From Malcolm2.Jones@uwe.ac.uk Thu Sep 23 08:55:46 1999 Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 12:41:46 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jones, Malcolm2" Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Cc: Christine , Gwyneth Williams , Alvechurch Boat Centres , "Noseley, John3" Subject: Trip Report - Leicester Ring - part 1 (long) The Crew: Your correspondent with wife (Anne) and children (Ruth and Tim); Aunty Christine; Mair (childhood friend of SWMBO); and ^ÓHarry Potter^Ô. Aboard NB Royal Tern from Alvechurch Boat Centre at Gayton Day 1: Bristol and Colchester to Weedon via Gayton. We saw our first canal boat of the holiday on the M5 heading south at an alarming speed, but without a breaking wash. Spent the rest of the journey counting more prosaic things, like Eddie Stobbart wagons! On arrival at Gayton, the boatyard recommended the Greyhound in Milton Malsor for lunch (good, but not cheap). Meanwhile Aunty Christine was finding Tescos in nearby Northampton, and Mair was making her own way from Bristol. The boat was ready for us at 14:30 and we proceeded to load everything aboard (clothing for a month, stores for three months, all the usual stuff), taking more time than usual to stow kit and stores before setting off just before 16:00; but which way from the boatyard to the GU MailLine? (For once SWMBO had the right sense of direction and hadn^Òt realised that the Boss didn^Òt know!) That sorted out with the staff, off we went at tickover past the moored boats and turned north at the junction. Three uneventful hours later we tied up at Weedon, almost on top of the northern aqueduct, some of the crew having walked part of the way. After supper, explored what we were allowed to look at of Weedon Barracks (a future WRG project?) before adjourning to the Heart of England for drinks and charades (well it was supposed to be a quiet game for the kids!!). Finally back to the boat for supper drinks and the 1st episode of ^ÓHarry Potter and the Philosopher^Òs Stone^Ô - Chapter 1 ^ÓThe Boy Who Lived^Ô. Day 2: Weedon to Welford. A late start today at 08:40, but we needed our breakfast before attacking Wilton/Buckby and Watford Locks. Through Wilton and Buckby Locks in just over an hour and a half, including passing downhill boats in most pounds, chatting to (-up?) the lady lock keeper who was trying to paint moving lock gates, and stopping to buy pies at the excellent farm shop part way up the flight. At Norton Junction, turned right onto the Leicester Section (Why are the mile posts cast with the letters ^ÓGJCCo^Ô? Wasn^Òt this the Grand Union before its merger with the Grand Junction?). At Watford locks we were required to find the lock keeper before proceeding. Why? Are modern boaters considered too stupid to check whether there is a boat already in the staircase? Of course I would understand if ^Ñtwere a case of ensuring fair turns when it^Òs busy. After Watford, lunch on the move and into Crick Tunnel (shortly after seeing a mink), and out again, but on such a hot day the dark coolness came as a pleasant relief. Later, another first for the wildlife spotters - a handsome grass snake swimming alongside us. The afternoon was uneventfully hot, until the engine became a hot event approaching Welford Junction. Some weed removed from the prop, then onward into the Welford Arm anxiously watching the temperature gauge until the engine decided enough was enough. So an early supper was called (pies from Wilton remember - and very nice too) while everything cooled down, then several litres (or even more pints) of water and we were off again to the end of the arm for an overnight mooring. What a delightful spot; what a pity we were all too cream crackered to sample the delights of the several pubs. Still, another chapter of Harry Potter from Aunty Christine before bed. Day 3: Welford to Foxton via Market Harborough. Even on holiday 07:15 still seems mighty early, but we thought it worth an early start (even if some of us didn^Òt get out of bed first) to be ahead of the queue for the locks at Foxton. So two of us manoeuvred the boat to the watering point (must remember to put the tiller bar on before I try that again!), watered up, winded, proceeded to the junction and turned north. We got to the top of Foxton Locks at 11:45 to be greeted by Crystal, the lock-keeper, who was clearly making sure that everyone was organised to her satisfaction - hugely well intentioned, but just lacking a little something on the customer care front. Into the flight at 12:50 and of course we had an audience all the way down (so the first mate's knickers became the most photographed in Leicestershire - the first mate wishes it to be known that she wasn^Òt in them at the time!)). Passed an uphill boat in the middle pound, under the helpful direction of Mr Lock Keeper. Picked up passengers two locks from the bottom (2 boys and their mum, who were safer sat on our boat than standing between balance beam and edge). At the bottom, turned into the Market Harborough arm and tied up in order to go to the museum and inspect the remains of the inclined plane (by which time the boys and their mum had a long walk to find grandma). The main attraction in the museum (for some of us) was a working model of a river Nene lock; Tim^Òs objective seemed to be to sink the boat, flood the lower river, drain the upper river or, best of all, all three. Back on the boat for a quick lunch, then off through the swing bridge and along the arm. By this time the transmission was making such a noise at tickover that it seemed prudent to ^Ñphone the boatyard, who arranged to meet us at bridge 12. On arrival at our appointed rendezvous, a foraging party was sent ashore to raid Market Harborough, while the rest waited for the engineer. He couldn^Òt find a fault, though he agreed that there was a noise. He declared the boat fit to continue, which we did to a suitable winding hole short of the end of the arm. Returning, we picked up the shore party, before making our way back to Foxton for an overnight mooring, drinks at ^ÓBridge 61^Ó and another chapter of Harry Potter. Day 4: Foxton to Blaby. Crept out of the end of the Harboro^Ò arm at 07:40, the sleepwalker having been persuaded to vacate the galley where he and all his soft toys have been sleeping, but unfortunately only as far as his parents^Ò bed. SWMBO got the benefit of his bony elbows - the skipper (who is the other regular occupant of the double bed) being well and truly out and about by this point. Drifted on through the delightful Leicestershire countryside - lots of sheep plus grain ripe for harvest; again we were accompanied by at least three sorts of damsel and dragonflies. Uneventful (and bat free) passage of Saddington Tunnel, then started on the locks including one where there was such a strong flow of water over the top gates that we wondered whether it would ever empty enough to get the (very heavy) bottom gates open; met several craft coming up. Weather getting too hot and muggy for enjoyable lock-wheeling. Hot weather had also brought out the youth of Leicestershire to swim and boat (inflatables) in the canal and loiter at locks to abuse lock-wheelers and generally get in the way. Moored at Blaby (bridge 98 ) early as we^Òd had a good run through. Joint cooking nicely in the oven. Went to Evensong at All Saints^Ò Blaby - unusually still using the Book of Comic Prayer and managing to field a choir (though no anthem); cracking good sermon - almost got the skipper converted! On the way back to the boat, the skipper (at great personal sacrifice) took the junior crew to the County Arms (not a pub with much to recommend it) while the three hard-working lock-wheeling/dish-washing/shopping/meal-cooking ladies (who writes this stuff?) went back to the boat to produce a full Sunday dinner. Crew arrived out of the rain just in time (both to avoid a soaking and to enjoy the feast). After the meal the over 40s retired to the ^Óback cabin^Ô with their coffee, leaving the two under 20s to squabble over (and finally do) the washing up; ^ÓWhat do we do about the washing up water, it^Òs the same colour as the canal^Ô - Tim. Another chapter of Harry Potter and so to bed. More to come Malcolm ------------------------------------- Malcolm L M Jones, System Accountant, University of the West of England, Email: Malcolm2.Jones@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 344 2733 N^W^Ô)f­z¼^ZÊÃ^· +^Ò^[m§ï^?à .^Ó^F­z¼^ZÊÉÞ·öë^Êx"^Þ az)åjwpj׫Á¬¬r^ɦºx­ÊÚ zØ^­^Ê.j·^ܺºÞ^ÞÙr²æìr¸^ÛyÛhq©Ú^ÖƬú^G¨®^G^Úv+Úr^É^Ó¢éì¹»^\®&Þ±éÝi¹Z^ÞG¦j)m¢W^Ú½ç^Z^Ý©lãNͺL^Zµêðk+'z