Hedgerow Jottings: A Fifty Squawk Salute

Flore Wharf

Morning Jotters

The sun is finally shining and the waterways are alive with boaters, walkers and anglers – this is more like it. Everyone we meet is waving and smiling as our boat swishes along through the sparkling water, it's a very different picture from last weekend, when we slogged back up the Northampton Arm in arctic conditions! You may remember that the last time I wrote we had taken a berth in Northampton Marina in Beckett's Park. There were lots of benefits to marina life - it's only a short walk from the bustling town centre with theatres, cinemas and supermarkets close by but we were woken every morning at goose 'o' clock and we soon got tired of that! Everyone (except the geese) was very welcoming but we do much prefer to be cruising. After several days of rain, we abandoned any hope of ever getting out onto the Nene and press-ganged our friend Ed to assist us back up the locks to Gayton. Last Sunday we waved goodbye to the gawping geese, who gave us a 50 squawk salute as we high tailed it back under South Bridge and through the first of the 17 locks out of Northampton. We did notice that the red flag was flying to indicate a strong stream but Carl said it was OK as the swans weren't swimming backwards so we ignored it and set off anyway. (ElfnSafety Warning - do not under any circumstances ignore the red flag especially if the swans are swimming backwards!) With Ed and I on the windlass and Carl on the tiller, we made good time to the top and we waved our frozen friend off thinking he would probably never want to go boating again. Thanks for your help Ed and come again soon now that the weather's improved – no more locks, I promise!

The New Inn, Buckby Top Lock

This week we have cruised from Gayton back to Market Harborough - a route that is very familiar to us, but one that we never tire of. We lingered in our favourite spots - by the badger sett near Bugbrooke and in the beautiful village of Flore, hoping for the heatwave that was forecast but still needing to keep the stove lit in the meantime. We revisited the pretty village of Nether Heyford where there is a very friendly butcher, a village shop and a canal side coal merchants where we picked up more coal – it may be hot and sunny today but we've been caught out before! We endured another morning of rain on Wednesday and set off when the first hint of blue sky appeared and the sun peeked through. Of course, we were too eager and we'd hardly set off before it threw it down again, soaking us all to the skin. We put the brolly up and carried on but when a gust of wind blew it inside out, we decided enough was enough and moored up for shelter. As soon as Carl had the pins hammered in, it stopped raining and the hot sun beat down on the steaming roof – typical English spring weather! We cast off again and chugged off to tackle the Buckby flight of broad locks with the promise of our supper in the New Inn as a reward. I should mention that I've been suffering with a sore foot and Google tells me I have Plantar Fascitiis so by the time I'd walked the dog, walked up the Buckby flight and then to the pub and back I was wishing I'd got something stronger than Paracetamol. I managed to limp along till we got to Crick where I paid a small fortune for a pair of very tight socks with no toes in and a gel pad in the heel. The box said they were 'Unisex' but I doubt they'd look right with a pair of Jimmy Choo's! Still, they did the job and I'm happy to report that I'm springing about like a new lamb who's heard someone shout 'mint sauce' (cheeky face emoji)

South Kilworth mooring

We tried out a new mooring on Friday, this one by the road bridge in South Kilworth with a sign that points the way to the village pub 'The White Hart' - an optimistic 15 minute walk away. The Rhubarb Gin and Dry Ginger would have been worth the walk but, luckily for us, we were collected in style by our friends, for which my foot is exceedingly grateful.

Buckby Sheep Field

That nasty tunnel at Husbands Bosworth got us again on Saturday morning - this time, there was a fallen tree across the canal at the tunnel entrance and a queue of 3 boats waiting to go through. An enterprising boater sawed a passage through and we were soon on our way - well done that man! The trip to Foxton was made entertaining by a day boat full of young people who followed us through the tunnel then roared up behind us and hooted till we pulled in to let them pass. I have no comment to make about their behaviour on the grounds that it might make me sound like a moaning old pensioner! And so, once more, we arrive at the top of Foxton Locks and squeeze into a mooring just before bridge 60.

Today, the azure blue of the skies makes a breathtaking contrast with the swathes of fresh green meadow land and the almost blinding yellow of the flowering rape fields, overnight Summer has burst through without waiting for that slow-coach Spring to get going. Someone blew the May whistle and out popped bluebells, cow parsley and dandelions along the hedgerows and the lovely lilacs joined the fading cherry blossom to decorate the gardens. I used my Collins guide to name a few of the most common wild flowers that I see every day - red campion, garlic mustard and speedwell are prolific but I'm on a mission to find something more unusual like yellow rattler or round-headed rampion. In my youth we had the Ladybird I-Spy books, nowadays I suppose there will be an 'App. I need all the help I can get as the Collins guide isn't always very helpful when you've no idea what 'glumes' are - still, it's a fairly harmless hobby and I don't need

any specialist equipment, so I'll persevere.

Cowslip

That's all from our delightful mooring at Bridge 6 on the Harborough Arm. The solar panels are finally fixed into their new position and Carl will no doubt be thinking of his next job which is to paint the cabin sides. It's a big job and will require a minimum of 2 weeks of settled weather - it didn't happen last year, fingers crossed for this year.

Love from

The Floating Chandlers

PS The first ducklings and goslings have finally appeared along with the swallows, thank goodness it's warmed up for them.

PPS the cream roof is definitely keeping us cooler.