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THIS WEEK AT THE LOCKS

Good day peeps, a fairly interesting week this week. Firstly on Thursday volley Jane and I were a little perplexed, not difficult at my age, with the lack of boats coming up the locks. Was it something I had said in a previous blog or had Tesco's in Rugby got a double points offer on. Anyway just before lunch time a boat came through and the lady got of the boat to come and work the locks. "Were the first boat to get past" she said and obviously noticed the dumb look, or should that be dumber look, on my face so went on to explain that a tree had come down across the canal in the Brinklow area. This had held up about 50 boats until the valiant crew had arrived and made short work of it with their chainsaws.

"That explains our quiet morning then" I said "I expect we'll be having a rush now". "It wasn't too bad " she said "we all tied up for the night and spent a pleasant evening talking to each other". You see that's what boating is all about.

Anyway shortly afterwards we started to get the rest of the delayed boats and finished off with a fairly busy Thursday clocking 51 boats in all. Friday saw us back to our normal busy schedule again helping over 50 boats including a lot of beginners, who hopefully, we managed to send on their way a little more confident.

One interesting couple to come down the locks were a young couple who had just purchased their boat and were on their way back to their home mooring. During the general chat as we waited for the locks to empty it was mentioned that they were heading for Loughboro. The young man must have seen my puzzled expression and asked that worrying question "are we going the right way, we've come from Leamington and when I got to Braunston I turned left onto the Grand Union".

It was at this stage I had to inform him that unfortunately he had turned onto the Oxford canal and yes he could get to Loughboro this way but I thought it would be shorter and quicker if he had turned RIGHT onto the Grand Union and gone off that way. After a conflab we all decided that that would be the best option and indeed was his original plan but failed when he got his left and right mixed up. No problem, a quick nine point turn and back into the locks heading for Braunston. I did point out to him that this time when he got to Braunston don't turn right or you will end up back n Leamington. Lets hope he remembered.

As a point of interest to travel to Loughboro basin from Hillmorton down the Oxford and through Hawkesbury is 86 miles and 40 locks. To travel through Braunston is 68 miles and 60 locks. So overall I don't suppose there's a lot in it.

Our "ERB" garden is still waiting for top soil if anyone knows of a pile lying around.

That's it peeps I will be out and about on the good ship ANITU this coming week so give us a wave if you see us. (Lets hope there are some lock keepers about).

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