The Three Locks

We took the dogs for a midnight walk around Simpson village before bedtime last night.  When we got back to the boat one of the locals was walking the towpath - he warned us about local thieves nicking stuff from boat roofs.  No worries,we said - nothing up there worth nicking.

So as we left the boat this morning, to get ready for the off, there we found the keys still in the door ... doh!  Ah well, honest thieves around these parts!

Eventually we set off - Elaine walking the dogs for the first couple of miles.  As you can see she had her full summer gear on again, as it was a bit chilly in the early morning air (11.30am)!


Nice canal-side house for sale at Simpson....  

£450,000... not bad I reckon!

Elaine had to carry the dogs past this swan as she was sitting on two eggs and wasn't too impressed with the dogs ... as they weren't with her!

It's the canal-art boat ...

 

 

The unusual Fenny Stratford Lock, which had a swing bridge in the middle of the lock... 

Plus the not-unusual pub on the lockside.

After vacating the lock you have to go back and reset the swing bridge - as apparently the locals cut your
b****cks off if you don't. ... or so we were told!


Aha - fuel boat Beverley ahead. ... great news, except that he doesn't take plastic.  Bugger - we had to say goodbye to all our ready cash!  It was not a bad price though - 89p a litre - it was 99p at the next marina!

Heron about to......

......attack and eat a duck ...

Dogs having yet another hard day ...

Into the very pretty Stoke Hammond lock ...

Then to today's final destination - the Three Locks pub at Soulbury ...

I believe this is where my interest in canals began in the early 60's when we lived in Luton.  My dear old Dad would often ask where we wanted to go to on the weekly Sunday drive in the Ford Consul.  "Let's go to the Three Locks", I would say ... he would always drive us there but always reckoned the beer was warm because they didn't have a cellar!

So there you go, going through here brings back some very fond memories.
My poor old Dad died in 1983, whilst I was in Australia.

My lovely niece, Kimberley came over to see us again tonight, so we all went down the Three locks for dinner.  She is staying the night tonight so she can drive me into Milton Keynes tomorrow morning so I can buy a new camera -  the old one keeps playing up, so I think it will have to go into retirement.  It's about four years old but as we take about 40 pics every day it has done well.

Here is Kimberley feeding the local ducks and ducklings, when we got back from the pub ...
(with the dogs watching on)

 

Hopefully tomorrow's blog will have new and improved photos on it !