Rain Stopped Play

It was another leisurely start on our push towards the capital this morning.

I presume 'The Griffin' is a Fullers pub somewhere ...



Some really lovely lock settings around these parts ...

We were going to try to get through Hemel Hempstead but once we looked at the Guide realised it could be a tad optimistic today - there is lock after lock after lock in these parts.

It wasn't as warm as yesterday so we thought we should get through quite a few locks OK.  Once again we were on our own, but, as usual now, I jump off the boat to give Elaine a hand with the gates and paddles.  There is a bit more mucking about in the double locks, especially going downhill ... I just use the centreline round a bollard to stop the boat moving back and getting hung on the cill. 

C'mon jump aboard ...

Love the tractor tracks through the crops ...

Still hugging the west coast mainline, it will be strange to get on the K&A and see trains other than Virgin ...

Coming into Berkhamsted ...

Strange building ...

It took a fair while to get through the locks with most having to be reset - as a lot of them have to be left empty with a paddle raised.   Also some locks had anti-vandal devices fitted (a new anti-vandal design down here - using a BW key - much better than those up north!).  I can't imagine any scrotes in Berkhamsted though, it seems such a nice place!

It also has a good selection of pubs ...

Loved this one - it was very patriotic, plus children are not allowed but dogs are welcome!

Double click on the pic to read the small print ...

Only problem is it's a fast day...noooooooooooooooooo!

Down we go ...

Why aren't we stopping?

 

Nice garden ...

We just about cleared Berkhamsted when we decided to stop and eat a lettuce leaf.
I don't quite know what happened, but we sat down for a bit and both fell asleep!! By the time we woke up it was pissing down, so that was it ... we will stay put for the night and watch the remainder of Mad Dogs on the DVD.  We started watching the series on the plane on the way over last year and we have only just gotten around to buying the DVDs!

Narrowboats, Locks and Ducklings Don't Mix

Yet another warm sunny day ... already this summer has been lots better than last year.

We left last night's mooring at 10.30 am - can't rush these things!



Under a nice bridge and into the first lock of the day, Horton Lock ...

The Whipsnade Chalk Lion, it was a very hazy day so I thought it wasn't too bad a shot on the new camera ...
.


Not sure which lock it was, but there were a couple of boats waiting to come down ... they had let a couple of boats out and were holding the gates open up for us.  Just as I was entering the lock one of the ladies said,  'watch out there a couple of duckings between your boat and the side of the lock.'  I looked down the side ... they were seconds from being squashed, so a good hit on the bow thruster allowed them to come back down the length of the boat.  Mum and the rest of the ducklings were outside the lock going mental - calling to them!  Tragedy averted!

Another good reason to have a bow thruster, it saves lives.

Here is Bombo telling them off ...

There they go ...

Elaine had a bit of a steer ...

Bombo was looking ahead for any approaching boats!

The Llama is a quadruped......Llamas are dangerous...

If you see one where people are swimming shout ...'Watch out there are Llamas'

This boat had over-engineered aerial support - it was held up with scaffolding poles ... I don't think it was Waiouru?

One swing bridge today, which Elaine said was very hard to open and close ...

I dont think OHS would approve of the stance ...

Check out those gluts ...

El here ... he is a cheeky bugger - forgive the pun!  That swing bridge was soooo hard to get going - it needed pure push / pull power !


It was a hard day for the doggies in the heat ...

Answers on a postcard please?

no idea what this is

Another love rock left on a lock - guerilla rocks !

Now I know that widebeams very rarely move, but this is ridiculous ... this one had been reclaimed by the forest!

Very, very nice canalside cottage ...

Elaine and her lock wheeling buddy ...

Nice bit of vegetation ...

After fifteen locks we cruised through Tring Summit ...



Elaine crashed on the cockpit floor after all the locks on a HOT day.  Sammie, who had been sleeping inside the cabin most of the day, sprang into action, licking Elaine to death!  Bombo had been awake all day and accompanied Elaine on all the locks, so he was buggered ...

Let me steer.... 

You cant reach the tiller short arse! 

Oh I do enjoy having fun with the blog...talking animals!!

All in all a very enjoyable day.  We never thought the scenery would be so stunning down south ... we thought we had left it all up north.

It's A New Camera!

The old Lumix G2 camera has been playing up lately, as in just won't start up instantly but does eventually - by which time my photographic opportunity has passed !  I threatened to bin it in Milton Keynes so what did it do?  Yes, it worked perfectly, that is until we were well outside MK!  Luckily my niece, Kimberley stayed on the boat overnight and she offered to drive me in to buy a new camera this morning.  I wanted to buy a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40  ... a couple of the bloggers use it and seem to get good results - it has got a good 20x optical zoom, and with the old camera I had to change the lens. Long story very short I bought the last one available in MK!

So back to today, with a few random shots - playing with the zoom!

A duck.  He was swimming in the Serpentine, and we were at Leighton Buzzard, not bad eh!



Had to stop at Tesco Leighton Buzzard. Look how close we were...the shopping trolley's wheels locked just past the goodbye sign.

More kitty litter being loaded aboard ...

Not sure what this handsome beast was.  I managed to lop his head off - I did like the viewfinder on the old camera - it is a bit hard to see the screen on this new one when the sun is out!

These two swans were in the full lock ... we had to lock them down and then they waited patiently for Elaine to open the gate for them!

A Fullers pub, a sign we are getting closer to London.

Duck came along for a ride ...

Elaine couldn't jump the gap, this kind chap from the lock cottage shut the gate for her.
(El here ... I have to say that the gap looks nothing here but I had shut the far gate and the other one started to open itself up ... so it was actually quite wide and the gate was still opening itself, so I am not such a woos as he would have you believe !)

A rare shot of Bombo smiling ...

 

We moored for the night at Slapton (Great Name).  We met up with Richard and Yulia who we met last week on a hire boat, as they live nearby. We went up to The Carpenters Arms in the village for a few drinks and dinner.  Really good night in a good old English pub.  It never ceases to amaze me that most of the locals come in for a drink after 10 pm ... it just doesnt happen back in Oz (in our age group) they are all in bed by then!

Happy with the new camera so far ... just got to learn to drive it proper-like.  Oh and it seems so small!

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 !