Left at 09:45
arrived at 12:45.
It was a very warm
night so we had both the hatch doors open on the waterside and it made it more
bearable. Dont think I need to say, but will anyway, Its HOT. The sky is streaked with watery waves of
cloud, boats are moving already, making their way down the canal, the young man
moored behind us is washing his boat again, maybe its new, he polished part of
it last night. Derek went to find the
“near shop”, he found it but came back the scenic route, as he put it, it
doesn’t have much but he got a paper and some milk. On the way back he met Mr
and Mrs Weir Tide, the couple we met at Slimbridge last time. He had a little chat with them, oh and he
took some photos, only because I made him take the camera. The tides out and the lock in Sharpness on
the Estuary side is, as he put it , high and dry. Back at the boat a very large
dredger went by, Derek said he had seen it moored on the corner of the entrance
to Sharpness permanent moorings and the dock entrance, we will probably see him
on our way to the Marina. Rang the
Marina, we will be on pontoon 51 when we arrive, it will probably be this
afternoon, hopefully before 1. Off for 9
40 we went to the end and turned round,
as I looked over to the moored boats I could see two tyres floating in the water, both had Ducks
resting in them, swirling about, quite unconcerned. One of the NBs moored behind us was called
Netty Pig 111, it was from York. We
stopped at the boat graveyard? It is just before the hole in the fence and is
known locally as Purton Hulks? They are a set of eighty abandoned vessels,
schooners,barges,lighters(not sure what they would have looked like) beached on
the shoreline to combat erosion. Each vessel has been identified and had key
dates itemised on several plaques and markers by The Friends of Purton, making
it a strange open air museum. There is
also a plaque commerating 50 years since
2 Harker Petrol barges,heading for Gloucester on a foggy night missed the
entrance to Sharpness docks, collided with the Railway Bridge, exploded,
severed a gas main on the bridge and set the whole rive alight. The details of this terrible disaster are all
noted on the very well kept plaque, 8 crew died and the railway bridge was never repaired. Now on a lighter note, the hole in the
fence. It was Gnomeland, built round a
pond with fish and water lilies and there was a wishing well. A chanel in the fence goes down to the
wishing well, you put a coin in and ring the bell and the monies are collected
by the owners for the Willow Trust. We
have spoken about them before, its based in Saul Junction and has 2 very large
pleasure boats for the disabled and their carers. More gnomes than you can shake a fishing rod
at! Mad but quite wonderful too!!!!
After the bridge at Slimbridge, who should be coming towards us but one
of the Willow Trust boats full of happy smiling,waving children? Further on towards Saul Junction the secong
Willow Trust boat, full again, lovely to see kids enjoying the waterways in the
sunshine, they all have their hats and bright orange life jackets on and would
cheer anyones day. After Splatt bridge
approaching Saul, the man with the fence? Had finally finished it, well done
that man, it looks splendid. Through the bridge is the industrial estate at
Fretherne North, filling up with diesel, I went into the fabric shop (my
cunning plan) It had some lovely stuff,
they do fabrics, trimmings, curtain poles, wadding and other bits and pieces of
sewing stuff. They do have a website so
I took a card for Sarah, she loves internet shopping. I got 2 oddments of brown patterned silky
fabric for cushion, etc and a piece of upholstery material to make some covers for the boat seats,
theyre getting a bit grubby and it will cheer them up, Derek liked it too. We decided to have lunch at the Marina when
we were settled. Through the road bridge
and yet again Saul Junction is a hive of activity, the little charity canal
shop is open and lots of NBs and cruisers are moored at the boating facilities, a few people at the cafe,
buzzing as usual. Perseverence, a small
Cotswold Canal Trust Charity boat was giving the people on it a spin round in the
basin, they were having a great time. We
got to the Marina and tied up for 12 40.
Straight forward getting in, Derek trying to find our number pontoon,
well the numbers are next to the electric points on the interior of the
pontoons, he dropped me off on a 2ft wide pontoon,started to go in
reverse, I nearly fell in, the nutter,
he hadn’t waited for me to be on properly.
I walked along the pontoons and found no 51, pointed to it and he
manoeuvred round to get in, we fastened off and I went to pay, wanted a lolly
really and they shut at 1. Did the
paying and Derek came along with the dogs, Jess had fallen in the water off the
pontoon, he said she swam under some of the arms sticking out and he pulled her
up with her collar. When we got back to
the boat I gave her some of my lolly, shes not keen on water.We had lunch and I
sorted more stuff round for home tomorrow, mostly mountaings of washing and
jumpers that we don’t think we will need for the rest of our trip. Its a nice marina the water is really clear,
there were some swans on a nest on the way in, geese on the grass under the
picnic tables and whilst I was out back, a lovely white duck came along,
it had a little fluffy hat perched on
the back of its head and looked quite comical.
There are also lots of fish, the kids will love it, they can use their
nets and catch a fish to play with, we have a special trug for just such a
thing.!!!! The water at Sharpness was
really clear also and you could see the reeds and the fish darting through
them, its like that here. We walked the dogs, we went towards the road bridge
and turned down the tow path to the Boat builders yard, we didn’t stay out long
as its still hot and dry with not much of a breeze, back for meatballs and
spaghetti for tea. I gave some of my
plants a prune and a water and will water them well tomorrow, hoping they will
survive till we come back. Home tomorrow
to what my sister says is a Wilderness, clarification by Sarah, overgrown not a
desert, just need a machete to get to the front door ?? Sounds like a little
gentle pruning is called for then???!!!
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