Thrusting and wallops

We had already decided to leave Bath early, the urge to be noisy was irresistible.  There was a lot of bow thrusting and an accidental blast of the horn too.  I only wish I had read your comment NB Amyjo  HERE  first about a wallop with the pole.  

I like to think he was startled enough to sit up sharply and bang his head….  

The day was total blue sky and no clouds at all.  There was a snide comment from someone suggesting that this is the best time of the morning, EVERY morning, the sun was very warm and it felt like summer even so early in the day.

I had forgotten to put these photos up of the approach into Bath the other day so here they are.  Wrought iron bridges, short tunnels and a house over the canal.

Lovely stone walls and bridges as you approach the locks at Bath.

The stone work has this special finish I think called Rusticfication.

This was the head office of the K&A Canal company. 

The entrance into Sydney Gardens now open, but was kept locked to keep out the canal folk 

Nice iron bridge.

The trip back to Bradford was quiet and sunny.  The rolling hills and woods made it for me the highlight of the trip.  Viewpoints through across the valley were breathtaking.  What do you think? 

Lovely stone bridge.

This is the other the swing bridge.

 At one of the two swing bridges a nice gentleman walked along from the boat he was working on to lend me a hand, rugged handsome too a bit like Clint Eastwood.  He is doing up his third boat to sell and pointed it out to me.  An ex-teacher now loving life, we joked that my teacher sister has just been made redundant and is still celebrating the fact. 

Yes Reader all this info just by doing a swing bridge together….!!!

Dundas Aqueduct looked rather good with the sunlight on it and no other traffic…

Goodbye Dundas

Dundas Aqueduct

We are trying to empty the fridge today, eating all thats left over there, it makes for odd meals at this end of a trip… but today we had our favs, bacon and avocado sandwiches (after I had done both bridges) which even if I say so myself, were divine.

There were a couple of these parked along the way.

Beautiful white candles.

Am quite liking this.

Small argument developed towards the lock at Bradford, only a baby one really, I said “There’s a space there lets get on it”

“He says no we’ll go through and find somewhere”

I said “Lets get in here and pop up and see what spaces there are”

He says “There’ll be room”

Well we did pull into this perfectly nice space, I insisted that he went up (At Bradford you can’t see over the lock, you have to walk around the pub and over a road to get to the lock)  I insisted because in the past I have said we’ll never get in there and we have plus you’ll easily get in there and we haven’t. So grumpy captain scooted off and came back saying yes there’s a space and a boat leaving the lock by the time you get up there.  Fine.

It was a wide beam leaving the lock,  a youngish guy driving it out, calling instructions to a much older chap at the paddles, this older chap was much handicapped by holding two windlasses, a camera and a pair of gloves.  I reckon he was in his late 70’s.  So as he was trying to put the paddle down the windlass whizzed off the thingy, I yelled to get back as it came up but luckily it hit the boat below the gunnel and landed on the side not the water.  

“Oh you have to watch that” helpfully called the captain as he exited….  Now I though that it was a bit of a cheek that this older chap should be left doing the heavy stuff while the younger guy had the easy job, but it turned out that these two weren’t even on the same boat!  This older chap was from a boat below the lock waiting.  I did the other gate for him of course.  He really didn’t understand what he was doing, so I tried to call across helpful hints..

Anyway, the lock was emptied and David appeared below and then the other boat also appeared.  But blow me down another much much younger driver of that boat too had left this older guy doing the heavy work.

Well up came the boats and then I saw that this older chap had wandered off.  He wasn’t even from this boat in the lock but another further back!! I don’t know how many times he had got suckered into doing other peoples locks and I felt very bad for him.

David’s face was a picture now.  That elusive spot had been taken!!!  It and only been about 15 minutes but it was taken and I recognised the boat too, it was  NB Pedal with whom we had come down the Caen Flight with the previous week.  They have plans to go up the Bristol Channel so this was a chance to have a bit longer with them before we part company again.  We did get in comfortably behind them so all was well.

Breakfast time for them but lunch time for us so I cracked open a bottle of Sparkle to enjoy in the sun.

About 40 mins after all this, the boat came past with the old chap sat at the back.  His captain was younger than him but not by much!!!!

Drinks in the pub opposite in the evening with Tony and Patsy.

Supper was a Fab steak with salad and sweet potato wedges