Family and Friends in Fife

 

Sunset over the new bridge, Queensferry Crossing - nearly finished and very beautiful

Our trains all ran on time and we were back at mum’s by 7pm, quite exhausted and ready for a bit of tlc – a bath!!!  I was going to be at mum’s for a full week so had arranged catch ups with some family and friends but our first stop was the dentist on Monday morning.  I had been having some pain and knew I had a cracked tooth so wasn’t surprised to need some treatment and be asked to make a follow up appointment.  Amazingly, although they were fully booked until 15^th November, they had a cancellation for Thursday morning at 9.15am, which was great and meant I’d get everything done on this visit. 

Back in Dalgety Bay in time for lunch, I went for a run in the afternoon along the coastal path to Inverkeithing.  It’s not the most attractive coastal walk as it’s a bit industrial, but you can see the bridges and smell the sea air and the breakers yards at Inverkeithing are interesting.

On Tuesday I did some studying in between being fed by my mum and Mike was busying himself making sure we have everything we need for France and ordering what we don’t.  Another quietish day on Wednesday with more studying (Mayday, Mayday, Mayday….), another run along the coastal path, until 4.10pm when mum and I took the bus to Edinburgh to meet up with my Aunty Nancy and cousin Diane for tea.  We got there in plenty of time, so I popped into the Aga shop to get some new hob covers and oven gloves as the current ones got a bit burned when the thermostat went!

Colourful stripes for a change

When we got to Zizzi’s at the West End my Aunty was there with my big cousin Jane which was a lovely surprise, as we’ve not seen her for ages.  We had a great time together, lots of laughs and nice to see everyone doing so well.  My little Aunty is 85 and really quite remarkable – and very small.

Mum and Aunty Nancy - see, I told you she was very small!

Me and my gorgeous cousins Jane (sitting) and Diane

On Thursday it was an early start for me to get to the dentist for 9.15am and Mike got up at the same time as he was catching a train to York, so he could catch up with some of his friends as well.  As I had some time after the dentist before a hair appointment at 3pm, I managed to catch up Viv and meet her gorgeous little boy Edward for the first time.  The last time I saw Edward he was just a bump being carried by Viv, in York last September.  He was really cute and well behaved and seemed to like me, which is always a good thing.  It was great to see Viv and fill each other in with all our news – she looked fab and is clearly enjoying being a mum.

Edward showing off his standing skills

He has his mummy's big eyes

Next was my catch up with Keith at the hairdressers, which is a mixture of me being pampered getting my haircut and catching up with an old friend.  Keith’s being doing my hair for 23 years now!!!!  

With my hair done, I was now ready for a night out with the Julies, both of whom I used to work with in EDINA at the University of Edinburgh.  We’ve all left now, Julie W being the last to leave just a couple of months ago.  We met at Kay’s bar on Jamaica St and what a find!!  It’s a wonderful little bar, very traditional, no loud music or tvs (that I could see) and full to the brim with people just having a drink and chatting.

It wasn't this blurred before we went in.....

We had a bottle of wine between us then headed to Wee Bhudda for a meal, and a bottle of wine.  Instead of dessert, we decided to sample one of their cocktails each, which were fantastic and having paid the bill, and left the restaurant decided a nightcap was a good idea – another bottle of wine in the Slug and Lettuce on George St………  That would have been enough for us all, but Julie L is a wee minx and as she went to the loo, pushed some cash in my hand and said, “Get another bottle, we’ve still got 40 minutes before you need to go.”  And stupidly, I did as she asked.  Well, it would’ve been rude not to – wouldn’t it???

Julie W finally managed to take a non-blurred on of me and Julie L

On Friday morning I had a bit of a headache.  I did get up and dressed but then spent the day on my laptop Maydaying and PanPan-ing away for my exam on Sunday.  I didn’t have anything to drink that evening.

Saturday was designated another study day, with a run thrown into break up the monotony and then at 5pm I headed off to catch the bus to Edinburgh to meet my old school chums Lorna and Leslie.  They are two of a group of five of us who have known each other since primary school days – I first met them all at the age of 7 when we moved to Aberdour.  I’ve not seen Lorna and Leslie for a couple of years so I was really looking forward to it.  I’d booked a table at the Queen’s Arms in Frederick St, over a very noisy phone on Friday, but when I got there, they didn’t seem to have a booking for me – not helped by the fact the guy on the phone had thought I said Eilidh was my name, which I then had to explain when I arrived……  However, the staff were brilliant, and it turned out someone else hadn’t turned up so they managed to give us one of the little booths.  It’s another great place to go for a drink or food, but it is VERY busy, so probably not the best place for a quiet drink – it was packed!!  This however, did not affect the service in any way, our waiter was really lovely and very good at his job, so do go if you get the chance.

Lorna and Leslie in our little booth at the Queen's Arms

I was very well-behaved on this outing, partaking in only one glass of wine and then catching the 9.15 bus back, as my VHF Radio exam was at 9.30am the following morning and I was bricking it!!!

I needn’t have.  The examiner was really nice and explained that he saw it as more of an assessment than an exam and if we were weak in any areas his job was to help us until he was happy with us.  I’d done so much swotting though, I got 100% on the written test and he was really pleased with my almost faultless practical – first time for everything I guess, wish I’d done so well at school………

So I passed, and so did Anne, the other candidate, who was very nice and gave me a lift to Dalmeny Station to catch my train.  I got into Haymarket earlier than required so had a coffee and got a magazine whilst I waited.  Everything ran to time again – first time for everything again……. – and I was back at the boat by 6.30pm.  Mike had arrived from York just before 3pm and had greeted the hirers back to base.  They seemed to have had a good time, had lost a few fenders, but replaced them on the way back!

We started the laundry and I’ve only just now done the last load as all the towels and bedding had to be washed as well as the clothes we’d had away with us.

So here we are, back on track for the moment.  We’re now kind of hanging around the Grand Union between Weedon and Leighton Buzzard until the 28^th November when we get lifted out and taken to France.  We had thought it would be nice to nip up to Birmingham or down to Stratford upon Avon but the locks at Buckby are closing for repairs on 7 November to 15 December, so we’re locked in at Weedon from then with heading south the only option, which is a bummer given we’ve just done it!!! 

Aylesbury, Au Revoirs and a Grand Cruise

Setting off down the Aylesbury Arm

(Discovering I can backdate blog entries is not good, but I have been very busy…..)

The Aylesbury arm is lovely, very rural and some great views and at the end of the navigation, a lovely new basin awaits you with plenty of services; three water points, bins, toilets and showers – AND a Waitrose in the basin itself!  This was an ideal spot from where to hire a car to take mum to Luton on Wednesday and we would head to Caterham to pick up things from Kitty Cate and bid her fare well.

This lovely new development was under construction the last time we were here

The lovely new basin in Aylesbury with the Waterside Theatre in the background, which was so pretty lit up at night.

Entrance to the basin with services along the right hand side of the picture

Can't get much closer to Waitrose than this!!

After a few days of intense boating, it was nice to have a day off, but sad to say goodbye to mum and Kitty Cate.  I cried again when we left the car but not when we left mum at Luton, as we would be seeing her again in a couple of weeks.  However, the next morning, having taken a bag of stuff to the charity shop, picked up our free coffees from Waitrose, I found myself missing mum as we headed back up the arm to Marsworth.

Very narrow bridge holes on the Aylesbury Arm

After a quiet night at Marsworth, we set off sharply with quite a long day ahead of us, as we hoped to get to the Globe pub on the far side of Leighton Buzzard.  I was looking forward to this section as the last time I had been confined downstairs with a terrible cold and hadn’t seen much of it and I wasn’t disappointed – it’s a really pretty section of the GU.  Luck wasn’t on our side and we found ourselves going solo most of the day.  As we headed into the first lock at Marsworth, a chap just pulling off in the opposite direction said the pound below had emptied itself overnight (self-emptying pounds?? Really??), so just take care, though the levels looked okay now.  They were and we had no problem at all.  At Great Seabrook Lock we were just in time to see a boat leaving the lock in the same direction as us, and the lady now at the lock was waiting for her son to bring their widebeam round to come up, so we pulled over and put the coffee on.  The strange thing was, the boat that was travelling the same way as us had passed us at Marsworth just as I got up, so it had been a good hour at least ahead….  When we finally caught up with them at Church lock, we discovered that they had been in time to find the pound at Marsworth empty and had had to run water through to continue which had taken quite some time.  The chap said it served them right for setting off so early and I laughed and said I was about to say the same!!

As we headed through Leighton and Linslade, lots of the hire boats from the Wyvern hire company were heading off – well, it was Friday afternoon after all.  So when we got Leighton Lock we found ourselves joining up with a family setting off, with the chap from Wyvern showing them what to do and what not to do.  As we descended the lock, he asked if I would mind driving out together with them through the open gates, which I was happy to do.  However, when Mike pushed his gate back, it wouldn’t go all the way, so shouted and said we’d need to come out one at a time.  The guy shouted back, “No, it’s fine, it’s always like that, we’ll get the two through together.”  We weren’t so sure, but he was local and experienced so we trusted his judgement and I gingerly edged forward alongside the hire boat.  Things were getting tight and eventually there was a ping and twang and I hit reverse, but too late – we lost a fender and hanger.  Mike was furious, but all the bloke from the hire company said was, “Oh.  You must be wider than other narrowboats.”  Er no, we’re not.  We headed out first and left the hirers getting the rest of their briefing, regretting that we hadn’t just let them come through on their own and waited for NB Lilly Pad to go down together but hey ho, you live and learn.  We had been going to eat at the Globe as we’d had a nice meal there a couple of years ago, but we had food we needed to use up, so I went for a run, Mike cooked dinner and it was all quiet on the Western front – very quiet as there’s no tv signal there.

Next morning we set off, wanting to get to Milton Keynes so we could have a couple of nights there as we had some shopping to do.  There were a few boats on the move, but no one to pair down with at Soulsbury Three Locks, until we were sitting in the second lock and looked back to see a boat arrive at the top.  We said we’d wait for them so we could do the last two together, but as they got the lock set and in, a hire boat arrived, so they said they’d come down with them, as they’d be able to help them.  So having waited for about half an hour, we continued on down the next two locks on our own.  Through our last downhill lock at Fenny Stratford, we continued on for a couple of hours til we reached Campbell Park, where the visitor moorings were packed full of widebeams!!  There were two of them on the park side and three on the towpath side, with a few narrowboats tagged on to the end.  We’ve never seen it so busy!  We reversed back around the corner and moored up next to another narrow boat and later on, another two arrived, so we weren’t short of company.

There are lovely views behind the morning fog

Definitely into Autumn

Our mooring at Cambell Park, hiding away from the widebeams

We built the bikes up, discovering I had a puncture, so fixed that and headed up to the town centre.  It’s an uphill cycle of about a mile which we both hate, but John Lewis is at the end, which we both like.

The following day, we were off on the bikes again, this time slightly further afield to Argos, where we were to collect four balloon fenders we’d ordered for France.  They arrived in a huge box, fully inflated, so we had to squat on the pavement and use our bike tools to deflate the big, blue sausages, which were then tied to our bikes for the cycle home.

On Monday 10^th October we set off northwards again.  We needed water and to dump rubbish but someone had just pulled onto the waterpoint at Gifford Park, so we continued on to Cosgrove.  Monday must be water day in that area.  Someone had just pulled onto the water point below the lock, but that was fine as there was a boat in the lock going up and they had seen us coming and waited for us to share – wooohoooo!!!  There was someone on the water point above the lock too, but we decided to pull in and drop off our rubbish and see how long they were going to be as we could have lunch while we waited.  As we pulled in, Mike looked for our hanging fender to pop over the edge of the boat – it wasn’t there.  We looked on the front deck, but it wasn’t there either.  I had seen it the previous night at Campbell Park as I noticed that due to the angle of piling we were on, it wasn’t doing anything and was just hanging loose, but I left it in case we got pushed in at the back end by a passing boat.  That was the last we saw of it.  Clearly someone had passed us in the night and helped themselves to it.  The most annoying thing about having boat stuff pinched off your boat is that it can only have been another boater that has taken it, and yet we’re all part of the boating community so it’s like stealing from your neighbour.  The girl on the water point had just started to fill and would be some time as she was empty and with a large tank, so we chatted for a few minutes with her and then decided to carry on up to Stoke Bruerne, where we were headed for and there are several water points at the bottom of the locks.

Nice mural coming out of Milton Keynes

We have seen a lot more widebeams on the cut this year as floating homes become more popular

 

The pretty bridge at Cosgrove - you've seen it before, but it's pretty, so here it is again

In all the times we've done this stretch, I think this is the first time we've ever seen this overflow pipe from the River Tone in action

As we approached Stoke Bruerne a boat was just disappearing into the lock.  They must have seen us, but continued up anyway so we guessed there must have been another boat in there with them.  As we pulled in for water, a chap also filling said, that two hotel boats had just gone up, so the locks would be against us if no one else came down.  Our tank was nearly full when there was some action at the bottom lock – a CRT craft was coming down, so we cast off and headed into the open lock once they were through.  The rest of the locks were against us, but with our new way of doing locks single-handedly, we were up the flight of seven locks in no time.  There was plenty of space to moor and we just got the ropes secure as the heavens opened and one of the heaviest showers of the season yet dropped on us.  Once the rain had stopped we got ourselves ready and went out for a curry at the best curry house on the cut; Spice of Bruerne – delicious!!!

Swan family at Stoke Bruerne

Heading through sunny Blisworth after the darkness of the tunnel

Our final days cruising for a while took us up to Weedon.  It was a beautiful day and I thought again how much I’d enjoyed the Grand Union and heading back to Weedon now kind of feels like going home.  We moored up at Weedon, but didn’t have a lot of time to catch up as we were picking up a hire car to go up to Leeds – well, we were doing Pip and Mick of NB Lillyanne’s trick and had hired a van for half the price of a car for the day!  Mike had an appointment on the Wednesday to get discharged from the chest clinic so had booked a hotel in the centre as the appointment was early.  The hotel overlooked the river and was an old brewery, so had beams in the room – very nice.  And a nice big bath!  The appointment on Wednesday went to time and we were heading out of Leeds by 9.40am, stopping for breakfast at a service station en route.

Back at Weedon we had a couple of days to get the boat ship-shape before handing her over to friends of a friend for a week’s hire on the Saturday.  Such a frenzy of cleaning, painting and tidying – she looked great.  We were looking forward to Fish and Chip Friday with Jim, Jack and Steve at the yard, but were gutted to see the Fish and Chip shop was shut for a holiday!  We had to make to with chips from the Chinese and rolls from Tesco to make chip butties instead.  The season's string of animal rescues continued in Weedon when I popped up to Tesco for some food.  Coming back there was a little brown mouse on the pavement, completely freaked out at being near such a busy road, with huge lorries thundering by.  It ran between my feet, then ran again and tried to dig through the brick wall into someone's garden.  "Aw - wee mouse!" I said, put my bag down and scooped him up in my hands - as light as a feather.  He gave me a wee nip (I like to think of gratitude) and popped him over the wall and into the safety of the garden.  He hadn't broken the skin of my hand, which surprised me, I thought he would've bitten harder........  I hope he found his way home - though the owners of the house in the garden probably hope he didn't.......

On Saturday Wayne and Liz arrived just before 11am and we gave them a tour of the boat and went over everything with them and then set them on their way.  They were heading for Oxford, hoping to get close enough to have a day in Oxford, even if they had to bus it from slightly further out.

Jim gave Mike and I a lift to Long Buckby station where we took the train back up to Scotland to spend a few days at mums.  I would also be sitting my Short Range Certificate VHF Radio exam, for which I had been swotting furiously for the last few weeks, which is my excuse for being so lax with the blog!  It’s not entirely down to laziness you know!

A Stoatin' Time on the Stort & Leaving London

Gorgeous Auntumnal Grand Union

It was the alternator.  We were all wrong.  Kitty was repatriated on 24 September, much sooner than anticipated and by the time we spoke to Caterham the following week, they had established the problem, fixed it, washed her and had her up on their website for sale!!  On 5 October we went to say goodbye to her (yes, I cried - again) and pick up some bits and pieces we’d left in her, including two bottles of Gayda wine we were sure would not make it.  I’m still sad.  It’s a reluctant sale, more reluctant than I ever thought it would be.

Anyway, back on the cut, James arrived on Wednesday evening, the 21^st, and we had a few beers some food and then James sat outside for 10 minutes to settle his sea-stomach.  In the morning the sun was out and with great enthusiasm from our new crew member (despite some sleep deprivation due to light coming in the cabin fairly early) we set off up the Stort.  It is very pretty, winding its way through some lovely countryside and under some very low bridges.  It’s not a long navigation but we decided to take our time and plodded along stopping for the night at Sawbridgeworth.

Still shorts weather as we get ready to leave Roydon

 

Loving the additional crew on the locks!

Pretty footbridge on the Stort

Sunglasses hiding the effects of sleep deprivation

Ramblers enjoying a day out

Couldn't have put it better myself

Misty mooring at Sawbridgeworth

We went for a walk around Sawbridgeworth where there were once many wharves for the malt houses.  Some of the malts have been kept and restored into flats but the wharves are long gone, though we did manage to find an old picture showing what the visitor mooring used to look like when the remains of its crane would have been in action.   After a pint in one of James’s haunts of his youth we headed back to the boat for dinner and drinks and enjoyed sitting out quite late for a September evening.

James was up sharp again the next morning (I really must get a bung for the Houdini hatch), and after a leisurely breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, we set off for Bishop’s Stortford.  Along the way James pointed out places of interest, such as the pub he worked at on the waterside as a teenager and the places his parents used to bring him and his brother for a day out.  It was most enjoyable having a local guide on board! 

A rare photo of the two of us reminding me that no eye make-up is not a good look!!  For me, not Mike.....

Our mooring at Bishop's Stortford c.2016

And our mooring as it was in 1987!  I think I preferred it then...

We arrived in the afternoon and went for a walking tour of the town where Mike convinced me to get a nano-sim so I could use his old iPhone as my Samsung was getting increasingly unreliable.  This opened a whole can of worms and unleashed a temper in me as I couldn’t get the iPhone or the Samsung to do what the guy in the shop said to do in order to transfer my contacts, but I’ve put that behind me and am now enjoying (don’t tell Mike) the reliability and better performance of the iPhone……..  A quick pass round Sainsburys and we then headed back to the boat to get ready for our night out on the town.  We ended up in the Wetherspoons (‘Spoons) on the canal, mainly just to check out what time they started breakfast the following day, but three pints later and James and I insisted we head for a curry.  Drinks accompanied the curry so the next morning the crew was not that sharp at all.  I felt rough as hell to be honest, but we had to up and at ‘em as we had plans to meet up with the rest of the Roberston family and their friends the Prescotts.  We headed back into London where we played table tennis and had some drinks at Bounce, had some pizza and fizz then headed back to the Prescott’s for a night cap – or two.  We walked back to the boat so that we could see the house James was brought up in.  The next morning we all convened on Quaintrelle (after a boater’s breakfast again at ‘Spoons), us, the Robertsons and the Prescotts and set off back to London – well, Mike and I were going back to London, but the rest would get off around Sawbridgeworth and take the train back to Stortford.

A rare action shot of Mike and even rarer one of me in a pub with a soft drink (photo courtesy of Vicki)

Vicki not taking this seriously at all.  Not a competitive bone in her body........ (ta for the use of the pics Vic xx)

PIZZZZZZAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

The Pride of Stortford not looking so proud :(

What????!!!!  Caitlin concentrating????!!!!!??? *faint*

Ollie taking the sunscreen thing a step too far

 

It is the face that only a mother could love.  Or a wife.  Nah...... just a mother.

After our guests had abandoned ship, we continued on, finally mooring up back at Roydon for the night, just below the lock.  It had been a long day after two heavy nights and we were shattered and glad to get moored up, fed and to bed.  The following day was another long one leaving the Stort and back on to the River Lee, where we stopped at Waltham Abbey for a wander and some shopping around 4pm, but then cruised on for a couple of hours while it was still light.  During the night I was sure I heard a horse whinnying but when I asked Mike if he had heard it, he hadn’t so I thought I must have dreamt it.  However, when we left the next morning, we passed this chap, whinnying to get back into his mates.

He was clearly quite distressed (and a bit neglected), so when we got to the lock, I ran back along the path to see if I could get it back to its field.  A female cyclist had also stopped and was quite concerned so we were relieved to find a bit of fencing tied with string that I undid and gave access to the field.  I was worried he would run away from me which was the wrong direction, but I managed to get past him and then shoo him back.  He started running when he saw the gap in the fence!  Once in, he stopped and started munching the grass – not a thank you passed his lips!!  A local chap appeared and said they belong to some gypsies and are always getting out, sometimes ending up on the road and the police have to be called.  The poor horse was not in great shape, very thin, and had a big boil under his eye, so I was glad I was able to get him back to his pals.

We went all the way into London alone, stopping for water at the slowest tap for over an hour, which did give us the chance to meet and talk to Rose, who lives on Bobbie Dazzler.  It was a pleasant way to spend the time and very nice to meet her and hear of her experience living as a London Boater.

We moored up late afternoon at the Olympic park and wandered over to Stratford to the John Lewis and shopping centre there where we managed to pass a couple of hours quite pleasantly and part with some cash to get Mike a new watch.

Canal or field?

The next morning was a quick hop down to Limehouse basin where we fell out – I can’t remember what about – which kind of spoiled our afternoon treat of a spa afternoon and champagne lunch, which we had won in a charity auction back in June.  We were speaking again by the time I picked my mum up at Kings Cross in the evening who had come to spend a week with us cruising.  Poor mum, always likes to be ahead of the game when travelling, leaving plenty of time for catching public transport.  She arrived at Edinburgh Waverley an hour and a half early and when her platform came up, 19, made her way over to wait the last 30 minutes or so there.  As 2.30pm came and still no sign of a train, she found someone to ask who said, “That’s your train there!!!!” And pointed to the other end of platform 19 which is platform 2.  There had been a change, but no announcement!!  Some guys grabbed her case for her and ran but the train was moving off as she reached it.  At the information desk she was sold a ticket for the next train, although when the agent said, “Oh, you’re right, there was no announcement made over the tannoy for this change of platform.” She only charged mum £85 allowing her to use the £41 of her booked ticket against the £126 fare.  Sound ‘fare’ to you???? No, us neither.  So Mike is liaising with our good friends at Virgin Trains and they’re looking into it.

All of that was forgotten as we got ready the next morning for the tidal Thames.  The first time we did it in 2014 the day was disappointingly overcast, and today was exactly the same, except it wasn’t quite as misty but more wet!  We weren’t sure if we’d get to go as there were winds gusting up to 26mph, however the locky didn’t bat an eyelid when we went in to check, just smiled and said, “See you in 45 minutes”.  We popped out of Limehouse into a slightly rough Thames, but having done the Wash, this seemed easier.  Until the traffic started.  Thursday morning was a busy day  on the Thames and we were rocked by the water taxis a lot!!!  Mum thought it was great and was “Wheeeeeeeeeee-ing” away, whilst Mike and I paled and gritted our teeth……..

James was watching us on a webcam - can you see us waving - we're tiny!!!

Had we come out half an hour earlier the bridge would have been raised to let a masted ship through

Mum braving the rain and enjoying the vista

She wasn't sure about the life jacket, but it wasn't optional ;)

Being piped through!!

Being chased by a big barge

Something smaller than us on the water!!

No chimneys :(  makes Battersea almost unrecognisable :(

Still very low water as we get closer to Brentford

Waiting for enough water to get in - how frustrating

We slowed up at Battersea as we wouldn’t be able to get into Brentford until 12.45 when the tide would be in enough to get us into the lock and over the cill so there was no rush and the rain had gone and the wind calmed making it a pleasant cruise.  We got there bang on 12.45 but ground to a halt halfway up the cutting to the lock.  The lock keeper phoned and said she had never seen it so low, we would have to wait about half an hour.  As the tide crept up, we crept nearer the lock and finally at 1.15pm we were able to go up.

Looking back to the Thames

We continued up the Brentford gauging lock and on up and through the Hanwell flight with blue skies and the sun above us – if only it had been an afternoon tide to come up the Thames in this…..

We moored at Bull’s Bridge for the night, taking water whilst mum and I had a wander around the Tesco.

This makes me smile everytime we pass it.  It doesn't look very prized now :(

We were up and away sharpish the next morning, blessed again with blue skies and sun.  We planned to do a few long days to get as close to Luton airport as possible for mum’s flight home the following week.  I have to admit, I really do like the Grand Union.  It’s so varied, industrial one minute and entirely rural the next, and such a history.  Our next night was spent just above Coppermill Lock, which was a bit shallow so we were a foot or so out from the side, but we weren’t needing to get off the boat so that was fine.  Saturday, we continued our northbound pilgrimage with another day of clear skies and sun, and for the first time in a while mooring up in the dark at Kings Langley and on Sunday much of the same took us to Berkhamsted.  After a visit to the Waitrose there on Monday, another long day took us across the summit at Tring and down the Marsworth flight, where we stopped at Startops and went for food at the Anglers Retreat.  Sadly, Monday night is their pizza night so we missed out on sampling their food which is apparently very good, but did enjoy the pizzas. The last time we had done this section of the GU we had met Karen, Neil and Buddy on Chalkhill Blue and did this section with them - happy memories!  So far on the Grand Union we had to lock alone, never seeming to meet anyone to lockshare with, so we took the opportunity of practicing a new technique that we will use in France in the big commercial locks.  We tied the front rope onto the bollard, then keeping the engine in gear, you push against the rope as you go up and it keeps you steadily in at the side, tho' you do need quite a bit of power in some of the fiestier locks!!  We were glad at Berkamsted to meet a nameless boat with a very nice crew that we shared up to Cowroast with, but parted ways as we stopped off for a pump out.

 

Autumn Reflections

Gorgeous 16th Century barns at Stocker Lock

The lock at Batchworth, the first one we ever did with Chalkhill Blue

Coming into Berkhamsted

Finally we got someone to share the locks with!!!

Cowroast

Bulbourne Junction - sadly out of time to pop down the Welford arm

The girls are in charge coming down the Marsworth flight

We were now a few days ahead of our schedule and realised we could squeeze in a ‘new to us’ navigation now. The last time we passed this way, the Aylesbury Arm was closed for winter stoppages, but this time it was open!  So the next morning, we would take a trip down to Aylesbury.