Atherstone locks

Climbing the Atherstone flight of eleven locks on Wednesday - these are the first two. I've never met the lock keeper here but I'm sure I'd like him if I did. Yesterday I copied the poem he's posted at the top lock, which has always made me laugh: I think he deserves his MBE.

What the Lock Keeper sees everyday

These locks are slow filling, I hear them shout
But hang on I thought, a slow pace on the canals is what it's all about?
Well 20 years ago it probably was.
But that's not the case today as it has become more like Blackpool and even the M6 Motorway
You see boat folks retire today at 55, buy a boat and move onto the cut,
It's all down to watching 3 episodes of Water World and then reading about canal life from a book.

But it's the poor women that I feel sorry for, who work the locks, while their husband stands at the tiller steering the boat, dressed in baggy shorts and little white socks.
The women arrive at the lock all sweaty and shattered.
As they have just done 11 locks so they can justify feeling shattered.
But it doesn't end there for the poor boat loving lady, because when they tie up for the night her husband will want 2 meat and 3 veg and piping hot gravy.
But never mind as it will soon be time for bed.
Then you can fall asleep and dream of doing it all again tomorrow.

Better still let him do the locks instead.

Lock Keeper
Tony Wright (MBE)