Tuesday 25th July
It had been a quiet night, and a hot one, even with the windows and roof open, the only excitement being the arrival of a plastic cruiser looking for water just as the evening light faded.

My fears for a collision were unfounded as the driver came alongside spinning the boat’s wheel and kicking the outboard engine to change into reverse. As his family, including children, piled out to help pass the water hose over our boat he explained that although a cable was broken he’d become quite adept at leaning out over the back of the boat and kicking the gearbox lever to stop the boat in time.

The next morning we decided to try the pump-out security padlock again before reporting it to EA.
With some jiggling and a can of oil it decided to work so we thought it wise to check all was operational before locking it up again. It worked perfectly and we drained the last drips from our tank. The nice thing was it didn’t cost us a thing.

Walked into town (about 15 minutes each way) but apart from a watch battery and phone case we hardly dented the shopping list. Good shops if clothes, perfumes and shoes is what you want but “proper” shops that sell EP90 oil and hacksaw blades must have moved out yonks ago.
Saying goodbye to Northampton we said hello to our first guillotine lock on the River Nene.

An electrically operated guillotine gate was nice but the geared top gate paddles took ages to open and close. Guess we’ll have to get used to slower lock transits on the Nene.

We also said hello to nasty chains on the lock walls. With water rushing over the top gates it’s as much as one can do to hold the boat still with a rope. Keeping off the chains was just not possible and paint damage was inevitable. That chap at Banbury who told us to paint the hull blacking right up to the gunwales was probably right; keeping the gloss paint on the top 12 inches of the hull is a nightmare.

Passed Billing’s Aquadrome which had nothing to tempt this boater. The area was full of children and with an ex teacher onboard one sensed an urgency about passing through. So without a fuss we swept through the adjacent lock spoiling the fun of youngsters jumping into the water and leaping from the 20 foot high steelwork.

Once out of the Northampton suburbs we had clear water under us, so clear we could see the weeds on the bottom and every swimming thing within 6 feet of the boat.
Stopped for the night next to a grassy bank upstream of Cogenhoe Mill and were soon joined by the farmer’s deterrent for moorers.

But after licking the mooring pins the cows parted company with us and we enjoyed another hot sultry evening with a late BarBQ on the stern deck watching hot air balloons pass over as the sun went down.

Wednesday 26th July
We decided to rest up a day at Cogenhoe.

After a brief deluge in the night, today’s weather was perfect, if a little hot.

Scored 10 points in the Eye-Spy cool boaters book. Whilst crossing the river at Coggy lock we spotted Jim Shead on nb.Lorna-Ann, just entering the lock on his way west from Peterborough. Paid him compliments on his extensive and helpful website before taking a picture on the mobile phone.
(http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/jim.shead/)

From the lock we passed the little shop next to a tiny static caravan park and made a note of the opening hours to save us a wasted journey next time (9-11am, 3-5pm, closed Tuesdays). Duhhhh.

Further on up a steep hill we found the village and met Steve at the Royal Oak where we sat in a shady rear garden and congratulated him on finding us so far away from his route from York to Exeter.

About all we could manage for the rest of the day was lounge around, do odd jobs that didn’t need EP90 or hacksaw blades and keep out of the sun.

That evening saw all the good moorings occupied, nb.Albert being the last to arrive, looking for a space for the night. We settled for a late BarBQ just as a spectacular light show appeared on the horizon north of us. It looked like real rain was on its way at last.

Thursday 27th July
With skies overcast and a warm breeze we cast off bright and early in the direction of Peterborough.

Up to now we have only read about manual guillotine gates but today we saw our first. A rather large disk without handles was expected to be rotated many, many times.

But, given a spare half day and a packet of energy tablets from the chemist, the wheel turned enough times to lower and raise the guillotine blade. To make matters worse the instructions reminded us to leave the darned thing up in the air after we’d finished. This means there is no advantage having another boat come up through the lock before us, it still needed that thing lowering before we could fill the lock.
Someone had vented their frustrations by writing on the instructions board.

We’ve discovered that there’s a highway code for rivers. Just like in the book these signs give you the picture and then you are put out of your misery with the meaning in words.

Some of the lads we saw in the locks seem to have understood them as instructions not warnings.

Met a local who was amazed he’d seen so many boats this week. Normally 3 pass each week but this week he’d seen 4 each day. Must be the sun that brings them out.

Passing the prison on our left we arrived at Wellingborough and did the Tesco dash. Not hanging around we set off just as nb.Albert arrived looking for the water point.

We knew we weren’t far behind another boat so we pushed the pedal hard and caught up with them two locks further on.
Sharing locks can be fun and helps relieve paddle winding boredom.

The rain finally caught up with us and did its worst until we reached Irthlingborough with its splendid moorings next to Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.

But not before we’d cruised through what appeared to be the windows of a sunken 14th Century church.

Clothes and shoes dried easily at 33deg C as we relaxed on the stern deck throwing bread to the fish.

Again, we heard them before we saw them as nb.Albert pulled up behind us and squeezed onto the last mooring bollard. With two families and a couple of comics onboard they were enjoying themselves and their chuckling kept us amused.
With space for six or more boats on 48hr moorings and all facilities provided, including free pump-out, this rates as a good stop-over in our book. But ”The Plan” says we should be out of here next day and somewhere near Thrapston before the weekend starts.

Friday 28th July
Up and at it early, but Albert had already gone. Used the facilities as usual, don’t know when you’re going to see another water tap, and made sure the pump-out machine worked so we can count on it on our way back through. Counted our 598th lock since December as we pulled into Denford (not counting Thames locks). A jolly old squeak has developed from the engine compartment. Although the stern greaser keeps turning, as it should, when taken apart we found it exhausted and in need of a refill.
With greaser refilled and battery acid level checks done, we were off up the town.
Residents have an interesting way of restricting access to the river front. It was very tempting to add a couple of our own padlocks to the seven in the chain.

It’s a 2 minute walk into Denford (nice post box) and then another 30 minutes to Thrapston (proper shops) where we checked out likely mooring spots ahead of No. 1 son’s arrival next week. No sign of the marina as mentioned in our guide book, just temporary wire fences and “New Development” signs. Another housing project by the looks of it, but we found the nine arch bridge 48 hour moorings close to the Woolpack Inn, with just enough space for a couple of boats.

The short cut back across fields (Nene Way) saw us lost for a while before we found the boat just where we’d left her.
A quiet evening sat with mug and glass looking out over the river and fields kept us occupied until long after the sun had vanished.

They promised rain again.

Saturday 29th July
There’s something in these waters, something big, something sinister. A young moorhen was there one minute, then splash and it was gone. Another moorhen saw it and squawked uncontrollably for five minutes and then crept back into the reeds. Now she hardly ever ventures out from the river bank; she walks on the lily pads and rushes but never takes to the water.

And another thing, there are no resident ducks, just the occasional one passing through. Why is this? Is there a fish big enough to scoff a small moorhen in one gulp? In any case I’m not putting my hand down the weedhatch until we’re miles away from here.

Received a visitor early in the day, lady looking for a Nene key. She explained that her husband had thrown a rope and it had taken the key from its chain around his neck. He’d spent two hours with a magnet trying to find it in the water. They had given up waiting for a boat to come along so she’d gone looking for help. She made it clear she didn’t like boating and this was the last straw. We helped her out and they went on their way with faces like pictures.

Two boaters coming the other way warned us of high water at Islip bridge. One had its headlight taken down a couple of inches by the ironwork under the bridge while another had seen some of the damage that other boats had experienced while trying to avoid the bridge abutments, going with the river flow. At 1.8m air draft we should just make it under the bridge (currently 1.9m).
One of the boaters had been as far as Peterborough and turned back, deciding he’d had enough of rivers. He was going back to the safety of canals and was looking forward to Gayton Junction on the Grand Union.

It all looks OK to us. Can’t see what the fuss is all about.

Sunday 30th July
We had been promised rain for two days but there wasn’t enough to fill the cracks in the path. Consequently water levels dropped and this morning we found ourselves aground with a worrying list. We were at the stage where kitchen drawers didn’t want to close and things fell out of cupboards when doors were opened.
Nothing for it but to start the engine, wiggle the stern about and drop off the ledge back into the water.

Another strange boat name for our collection “SUO-GAN”

23rd July
Cracking weather we’ve been having. First a dry storm then a wet one then thunder and lighting. All gone by bedtime, which was nice.
Had to do some painting because the guy on the other side of the canal was doing some. And anyway, the swans had been having a go at the hull. Ducks I don’t mind but swans I’ve had enough of. They won’t let it go at one loaf of bread, no, they have to peck the paintwork until they’ve eaten enough and with 8 cygnets the size of dustbins you don’t argue. The next time I see cygnets I’m going to leave the boat and scatter bread round someone else’s.

24th July
Weedon to Northampton
Moved from our moorings to the water point really, really early (7:50am) and just after 8, hoping we were first to hit the water we cruised past sleepy Joes and entered the deep countryside. This was already Northamptonshire and we were heading to Northampton so we knew we weren’t lost. The sun was already hot and someone had hit the sun-factor15 stuff while the ruffy-tuffys amongst us carried on regardless, drinking ground coffee factor 30 (the strongest you can get).

Hit Gayton Junction late morning and dumped 2 cassettes of you know what and chatted to the Scottish couple behind us who recognised the origins of Balmaha. So they should, it’s from their part of the world.
Boats passing at Weedon made us larf, they couldn’t pronounce Balmaha. We’ve had Balmahahaha, and Balmer-merha and combinations we’ve never heard before. Its easy, its Bal Ma Ha. If you want some difficult ones we’ll get you some difficult ones. There’s some really impossible stuff out there. Try "HINE TE AWA" for example, what's that, an anagram?

Just down the way we called at Gayton Marina. Took diesel at 59p, Canals & Rivers magazine, Nene lock keys and Ouse windlass. Hire boat cleaning was in progress and we were looking like spare parts so we left.

The Northampton Arm has a welcome.

Whenever there’s an official notice of welcome I’m suspicious. What are they hiding? We shall see.
All locks are narrow ones to Northampton and a pleasure to drop (is that the right phrase?) with drawbridges to avoid and a motorway to wonder at.

We went down at a leisurely pace following HMS, oops, sorry, nb.Illustrious.
The water was so clear we could see huge carp swimming beside us as we cut the reeds, and didn’t we have to cut them.

A plaque on one of the lock gates made us wonder how old they were.

There was a welcome committee as we approached Northampton.
First there was the customary smell of burning, they’d done the obligatory grass fire bit. Then there was the swimming – they’d been swimming in the locks.
But there was one little girl of 5 or 6 years old playing around the side weirs, we had to speak up for her and make an older lad look after her while she insisted on playing so near the canal. Meanwhile other boys couldn’t resist throwing stones at every train that passed by high up on the viaduct. There’s was either a thud or a ping depending on whether it was a freight wagon or a passenger carriage. Stones that missed carried on over the viaduct and landed on factory roofs. These could be Britain’s next cricket players if only Mssrs Vaughan and Flintoff realised.

Shopped at Morrisons in Northampton, very nice moorings, not so nice company. We could tell the supermarket was near, by the proliferation of poly bags bearing the name and holding packs of lager.

Finally we met the river Nene
Oh goody, we can do 11.2kph. What’s that in old money?

And last of all we moored at EA’s floating pontoon at Midsummer Meadows ( space for two boats and a duff padlock on the free pump-out padlock - shame). Smell of curry nearly got us dressed to go out but we resisted and had stir-fry. It was hot, 33deg C in the boat, and 23deg C in the river Nene so no good trying to cool off there.
It’s going to be a hot night tonight but hopefully a quiet one.
Tomorrow we’re off on a new journey - to Peterborough.

Plans to leave Leicester.
7th July 2006
With water levels on the Soar returning to normal after going well into the ‘red’ last night because of ‘flash’ storms, we grabbed a last minute water top-up, gas bottle exchange (why do they always run out at a bad time?) and loo dump. As we let go fore and aft so it started raining. It always rains or snows when we leave Raynsway.

We passed Leicester’s visitor moorings around midday and found them full, first time we’ve seen that.

A passing boater told us that the previous night was noisy in town. His neighbour fished a young person out of the river and released him from the secure moorings compound after his attempted swim from the student accommodation proved too much for him.

Passing a garden along Aylestone Meadows we were intrigued to see the “Honey For Sale” notice was still there. A neighbour confirmed that boaters could buy honey if they could find a way through the trees onto his neighbour’s property.

Shared locks with a boat that didn’t dawdle (we like those) and reached Kings Lock (38) southwest of Leicester in good time for coffee, bread pudding and a chat with Glen Parva councillor Andy Brooks about the parish. Sorry we won’t be around to assist in Glen Parva’s August Gala that he is promoting.

Thanks to Kings Lock owners Tony and Julie for the longer opening hours (11am until 4pm Thursday to Sunday) and it is good to hear they are busy again. Hadn’t realised that Kings Lock Tearooms also did B&B, by arrangement. Could be useful when friends want to join the boat in Leicester.

Kings Lock Tearoom gossip – Leicester are planning a marina just north of the city centre. Did I miss this in the news somewhere? Is it just a coincidence that British Waterways administer public land next to Limekiln Lock (Memory Lane Wharf) which is just north of the city centre and possibly linked to the planned building works?

Before leaving Kings Lock a short shopping trip to the farmshop, two minutes from Packhorse Bridge (105), meant we could stock up on fruit and veg for the next few days. Another stop just after Blaby Bridge (98) gave us a post box (100yds north), and in the other direction a Waitrose, Jeff’s hardware and a Post Office at Blaby just 10 minutes walk away (no Barclays or Nat West).

With the World Cup done and dusted we set off for an overnight stop at Kilby Bridge.

Lunched at Crow Mills Bridge (92) after walking along Canal Street to the new Tesco in South Wigston (15 mins). It would have been a little quicker through the park to the rear of the Jacob’s biscuit factory.
These moorings have bollards and sit on the remains of an old railway bridge abutment. They can take a single narrowboat and run alongside Crow Mill picnic site.

Recent reports of Nottingham‘s heathland fires, caused by children at the start of school holidays, was brought home to us as we passed Double Rail Lock (31) south of Wigston. A group of nine 10 to 13 year olds came across the fields from town and sat chatting innocently enough near the lock. As we left on our way to Kilby a pall of smoke rose from the trees and 9 children went running. Fortunately the hay field was newly mown and the fire wasn’t able to take hold for more than a few seconds.
I’ll bet the parents didn’t know where their precious offspring were that afternoon.

Sharing locks with Terry and Jaqueline on nb.Tamarisk kept us amused between Kilby Bridge and Debdale. In the Fradley area look out for the stuffed animal in a bakers tray on the roof of a boat that went to Dunkirk (well, so says Terry when people comment on the age of his boat). Never did get to ask him why he kept rocks on the roof.

11th July
There’s rumoured to be a big cat at large near Great Bowden and what we saw this morning made us wonder if it paid us a visit in the night. We were moored in the middle of nowhere but a large cat left its paw prints on our roof. Measuring 4cms across the pads and 6cms diameter covering the wet whiskery outline of its paw and 10 to 15cms between left and right paw prints this didn’t point to a domestic cat.
Guess we’ll never know. Glad the roof hatches were closed.

13th – 17th July
Greetings from Foxton’s postman cheered us on our first exploration of the Market Harborough Arm of the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal.
Foxton Lock’s lower car park is almost ready with its new tarmac and toilet block and rates of £1.50 a visit (max. 4 hours). I am predicting a signage war to break out between the two pubs in the canal basin. First round to Bridge 61.

Work around Foxton’s inclined plane has reached a point where the lower arm has been evacuated and sealed off from the basin ready for draining and brick repairs. Behind the rubble barrier fish of all sizes can be seen looking for a way out.

Along the Harboro arm the reeds and rushes have been allowed to spread on this popular stretch of water. Felt sorry for the young couple in an outboard powered dinghy as they negotiated the bends oblivious of the presence of hire boats streaming in and out of Harboro basin. Passing places are sorely needed and the clearing of dense reed beds on bends would help prevent horrible accidents.

Friends and family kept us company as we went to and fro between Foxton, ‘Harboro, Saddington and Debdale. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly Claire’s birthday and with 8 people onboard, we were forced out of the hot insides onto the equally hot stern deck.

Cruising between Debdale and Harboro gave plenty of opportunity for visitors to do the steering and swingbridge work. Good fun but surprisingly no one fell in. Caught a tiddler one day but shown up by Luke who just had to catch two. Thanks to Irvine and Sue for the wine and fishy stories.

Leave Foxton for Northampton
!8th July will stick in my memory as the day the locks broke at Foxton. During the first rush of boats to the summit a BW contractor’s boat was driven into the second to top lock gates with enough force to lift one off its bottom hinge. Those following had to descend, backwards and the queues were treated to warnings of a day’s wait while heavy lifting gear was ordered. An M1 traffic jam kept the heavy lift machinery away but a couple of resourceful employees had the gate back in place by clever use of car jacks and timbers. By 3pm we were off again and by the close of day the queues were gone. Hats off to BW for entertainment and a swift ending to a worrying time for hire boats. “Operator error” was the unofficial statement. Fit a bow fender I’d say.

Sadly we heard later that a 14 year old lad was drowned in Dunn’s Lock (34) near where we moor on our visits to south Leicester. We were used to meeting groups of young people along the towpath to Dunn’s Lock, chatting to them about this and that and what eases their boredom.

19th July
On the summit above Foxton we found a sheltered spot under trees between bridges 56 and 55 and with temperatures now up in the thirties we dived into the shade. Oh boy, wasn’t it hot?

Don’t know if this experience is shared by others but some canal stretches have a distinctive uphill feel to them. Maybe it’s the trees lining the canal, maybe the shadows effect but sometimes it feels like a slow up hill slog.

20th July
Leaving Watford locks behind us and passing under the railway and the A5 we came across a funny smell.
Instead of mooring close to bridge 5 we went on another half mile to get away from it.
We had hardly tied up when a policeman with his dog visited, asking if we had smelt the smell. Sure we had, it was back there and this time it was nothing to do with me. Something had gone bad but with cornfields all around it didn’t seem likely that the cause was a farm animal.

He couldn’t have had any success tracking down whatever it was and the next minute a police helicopter appeared, circling our boat and the fields around us. The noise was deafening and after the initial excitement we tried to get on with life. As if this wasn’t enough the helicopter landed in the corner of the field behind the bushes and it was obvious we had to have a meeting. With everyone searching on foot, using noses as guides, we covered the area finding nothing. Either the local flies were on holiday or the carcass wasn’t where we thought it was.

21st July
Set off early (9.30am) and met nb.Shannen at the Buckby flight of locks. Chatted, as you do, all the way down to the bottom lock. Felt sorry for S and P awaiting retirement after holiday boating for 23 years and here we are two years from conception, cruising 24/7.

Another Eye-Spy entry made today with the sighting of a new boat, number 514077 (Queen of Sodor)

Finally reached Weedon, a convenient but busy stop-over. We don’t do Saturdays, mostly because everyone else does.

It’s going to be another corker with dry thunderstorms last night clearing to red hot skies this morning.
By 11am it’s nose to tail narrowboats both ways and time to watch the hire boats skim this way and that.

Moored within sight of a water point we should see some funny antics. Last time we watched the crew of a boat march off to the pub after connecting their hose to the standpipe. It was tempting to turn it off as they turned the corner.

There’s lots that needs doing but it really is too hot. The steelwork is too hot to touch so washing down and painting is out of the question.

The only thing left to do is sit and watch the world go by, but that’s part of the package we bought into.

18th June 2006 – Grand Union Canal - Weedon

We departed Weedon with MiL onboard who, not content to sit in the cratch and watch the world drift by, stood on the stern deck until her legs couldn’t take anymore and then retired to the lounge only to repeat the sequence throughout the day until we stopped and broke out the mooring pins.

We made the approaches to the Buckby flight before evening and settled down to sleep on the dinette while MiL snored to her heart’s content on the bed. I didn’t know which to shout at first – the trains on our left or the M1 on our right or the bedroom behind us. What a noisy place this is, not helped by having to spend the first hour in bed nursing stinging nettle damage. Made a note to get a pair of shears at first opportunity.

Traffic was light through the Buckby flight but what a horrid lock gate at the top right outside the BW office. They admitted it was a difficult one to open so I wonder why it can’t be fixed.
Spotted the cassette disposal point hidden round the back by the rubbish bins. Made two journeys and still back on board ready for the lock gates to open. This must be a new disposal point because it isn’t mentioned in our 4 year old Nicholsons Guide.

Then follows a short stretch and a swerve right into the Leicester section where we promptly got ‘the channels’.
Back on familiar waters, we can smell the green fields of Blaby as the boat heads north to Leicester.

The canal changes noticeably as steel piling gives way to mud banks and a large expanse of weeds, mostly bulrushes or the floating variety that moves around as we pass, seemingly held to the bank by an invisible thread and occasionally breaking into clumps that head straight for the propeller. This is the poor man’s Grand Union or the Grand Junction Canal as it was known.

Watford Locks was a midday event. It took a couple of hours to clear the queue and we were on our way. Reckon we lost a couple of square feet of paint on the piling below the locks – look out for green gloss alongside reds, blues and shades of grey on the horizontal ‘chisel’ rails.
Had to pass control to MiL at one point as we ascended Watford Locks. Her next challenge is to check the engine oil, throw a rope and tie the boater’s knot, then she can apply for the over 80s Helmswoman’s certificate.

As if this wasn’t challenging enough she had to help open the gates at Foxton locks.
It amused the foreign visitors to see Grandma bumping the balance beam and she duly obliged when camera calls came from the crowds.

From Foxton to Kilby Bridge we shared locks with Bohawi, using them to clear a path through dense water forests between Debdale and Saddington Tunnel.

22nd June 2006
Just about to leave Kilby Bridge moorings hot on the tail of Bohawi when a dog walker stopped to watch his animal poop next to the boat. When asked what he was going to do next he replied “I ain’t got no bag”.
With ropes stowed I left a note on a twig next to the dog pile and watched him return, read the note and walk off. Meanwhile his dog sniffed the pile, sniffed the note and proceeded to cock his leg and finish the job.
What do you do after that?

Bush Lock
I know Bush Lock is a constant target for night life but what happened here? Did they knock the top off or what?

Alleged conversation between boater and BW at Kilby Bridge says the Police discourage BW from fitting anti vandal locks to the paddles between Kilby Bridge and Blaby because it encourages vandalism. What have we come to when the Police give in to vandalism. Who is paying them to make statements like this?

23rd June
We were just leaving the boat for an appointment (NHS dentist so you can see how important it was) when a knock comes on the door, “Lend me a windy mister?”

This guy was in Dunn’s Lock, on his way down when his wife dropped their only windlass in the water. Couldn’t go up, couldn’t go down.

Neither could we hang around ( NHS Dentist appointment so you can see how important it was) so lent him our spare windlass and was pleasantly surprised to see it sat on the deck when we returned.
Nice fella I thought, so I trawled the lock, found his windlass and returned it to him. I guessed he wouldn’t be too far away without his ‘windy’ .

Sadlly MiL disembarked and left us after her 2nd voyage of the season. I’m sure we will see her again on Balmaha Cruises.

24th June
Received visitors, John and Pat, honorary members of the IWA in our area and my main supplier of canal mags going back to 1970’s.
Also bumped into our towpath telegraph who mentioned the County Arms site at Blaby Bridge was being considered for apartments around a small marina. This little saga won’t go away and seems plausible after the recent lifting of a Grade 2 listing threat. At the very least we should get a much needed water point between Kilby Bridge and Leicester’s Limekiln lock.

The evening’s housewarming BBQ at Samuel and Mary’s was very welcome, haven’t seen so much food in ages. We lost the cook around 8 o’clock until we found him glued to the screen, cheering on Mexico.

What do you do when baby frogs leave the water? Must be hundreds of them along this stretch of the Grand Union. Couldn’t help stepping on a few along the towpath every time we went walkies. Sorry.

29th June
Departed Blaby Bridge for the River Soar west of Leicester stopping twice to cut down fishing tackle hanging from the trees. One was particularly nasty with its three pronged grapnel hanging at head height. The old saying applies to eyes on the canal – use them or lose them.

Called in at Kings Lock Tea Rooms for elevenses and would have taken on water but for the queue of boats going through at that time. I knew I should have bought a second hosepipe, could have reached easily with two twenty yard (oops sorry – metre) hoses. Tony and Julie were very obliging with cream scones and seemed pleased to see us.

Aylestone Meadows looked a treat with its dense green shrubbery and overhanging branches. Long stringy weeds and underwater cabbages remind us we are on the River Soar from here on.

An endless sense of countryside is only broken here and there by the occasional canal meander touching the back of industrial units or the odd private garden. Not sure if one garden owner was joking with his “Honey For Sale” sign on a beehive right next to the canal.

The journey through Leicester was uneventful. All looked pretty quiet, as you would expect on a week day before school holidays.
Our only incident was fouling a fishing line between the bollards at Birstall Lock, north of the city. Two fishing persons (both genders) were away from their post when we snagged a line.
No one was best pleased but at least he discovered a fish on his hook. Couldn’t believe he posed for this photograph.

30th June
After mooring at Raynsway Marina in our usual visitor’s spot we all went shore-side for a birthday meal. Two continuous cruisers were treated yet again by those continuous spenders T&C. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Don’t know what they thought at The Hunting Lodge in Barrow when birthday cards appeared all over their mantelpiece.
Food was excellent even though someone put their finger in my icecream.

Remembered Svetla celebrating her birthday yesterday in Bulgaria, expect Barry is still sleeping off his Pliska. Save some for me!!

5th July
Having watched the herons fly, preen and stare at the water it was a surprise to see one walk down the pontoon next to us and snatch a fish from under our noses. One minute it was peering down in the water, the next it had its dinner.

This week has whizzed by but now it’s time to slip out and down the channel towards Mount Sorrel.

We’re sorry to have missed Mike and Pat on Hyperion as they travel to the Trent and Mersey the easy way up the Coventry Canal and we’re too far behind Alan and Jo to catch them on their cruise from Leicester towards the T&M. but we still have ambitions to make the River Nene and cruise “No Problem” country. (http://www.choiceforum.co.uk/blog/noproblem.html).

LATE NEWS 6th July

Left Raynsway this afternoon when the skies cleared after getting the thumbs up from BW (Newark) but water levels are 'into the red' at Thurmaston Lock so turned back for tonight.

Trying again tomorrow........