Granny takes a trip*

A visit from daughter Nancy and grand daughter Martha gave us a break from boat duties and as part of the grand-parenting entertainments we took a little trip up to Fradley Junction for some duck feeding and tea & cakes in the cafe at the old BW yard there.
I never fail to enjoy a visit to Fradley - there's always an assortment of interesting boats to see and usually something else going on as well, usually centred around The Swan. This Sunday it was the venue for a classic car meet with a selection of gleaming fifties metal in the carpark.
The tea room is great too with a fine selection of extremely eatable cakes and pies. There's a little gift shop on the site as well but the potential is surely there for something much better. The new Waterways charity needs to take a leaf out of the National Trust's book and create a range of quality souvenirs, gifts and books for outlets like these. At the moment there is precious little to separate holidaymakers, visitors and gift hunters from some cash bar a few nick nacks and postcards.

*Only grannies and grandpas will be old enough to get the gag in the headline - Granny Takes A Trip was a psychedelic boutique opened in the Kings Road during the 'swinging sixties'.