Catch up

So as way of a bit of a précis, after Amanda went home, we jogged along along for an hour through the one deeper lock at Barrow-upon-Soar, under the same bridge that appears on the banner photo of this blog, Lesley (Mrs Yarwood)  took that photo two years ago and what a stunner it was too.  Have a look at mine, not a patch on hers.

Lesley took hers from the riverbank on the right.  Nice day though.

A beautiful day, hard to go home.

This is a flood lock on the river, only shut in tmes of flooding, I think.

We mored up in Pillings Lock Marina, and a most accommodating marina they are too.

Packed up, drove home and had the week to help prepare for English Wedding Party of youngest daughter Verity.

The wedding took place in the Grooms family home, everything was splendid, especially the weather.

NZ Wedding.  A fantastic day for us to remember.

The happy couple on their Honeymoon, actually there were 11 of us on the Honeymoon... its the modern way.

I have to say great fun was had by all last weekend at ours and now here we are back aboard and heading for Nottingham, in general.

So we arrived at the marina later in the day yesterday afternoon, that handsome godson of mine arrived for a cup of, he is at college nearby.  Always a pleasure to see him.  He is Amanda's youngest and doing finals of A Levels just now.
We ate at the marina restaurant, Haddock in batter with wedges.

No plate but the modern idea of eating off of paper! It didn't tear and was delicious.

Later I tried valiantly to unpack but due to the changeable nature of British springtime weather, i.e. BBC forecast for Tuesday coming is 22 degrees and two days later 13 degrees so I have brought back with me more clothes than we have ever had aboard and I am having trouble keeping cupboard doors shut....  

This morning we set off at the crack of 10:30am.

I thought this was part of CART's tools to combat non licence payers, but its part of the local Sea Cadets toys

Nine cygnets this morning.

Nicest property of the day.

We left the marina this morning and although cloudy it was dry and warmish.   We whizzed along and soon were into Loughborough,    (To my new reader in New Zealand this is pronounced Luff-bra)   we were not stopping in the town today but  did want to top up with water, but two boats moored up on the water point, not at all annoying.

Two boats moored on the water point.

A shower copped us, then the sun came out then another shower but luckily a mooring at Zouch so on it we popped at only lunchtime.  The reason for stopping after only two hours is that we have TV reception and its election day and David will be wanting to sit up late and see what the hell is going to happen to the UK by morning!


Lunch was jumbo prawns with black rice, ginger, red pepper salad, served with a rather nice white burgundy. Yummy or what?