I was close to killing him.

We left early from this morning, leaving Derwent6 and another boat to sleep.  It was partly to avoid the expected soaring temperatures but also time for us to make a move, not only to water up but to get back to the marina as we are expected home.  My mother will be 90 this month, but don't tell her I told you.

This photo below was not taken this morning but on that mooring, hard to see but there is a rainbow with WaL at the end of it.

We wanted to stop at Ashby Boat Hire to drop off some used oil, David had asked them on the way up and yes they would take it.  They are situated at Stoke Golding, and below is the lovely view of Stoke Golding church as you approach.

Several years ago when we were moored here, late one afternoon the farmer was spreading lime and a white cloud engulfed the moored boats with WaL just escaping by a few metres, today in the same field the farmer or 'Bloody Farmers' as they are called in my house, was harrowing or similar but causing a cloud of dust, we raced past as fast as an even shallower than two weeks ago canal will allow, again just avoiding being covered in dust, I mean what could be nicer? 

Stoke Golding  as you approach.  Great view.

Not at all annoying.

The Ashby Canal Society given more, much more money and many volunteers has a lot work to do with cutting back I feel, in places the navigation is down to a single boats width, and that's before we even get talking about dredging, goodness knows what the answer is apart from financial.  But I do get a bit twitchy about these over hanging trees.

I'm not a fan of willow on a good day.

 

So we arrived at Ashby Boats.  I held the middle rope whilst David jumped off with the oil.  On the opposite side of the canal a hire boat arrived, it became clear that they wanted to stop, moor for a short time and pop to the shop for ice-creams, the chap from the Ashby Boats when asked called back that it was shallow there but more spaces through the bridge.  So anyway, the poor wife jumped off and took the front rope trying to pull the boat in, non boaters may not know that this has the effect of pulling the back of the boat out in a see-saw action, but many hire boats do not have middle ropes provided..... The husband shouted to her to come and get the back rope, which he threw and hit her on the head with it. No word of apology, 

"PULL Linda PULL"

"Come on" 

"Stop now and get the front rope!"

"Come on PULL, bend your back right into it"

Then this poor woman at one point ended up pulling both ropes in at once, not that it did any good because it was shallow there.

"Well I'll just have to jump then" were his last words.  He did and disappeared up the path to the shop presumably leaving her and the two boys behind.

I resisted telling her to put the rope around his neck but frankly Reader it was a hard call not to. 

We left.  

Next stop Sutton Cheney Wharf, to be rid of the rubbish.  Luckily the mooring was free, we were going to fill with water here too, but in the heat the over flowing piles of refuse all over the ground and stacked up the smell was appalling.  

We'll water up further down.

The sun was up and it was boiling by now.  Sun hats and that 50SPF sun cream was used as I could feel my arms burning already and it wasn't 10am yet.

Del had advised us to head for bridge 3 on the Ashby, that's way down not too far off of Marston junction with the Coventry canal, but frankly after about 5 or six hours in the heat, we'd had enough when some pleasant moorings came into view and the boat in front of us also pulled over.  He was a big heavy trad boat but managed to get in, we are a modern dainty and not too deep semi and didn't get fully in.  We didn't care but pretended it was a river mooring and in that case was an excellent one.  

We got the chairs out and cold drinks and sat under a spreading chestnut tree.  There we sat pretty much until 10pm.  There were a few midges about but as David said, there are not many of these fabulous summer evenings left so lets enjoy it.

Did I say it was hot? 

Supper was wild salmon with a lemon and horseradish sauce.