Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Wednesday 24 July 2013

24th July '13

No signal last night so unable to post anything. So I'll start with yesterday.

It was hot. Then it rained and we got soaked through. Then the sun came out and we baked again.

While all that was happening we went into a lock with a lovely couple called Bob and Dot on nb Bimble and enjoyed several locks in their company until we got to Berkamstead, where we needed to get some supplies in.


I have to say that the town, or what we saw of it, impressed us. There were flowers everywhere and endless pubs alongside the canal with...wait for it... moorings that were accessible! We moored up against a park and rather than go to the Tesco Express (I needed quite a bit) I threw caution to the wind and went to Waitrose (it was on John's card so why worry I thought). With cupboards and fridge somewhat re-stocked we set off again and met June and Keith on nb Chasewater.

We continued cruising and locking with them until we moored at Cowroast - what a wonderful name! I was glad I'd bought beef-burgers (posh ones) so that we could have them for tea!


I found this amusing, especially since the one before was Sewer Lock and there was a sewage plant in between them. Childish humour I know, sorry.


At Cowroast we were on the Tring Summit and had found several of the pounds very low, almost scraping along the bottom on one of them and this was the state of affairs actually on the summit, which you would expect to be pretty well stocked.

Further along the summit we had to go through an embankment and were plagued by horseflies, even worse than last year on the Macclesfield. John almost ran us aground on several occasions but he did manage to kill a good number of the beasts. Luckily neither of us got bitten, mind you, I took the opportunity to go down and make us a coffee, entirely coincidental I can assure you!

June and Keith left while we were still in bed this morning and so we were very surprised to find them just going into a lock at Bulbourne Junction, only a couple of miles from where we'd moored. Apparently someone had left paddles open and the pounds were very low so CRT had come along and let some water through, which delayed them long enough to have a cuppa and take the dog out for a walk. People may try to get away from us but we catch them again, there's no hiding place from us!

They stopped at lunchtime for the day a few hours before us, so unless they get off very early and we are very late, we are unlikely to meet them again this trip.


The rather attractive former BW building at Bulbourne Junction.


Yesterday we'd passed the place where the old Ovaltine factory had been and had read that the boats used to have their advertising on them, so we were delighted to spot this today.



John spotted this goat peering over the fence at us! Somewhat superscillious we felt.


This is the chalk lion of Whipsnade! We saw it for miles - quite impressive. I've no idea how old it is, but guess it can't be that ancient.

At about this point we were quite close to where the Great Train Robbery occurred. That was in 1963! I can't believe it was 50 years ago, that's really scary.

We decided to moor shortly after seeing the lion and after the canal being full of pilings and places to moor, it suddenly became a jungle, with the tow-path well hidden behind banks of nettles and other growth. Finally we have come to a halt at Grove Lock, which is a mile south of Leighton Buzzard. It's been hot again today with occasional breezes that have made it bearable. I've started soaking a towel in cold water and putting it over Paddy, but he doesn't seem to appreciate it.

We've covered quite a distance and feel that home is, not quite in sight, but certainly getting closer quite rapidly.

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