Destination Bedford

22nd August 2006 (Tuesday) - Ely to Brownshill Staunch

The Great Ouse has become a typical Fenland river winding left and right with little to see without standing on the boat’s roof. The cruise guide told us that we catch a glimpse of kestrel, owl, kingfisher and warblers but apart from pigeons and an occasional swan Hermitage Lock arrived without a single sighting.
Hermitage Lock is somewhat crowded by concrete walls and bridge. The lock keeper appears from nowhere and there’s no visual excitement until the doors open and you look down the New Bedford Cut towards Kings Lynn. What has taken us several days along the Great Ouse through Ely could have taken hours down this artificial cut from Salter’s Lode.
Notices on the wall remind us to be clear of this place by November 1st when major improvements begin and continue on through the winter months.

But the book was right when it told us about seals. We saw the distinctive head of a seal on the tidal section of the Great Ouse but cameras being what they are he had ducked below the water surface by the time the shutter did its bit.

Off the tidal section and through Brownshill Staunch we tied up at the GOBA moorings. Nearby quarrying didn’t bother us until the conveyor across the river behind us started up but even that shut down at 7pm so our evening was as peaceful as we could want.

23rd - Brownshill Staunch to Offord Lock
Away from the Fens it is nice to be able to see the countryside again. Low lying fields behind protective earth banks give way to fields sloping down to the river. Meeting mitre locks again means having to work the paddles (slackers) manually with that extra large Middle level/Ouse windlass. Met boat hirers as we approached St. Ives that seemed clueless at mitre gates. A windlass? What’s that for?

St.Ives looks a beautiful place from the river with its Dutch style facade and assorted town buildings right up close to the quay.

and a most attractive multi-arched bridge with ex-chapel, ex-toll house perched halfway across.

Passing Wyton I was reminded that I haven’t been here since I was 6 months old. It looks different now, a lot smaller than I remembered it from the pram. The olds were based at RAF Wyton in 1948 and the story has it that I slept through 24/7 landing and take-offs as if I was stone deaf. Perhaps current ‘selective’ hearing and 24 hour sleep patterns can be blamed on the RAF.

Huntingdon was over almost as soon as it began. Apart from the busy A14 there’s not much to see. But something we did see was an absence of signage at river junctions. We screeched to a halt more than once as we pondered the right way to go and completely confused a poor fly fisherman at one “Y” junction.

Something we have noticed around these parts is the pathetic little direction arrow with the tiniest of blobs at one end that can’t be seen until your bow button is right on it. If EA have a suggestion box they will certainly get one from me.

We had lots of fun at Godmanchester Lock, arriving to find a small plastic boat inside and a crowd watching from the bridge whilst three EA guys averted their eyes and got on with fitting chains to the lock walls (G-r-r-r-r-r-r). After 10 minutes and no action we asked what was the problem only to be told the electrics at the guillotine (top gate) were defective and engineers had been called. Couldn’t wait all day so got involved and by opening and slamming shut the bottom gates, the power was restored. The same thing happened to us when it was our turn and by the time we were through the lock the EA chain-gang got the hang of it and were demonstrating this new technique to following boaters.

Neither was this the only lock with sensitive gate sensors, it looks as though the sensor settings are too critical at several locks.

No it’s not what it seems, we are not trying to wind here, just gave up on keeping the boat straight. Soon as that top gate is cracked open the boat gets all excited and tries to spin round. Just as well there wasn’t a plastic on our left.

We were done in by the time we reached Offord Lock and it was here that we misread the diagram and explored the river up to the weir. Well we would have reached the weir if it hadn’t been for a footbridge blocking the way. Reversing ¼ mile we found the GOBA moorings just before the lock itself and settled down for the night.
It rained hard that night and the river level dropped so much that we were caught on a mud bank. One assumes that the lock keepers drop the water level at the start of the deluge in anticipation of floods a few hours later. Well it didn’t flood and we had to pole-off in the morning.

24th - Offord Lock to Great Barford
A little over a mile from our mooring at Offord we bumped into nbs No Problem and Moore 2 Life hiding under the trees. We knew them all by reputation through their own Blogs but it was great to meet up and get to know them a bit better over elevenses.
http://www.choiceforum.co.uk/blog/noproblem.html
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=765907

Lovely people, hope to see them again before we leave the Bedford area.

Following Sue’s advice we didn’t hang around St. Neots longer than necessary. After taking water from alongside the Priory Centre we followed the river up to our next stop at Great Barford. St. Neots was preparing for a boat festival on the river next to the fairground and ‘No Mooring’ notices had gone up everywhere. This was, after all, going to be a Bank Holiday weekend.

Great Barford saw us moored on the left opposite nb.Maybe, a narrowboat we thought we’d seen before and certainly mentioned in No Problem’s blog. They too looked to be heading for Bedford so the next morning we raced away under the arched bridge to catch the best moorings. We do that sometimes.

25th
Temperatures had dropped overnight and we were glad of the bathroom fan in the roof vent because it cleared the condensation in no time at all.
Friday, so quiet, only two boats seen in 2.5hrs cruising. And this is Bank Holiday weekend!! Where is everyone?
The river narrows and twists and turns before it reaches Priory Marina on the outskirts of Bedford. We were caught several times by overhanging branches and were glad not to meet plastic coming the other way as we emerged from the weeping willows.
Entering Priory Marina was like the end of a journey. Friendly staff made us feel welcome and even the sun came out to warm the tail end of the day.

This is a useful and friendly place:-
They don’t mind us dumping our old engine oil in their tank.
They don’t mind visitors leaving their car inside the boat compound.
They don’t mind us using empty pontoons when the visitor’s spaces are full.
Pontoon electricity, loos and laundry room are most civilised. Beware, some lecky posts have 32 amp connectors.
The Chandlers has fresh milk, icecreams, tinned and snacky food.
Travel Inn and Beefeater next door (with Sunday roast £7.99)
Cycle hire shop on site for those who insist on exploring the surrounding country park.

26th
Saturday - nb.Maybe came to share our pontoon after their visit to Bedford and we swapped stories of places we’d been and boats we’d seen. A little electrical problem kept the men occupied for an hour but just as we looked for something to do a surprise call came from sis ‘n bro Claire ‘n Ter. They joined us for a late lunch and those who needed to disappeared into the country park. Most people know which one of us has walking legs and which one has a sleepy head.
But it was good to get letters again although there was nothing from NSI and we are fast losing confidence in Alan Sugar.
Incidentally, Tom-Tom didn’t like the Marina’s postcode MK41 9RL and led C&T to a housing estate half a mile away.

27th
Today, Sunday, we swapped C&T for No1 son David who we haven’t seen for months, perhaps as long ago as February. More news exchanges and catching up on the changes in Bournemouth. For example “Seen so and so?” “No”. “What’s thingy doing?” “Don’t know”, and so we learnt all there was to know about old friends and happenings in Bomo.

28th Monday
Chilled – did very little all day. Fished - 5 perch and 20 seconds worth of a monster fish.
Made a mess of the data card’s aerial thinking I was improving it by soldering a car’s external 3 band aerial onto the cable. Cable length must be critical at GSM frequencies because it didn’t work after that.

Settled up for our four night stay:-
1st night free (GOBA privilege)
2nd night half price
3rd and 4th night full price (£11.00 each)
Pump out costs £5.00 for "liveaboards" by which they mean residents. Visiting liveaboards pay £8.
As for electricity on the visitor’s pontoons, we didn’t use up the £2.10 swipe card (50KWH) even though the washing machine was run several times.
And we said our goodbyes to nb.Maybe who bravely reversed out in a side wind.

29th
The three of us departed Priory Marina, turning right for Bedford town centre (or as near as we could get).
Made a note to find out who built this pyramid beside the river

and checked our freeboard against a series of three bridges flying at a height of about 3m.

The last lock was easier than we were led to believe, we slid under the footbridge a treat (2.1m), through the lock (hand winding guillotine – yuk) and up into what looked like a huge pond. .

Turning left we headed towards town, along an immaculate stretch of waterway passing an EA weed clearer up to his waist in water, canoes further on, on the left, and attractive brick and stone town buildings on the right.

Passing under the first bridge we cruised as far as the second and moored at an empty town quay. In fact there’s no sign of another boat above the lock. Where is everyone?

Shopped in town for those little things and back to our lonely spot amongst the trees, outside up-market apartments.
Wondering if we had made a mistake, we were in two minds about leaving and tying up to the island near the lock but in the nick of time another narrowboat “nb.Periwinkle” joined us and the sun came out so that settled it, we would stay.

Mike from nb.Hyperion called from the River Weaver to talk boat stuff and Pat followed that with a picture of Rusty, their new addition. Sounds like they’re having fun over there in the west.

30th August 2006
After a surprisingly quiet night next to Bedford Town centre we slipped away early (9:30am) and pottered downstream to GOBA moorings north of Cardington Lock.

Bedford behaves much like any other town in the evening with small children running about until 6pm, a quiet 30 minutes followed by older kids making noises until 9pm and then a gradual hush descends with the occasional hollering and police siren somewhere in the distance.

At 11am we’d only just settled into coffee and chocolate covered coconut munchies (yummy) when nb.Ivy May crept up on us. They’d been back to March, had their bottom blacked (the boat) and are now off on another cruise with friends, destination Bedford.
V went for a walk and found Tesco just behind the trees and came back loaded with goodies including new wine glasses. Our last set (Ikea) had gone the way of the bin, it usually happens at the kitchen sink. The new ones (Tesco value) look tougher than the last lot. Just need some wine now.

Today’s gripe – why can’t anglers take their rubbish home with them after a day on the river bank? Someone had been kind enough to bag the beer cans but there was still plenty of evidence in the form of paper coffee cups, muffin remains, sandwich and chocolate bar wrappers.
They eat better than we do some days.
We did the decent thing and gathered it up for the bin at Bedford Marina tomorrow.

Sun came out and Ivy May cruised back down river from Bedford. It’s peaceful, the swans have entertained us with their youngsters, but the fish are all asleep. It’s been a wonderful experience cruising the Gt.Ouse and its tributaries, a completely different life to the canals. We hope this place remains unspoilt and if anyone starts an “Anti Milton Keynes to Bedford Link Campaign” we would consider joining.

Ely - Cambridge - Ely

14th August - Ely
Met No.1 daughter Kathryn at Ely railway station and shopped in town before preparing for our one week cruise with her to Cambridge and back.

It might be too late for this year but bought one of those stainless steel barrel barbeques. The legs on our old barby had gone all wonky (sounds like me) and we’d seen these shiny compact jobs on boat roofs and they looked the perfect replacement. We knew Millets sold them last year but our searches were in vain until we found the last one on a shelf in Ely.

The first thing we do when anyone joins us for a few days is empty the holding tank so we backtracked to the edge of town and did the necessary at the pump-out facility. Two other boats arrived before we could get away and as it was their first time at this delicate operation I couldn’t resist the invitation to join them. The workings of pipes, tanks and cassettes has always had its fascinations. For those with an interest in the dark side we are trying the yeast tablet treatment as an alternative to Loo Blue. The cassette will “get it” first and if that works then we’ll risk the main tank.

15th Ely to Cambridge.
Under grey skies we took a very pleasant cruise down the River Cam through green carpeted waters

and under smartly painted bridges.

Passing boat houses, and wall to wall residential boats or Cam Conservator’s “No mooring” signs

we found just one space left for us at the end of the authorised summer navigation.

Nb.Illustrious (which we hadn’t seen since Northampton) turned up at the end of the day to take the place of a plastic boat, right next to an angler with all his paraphernalia. Couldn’t help chuckling as the mooring pins were hammered in right next to the guy’s chair and wet ropes passed over his knees and bait box.

A cool and cloudy day turned to a sunny afternoon. Illustrious didn’t stay so we were left looking at the stern doors of a green boat with a strange looking porthole just above the deck. A while later two green eyes appeared in the hole followed shortly by a black cat which emerged to play on the grassy bank.

He must have visited us after dark because we discovered paw prints all over the roof in the morning.

We found this end of the navigation quite attractive, fairly quiet and close to shops with plenty to do including trying out one’s skills on a Cambridge punt.

Below Jesus Green Lock and its weir, boats come and go all day so it’s worth waiting if all places are taken.

16th
Took on water at Cambridge next to the swimming pool before heading back up the Cam. The services building was not short on notices which we found ambiguous; one has to read all four notices before deciding the best place to connect a water hose.

About three miles upriver of the junction of the Cam and the Great Ouse we turned right, just before the “Five Miles from Anywhere No Hurry Inn” and entered Reach Lode Lock

Just after the lock it’s a tricky left turn and Wicken Fen country. We knew there were club moorings at the end but with hardly any space either side of us, barely 10 feet wide in places, we were glad not to meet anyone coming the other way.

The journey to its terminus was amazing, a winding river through beautiful unspoilt countryside with 360 degree views for a change. We were told to expect remote and very quiet moorings, the sort of place you have to tear yourself away from. It was quite unique and well worth a visit but a nearby National Trust information building ensures a steady trickle of walkers. We counted 37 faces and a tractor in the first hour. Curiosity eventually gets the better of you and after a short walk you discover little gems like this old windpump hidden behind the trees.

17th and 18th
We returned to Ely where the girls left for a couple of days. It was nothing I said.
It rained a lot but ended in a beautiful rainbow which reminded me of the first one (Genesis 9. 8 – 17).

19th
The girls returned, hooray, proper food and early nights again.

No messing about, we cruised back up the Big Ooze and down the Lark to the first moorings on the right.

20th
Time to leave the Lark so while the Archers was on I turned the boat under the 400KV power lines (64 feet wide between the piling) and returned to the moorings for lunch.

Back at Ely we performed the usual with water and waste tanks. Bunkered (sorry, filled the diesel tank) at Ely Marina (53p/ltr) and came to rest outside The Maltings.
Calculated diesel consumption over 48 days as 1.45 litres per hour (majority cruising).

Moored outside The Maltings under the willow trees after seeing the smiley faces, not to mention the display of drinks and nibbles, on a couple of Fox boats.
Plenty of questions and brilliant hospitality by these two welcoming families. Glad we stopped, thanks for the treat you guys. What lovely children.

21st August
Sorry we weren’t up in time the next morning to wish you Bon Voyage. We stayed put and it bucketed down. Wise move (or not) on our part.

Tiny ducklings caught our attention with their tameness and aaaahhh appeal.

But what’s with the black swans? Is there any connection with the strange looking red faced ducks? Similarities in feather and bill colouring and that white beak band has to be more than a coincidence.

We often get asked two questions – why the name Balmaha and how old is the boat?
The answer to the first is she was named after the last merchant ship we sailed on together - “Pass of Balmaha”. And that ship was named after the Pass of Balmaha on the east side of Loch Lomond in Scotland.
The second answer is 8 months, to the day. She was delivered on the 21st December 2005 at Hanbury Wharf by Sandhills Narrowboats, near Redditch. Apart from wishing we had another 30 feet in length and a cellar or attic we wouldn’t change a thing about her.

Pass of Balmaha 1980

Pass of Balmaha 2006

You can see more of the ship at www.merchantnavy.btinternet.co.uk

5th August – Time on our hands.

A little routine painting and brass cleaning was in order before we headed back to Ferry Meadows to meet family (Ter and Claire). Under a cloudless sky it was hot and sticky and no one wanted to do much so the men slept while the ladies walked and talked.

6th August
After cooked brekkies (a perk when having visitors stay over) we cruised back up the Nene to Alwaston to savour the scenery, relax, tease the fish with sliced bread and return to Peterborough via Ferry Meadows. There was just time to top up the water tank ready for the journey to Norfolk and tie up next to nb.Silver Fox before evening fell. We had eaten and were settling down for an early night when we were visited by the dreaded black and yellow police helicopter.

Round and round it went before plopping down on the grass next to us. Just about to get a complex about this when they flushed their clients from the bushes and departed to leave us to enjoy the rest of our night.

7th August – Peterborough via Stanground Lock to March. “The Middle Levels”.
Arrived at Stanground Lock at 11am as prearranged, expecting a 10 minute transit onto the Middle Levels but found a problem. No one was going anywhere because last night’s night-life had passed through and done their worst. Concrete slabs from the steps next to the lock were now in the water behind the lock gates. With the gates firmly jammed a rescue crew had been summoned from March and a 5 hour delay announced. However, a friendly EA team were on the scene in minutes and the water was cleared inside the hour. Applause, praise and a whip-round from the five waiting boats was in order for the men who braved the water to pull out the concrete slabs.

From here on it was mile upon mile of straight and flat waterways that went as far as the eye could see

with the boredom broken by the occasional WW2 pillbox or wind generator farm.

A welcome stop at the town moorings at March saw three of the five boats from Salter’s Lode tie up together for the evening.
A quiet town, apart from the church bell at 7am and something thrown onto Mr. Plastic just before that, we found the shops really useful and stocked up while we could.

8th August – March to Salter’s Lode.
A slightly more interesting cruise today as we chanced upon Basingstoke Canal friends Dave and Sue on nb.Daisy V just after Upwell. Both Upwell and Outwell will go down in my diary as supplying the first conkers and damsons of the year. They were hard to avoid as their branches thwacked the roof of the boat on our way through. I’m afraid the garden shears went into overdrive on this occasion.

9th August
An 8:30am passage was booked through Salter’s Lode, behind our friendly plastic boat. There was nothing to do but wait for the Great Ouse’s water level to drop to allow us headroom under the lock’s steelwork.
We had walked the river banks last night at low tide to remind ourselves where and how big the mud banks were. This morning there were none to be seen, the river looked innocent enough and we can understand why boaters cut corners going in and out of Denver Sluice
There were questions over the boat's length, surely it was far longer than 60 feet. Oh no says I, but we were sat there on the diagonal and only just fitted in under the silly walkway that protrudes into the lock from the lower gates. I wondered if boaters heading for the IWA Festival next year were aware that a 60 footer was only just accommodated.
And another thing, the lock keeper reckons he can't take 70 footers anymore because the Gt Ouse won't drop low enough to match the Middle Levels where they used to open both sets of gates at the same same time. Reason is EA haven't dredged the Gt.Ouse and so the outgoing water never drops low enough before the incoming tide pushes it back up the river.

It all seemed very serious when given a good talking to by the lock keeper on how to miss a number of silt banks and not made easier by an increasingly fresh breeze, the tide against us and gathering rain clouds.

As two sea going boats came down river and passed in front of us on passage to King’s Lynn our green flag went up and we raced out of the shelter of the lock onto the ebbing Ouse and within a few hundred yards into the shelter of Denver Sluice.

Alongside Mr Plastic we endured a buffeting in the lock as we rose to the higher level of the non tidal Great Ouse and then we were off again, heading south into a new country.
After much hanky waving we parted company with our plastic friends and headed left up the River Wissey towards Stoke Ferry. Some previous knowledge of the area by car had given us some familiarity with the area but the odorous sugarbeet factory had us beat (well, me at least) and I was compelled to go below deck with a bucket to hand.

That apart, the river was as pleasant as any we’d seen, wider than expected and very quiet. Stoke Ferry was going to be our lunch stop but there was nowhere to put our 60 footer so winded at the end of navigation and ate on the hoof during
the passage downstream.

Forgotten just how noisy Norfolk can be, with pairs of fighter planes from Lakenheath or Mildenhall buzzing us at low level.

Finally we hove to at the GOBA moorings (Great Ouse Boating Association) close to the junction of rivers Wissey and Great.Ouse. We were joined by nb.Ivy May who had followed us from Salter’s Lode.

10th August
Bid farewell to Bob and Jenny on nb.Ivy May as they cruised off on the Ouse and the River Lark.
Bit of a shock to hear of “alleged” air travel bomb plots and their knock on effect to roads and rail. We were relieved to hear that Al, our son in law who was flying that morning, had managed to get away more or less as planned.

11th August
Explored the Lark down to Isleham Marina to look for GOBA moorings. Began to feel uneasy as we crept at snails pace between the boats, attracting strange looks from the residents. Departed when it became obvious that we had been fed duff information and after swapping news with Ivy May at the nearby lock we realised that these moorings were no more.
Being so close to the end of navigation we turned and headed back to Prickwillow for the evening.

Passed an interesting house which it is alleged was once a windmill for draining the fens.

Talking of drains, we found the Drainage Engine Museum at Prickwillow very interesting. There’s much to recommend an hour here, with a sit down video, a walk around enormous diesel engines (love one of these in our boat) and chance to view photo albums capturing the museum’s origins. The museum’s café is womanned by the same lady who takes your £3 entrance fee, starts the video and serves you in the little souvenir shop. We also learned that because of the fens drainage "the fen's ground level drops the height of a man over the life of a man".

12th August
It rained solid, couldn’t do a thing all day. Ivy May had drawn up in front and we must have looked pitiful, two narrowboats battened down and pelted by rain for 24 hours.

13th August - The day the sun came out.
Water levels had risen 6” to 9” overnight and water was lapping at the 1” board that topped the piling along the EA moorings. With the boat so high against the river bank it was easy to inspect the state of the lower hull and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to slap black paint on the sides.

As soon as the weather signs looked promising Ivy May was off, generally heading south. We would be heading in the same direction later, but you’re never quite sure if you’ll meet up again.

Set off after lunch down the Lark and onto the great Ouse bound for Ely. By the time we got there the sun was up to full strength and spaces to park a 60 foot sewer tube were limited. Took the last space on the town quay right in front of The Maltings pub/restaurant/cinema hoping the night clientele would be kind to us.
Everything we did was closely watched by ice-cream eaters so we sat out on the stern with a glass and turned our backs on them.
Caught a wave from Mr. Plastic with his two girls, never did find out who they were but we had become very good friends.

Spiders and flies in the boat we are used to all year round, but this must be the season for earwigs. How they get in I do not know but they have started appearing on the floor, on the ceiling, under the rear sliding hatch and in the bath towels on the radiator. How long before they find the bed?

31st July - Moved from Denford to Thrapston (technically Islip). Walked up town (Thrapston) – called in at the garden and farm shop in Midland Road (left at 1st mini r’about) This is a small but handy hardware shop that sells the usual tools, nails (great for boats), glue and more interestingly, airguns.
The Co-op supermarket (up main street and left at lights) suited our needs for food supplies but there’s not a lot else to see apart from a library and Barclays Bank.
Called in at the council offices at the traffic lights and asked if they could put a rubbish skip somewhere handy for boats – they didn’t want to know.
I am now determined to ask every time we visit Thrapston. The Co-op has recycle bins but not even the smallest rubbish bin. If I’d known Monday was their dustbin day I’d had left the lot on someone’s doorstep.

Met Pete and Sue on nb.Kingfisher at the moorings, local people with loads of interesting stories, kept us amused for ages. They were replaced later by John and Joan on nb.Jay – Bees who gave us tips on all sorts of things.

Tuesday 1st August - Heard there was a market so wandered up to find half a dozen stalls on the side of the road. Difficult to find anything of interest so bought a birthday card and veg and dived into the coffee and cake shop opposite when showers threatened us. This holds an interesting display of wartime aeroplane models, books and reprints of old postcards up the steps at the back.

Best bit about today was leaving three carrier bags of rubbish in the street bins as suggested by Thrapston’s Council advisor lady.
Thought I was somehow scoring a point until it was pointed out that the bin was in Islip not Thrapston.

Change of plan - No.1 son called to say he had a problem with his car so he won’t be here today. There’s nothing to keep us so we slipped our moorings, scraped the roof underneath the Nine Arches Bridge and charged off down the Nene.

Apparently we can call it the Nene now rather than the Nen because pronunciation officially changes at the bridge.

Moored at Ashton Lock near Oundle, a lovely quiet backwater just above the lock. The grass bank has recently been mown but no signs to say who is keeping the place tidy.

Wed 2nd Aug. Happy Anniversary K and A.

Moved off on a very windy day with threatening rain all through the journey. Scenery was lovely despite dark clouds over us. Fields of hay, roly-poly straw bales and occasional church buildings draw the eye from the river to the villages in the distance.
:

Bumped into nb.Doha as we flew out of Perio lock trying to avoid the drips of water from the guillotine. They had a website we stumbled on 3 years ago while researching narrowboats (URL: http://www.nbdoha.co.uk/index.htm).

Finally we arrived at Wansford station (Nene Valley Railway) after 6 hours (a 4 hour journey according to the book).

Saw the train leave and arrive back in ¾ hour. The fella in the signal box eyed us as we eyed him, wondered what he must be thinking about rivers and narrowboats.

Thursday 3rd – very windy and constantly threatening to rain but didn’t. Left Wansford station early and arrived at Ferry Meadows in time for elevenses.
A beautiful location, made better by fewer visitors due to lousy weather.

Surprised to see a new clutch of ducklings, hardly bigger than eggs, this must be a second or third brood of the year. Got on with a scheduled oil change (750 engine hours) and the sun came through as predicted.

A “Foxy” hire boat made sure we weren’t sleeping after lunch by ramming the other side of our pontoon. A miracle nothing left the shelves and another miracle their boat didn’t mount the walkway and finish up in our laps. Seems they wanted to ensure the wind didn’t affect their docking procedure. Nothing was said outside their boat but it was funny seeing them one at a time wander up and down checking for collision damage.

A stroll was called for before our evening meal which took in the giant wood carvings, stone pillars and a busy rabbit population. We found the wild life tame and inquisitive, counting ducks, swans, geese, coots and, at 7pm, rats. Frisky after being cooped up for two days with cold winds and rain, the rats positively leapt in the evening sunshine. Climbing shoreside rocks, shrubs and retaining walls they scooted back and forth. Our windows and doors stayed firmly closed that night.

Friday 4th – the wind abated and the sun was trying to get through the clouds. Checked the roof and was glad to find only duck footprints. Their 4am quacking and padding up and down the steelwork wasn’t joined by scratchy rat claws.

Talked to the park ranger, it seems we can moor at the trip boat’s pontoon if the other 4 places are full because the park’s trip boat no longer operates. It’s a bit short for a 60 footer but better than nothing.

Leaving the 24hr max stay at Ferry Meadows we pushed on towards Peterborough. It was easy to tell we were close to town by the number of supermarket trolleys in the water. In one place there were trolleys on top of trolleys, surely we were close now? If there was any doubt at all we had confirmation in the floating fridge.

Round the next corner we saw railway bridges, floating restaurants and a delightful waterside park.

After using the facilities (pump-out and water) we came to rest at the town quay where we were serenaded by three old men sitting on a park bench under the willow trees. By midday, after four attempts at “Only Sixteen” they went home (or maybe back to Asda for more happy juice).

The Fox hire boat caught us up and used the facilities and we were glad it wasn’t windy and that we’d moved well away from the water taps. As it happens they needed help in understanding pump-outs, seems no one had told them how to perform this delicate operation.

A trip up the town sorted out the rations for the weekend and after tonight on these moorings we’ll move back up the Nene before the weekend sets in.