The day started very early and badly. I generally only use a thin sleeping bag in the campervan, it's all I need, but this time I'm regretting not bringing the thicker one. I woke in the early hours feeling chilly so reached over and put the fan heater on for a bit. I may have dozed off, but some time after there was a clunk and the heater went off. I survived the rest of the night and getting up in the cold (it wasn't that bad really) but only really for warmed up when I walked down to Wythall Station. It subsequently transpired that the trips in the 'van and on the supply post had tripped but even if the heater did come back to life I wouldn't trust it.
The locals seem friendly - good mornings and chats seem to be the norm, or at least that's what I found on the walk and at the station It's a quick run up to Moor Street and I then wandered through the Bull Ring and round the markets. I'd got a couple of destinations programmed in to the sat nav, the Ian Allen book and model shop and a couple of walking shops do I use those as the basis for my meandering. I did get accosted by a local "character" walking through one of the squares, I don't know why I attract them but we had a bit chat.
After a mid morning coffee and cake, and a visit to the Cathedral, I headed down to the canal and Gas Street Basin. It's changed a bit in the years since I was last there, and not entirely in a good way. The James Brindley, which was a newly opened fancy bar, is now derelict and boarded up but the Tap and Spile has been tarted up and is now a gastro-pub. I had a couple of pints anyway, timing it nicely to avoid the first rain of the day.
That generally turned out to be the story of the weather, I always seemed to be under cover when it rained and outdoors when it was sunny. I'd located an Argos near the station so called there for a new fan heater before returning to the station. I had time for a coffee and sandwich before my train, once again it started tipping it down and I stayed dry, although it was chilly and I put my sweater back on! The light drizzle when I got off the train only lasted a couple of minutes, it wasn't heavy enough for me to get the umbrella out, and by the time I'd walked up I was getting warm.
There's a farm shop just up from the site so I called in and got a pie for tea and, after a couple of pics of Carillon House I got an ice cream from the site office as I was definitely too hot. 20 minutes or so after I got back to Dai it was hailing and I was unpacking the new heater (that's when I found out about the trips as it wouldn't work at first).
