Friday 20 September 2013

What a difference a day makes…..

By the time it got dark last night the sky had cleared and it was a pleasant, if chilly evening. 

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This morning we awoke to sunshine and blue skies.  8.30 saw us on our way, a wash load on (Rog was running out of pants!).  Twenty minutes later we were at Hillmorton Locks.  There was a lock ready for us at each of the 3 twinned locks so no delays there, we were up and away in record time.

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Hillmorton on a sunny morning – it doesn’t get much nicer than this!

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On our way to Braunston, I had to get yet another photo of the old railway signal, standing all alone in a field.  A remnant of the old Great Central Railway which closed in 1966, it waits patiently for the trains to come back.

The approach to Braunston seemed strangely quiet – but not for long.  Just before the junction with it’s two iron bridges, just by Midland Diddlers Swindlers  Chandlers, there were several boats all trying to go in different directions.  We stopped until they had sorted themselves out.

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From then on in it was rammed with boats as usual.  Sadly we didn’t partake of our normal bacon and egg sandwich brunch from the Gongoozler’s Rest today, as I have a bit of a dicky tummy at the moment and decided that it probably wouldn’t do it much good.  So onward towards the locks – all moving boats now having miraculously disappeared!  We ascended the first two locks alone, and then spotted a boat waiting in the lock ahead for us, having lost their companions to a single boat ahead of them.  They had 3 crew so we lock-wheeled the rest of the way and again found we had made the ascent in record time.  Then the tunnel, dry for once and we were soon at Norton Junction, having completed the Leicester ring!  We are now moored just onto the Leicester arm, only a couple of boat spaces away from the spot we moored  3 weeks ago on the second night of our trip.  We decided to go for lunch at the New Inn, as we understand it is under new management.  Our lunch was certainly perfectly acceptable pub-grub, and the whole place looked much cleaner and fresher than previously.  Tomorrow will probably be the last day of our trip, down Buckby locks and approximately a 3 hour run for Gayton. 

And finally….. Flocking hell!  A flock of seagulls sharing a field with a flock of sheep!

P9200009 12.75 miles and 9 locks

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