Hedgerow Jottings: Let's Have Some Cake!

Leafy Lock

Morning Jotter

Captain Carl here on jottings duty. Hello again, dear reader. Can you believe it? We're almost into September! I have some exciting dates for you to enter into your diary for the coming month:-

3rd Sept: “Bring Your Manners To Work” Day.

9th Sept: “Buy A Vicar A Beer” Day.

19th Sept: International “Talk Like A Pirate Day”.

Looking ahead, I’m looking forward to 2nd of January, which is “Run It Up The Flagpole And See If Anyone Salutes It” Day.

Early Morning Reflections

Well, so much for the calendar. Back to boating. Last Sunday we were near Debdale Wharf on the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal. We sprang into action on Monday morning, cast off, and were soon approaching Saddington tunnel. This tunnel (like the tunnels at Braunston, Crick and Husband Bosworth) is wide enough for two boats to pass. Having said that, driving a boat through the bowels of the earth without meeting a craft coming the other way is always preferable and today we were lucky – we had the tunnel to ourselves. The tow path on the other side of the tunnel had been reclaimed by Mother Nature and was no longer there. A shame for anyone who might have walked over the hill hoping to rejoin their boat on the other side.

Kibworth Top Lock

Soon after leaving the tunnel we came to Kibworth Top Lock, the first of around forty between us and Sawley, on the River Trent. These are all wide locks and quite heavy work. Usually, wives, girlfriends or mistresses deal with locks. I don’t know why, but there it is. Husbands, boyfriends or paramours are delegated to merely piloting the boat. Linda is no exception to the rule and I often feel guilty, standing at the tiller of the Lady Aberlour, watching Linda heaving on the heavy gates but she insists that's her job!

Down in the Depths of Freeman's Lock

An empty lock chamber is a gloomy place. Dripping walls, strange plants hanging from the bricks and outlandish shrimp-like things squirming here and there. Then the pounding of water as the paddles are raised and the chamber begins to fill. Slowly the boat rises up, buffeted by the sudden turbulence. Eventually the swirling currents subside and the lock is full. The last bit in a nutshell: gate opens, boat comes out, paddles are lowered, gate closed again and crew back on board. Job done. We're always happy to see a boat approaching so we can leave the gates open!

Pound overflowing into the lock.

A few weeks ago I would have called the next paragraph a rant. However, seeing what’s happening in Afghanistan, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be living in England. It would be shameful of me to moan and whinge about petty irrelevances. So the next section is a mere 'observation'.

We've noticed that many parts of the canal network are showing a general air of neglect. Locks crying out for maintenance, paddle-gear broken and gates leaking like sieves. The navigation choked with rushes, reeds and overhanging trees. Protruding brick/stonework by narrow bridges, obscured by brambles and saplings. Some tow-paths totally overgrown, impassable and abandoned; the list goes on. The demise is evident for mile after mile of canal. Maybe this is some sort of “rewilding”. While the concept is admirable, people could be forgiven for thinking that its just an excuse to do nothing, save money and let the canals slowly become silted-up weedy ditches...

Just room to squeeze through!

After travelling through Leicester we arrived in Birstall, where we moored just above Birstall lock. It’s a lovely mooring here, the cutting to one side and the Water Park on the other. Shops are close by, so its a really handy place to stop. There was a social vibe going on, too; on Wednesday afternoon we met up with some friends of ours, Jan and Keith, and enjoyed a couple of hours chatting, drinking coffee and eating some delicious home made cake (thank you Jan!). Coincidently, the next morning was international “see Keith And Jan Again, Enjoy Some Good Company, And Have Some More Coffee And Delicious Cake” Day. So that’s what we did. It was nice to “catch up”.

Birstall Mooring

On Friday, Jean and Eric came over for a visit. The subject of a cruise was broached, put to the vote and, being a unanimous result, we threw the lines off and made our way downstream to Thurmaston. There are nice picnic moorings through Thurmaston lock, but unfortunately they were all taken. Heading further downstream for half a mile we found a secluded place to tie up for lunch. “What’s this?” I thought to myself. Yes, Jean had baked an apple cake! I’ve been thoroughly spoiled. Home made cake for the third day in a row. Living the dream, eh? We had an enjoyable afternoon walking around a nearby lake and finding a handy ice cream van to round off the day. Both Jean and Eric are keen walkers and walked back to their car after tea rather than us take them back on the boat, which was nice of them as it would have been a tight spot to turn in. We'd noticed a gang of youths showing an unhealthy interest in our boat, gawping through our windows as they swaggered by. I didn’t he look of them so as soon as Jean and Eric left, we cast off and found a more “secure feeling” mooring a couple of miles further down the river. Better safe than sorry.

Carl in the Weed Hatch

We were up with a late lark on Saturday morning and wasted no time in getting underway. The weather was disappointing, as it has been most of this week. Cloudy and chilly. We were hoping to moor at Sileby Milll, around two miles and three locks away. Linda got us though Junction, Cossington and Sileby Mill locks and, as luck would have it, there was just space for us to squeeze in behind a wide-beam boat. Phew, close call folks. Then the sun came out and brightened things up.

Sileby Mill

Jim and Elaine, the last of this week’s visitors, arrived yesterday afternoon and we spent several very pleasant hours drinking tea, walking along the riverbank, chatting and laughing. An extremely nice pizza, followed by cheese and biscuits and strawberries for tea. Before we knew it, it was time for our last visitors to leave. Sad face emoji. We left Sileby Mill just after 09.00 this morning and cruised down the river to Bridge 34, which is handy for Loughborough tomorrow and a “big shop”. Next week we will be back on the Trent and Mersey, heading for our new home mooring at Kings Bromley. Linda will be back on the keyboard as I expect it will be the last jotting for a while.

Bye for now, love from

The Floating Chandlers

ps Entertainment this week was provided by numerous day boats let out along the Soar to terrorise everyone with their antics. We were very happy to moor up and hope that we were safe in the lee of the wide beam behind us.