A trifle damp

Friday 14^th July; Stoke Hammond to Campbell  Park

The forecast for today is very poor, with rain forecast to start at 9, but when we got up it was raining already.  So no rush! But then it stopped, so we set off straight away, 8.30 by now.  We could have stayed here for the day, but I would really like to be able to do the Milton Keynes parkrun tomorrow, which means getting to MK for tonight. But it's not far and we should easily be there by lunchtime.  We had half an hour in the dry, and stopped at Willowbridge chandlery for a fuel top-up and some holding tank fluid – we don’t know what the previous owners used, and after a pump-out everything seems to be fine for a week or so but then we start getting unpleasant wafts when the loo is flushed.  I wondered if I needed to use a commercial fluid, though you are supposed not to need it if you manage your tank right, either with no additive, bio washing powder or Ecover toilet cleaner which is what we are currently using.  Anyway, it was raining lightly by now,  intermittently heavier, and we pressed on to Fenny Stratford.  We had originally considered visiting Bletchley Park from Fenny, but didn’t fancy it on a wet day.  A boat was just emerging from the lock, so we didn’t need to open the swing bridge ourselves. 

Fenny Stratford lock

Then the chap who was on the water point, which is below the lock, asked us to leave it open as he was about to follow us through – we had offered to share but he had refused.  We looked round when we were well on our way to see that he had disappeared inside his boat again, much to the annoyance of a pedestrian who had to walk across the gates instead.  I felt cross and a bit guilty too for not just closing it.

You pass under several major road bridges as you wend your way round the edge of MK. These two chaps were enjoying a morning’s fishing as the rain continued, definitely not light now.  The photo is rather fuzzy as I took it quickly to try and keep my phone dry.

Fishing in the dry

We found the mooring on the Newlands side of the canal was all taken, but Campbell Park was free.  It’s a good edge with rings, but it’s where the geese like to hang out, so you need to mind the goose poo when you are mooring up.  Meg had been inside all morning so I gave her 5 minutes play in the park before joining Dave inside to get some warm clothes on.  Our waterproofs had kept us dry but we were getting cold by the time we stopped.

Lawn mowers not minding the rain

After lunch we pulled the mattress off the bed and Dave checked again that the carbon filter on the loo tank was sound, and there were no leaks.  We won't add the fluid I bought till after the next pump-out.  Then we did a few jobs inside and watched the geese who passed by every now and then, pecking assiduously at the grass, as the rain continued and the wind rose.  Eventually we could put it off no longer, got togged up again and took Meg out for an hour’s blast around the park which she thoroughly enjoyed, and so did we really in spite of the weather.  No-one had joined us on the mooring, so there was Bonjour, in solitary state, as we returned.

Billy-no-mates

Finally at about 6 it stopped raining.  The internet signal kept dropping out, so no blog posting today.   This one was posted over a week later.

6 wet miles, 1 wet lock. 1 swing bridge, 0 operated.