shops, schools, pubs, in fact everything is closed down and covered with protective sheeting or metal grilles for the duration of the "game".

Tradition ......... where would we be without it?

The quieter side of the waters. The top lock of the presently closed Atherstone flight was picture perfect this morning.





Lots of work going on down there at the moment, albeit a little behind schedule due to the ice problems.




Another full tank of water and we were back on our way.





What a day it was, no wind, lots of sun and fourteen degrees on the thermometer. Heatwave!

This building at the BW yard at Hartshill has the most unusual roof. The gutter runs around the brickwork to meet a normal straight roof line on the other side.

Why does this side rear up and curve towards the chimney?

Until next time............................

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