Thursday 20 August 2009

Bella in the Buckby flight

We set out from Weedon at 9 this morning, making our way to moor up in the pound between Buckby top lock and the next down - between locks 8 and 7 of the Buckby flight on the Grand Union east of Northampton. This is where we thought we'd set out for last Friday and we ended up in Bugbrooke instead! We needed to moor up by 1pm, as Elizabeth had a telephone appointment, and even with stopping at the bottom lock for a visit to the Chandlery and cafe for coffee, we moored up easily by 12:30.

The way up the flight, we were joined by Goldeneye - a frustrated Bond Girl presently working for British Waterways. She was pushing a barge of clay being used to fill holes in the canal sides. Having the very open barge at the front presented quite a risk, we were told. Should the water from the upper pound be released too quickly into the lock, the water rushes and can fill the barge - making it sink! Apparently this has happened a bit much for the liking of the BW worker who joined us in working locks.

As this is written, we are basking in a bright day day and being severely buffeted about by winds with gusts up to 43mph. Rosemary has already fallen over and been restored to rights, and we have pushed the rest of the garden into a heap so each pot can support the other. Pete is listening to Cricket. The phot of the little shop is the canal side shop with canal stuff just by lock 8. Elizabeth has frequently wanted to stop here and today, achieved it! Two ice creams and a new oil lamp are the evidence. Well, the ice creams are no longer in evidence.