Hedgerow Jottings: Loving the Leicester Ring

Kibworth Top Lock

Morning Jotters

I started the Jottings a day early as we were pinned down by the wind below Double Rail Lock near Kilby Bridge. The hurley-burley of Foxton Locks is far behind us now, we are making the long run through Leicester and have seen the grand total of 3 moving boats in 2 whole days - where is everyone? Perhaps they’re put off by the weather and, like us, have tied up, until it settles from gusty to merely breezy. The wind whistled in through the cratch cover and down the chimney and rattled the paraphernalia that we keep on the roof, which woke me up several times during the night and I was glad to snuggle down under the double duvet and be rocked back to sleep. We had intended to be moored in Birstall by Sunday, but after a long day of 12 locks and a tunnel on Thursday, we only managed two locks on Friday and on Saturday, we stayed put altogether. . Apart from the wind, it was a nice day on Saturday, so I consulted google maps and found a Co-Op within easy walking distance across the fields. It’s not everyone’s idea of a day out, a trip to the local convenience store, but I was very happy browsing the shelves and humming along to ‘Co-Op Radio’. Me and another pensioner were warbling away to ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ as we met up by the frozen peas and I was so happy, I accidentally bought a pizza for lunch.

Wistow Church

I can’t tell you why I love boating so much - on the face of it, it’s hard work in all weathers. There are days when the paddles won’t wind up, the gates won’t swing and every lock needs filling. I trip or slither along the tow path depending on the amount of recent rainfall. It’s ages since we had any rain and the tow path is deeply rutted and hard as iron. Tree roots poke up ready to grab your foot as you saunter along, looking at the clouds. Most days, I would be quite happy to lounge by the stove, with nothing in my head except today's ‘Wordle’ puzzle but the Captain has other ideas and once he has uttered the daily mantra ‘Shall I get us going then?’ I know I have until the first lock to get myself ready for the day. Sometimes I dash up top, pulling my jumper on over my birds nest and still in my slippers, muttering to myself as I pull on cold boots and march off to start the day. But once we are chugging along, drinking steaming mugs of coffee as we glide along through the early morning mist, serenaded by birdsong and the splash of water under our hull, watching the world go by at 4 miles an hour, then I remember exactly why I love this boating life!

Carl on the Locks

We have visited Market Harborough many times and we know from experience that there is only one spot that gets any sun and we do like the sun on our panels! The sunny spot was free and I paced it out to make sure we could get in - I need 20 paces to be sure and I only had 19 but I signalled to Carl to come in anyway, with fingers crossed behind my back. The Captain frowned as he chugged up and eyed the gap with a shake of his head. I watched with bated breath as he steered the bows right up to the very last millimetre of the space and our 57 foot boat tucked in inches from the boat behind us. Phew! We were lucky to get that spot and the what3Words location was snuggled.inch.assume. - how very appropriate. It was a lovely day for a stroll into town with our friends Terry and Liz who arrived later that morning. We found a sunny spot, in the courtyard of the Three Swans, and the afternoon sped by as we caught up with their news. We waved them off later and I giggled back to the boat on ‘lastic legs and was suddenly too tired to make us any dinner. Tricky gobbled down her tin of over priced ‘Chicken Terrine’ and then spent the next 2 hours wanting to sit outside on the tow path, looking up and down, waiting for something or someone, She eventually came in and sulked in her bed until Carl gave her another helping of doggie caviar which was apparently what she wanted as she promptly went to sleep and snored for the rest of the night.

Exiting Saddington Tunnel

It’s Sunday today and we awoke to sunshine and a much kinder breeze - I didn’t need any encouragement today to get going. We took our time with the locks, which were all against us for the first hour. Then, our luck changed and the next two locks had gates open, ready for us to go straight in. I was walking the tow path between locks when I met a jogger, who steamed by and threw me a cheery greeting along the lines of ‘ Get out of my f...way’. Charming manners! As if to make up for his surliness, everyone we met after him went out of their way to chat and be friendly. Two lovely chaps opened and closed the gates for us at Whetstone Lane Lock and then, as we approached the last lock of the day, Blue Bank Lock, a horde of kids came thundering along the tow path and threw themselves along the lock arms and opened the gates for us. They were very excited to be able to help and I chatted to their parents as Carl and Tricky were bombarded with excited questions from the children. The gates opened, as if by magic, and I climbed aboard, giving them a toot on our ‘swan horn’ to say ‘thanks’. It more than made up for that grumpy jogger. We’re moored above Kings Lock this afternoon, still in the sunshine and visited the nearby Tea Rooms. We treated ourselves to lunch and a very nice latte, a suitable reward for the 6 locks of the day.

Kings Lock Tea Rooms

That’s all from me for this week, we will be mooring in Birstall for a few days next week and the welcome mat is out for visitors.

Love from
The Floating Chandlers

PS On Tuesday, we visited Harlestone Firs with our friends Richard and Mel and even Tricky perked up and trotted along the trails with something resembling enthusiasm! We popped into the nearby Dobbie’s Garden Centre for refreshments and they have really gone out of their way to make doggies and their owners welcome. There are crates to pop your dog in, so you can collect your coffee without worrying that Rover will gallop off to sample the biscuits in the food department.(eye roll emoji). Fresh water on tap with a selection of clean bowls and a jar full of dog biscuits, it was doggie heaven.