Shopping Service

[Allie]

We have been offered a shopping service by our hire company, Rose Narrowboats, in Rugby. We can give them a list of things we would like from the local farm shops and they will have them on board when we arrive. Since we are coming from overseas and won't have a car, this seems like a great idea. We could have enough on board to get us up to the first sizeable town where we can do some shopping ourselves.

 

The produce items come from Malt Kiln Farm Shop, with pies and things from 19 Gales Farmhouse Foods.

 

I realize that it might be a bit more costly to shop this way. Considering our long flight, we would prefer to be rested when we pick up our boat, not busy with shopping. It seems worth the price to us.

 

Has anyone here ever used a shopping service like this? Would you recommend it?

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Allie

[Liam]

For the essential stuff such as milk and bread, it's a good idea I think. Just watch you don't get stung by the prices although I can't see it being that expensive.

 

Where are you picking the boat up from? There may just be a Spar or something similiar where you can get the stuff yourself.

[RatCatcher]

Allie,

 

If you are travelling south, there is a big Tesco store a couple of hundred yards from the canal at Rugby.

 

I agree with Liam, I would get the essentials delivered then head for Tesco next day and pick up stuff you like.

 

Hope you enjoy yor vacation.

[Liam]

D'oh! you said Rugby and THEN I asked where you were picking the boat up from!

[Bernie]

We go on a cottage holiday in the Yorkshire Moors to get away from the infernal fireworks each November and often have basic supplies delivered, finding them very useful for the first day on our arrival. They don't seem much more expensive and to us worth it.

[alan_fincher]

Allie,

 

If you are travelling south, there is a big Tesco store a couple of hundred yards from the canal at Rugby.

 

I agree with Liam, I would get the essentials delivered then head for Tesco next day and pick up stuff you like.

 

Hope you enjoy yor vacation.

I think Allie has previously posted that she intends to be heading North, not South, but I could be wrong.....

 

If not, I'd have also recommended the large Tesco store in Rugby, which we used on our recent trip, and was one of many very conveniently located ones.

 

Going North from Stretton, I can't recall, as we actually detoured to spend a night in Coventry, which Allie may well not be doing.

 

These shopping services are certainly worth it to get the essentials on board, if you are not arriving in your own car. Whilst they'll undoubtedly cost more than a big store, it's almost certainly not going to cost a lot extra, unless you go completely mad with your order, (buy your champagne at a supermarket ).

 

As someone posted to you before, I think, check out....

 

Link to Narrowboatworld.com

 

which includes a useful list of canal accessible supermarkets for some of the canals on your planned route.

[Allie]

Yes, we are headed north.

 

A thanks to all of you for your advice. I will get a few essentials and some meat pies and such to get us by until we reach civilization.

 

Tell me more about the "detour into Coventry." We have been wondering what side trips or detours we might take along the way.

 

Allie

[alan_fincher]

Tell me more about the "detour into Coventry." We have been wondering what side trips or detours we might take along the way.

 

Allie

Allie,

 

Travelling up to the end of the Northern Oxford, you'll join the Coventry canal at Hawkesbury Junction, (often known as "Sutton Stop").

 

At this point the Coventry canal has already run about 5.5 miles from it's basin in Coventry, so people on the "through route", will not generally travel this bit.

 

You are looking at about 11 miles extra overall, if you go into Coventry, and out again. Nobody would say it's the most appealing scenery on the British canal system, ( ), but the basin in Coventry is now very much transformed, and offers pleasant safe moorings very close to the centre of the city of Coventry.

[tony collins]

Yes, we are headed north.

 

A thanks to all of you for your advice. I will get a few essentials and some meat pies and such to get us by until we reach civilization.

 

Tell me more about the "detour into Coventry." We have been wondering what side trips or detours we might take along the way.

 

Allie

 

Hi Allie,

There is a village shop in Brinklow about a mile from the boatyard from which I suspect most of the provisions will come.

 

Knowing what route you intend to take, I think the opportunity for side trips will be limited in the time you have available. However the trip from Hawkesbury into the City of Coventry is 5-1/2 miles (Allow around 2-1/2 hours each way) There is a 24 hour Tesco by bridge nine, BUT do not leave the boat unattended. delegate one to do the shopping and the other to stay with the boat.

 

As you are arriving at Rugby by train the night before, (is that still the plan?) I think the best is for you to stay overnight in Rugby, shop at Tescos in the morning after and taxi over to Rose pm complete with shopping. Then you can choose your own goods.

 

BTW there is a rumour (not confirmed) that Rose Narrowboats has changed/about to change hands, and if the buyers are who we think they are, it is a family with strong canal connections, so I assume that there will be some changes (positive) in the near future.

 

Regards

 

Tony

[Allie]

Yes, we heard that Rose Narrowboats may change hands and we were assured that none of our plans would be impacted. They have been extremely helpful, more than we ever expected.

 

We will be staying at the White Lion Inn in Brinklow on Friday night. It also changed hands recently and we understand that it has undergone renovation. They are very close to the marina, in case we sleep until our pick-up time.

 

As for shopping ourselves, we will probably wait and see how we feel that day. We will be travelling over 26 hours straight just to get there the day before. (2 hours to the airport here in California, fly to Chicago, on to Switzerland, then to Birmingham, then the train to Rugby, and finally a taxi to Brinklow.) We will want to reserve as much energy as possible for our first boating experience.

 

Honestly, I am perfectly happy to let someone else handle the shopping for a couple days' provisions. We can always boat down to Tesco if things are simply unacceptable. Can you just picture us moored in Rugby by Tesco for the first night because we were too tired to continue?

 

Oh my, I am really looking forward to this adventure!

 

Allie

[hscott]

Hi there

 

Have you considered seeing if the local Tesco does Home Shopping? I know of a few people who have arranged this for when they've been hiring boats/cottages, and it seems to be a great energy (and money) saving option.

 

Have a great trip!

[Breals]

I'd go with the provisions... yes you spend a few more £s but I honestly think it would be worth it, not to have to think about provisions for a few days, and to get on with the important business of relaxing. It looks like the farm-shop produce they offer will be much nicer than anything you could get in Tescos anyway.

 

At the end of the day, the cost will be tiny compared to the your flights and the boat hire itself.

 

Enjoy!

Edited August 16, 2006 by Breals