Part 4 - Chapter 3(1)

"It was just a ten-minute wait at the top of Watford Locks,

after which we descended quickly."

Weltonfield Marina

"We moored about half a mile below Buckby Locks, had lunch, and stayed on."

Awaking to another fine, sunny morning, with only the occasional sound
from the railway a few hundred yards away to break the silence,
we got off to a lazy start towards Blisworth Tunnel...

"We were starting to tan under a clear sun as we moved on to

the village of Blisworth, which seemed to be a likely spot for shopping."

"On a sad note, Terence, of Canal Arts, and the teacher at the Roses and Castles

painting course Grace was attending there, was the victim

of a burglary just the previous morning. 

"There was the perfect mooring for us close to Stoke Bruerne wharf,

and we tied up for the weekend."

"The weather was the best so far, the wharf was alive with boaters and other visitors..." 

Charlie the Trip Boat

The Canal Art class

"By the end of the second day, she'd produced an accomplished,

complete panel of Roses and Castles in a traditional style."

"We descended the locks solo in warm, breezy weather and continued towards Milton Keynes."

"The Grand Union from here on is wide, almost river-like. "

A fabulous mural...

....several hundred feet long!

"We somehow missed the left turn at Cosgrove Lock..."

"We came to a lovely, isolated spot by bridge 75,

to the north-west edge of the town, where we spent the night.

"We moved on under blue sky with fluffy, white clouds,

and the sun burning down through the gaps."

"...the ubiquitous neglected boats, listing under the weight of water

where water shouldn't be, windows broken, cratch covers in shreds,

hulls looking as if they've lost a paintball war."

Our flowers were doing well on the roof.

"We smiled again as we passed The Globe Inn, which we'd last visited

on the last weekend of December 1998. It was our 25th wedding anniversary,

and we'd hired a boat for a long weekend."

"As we left the southern-most reaches of Leighton Buzzard, we were more than a

little surprised to see a pair of Mandarin Ducks with a chick at the canalside."

"A huge white lion carved into the hillside indicated the site of Whipsnade Zoo."

"As we entered Slapton Lock, along came NB Great Britain,

and we shared the next five locks with them."

A steam boat!

A veritable floating garden!

The wool boat

"It wasn't raining now, but it was noticeably cooler than the day before.

We ascended Seabrook Locks, then Marsworth Locks 37 and 38."

Marsworth double locks

Old BW yard, Bulbourne Junction

"I wandered back up the towing-path to take a look at The Grand Junction Arms,

and booked a table for five for Sunday week, when we'd be back there,

meeting up with Jess, Steve, Naomi and Eddie for a few hours."

"We descended Cowroast Lock, and approached Dudswell Lock

just as the crew of a solo boat in the lock were closing the gates behind them."

"A couple of blasts of our horn stopped them, and Kantara slipped in alongside them."

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