Hedgerow Jottings: Wedding Curry Versus Birstall Curry

Kings Lock

Morning Jotters

What a perfect day for the Royal Wedding - the sun shone, the bride looked suitably virginal, the music was splendid, the flowers breathtaking, the guests in their finery, crammed into the pews to watch fiery Harry turn to mush as he made his vows - so far so very British! Then the whole event was completely upstaged by Bishop Michael Curry: his rousing sermon vibrated around that historic chapel and made a few upper lips stiffen in surprise. I'm sure his address will be the subject of much discussion and whatever your views, I hope you agree that the wedding was a triumph for our tourist industry. Good Luck to the happy couple, live long and prosper.

Pywell Lock

I'll try to keep off the wedding subject, but everywhere I look, the hawthorn blossom has garlanded the banks with purest white, as if they too are celebrating their nuptials. This year, the blossom is especially splendid after such a long, cold, wet winter and Carl and I are, at last, chugging along in the sun. We've really enjoyed our prolonged stay in Market Harborough, but our feet were itching to get going again. After one last saunter through town, we cast off and turned right at the bottom of Foxton Locks towards Leicester and the delights of the River Soar. The top lock at Kibworth marks the start of a long procession of broad locks down through Leicester and Loughborough to the Trent - a journey that we've done several times but none so memorable as the trip we made in our first boat Moonshine. Some of you may remember the floods of 2007 and we will certainly never forget swirling along the river section between Belgrave and Birstall and shooting through the Thurcaston Old Bridge like a cork from a bottle - Carl earned his Captain's hat that day!

Admiral Tricky

I've been busy with the locks this week but I've found time to click away with the camera trying to capture the splendour of the May blossom - I don't know if I've succeeded but I'll put the best ones on the blog and you can tell me what you think. I am very relieved to report that coots and moor hens have at last been spotted with young and several clutches of ducklings and goslings were happily paddling along the Leicester Mile. I wonder if the cold spring is to blame for the absence of wildlife on the canals - there were hardly any ducks and swans in Foxton, where they usually gather by the pub to be fed, and the Market Harborough Arm was almost totally devoid of wildlife - just a few mallards and no sign of any young. Where have all the country ducks gone? In previous years, we only had to open the hatch to attract a bevy of hungry beaks and the cheeky swans would tap on the hatch as they were passing to see if you were in and had any scraps. I'm glad to say the city ducks seem to have fared better, the stretch from Freemans Lock through the city centre was crowded with swans and geese and the water park here at Birstall is teeming with birds.

Cygnets on the Soar

Doesn't the sunny weather make such a big difference to your mood! Every morning this week, I've been springing out of bed, eager to start the day without needing two cups of coffee before I can be safely approached by the Captain wondering if I'll be getting dressed at all today. When the sun shines, I need no encouragement to get outside and roll up the covers and set off early while the birds are still singing. The tow paths are dry at last and Tricky and I wander along from lock to bridge, slipping back into the boating routine that is so familiar. These perfectly lovely May days are balm for the soul and we chug along through the rolling meadows on the sparkling water feeling very blessed indeed.

I think this is Wistow Church

The Captains Log this week says we have travelled a very respectable 30 miles and 27 locks since last Sunday although we seem to be the only boat travelling this way along the Soar. It's always nice to share the broad locks if you can and we looked out for anyone going our way from our overnight mooring in Kilby Bridge. There was a very friendly New Zealand farmer on the boat behind us and I wandered over to see if they were going our way and to admire his cat which was tethered to the boat on a long lead - a most unusual arrangement but very necessary if you want to be sure of setting off on time, cats do have a tendency to wander off. Unfortunately, he wasn't going our way, but we had a really long chat about how he came to be living on a boat in England. I heard all about his triplet grandchildren and how he first came here to judge pigs at the Yorkshire Show - you do meet the most interesting people living on boats.

NB Maude with their cat on a lead

The last part of the journey through Leicester is a reminder of how grim things can be when the waterway becomes a dumping ground for the locals and a focus for antisocial behaviour. The seats around the Lime Kilns Lock were occupied by a bunch of middle aged men drinking from cans - it looked like a regular meeting place as there were black bin liners hanging on the fence and they were full of empty cans (that's an improvement as they used to just throw them in the water!) The next stretch of water from Lime Kilns to Belgrave was treacherous with rubbish: bags and bottles had clumped together and made a floating platform for a heron to fish from and I marvelled at the tenacity of the local wildlife which made the best of this watery slum - Mother Nature is truly marvellous! Belgrave Lock was not as bad as I've seen it in the past but we still bow hauled the boat through the lock rather than risk Carl having to get down in the weed hatch. Tonight, we are moored in a delightful spot above Birstall Lock with the village amenities close at hand and the luxury of our favourite Indian Restaurant just a short stroll away. Shirley - Anne, if you are reading this, we are moored by the lock where we first met you and Mike and we have been thinking about our trip together and wondering if you're coming over to England again anytime soon?

That's all for this week from us both – enjoy the sun and I'll write again soon

Love as always

The Floating Chandlers

PS I had to trim my fringe this week, out on the tow-path with mirror in one hand and scissors in the other. It didn't go well! Luckily, there is a good hairdresser in this village who may be able to rescue me, meanwhile I have resorted to a baseball hat!

Bad Hair Day

PPS We moored on some railings by Aldi's in Aylestone and I stepped off the boat with the front rope and tried to duck under the railings and found that I couldn't fold myself up small enough to fit under. I had to stand on tippy toes and do a most unladylike straddle to get over. Of course, there was a large audience of parents in the play area and gongoozlers on the tow-path opposite to witness my clumsy attempt at the parallel bars. Sad Face Emoji!