The sunshine after the rain

We should really get a wiggle on.  We had thought that we would have had more time and frankly better weather to have lingered and enjoyed the Grand Union, but in retrospect time is a tiny bit against us.  But it was such fun and good timing to have met up with Adam and Adrian yesterday.

I had neglected to have pointed out that they keep a blog as many of my Readers will know as the majority of you come to visit me via ...

HERE  

So today we both were leaving at a similar time, David braved a swan well almost did, then with a wave both boats set sail.

We were retracing our steps that took a few hours.  As we went past the waterpoint and the moorings at Weedon Bec we toyed with the idea of filling up but decided against it as one boat left and another in front of us pulled in, so we carried on behind at a little distance.

We passed this rather nice looking vintage NB Hyades, a butty and behind NB Hyperion.  You can read about their history 

HERE   and    HERE  although no one around today, they evidently work as fuel boats still and look pretty marvellous.

I think this below is an excellent name, it's been making me chuckle since and I often can he heard to utter these words.

I'm also really liking this kingfisher colour of NB's we have seen plenty this colour on this trip hint hint David!

How long do we give this tree until it plops down?

Oops out of sequence but here is the swan giving David a challenge and NB Briar Rose, Adam had just ducked down to loosen his ropes.

I hope this gets a sympathetic renovation, are those stable doors? And the horses entered how......?

Fabulous set of buildings.

Not many of these but here is a most attractive stone bridge with a few brick repairs.

Always makes me a tiny bit sad to see old boats like this one I love to imagine its previous life, loved polished and loved.  Fingers crossed this one is on it's way to be restored.  I looked online but didn't find any information about it.

Haas anyone else been here?  Outside this nce home are to signs one at either end saying Private Mooring.  It's on the towpath so I wasn't sure if that can be the case of if the owners of the posh house have had the signs painted themselves?

Here below is the boat that pulled off of the moorings at Weedon Bec, this was the most boats we had seen for days, a whole row of them.  I was pleased and hoped that they were not going to turn into Whilton marina at the foot of the locks....

Little did I know that they too were hoping that we did not turn into the marina.

Attractive lock cottage on the Buckby flight.

On the Buckby Locks, so rural you could be miles away from anywhere.

So the two chaps were Steve and Andy (I think) on NB Saoirse who actually are "Vloggers" and have their own YouTube channel, we talked all things video and I am certain that I am not going to make the leap to vlogging for sure.  I'm too lazy and filming would appear to be all consuming for me.  Andy did confess to be very behind, months behind so that at least made me feel better.

Well if you want to see them click      HERE    

The two boats on their way in.

The lovely house on the junction with WaL.

 

When we finally got to the top the guys pulled onto the service point, we might have filled up too but let them as the sky blackened.  

I walked ahead of the two boats to see if there was any space left on the moorings that we had left a couple of days ago. 

There was.

The wind was picking up so I helped David pull us in and then walked back to the bridge to signal to the guys that they could get in too.  We took their rope when they appeared though the bridge and they moored up fine, not many spaces left and both boats had the uninterrupted view over the fields which most boats done get.  

As all this was going on, a hire boat came past and it became apparent that he wanted to make the turn onto The Leicester Arm but without the benefit of bow thrusters he had failed twice.  

I walked back to lenda hand, by now the crew was looking very cold and even more miserable.  The mother threw the rope in a shockingly bad style and then again and we caught it.  A man looking a bit like Catweazle stood giving advice with a beer glass in his hand, advice like "Pull that rope now" and then "That's it keep pulling!"  invaluable.

Well we did pull it around the junction and then the miserable crew member seemed not to be able to get back on again but I left them to sort that one out.

Back onboard, David had battened down the hatches and the rain came in with gusto.

Supper was salmon with green beans.

Then this happened.