Q's!

Well - what an interesting day! This morning was grey and cloudy as we set off. The plan was to get to Rugely, stop there for some shopping before heading towards Hopwas for the night. Best laid plans and all that! Just as we were about to set off, the innevitable happened and a flotilla of boats appeared. Holding onto the ropes and passing a cheery good morning was fine until the last boat decided to go past flat out!. A loud 'twang' and this was the result.....The loop from the mooring chain dropped into the water and this link was all that was left, except for me standing holding the end of a rope yelling at the oblivious idiot. We followed him to the lock and against all our instinct and usual friendliness, stayed on th eboat whilst they worked through. As they left the lock, my father wandered down to help close the last gates only to discover they had already closed them - right in the face of an uphill boat! Oh I love bank holidays with all those 'very experienced' boaters!

Anyway, the rest of the trip was pleasant and uneventful until passing through Heywood lock, stopping for water and picking up on the 'jungle drums' that the next lock had a hold-up! Some hold-up; 13 boats was being mentioned as we plodded slowly towards the infamous Colwhich Lock. Fortunately we stumbled upon Henk and Coby from NB Double Dutch and spent a very pleasant half hour or so chatting to pass time.

We eventually arrived at the lock to discover we were boat number 9 but the gathered crowd was interesting.

I pushed forward to see what the excitement was about....

3 BW workmen, (actually there were 4,) all digging, shoving, pushing, poking and fishing for something stuck in the lock seal; never mind the upstream paddle that wasn't working at all, at least the leaking lock gate meant that the lock filled quicker. Once they 'fixed' it, it was slow to both fill and empty - well done BW!!

3 hours later, we got through the lock and decided to give up for the night and moor between bridges 70 and 69.

Just in time for dad to start making the coaching inn for the railway!
Standing on the back of the boat last night and we spent a happy time taking a trip down memory lane and being all nostalgic over our early days of boating. In the late '70s and '80s it somehow seemed so much more 'pioneering' and adventurous. It did make me think. From time to time and more frequently when shore based and back home, I'm going to publish by way of a kind of online archive a selection of pictures from some of my earliest boating memories! I'll kick start the idea with 1979 and Claydon Top Lock. Notice Steve, (my brother,) of NB K2 hard at work on the roof while I bring the boat into the lock!
....and finally me tucking into a boaters breakfast of porridge before a hard day ahead!

...more to come!