Foxholes – Pollington (Sat 8th June)

 

Left at 10:00 arrived at 16:00.

Up quite early after “getting used to boat bed” night ? Lots of sorting to do, change ropes, reorganise all the provisions, prepare tea for slow cooker, etc.  Realised no potatoes, so plan to stop at Ferrybridge for paper and potatoes.  Finally set off at 10a.m. Pollington here we come.   1^st lock  Woodnook (our lock) on to the river, it was all set for us so just opened gates - there was a large broadbeam waiting to come up- BW Men had told us that the mechanics  on the lock have a slight fault, it lets you take the key back before the sluices are properly  down,  so you must check the paddle is well down or water will be lost as it isn’t properly  closed.  Two young men from the broadbeam came up to the controls, I assumed they would let me get on the boat and they would do the lock so their boat could come up-no such  luck they were a bit dim and wanted me to do it !!!!! I told them about the paddles (don’t think they took any notice) and let Derek out and their boat full of people in, told skipper to check paddles properly down! But hey ho it should be ok by the time we come  back. Filled up with water at Castleford, we saw pairs of ducks, some with chicks, a flock of swans obviously ready to start pairing off and finding their own territory, a grebe, cormorants, swallows and 1 Heron. The water is quite low as there are beaches at the side, we also saw quite a few cruisers and Narrowboats, the sun has brought everyone out.  Derek got paper and potatoes at Ferrybridge, we had lunch and walked dogs and went on to Whitley Bridge, we met NB Frobisher (they moor just up from us near Kings Lock) they let us in the lock and waved us on our way and we arrived at Pollington at 4 p.m.