Yes put the central heating on please, its only mid May.

The next day was showery just for a change.  It was cold too.  In the afternoon David and I walked to the reservoirs and walked to get some air and exercise, it was perishing cold and we walked fast to get it over with quicker.  Louise sent me a photo of her and John enjoying an outside, socially distanced pint and I swear she was only wearing what looked like a cardigan.  They are hardy northerners though.

We played cards again in the evening and David and I tried to remember how to play Hearts, which is the game I love and we play with our youngest daughter and Mitch whenever we are together.  

Tom   HERE  , if you are reading this I do think it is your game called The Bitch!

Anyway, we departed the Wendover Arm the following day as time was pressing.  

The following are some assorted photos of part of the journey.  You may have gathered  that I am home now and trying to write this retrospectively which is never a good idea, but bare with me.  Its been a bit full on and I am looking forward to the boat next week and to the return of said daughter Verity and Mitch from NZ from where they have been for almost five months,  enjoyed an Indian summer, no lockdown and family, frankly Reader I am jealous and will be going with her next time whether she likes it or not.  David has been changing the garden, its not complete but at the moment looks a bit like a "Rewilding experiment", when we are home next time I hope it will be, well something and my mother cataract operation went well and lastly we had our grandchildren here which was heavenly but it seems I might be lacking some stamina from when my own babies were bowling around the place over 35 years ago.....

I can't believe it sat still long enough to get this shot, a Grey Wagtail. My favourite bird.

Masses of moored boats on the Marsworth Flight, those two widebeams were for sale, the same vendor using the flight as a showroom.

Anyone know this duck above?  I took it to be a pair of Scaup Ducks  HERE please correct me if you know.

He sat in the icy cold, caught a big fish, handled it with kid gloves and put it back in within seconds..... Frankly I just don't get it.

Now these next few pictures are of the Wendover Arm restoration, now back in 2015 we were here with the Lovely Joe and Lesley   HERE  we'd had a big trip together that summer going across The Wash, The River Nene, the Grand Union and later the Thames, The River Wey and up the South Oxford, BUT if you peep at that link you will see that from the photos that not a lot has changed from the wee basin , but there are piles of materials ready to be utilised.  In fact one of the volunteer Lockkies said it was almost ready to put the water in, this I would doubt but I will be sending the restoration society a donation. 

Piles of materials ready, I only walked around one bend from the point near to the basin that is accessible to walk along.

Fresh wheel marks in what looks like a canal bed

This and the picture below are the view from the wee basin, no access by foot here but you can get to it by a different path.

Trouble with mooring on slight bends.....

Leaving the next morning, note David in his full wet weather gear, I was too.

Heygates Grain Mill

I love the new and the old 

Sharp bend here

Thw four of us were optimistic of help again on the Marsworth Flight, then we thought we were a bit early, but it seems that volunteers don't work on the weekends here especially if its raining....

Pity but it is the most attractive flight looking over the reservoirs.

These few are published by kind permission of Louise, I don't think I had my camera out again because of the rain.

WaL making the turn back onto the Grand Union Canal from the Wendover Arm (Grand Union canal), its a bit tight especially when the junction crept up on you and you weren't ready...

John's faultless turn.

Well that's it for just now.  I will endeavour to post again before we start our next trip....