A good day’s work

Saturday 1^st October; Hatton lock 29 to Rowington.

It was sunny but still very chilly when we set off just before 9 this morning.  Easy Going had left about 20 minutes before us, and the other boat that arrived yesterday were just cooking their breakfast so we were on our own.  The locks were, of course, all against us to start with.  At Ugly Bridge I nipped into the garage to get the paper, and where the locks were close enough I walked ahead to raise a paddle.  But generally it was just steady work, one paddle only.  I quickly shed layers and by the time we were half-way up was down to shorts and a t-shirt.  Dave, meanwhile, kept his fleece on as it was jolly cold down in the locks!   We were rising up the lock before ‘the thick’, where there are six locks very close together, when a volunteer appeared with the glad news that boats were approaching and we could leave our top gate open. 

Approaching 'the thick'

The two boats came down, and a couple of locks later there was another.  By now we could see the stern of a boat a few locks ahead of us.  The volunteer had vanished, so no more help for us today.

At the second-to-top lock a cruiser was coming down, a small one, so a yogurt pot rather than a Tupperware like the Thames cruisers.  I said to the crew how we have seen them before and loved their name, Yogurt - she said they’ve reclaimed the name!

Yogurt - rather a dark photo

Easy Going finally waited for us in that lock! But at least we could share the last two.

Nearly there

We took on water above the flight and disposed of rubbish.  I was delighted to see that there are now two bright green recycling bins, on the opposite side of the compound from the normal red rubbish ones.  We moved a little way along and moored up to have lunch, then on we went. 

Into Shrewley

Shrewley Tunnel was, as usual, wet at the northern end so we had our waterproofs on.  I kept mine on as it was getting cold again.  After a while we passed this sad sight, which has been getting sadder by the year.

Nature is winning

We moored in a little patch of sun shortly before Rowington Hill bridge.  A good day today, mostly in the sunshine too.

 5 miles 17 locks