From gaileymarine.galadriel@btinternet.com Sat May 1 11:23:41 1999 Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 20:48:22 +0200 From: Peter Lawson Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: The Peregrinations of Galadriel (8) As I type we are moored on the River Avon at Bath. We arrived yesterday - the previous day the lockkeeper was not letting boats down because of the flow on the river - the trip boat could not return to its mooring as it could not pass under a bridge. But as we have had some rain every day since Napton this is not surprising. The Kennett & Avon is full of variety - and challenge. Locks vary in shape, size and difficulty, as do the bridges, from simple swing to electronic bascule. Often there is nowhere to set down or pick up the crew and cross currents can cause problems. We met a captain in the Merchant Navy taking his 60' nb to Bath single-handed. It took him 7 hours to cover the 6 miles from Woolhampton to Newbury - he was unable to close one lock gate and had to wait for another boat to come along. The swing bridges which had to be worked from the offside must have been a nightmare. We dined out twice on this run, at the Royal Oak at Wootton Rivers and the Kings Arms at Hilperton. We were impressed by the quantity and quality at the former (main course GBP7.50, sweet GBP3.50) and by the quality and value at the latter (between 17h00 and 20h00 main course UKP2.99). Also at Hilperton we availed ourselves of the services of Tim Stevens (Diesel & Marine Engineering Services) who carried out an oil change and didn't mind teaching me how to do it. He operates all along the K&A mobile 0973 859988. We confirmed at the BW Aldermaston Visitors' Centre that we had to present ourselves at the Caen Hill flight between 09h00 and 10h00 in order to go down. Remembering our passage of 5 years ago, we arrived at Devizes at 09h40 only to discover that we had to be at lock 44 (not 50) by 10h00. We pressed on as quickly as possible, and by the time we reached 44 were fairly close to the pair in front (thanks to the bicycle). The lockkeeper took pity on us and let us proceed - halfway down the heavens opened and we reached the bottom in a pretty bedraggled state. Also seen: Clover and Fazeley - they had been down to Savernake Forest for the filming of an Inspector Morse episode. 3 Kingfishers - one was good enough to hover and dive rather than just show a blue backside. A llama and 2 alpacas - one of the latter at a different location - quite a nostalgic surprise for an ex-resident of Peru. A new nb just above Bath Deep lock which had caught its tiller under the bottom gate and snapped it. Three hotel boats. Splendid new moorings at Claverton - reported but not shown in WW. A sanitary station at Aldermaston with a sign reading 'Suitable for self pumpout'. We may be able to try the unmentionable device on the way back. A canoe basketball tournament taking place on one of the side pounds of the Caen Hill flight. They seemed to generally pass the ball by hitting it with their paddles but picked it up and threw it to score a goal (or miss). Ray Dunford's nb at Bradford on Avon? Anglers on June 16 Peter & Jill