Old Linslade to Slapton

Old Linslade to Slapton : 6 miles, 3 locks
To date : 330 miles, 175 locks

What a day! 

Our first lock was interesting.  We had a class of young school children and their teachers learning about locks.  They were very excited to find a boat coming up the lock and we answered solemn questions about how many locks we'd be going through today and if it was hard work.

Then we headed to the Leighton Buzzard Tesco mooring.  What a great place to be able to stop for 2 hours and go shopping.  We did our shop at Tesco and while I got lunch sorted, Mick walked to the post office to collect a precious envelope.... our tickets for the Crick Boat Show.  We have a car booked with Enterprise and I'd called them at the Milton Keynes office when I booked it to check they'd be willing to collect us from beyond Leighton Buzzard.  I called again this morning to double check.  The fellow said that was fine - they'd send a car from Leighton Buzzard but he'd call me back to confirm.  Our goal was to moor somewhere near the Grove Lock Marina.

As we left the 2 hour moorings and stopped at the water point just beyond, the rain came.  Despite our plan to avoid cruising in the rain there are times it's simply unavoidable and today was one of them.  Grove Lock turned out to be unsuitable to moor so we were forced on in the rain... and hail!  Everyone was rather soggy and miserable and Mick was rather grumpy.  There were long stretches where mooring on the towpath was impossible and the few places where it would have been ok were full of boats.  We eventually reached Slapton and there was excellent moorings.  Finally.  It was a big relief.

I came in and rang Enterprise as nobody had called me back.  Now the fellow says they can't pick us up outside of a Milton Keynes postcode!  That's not what they told me the other day nor what he told me this morning.  He said they could send us a car from Leighton Buzzard but it would cost an extra £40.  I wasn't happy.  There was no way we could get ourselves to Milton Keynes from Slapton and if he'd told me this morning we could have stayed back at a place where the postcode was right.  I rang Leighton Buzzard myself and this fellow was much more helpful.  He called me back a short while later quoting a price less than they were going to charge us at Milton Keynes and we arranged a pickup from the nearest pub.  Perfect.

It was a relief to be moored up and to have the car hire sorted.  It's been a big day.

Not many photos on a rainy day :
1. The Globe Inn at Old Linslade
2. - 3. Lockside buildings
4. A gaggle of school kids

Fenny Stratford to Old Linslade

Fenny Stratford to Old Linslade : 7 miles, 5 locks
To date : 324 miles, 172 locks

This morning we went for a walk in Fenny Stratford and noticed a Wickes store.  Mick had bought some thick foam insulating lengths at a previous Wickes and cut them into sections to fit around the inside of the go-kart tyres we picked up way back at Red Bull services.  They've been great fenders but tend to collapse under pressure.  The insulation solved the problem perfectly.  We only had enough to do two of the tyres so today we bought another packet today to finish the job.  Then we'll have a set of four.

We had a few locks today, first the extremely shallow little stop lock at Fenny Stratford.  It was fairly busy at the lock with boats coming and going.  The next were 3 locks at Soulbury beside the pub.  Despite the description in our canal guides about the gongoozlers who watch over the locks from the pub, there was hardly a soul in sight.  While Carol stayed back at the centre lock to open the gates, I went up to the top lock to prepare that one.  Just as I was about to open the first gate a boat came around the corner and the lady crew member walked down to where I was standing.  She said to me that I should ask them not to close the gates on the lock below so that her boat could go straight in when they were through this one.  I called out a couple of times to the three of them down at the lock below but they couldn't hear what I was saying.  Carol closed the gate on the side she was on and the woman from the other boat made a snide comment "Surely they can see I'm not part of your crew and that I'm holding a windlass!"  As the boys brought the boats towards the lock entrance and Carol went around to close the other gate, the lady huffed and puffed and rolled her eyes.  She was quite rude and I really didn't know what to say.  I apologized but she was obviously unimpressed that I hadn't done more to prevent them closing those gates.  Feeling quite uncomfortable in her presence and with her obviously not intending to help in any way with the gates on this lock I closed both of them myself, walking around the lock to do so while she stood there looking extremely unimpressed.  I often stay back to help a boat on it's own in a double lock as we're generally not in a hurry but I had no inclination to do so this time!  As we passed her on our way out I said "Bye" but got no reply.  It's the first real negative experience we've had at a lock. 

The scenery in this area has been gorgeous.  Pity the weather hasn't come to the party.  It was overcast nearly all day with the sun only appearing about 6pm this evening.

Today's photos :
1. Old building at a lockside
2. Love the birdhouse!
3. Carol waiting for a lock to fill
4. And the boys waiting for their lock to fill
5. - 7. What a view
8.  Waiting patiently
9. A particularly curvy section of canal gave us quite a view of our travel companions
10. Nesting swans

Campbell Park to Fenny Stratford

Bridge 82 Campbell Park to Fenny Stratford: 4 miles, 0 locks
To date : 317 miles, 167 locks

We were on the 48 hour mooring side at Campbell Park so it was time for us to move on.  Mick was out early to put a top coat on the newly painted gunwale so it could be touch dry before we left.  He loves cruising days so we get our batteries up to 100%.  In fact he and Barry are rather neurotic about their batteries!  I got my work done and after a quick lunch we all headed off.

We planned out our stopping points as between us we needed water, gas and a pump out.  We can easily go a month between pump outs which is excellent but we start looking at the 3 week mark.  This time it was Milton Keynes Marina we had in our sights.  We all stopped at the water point just before the marina.  It was painfully slow to fill.  Meanwhile I went to the marina to check out where we needed to go and Barry lugged his gas bottle around there on a trolley.  We had ended up turning off the water tap to nb Winton's Folly to try and speed up the process.  They would then fill their water while we went around to the pump out.  Mick did a sterling job of turning in the marina and reversing into the odd little spot that housed the pumpout.  He's definitely getting better at this caper but there wasn't a breath of wind and that always helps.

Our destination was Fenny Stratford visitor moorings and with us all messing around for so long it was 4pm by the time we reached Fenny.  In the 24 hour visitor moorings there were just 2 left.  Perfect.

A few for today :
1. nb Winton's Folly appearing under a bridge
2. nb Pied Billed Grebe... again!
3. Cottages at Fenny Stratford lock
4. What a lovely weather vane
5. Not sure what these are but they're very pretty

 

A day in port - Milton Keynes

Have you noticed that I like Milton Keynes?  I feel like the last couple of days I've been raving on about how lovely it is!  And now today again.

Today's plan was shopping!  Yes, Roly, again.  We are moored at the end of Campbell Park which is enormous.  It's about a mile walk through the park to reach The Centre MK - a shopping centre that is also enormous.  The layout is fantastic and there is almost everything in there.  We enjoyed the walk through the park and then a couple of hours browsing.  We really can't buy much as there's no room to store anything and we don't need anything much.  We did pick up a couple of bits and pieces though.

One thing Mick was particularly looking forward to was lunch at Yo Sushi.  He's a big fan of Japanese food and loves sushi.  We enjoyed our lunch and we'll look out for another of them when we get to London.

When we got back to the boat I had work to do and Mick got into a project he'd been planning for a while.  We had decided to paint from the gunwale down in black.  There was lots of bits of paint taken off from below the gunwale and it's very hard to try and match the existing blue colour when painting just a small section.  This way it can be touched up when necessary. 

Barry sat out on the bench seat watching proceedings.  He is often seen out doing paintwork touch ups so he's earned his spectator time.  Carol made cups of tea when it was over (just the one side of course) and we sat out as the black cloud gathered. 

There have been a lot of feathered babies around today.  There were two little coot mothers on the pond, a mother duck with four tiny ducklings and a pair of swans with their young.

Photos :
1. Buttied up on arrival at the visitor moorings
2. A swan bum
3. A pretty mooring
4. Bottle brush at the shopping centre - a reminder of home
5. - 7. The swan family
8. - 9. Beginning the job
10. Barry watching
11. Done!
12. I love this view from the boat today
13. Carol watering her garden
14. The first attempt with the camera timer
15. And a slightly better job of it
16. Sky getting darker

 

Willen Bridge 81 to Bridge 82

Willen Bridge 81 to Bridge 82 : 1 mile, 0 locks
To date : 313 miles, 167 locks

This morning we headed off in the sunshine for a walk to the Peace Pagoda.  It’s marked in our guide book as worth a visit.  The walking tracks around the Milton Keynes area are absolutely delightful.  There are long stretches lined with tall poplars.  The paths themselves are wide and paved which makes for pleasant walking.  Every so often there are fields or play areas or a lake, always surrounded by green grass and edged with trees.  

There was a sign to the Peace Pagoda and the path led to an overpass over a busy road, then to the bottom of a long flight of steps lined with flowering cherry trees.  A thousand cherry trees and cedars are planted on the hill behind the pagoda.  When you emerge from them at the peak there is an enormous expanse of lush lawn leading down to a series of lakes at the bottom.  The pagoda itself stands alone near the top of the hill and doesn’t look like much from behind but walking down towards the lake and looking back it was lovely.  A little further along the path was a Buddhist temple with a pretty little garden.  We thoroughly enjoyed our walk.

Back on deck Mick got to tidying out the cratch… again.  He’s obsessed with finding a place for everything so it looks neat.  I must admit, I do like it better now.  There’s no clutter in there at all any more.

After lunch we all decided we’d move up to the visitor moorings for access to Milton Keynes central tomorrow.  It was only a short cruise.  It was busy there at the moorings with only one space available so we buttied up behind another pair of boats.  A couple were sitting on a park bench just in front of our mooring and we ended up having a good old chat with them.  His sons were with them for the weekend and they were extremely interested in all things Australian…. particularly crocodiles, camels and tarantulas!  Somehow kangaroos and koalas didn’t quite cut it and that was all we could offer personal experience of.  Oh, they did like the idea of seeing a brown snake in your garden.  What a shame we didn’t have any gruesome tales!

The pair of boats in front of us moved off so we were able to moor in against the bank in front of nb Winton's Folly.  It's not our preferred order of mooring as it means our engine is right in front of Barry and Carol's bedroom.  With us being early birds we worry about disturbing them if we start our engine for hot water in the morning.  We'll try to avoid this arrangement when we can.

Today :
1. Lovely walking paths between rows of poplars
2. The steps to the Peace Pagoda
3. - 6. The Peace Pagoda
7. Memorial to war victims
8. - 12. The Buddhist temple and garden
13. Don't know what these trees are but they're very pretty!
14. This house could almost be Australian.. maybe in Doncaster?

Wolverton to Bridge 81 (Willen Park)

Wolverton to Bridge 81 (Willen Park) : 5 miles, 0 locks
To date : 312 miles, 167 locks

I woke this morning with itchy feet!  No.... not that kind.... the kind you get from insect bites.  There were a few giggles when I got Mick to bring me back 2 bottles of Aerogard from Australia but they'll get good use.  We sat in the grass by the towpath in Cosgrove and with bare feet.  Next time we do that I'll get out the Aerogard and "avagoodweekend".  Non-Aussies will have to read about that on the wiki link above.

I went to Tesco for the last forgotten groceries and Mick went in search of some picture hooks and a bottle of something to stop the tops of my feet itching.  We had a morning cup of tea on nb Winton's Folly and a bit of a planning meeting for our cruising over the next few weeks.  Then it was back to do some chores... then lunch... and off we went.

Carol had a lucky break yesterday.  We went to the pharmacy for her to ask for advice about her swollen cheek and the pharmacist said she really should see a doctor.  Not so easy when you don't have a car and you aren't in the area of the all important "address".  Amazingly there is a "walk in" clinic at the hospital in Milton Keynes and two hours later she was back on the bus with antibiotics in hand.  What wonderful service.  Hopefully in the next day or two things will start to improve as the antibiotics do their job.

It was an overcast day but at least not raining.  The first half hour of our cruise was ground we'd already covered a week or two ago.  Then it was onto less familiar territory although we did go to the other side of Milton Keynes when we hired a boat in 2007.  We stopped for water at Lindford Wharf - a bit of an awkward affair as there's only the one tap and our hoses would only reach the mooring right in front.  We tied up to nb Winton's Folly and did what the English do best.... made a cup of tea.  We had our afternoon tea perched on the gunwales between the two boats and Mick kept an eye out for the water tank filling.

We ended up mooring on a quiet stretch of canal.  Although it's a very suburban area, you'd hardly know it.  Milton Keynes is a city built in the 1970's.  I know that sounds like it would be pretty awful, especially in a country with such amazing historic architecture, but it really is a pleasant place.  There is plenty of green with trees, gardens and parks.  There also appears to be quite a number of lakes.  All this must make for a very nice place to live I'd guess.  The wiki link is worth a read.  We're looking forward to checking out the city centre in the next couple of days. 


Today's selection :
1. Another look at the apartments within an old building framework at Wolverton
2. nb Winton's Folly passing the mural beyond Wolverton
3. A grey heron
4. Crossing an aqueduct across a motorway
5. This house had a pretty garden and mooring
6. Canalside cottage
7. First cygnets