Leamington Spa

This week schools are on half term holiday. As a result Kate Boats are very busy sending out their hire boats. So when I phoned them to confirm our arrival at Warwick, Cheryl asked If we could possibly hold off till Monday, when it was anticipated all would be quieter to receive us. So we’re happily dawdling for a little longer before ending our voyage and settling down for the winter.

Currently the Sun is shining but for a few days earlier the cloud base was zero and we were enshrouded by a damp, drizzly mantle, which kept everything dripping wet and visibility to less than two hundred yards. It is cooler today but much brighter so it is no hardship for us to be contentedly moored for the time being on the visitor rings at Leamington Spa. We are at the bottom of the main Street and only fifteen minutes walk away from a large Sainsbury’s on the retail estate.

We filled our tanks at the last water point so what more could two contented boaters possibly want?

 

A muddy tow path at Leamington

 

It’s been a pleasure in fact to enjoy the delights of civilisation once more. We have visited the shopping malls and experienced all that the glossy expensive occupiers have to offer and we’ve walked around the town marvelling at the architecture of the grand town houses that were, with their big ornate porticos and steps down to the kitchens and servants quarters. Most of them are now occupied by firms of accountants or expensive estate agents….

And the prices of houses here….. Wow!

We’ve had lunch at the Pump rooms and though one can no longer ‘take the waters’, the ornate marbled Victorian fountain remains, albeit with flowers in its bowl. The building also houses a large library, the local museum and  a very fine art gallery.

After our lunch Janis and I sauntered around the Jephson Gardens filled now with the golden colours of autumn and watched little children, with their mothers, excitedly feeding ducks on the ornate lake. Grey squirrels, well accustomed here to lots of visitors, crept up on us soundlessly, sitting up perkily on their hind legs close to our feet and looking at us with alert and expectant little eyes. All we had was chocolate, but the offer was quickly accepted straight from Janis’ hand.

 

Janis in Jephson Gardens

 

An Autumn Scene

 

Hungry Squirrel

 

Foraging Squirrel

Last night we went to the local municipal theatre called The Royal Spa Centre. It is really a most splendid place and Janis and I enjoyed ‘The Sound of Music’, performed very enthusiastically by a local amateur team called The Spa Opera Group. We have both seen the show many times but last night’s was as good as any of them I thought. We returned to the little ships afterwards, happily singing all the well known tunes.

 

Leamington Old Town from the River Leam

 

Today we have one of our quiet days organised, when we both do our own thing. The towpath alongside is not the best, considering our proximity to the town so I shall go outside now to enjoy what remains of the Sun and wash off the starboard side of ‘Futurest’ which has been liberally splashed by bikes speeding through the muddy puddles.