Sterling Moss and puff pastry

I woke up and sort of dressed early for me, I hurried through to the dining room/spare bedroom to find a committee meeting drawing to a close, without me, all about the days plans.  It was then explained to me,   I rather wished I had stayed in bed as it was all very complicated.  It was bringing two cars along and putting them in different places, boat moving, different towns and rubbish depositing.  The later was the only one which interested me as the bin was smelling.

I said yes, then immediately forgot what my part was again.  I kept quiet and hoped that I would just pick it up as we went along….

So off I went with the rubbish in one hand and Amanda’s special pillow that she travels with (Incase she gets one of her heads).  Rubbish in the bin and her pillow in the car.

 I was happy as my part in all this was with the wonderful Mr Lewis.  We got into his car after of course playing the flat tyre game and drove to find my car.   

He drives like Sterling Moss and the G-force kept me in my seat nicely.  We went through the most lovely countryside, I was holding on tightly as he was overtaking lorries,  but I hardly screamed at all.  Through Marlborough  (Where I want to retire to)  to Devizes, got my car and then back to Marlborough where he made an unexpected stop.  Whatsamatter? I asked… He knows me well and pointed to Polly’s Tearooms HURRAH!!!   So in I went as directed and brought four different scrumptious cakes to be shared out for later, all in posh boxes.

Back on the Grand Prix Circuit and we bombed off for.... Oh I don’t remember where,  but it was half an hour away.  I did well keeping up with him I thought, all without incurring a visit to the Magistrates Court too.

We planted his car at the town where the committee had thought we would end up at tonight, then he jumped back in mine and off we went to catch up with the boat.  Except I now drove at my old ladies pace that I am more used to Reader. 

So back westwards again to find the boat.  which was at the Crofton Flight, as I drove up to the bridge which crosses the canal by fantastic timing there was Amanda, on my bike, windlass in hand just about to pedal back to the boat after setting that lock.  She had been left staying with my husband and preparing the locks for him.

Now this is how things panned out, David Lewis swapped from racing car driver to sedate Captain.  My David went off on his bike to do some work at the locks with Amanda.  I went to the kitchen to make lunch.      I was having a bash at that tart that David had enjoyed so much at Polly’s Tea Rooms a couple of days ago, puff pastry,  red onion chutney, goats cheese, fresh figs, olives, capers and green salad with balsamic dressing.   We moored up quickly at Fab Great Bedwyn and ate it as soon as it was ready.  

Well it went down so quickly I didn’t get a photo but Reader it was good!

My only rolling pin

Made a big batch of fruity Flap jack but none left.

Two Davids.

Wonder Woman.  plus my great bike.

Add caption

Polly's fabulous cakes for lunch.

Afterwards I washed up and the two biking Locking Lovelies carried on.  Then I had a go at driving again.  Reader last year I had a nasty encounter on the Trent & Mersey canal.  I don’t really want to talk about it but all I will say is that a tree jumped me on a straight bit of canal with no traffic coming and as a result I haven’t driven since (The boat I mean, I do all the car driving as David is so awful).  

So under the calm and patient instruction of Mr Lovely Lewis I had a go at overcoming my dire lack of confidence.  If you are married Reader you will clearly understand why it is not such a good idea to have one’s husband teaching.

Dunno where this was, as I was washing up.

He even answered his phone.

It wasn't me that did those scratches on the black Reader.

Mr Lewis mends everything.

He is grinning once the Marsh Lock Bridge was opened, not before.

Looking pretty relaxed eh?

Lock gates at Little Bedwyn leaking like the Cabinet.

David is very keen for me to drive so he can do this.

You can always tell when Mr Lewis is aboard.

So on we went, Mr Lewis even fielded phone calls during my driving and he didn’t scream once.  I have to say it was a most enjoyable afternoon, I almost liked it.  Driving I mean.

Much later we arrived at Hungerford Marsh Lock, someone previously had over tightened it, so much so that my husband broke his windlass!  Good thing Mr Lewis was there or David would still be swearing at it.  I even steered smooth-ishly to the lock landing.

A nice Wal sized spot in Hungerford and we were done, much to the disappointment of Amanda who wanted to carry on to Kintbury, another three miles and three locks despite her bike ride today of ten miles and her doing all the locks.   But ahead of them was a three hour drive home after supper.

Always sad to see them leave but hugely grateful for their amazing help with this canal.

Stats

In two days 47 locks and 29 miles.

Supper was chorizo courgette and marscapone pasta with Mary Berry’s fruit salad of melon, papaya, mango and passion fruit with creme fraičhe.

PS   At one lock Amanda helped a boat go through, the couple onboard told her that they liked Kintbury a lot but had to leave as they had been told they would get fined if they stayed..... They had been on the 48hr visitor moorings since OCTOBER, 8 months. So CART has started it action.