Well, one out of two aint bad!

Sat 24th April

We arrived at Jannock and immediately moved up onto Slapton waterpoint to fill the tank whilst unloading the car at the same time. We then set off through Slapton lock and arrived at Church lock just after a single handing lady had left ahead of us. We then shared Grove and Leighton lock with her but did Soulbury three solo as she had paired up with a Wyvern hireboat ahead. Between Leighton lock and Soulbury Brenda managed to disturb a very well camouflaged tabby cat who was enjoying a snooze in the sun by casually tossing her pear core into the hedge where it landed on the mog's head. Did it jump!

As we passed the layby on the Bletchley to Stoke Hammond road we picked up a fisherman's tackle on the prop. His reel was squealing and as he was a novice he didn't know what to do. We stopped and untangled his line from the propeller without breaking it. All of the fishermen there were very apologetic about ruining our afternoon. It was funny because it was his first catch - all 62' and 15 tons of it! We moored for the night just past the proposed MK to Bedford waterway junction and so we went for an evening walk along the signposted route and back past Willen lake. A wonderful day with warm sunshine and nice fishermen.

 

Sun. 25th April

Rain in the early hours modified my plans for a pre-breakfast car shuffle on the Di Blasi whilst Brenda slept in.  She'd promised the weather gods that she'd not be cruel to neither man nor beast, cat nor fisherman today. Did they listen? No they just did cold and wet until we finally moored up for the day - then the sun came out.

We were pleased to finally say Hello to Mike Askin as he passed on a resplendent Victoria en-route for Canalway Cavalcade. Hot on his heels ( in canal terms obviously ) were President and Kildare, bound I am sure, for the same destination. Then Bletchley and Argus went past Northbound before another working pair, Kestrel and Vienna, passed by heading South. It was definitely 'Working Boat Day' today. With car fetched from Slapton, we closed up and headed home. Roll on next weekend cos it's a long un!

Graham