Left at 10:35
arrived at 13:40.
Had
an up and down night, it was quite warm even with the portholes open, the dogs
got up at 6:30 so that meant Derek was up too.
I had a cuppa in bed at 7 and lazed about till 8. Derek was trying to decide what we would do
today, we are effectively killing time till the 15th when we are
going into Saul Marina to sort everything round for home on the 16th. Batted a few ideas back and forth (note the
Wimbledon theme, Go Andy) decided to go back down to Gloucester. Derek needs to have a look at a pump in the
bathroom (it empties the bath as you shower) and I could do with some
toiletries from Boots, so it looks like Gloucester here we come. Derek thinks we may stop on the pontoons
outside the swing bridge instead of the Quay pontoons. Looking at the companion booklet I spotted a
description of the little fancy Romanesque cottages dotted round here “ornately
classical keepers houses with Doric columned porticos”?!! now there’s
posh. So they must have been bridge
keepers cottages, there aren’t any locks near them?? Derek says they are now mainly holiday homes,
hence the few for sale signs we had seen. Set off at 10:30, waved bye to the
cruiser couple (Weir Tide) and set off for the docks. The breeze is lovely as we sail into a
flatish shiny waterway, as we pass through the second road bridge, which is
hand operated by the keeper turning a windlass like mad (I’ve done some of
these on the way to Skipton!!!)the waterway was all ours, not a boat in sight
and my pet spider “Aggy” came out to say hello.
Derek says she keeps the flies down, it seems to be working, that’s why
shes still alive agh I’m being brave.
Approaching the next bridge NB Zoe came by, from Leeds Liverpool Canal?
Not sure if they were northern as they sounded a bit posh. At Splatt bridge lots of activity, it looks a
lovely village. The Willow Trust boat from Saul Junction passed us, it was
quite full and looked very stately in the sunshine. Its getting windy now, there are waves on the
canal, an interesting cloud formation has appeared in the sky, its shaped like
a phoenix? We have seen this formation before on our London trip and it was as
we were approaching a shopping stop if I remember rightly. I made an early lunch 11:30, we got to Saul
Marina and wow what a busy place, boats, coming, staying and going and lots of
visitors in the car park, cafe and the little charity run canal shop is
open. It’s usually open on a weekend but
they chose well today as the place is bustling.
We went through the walk bridge and a couple of NBs were in front and a
large dutch barge pulled out behind us and a little hire boat following
that. We overtook a NB that had come by
from Sharpness, it really was going very slowly, then a little way along
“Bruin” the big Dutch barge, overtook us (or should that be undertook) he came
down the left hand side and created a
fabulous bow wave from one side of the canal to the other. I don’t know the protocols but it made things
a little more exciting. Went under the next bridge, teddy was sitting on the
keepers seat waving to everyone. There
seems to be a thriving little village here, lots of waterside properties with
lovely gardens round them. There were
white water lilies just outside the bridge, we haven’t seen many, only in a
couple of places. I’m not sure that they’re
wild, I think someone has put them in
from out of their ponds, where they don’t flower very well. They like a bit more depth and mud to anchor
them in and I think the running water helps, then they flower quite
profusely. Rea Bridge, another one to go
under, waved at Mr Laprohaig, he was at home today doing some work on the back
of the boat. The keepers hut here is
lovely and well looked after, it even has runner beans at the side of it. A small waterfall was coming from the road
bridge and cascading down the buttress into the canal, no one seemed worried
but it was strange. (Derek thought it
was water being pumped onto the metal bridge to cool it down, as it would have
expanded in the heat) cleverclogs!!!!
Netherbridge, has a large tower nest to it, we are approaching the
industrial area, the bridge must spin to let large boats through, it’s massive
and it must look amazing when its in use.
There was a cement works on the right hand side, lots of car parts
factory units, Halfords and many more.
Clapperboard and cream painted properties being built on the approach to
the docks, they do look lovely in the sunshine, estate agents take note,
viewing advisable whilst the sun shines.
Sainsbury’s comes into view and from this side you can see that its
massive, it has lots of wing like roofs (sad aren’t I) but it does look
impressive. As we got closer to the
pontoons Derek decided to turn round and face the other way, the way we go back
to Saul, I think he just wanted a little play, we are hoping to moor just up
from Sula the big red Lightship, its enormous.
On pulling in we saw that this was in fact long term moorings, and we
should have a permit. It does explain
why Stanton Rose, the big Dutch barge is here, I thought it had probably never
seen London. Derek went to find someone
to see if it would be ok for us to stay here for a few nights. The bridge keeper said it would be fine,
Derek likes it here because we are locked at each end of pontoon so not as accessible
as on the Dock pontoons. Time for a
cuppa me thinks 1:40. Derek took dogs for a walk and to enquire about the
pontoons at the other side of Sula. I
thought he’d got lost he was away longer than I thought he would be. I got changed whilst waiting for him into a
long sundress with a shirt to cover my arms and when he finally got back I went
to Sainsbury’s for a look and to get a couple of ready meals for tea. Sula the lightship is in fact Gloucester
Buddha Centre? It opens Wednesday through to Sunday and you can have a tour of
the ship, go in their shop, see what treatments it has to offer or just have a
cuppa on the deck! How interesting is
that??? I spotted a church ruin at the back of what we think is Gloucester
College(it is) and an old beamed house, like in Stratford, we make take dogs
round there and have a gander when its cooler.
I got a couple of meals for tonight and tomorrow and a dress in the sale? I worked on the premise that £12.50 was about
the price of the steak we had here before, so I would forgo the steak!! Derek didn’t disagree so well done me, he
even said he liked it when I wore it for our evening walk, result!!! We had Catalan chicken for tea it was really
nice, the chicken was very juicy and Lemon Possets for pud, Sainsbury’s
finest. Whilst out for a walk with the
dogs we found out that the ruin was Llanthony Seconda Priory, Jess chased a
rabbit and we met a well spoken if somewhat brightly dressed man, he had lemon
trousers on (too tight) a green shirt tucked into them so his tummy was
protruding, a necker and a straw panama hat and a dog(she was ok) he told us a
bit about the monastery remains and then he went on his way round the back of
the buildings as we had to go back because the college caretaker had come to
close the gate. We walked full circle
round the dock, passing firemen training, kids, probably sea cadets, getting canoeing
instructions, lots of people enjoying he sunshine in the waterside bar and
quite a few moored NBs. I was shattered,
ready to sit and watch Hampton Court Flower Show with Monty! Its still very
warm but with a lovely breeze, not a bad day all round.
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