Left at 09:50
arrived at 13:40
Up to a bright breezy
day, possibly 20 locks today but we may stop halfway, see how things go and how
we feel. Niamh showering 9 and I was
ready and waiting to set off, Derek of course up and at em as usual. Two NBs had gone by, one up, one down the canal. Over breakfast we decided to do 10 locks
today, theres 2 sets of 10 ahead of us, so heading for Long Itchington a
village in the middle of the two ssets.
9 45 and we are on our way, there is a church tower in the fields above
the canal, it has lots of brick buildings added on to it, Derek thinks its a
conversion, so a private residence, if so they are truly very lucky. It was all lit up last night and the bell
rings periodically, wow how cool is that.
The first lock was set for us, we put Derek in and half way through NB
Hectors House, we met the lady at Tesco yesterday, we said we would wait and
share the next one, but another boat came up behind them, so they would share
with it. Thats the way we like it
really, ploughing our own furrow so to speak, but of course we try to follow the
shareing policy if possible. At the 4 th
lock there was a single hander entering the lock, NB The Owl and the Pussycat,
yes it was bright green? We said we
would do the bottom bit for him and he was really pleased . Just in front of the lock gates there was a
tiny Moorhen chick crying, we had to let the water out of the lock and he swam
desperately, keeping his head above water.
When we let the NB through the chick went in the lock cheeping even
louder, I told Niamh we would try to lift him out and put him back down the other
side, we have kids fishing nets on the top of the boat. Grumpy Derek said to stop messing about round the lock and that it would come up
with him. We ignored him of course, we weren’t messing
just planning our strategy for the rescue, if we could, he was a little fighter
and deserved any chance we could give him.
As Derek came up with the water, chick went under in one of the holes in
the gate, we thought we had lost him. No
such thing, he popped up at the side of the boat, I got the net from the roof,
reached over the side of the boat, caught him and passed him to Niamh in the
net. She took him down the lock steps,
back to where he had come from, he was wet and Niamh said he seemed a bit
breathless, we left him on the bank, hopefully to fight another day.!!!! The two boats behind us had caught up with us
but they were very understanding and were pleased with out rescue. Derek sailed on to the next lock, we walked
up. At the next lock 2 boats appeared to
be entering, to come down, it turned out that they hadn’t seen us coming up,
but the water was set our way. They were
Americans I think, at least they had accents, they helped us up through the
lock and we had a ride to the next one.
As we were getting further up the canal it appeared narrower as there
are needs on either side, we spotted dark blue dragonflies, lot of sloe trees
and crab apple trees laden with fruit.
The Sloes look unreal as they are very dark blue/black and look like
they have been stuck on. At Basecote
Staircase Lock(a pair) there was a lockie on, thank heavens, I hate staircase
locks, they make me very nervous. There
was a NB in the top lock, so I left
Niamh to finish the one we were in and I
went to report to the lockie. He was
going to do a crossover, Derek went in the bottom lock, we shut him in, then
the lockie set one paddle off to bring him up to the other NB level. (Glis Glis the fat fieldmouse was its
name) It all went very well, though the
gate on my side was really really heavy and very low down, so it took a while
for me to close it and shut Derek in the lock.
The lockie was very chatty and when he realised that both our NBs were
from Yorkshire he regaled us with tales of his expeditions to Gods Own County,
York and Harrogate in particular. He
like Yorkshire tea cakes and tea, he thought however, he had been ripped off in
Bettys. We told him we just looked in
Bettys window and then bought tea and stickies elsewhere.?! Although we pointed out that Niamh was made
in Harrogate, her Mum and her family come from there, so naturally Niamh had
eaten at the famed Yorkshire Hot Spot that is Bettys. We stopped at the water point, had lunch and
then moved on to just near the end of the aquaduct, before bridge 26. I couldn’t go on any further its really hot
now so this is our evening spot. Derek
decided to find the shop, I had a nap, Niamh did some drawing. Derek got back after a 45minute trek, he said
it was like the Sharpness Trek, I was so glad I hadn’t decided to venture out
with him. We were having Chinese and
Indian for tea, so we enjoyed that , Knicker Knocker Glories for Derek and
Niamh, fruit and cream for me, we have been joined of course by another 3 NBs,
plus there is one in front and more beyond the bridge, swarming again. We have tele.
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