Water thief and are we nearly there yet?

I'm all behind like a dogs tail.  I should be packing to go back to WaL but here I am trying to write and being distracted by anything and everything.  Just this second a woodpecker in the garden.

So allow me to do a disjointed recap, a bit like the beginning of an episode of Line of Duty, scenes all out of kilter making you think you missed the last episode.

We were trying to hot foot it home in a relatively short amount of days that had reminded both crews of being in a hire boat (But not as bad),  something both of us had done years ago some days doing ten or eleven hours a day...  The weather was not great but I will include the time we sat out on the tow path, just the one time that is.

Here below is The Globe Pub, I had wanted to stop, on the way down it was chock-a-block with moored boats so not practical and on the way back a gloriously sunny day, what could be nicer but it had not opened yet.

HERE  I thought it was much much older than it actually is, its a bit wonky now, but they believe its about 1800, so just the 221 years old.  It is owned by Green King and has mixed reviews.

I've included this shot as it is at the top of the Aylesbury Arm, now we were here a few years ago and on this spot was an old BW (British Waterways) yard, they sold it off for these posh houses and actually KEPT the water point right outside these folks lounges.  As you can see with a long boat such as ours you have to tie up immediately outside their windows.

Louise and John went on to prep the next lock and we filled up.  

David sat on the back of WaL while we filled and some cheeky local liveaboard from the row of boats opposite came around from the other unseen direction and filled his huge plastic containers that he pulled on a trolley and put the water over to his side away from our hose.  He was screwing up his lids as I approached the tap to check we didn't have a kink in the hose after D looked at our dial and saw how slow it was filling. 

WaL was full in a short time afterwards but I have never experienced that before, stealing water , have you Reader?  

They hadn't tidied up before going to bed but nice furniture.

This was the sort of sky we got used to seeing.

Anyone recognise this?  I should think it would have been in a museum now.  

I would think this is an original, pity its not restored or looked after a little better.

I've cut his head off but I was sat on the step hiding from the worst of it.

Very pretty countryside and bridges along this stretch of the GU.

Bit of a jump here as below my computer has decided to load the photos newest to oldest if you get me,  this below is Blisworth, it was nice and early as we passed by the bedroom of these converted warehouse into apartments right onto the canal, Reader I averted my eyes as we passed by someone making their bed....  I'm not completely in love with the concept of the general public having the ability of gazing into my bedroom. 

Eyes left for expensive waterside apartments.....

The end of Blisworth Tunnel, it was wet again with water gushing all over and interesting to see the brickwork, probably as old as the Globe Pub and repairs that have been done.

We moored overnight here admiring this impressive property at Stoke Bruene with an impressive garden too.

Now a leap back to Milton Keynes I think but I liked this, it reminded me of a 'Domestic Engineer' running to catch a juggling ball to keep in the air.  Today they are just known as women.

Yep this was somewhere, possibly Milton Keynes but a great design

HERE

At first glance we were unsure of what was happening

Jules Fuels arriving for a delivery.

Crews nicely picked up by loving husbands.

Pretties.

Some fabulous views.

A brick with its own history on the Bucky Flight.

A man older than me who was crewing for a passing boat on the Bucky Flight saw me taking that shot and asked me what was there, I explained to him that I very much love the echo of the history and people who were on the canals, he said to me that he had never taken a single photo in his life and never even owned a camera. 

I think we thought each other mad.

Way way out of sequence, Louise and I closing the road bridge at Fenny Stratford.  Note I am wearing my wellies and winter warm hat.  Photo by kind permission of John. 

We enjoyed a very good supper in here the night before, The New Inn at Buckby Wharf. We'll be going back there again too.

By kind permission of Louise.

Norton Junction turn right here for the Leicester Arm of the GU.  

We had the best time with this great couple.  The weather was a bit of a pain but we got used to rain everyday and drip drying our coats, hats and trousers in the respective bathrooms.  A great trip, next time I'll clear my diary first.

It was very nearly nice, note the coats, we sat out until it rained.

This young couple have lived aboard a NB for five years, they upgraded to this wide beam in March and are on their way to take it to a new mooring in Kent, so that is taking out onto the ocean and up the River Medway, for those of you who don't know just google the river and their upcoming journey, I told the wife I'd catch the bus.