You stinking pile of rubbish!

No not an insult to someone but this morning David and I loaded up the rubbish left by a previous Boater into bin bags and took it to the first rubbish disposal point and yes Reader it stank.

Two big strong boxes that contained engine parts.  I was hoping for an address on the printed label but no.

Quite a long run for us today, from All Oakes Wood along through Rugby, then on and on to Hilmorton Locks and then out into the countryside for a nice mooring.  There were quite a few boats moving about today, more than we had seen so far.  Fingers crossed that they were stopping in Rugby for shopping.

The tall trees of All Oaks Wood, a few trees leaning....

A few more trees leaning, don't look at the ugly rubbish.

There are a few picturesque moorings before the outskirts of Rugby, we have not yet managed to secure one, but today this was only half an hour into our journey.

Idyllic if you hate neighbours. 

WaL leaving the first lock at Hilmorton.

Below the locks are a few permanent moorings, alongside one unoccupied place was the contents of a boat, I asked the lock keeper if there had been a fire, but not.  He said a boat had sunk, it had been refloated, and the owners had just thrown out the unwanted furniture, cushions and more onto the bank.

This is just shocking to me.  I feel if I were a volunteer here each time I was on duty I would heave one bit away to the rubbish point,  if the guilty were to present him/herself I would happily shoot them, if that's too strong then life imprisonment.

Oh look nice vintage boat for sale.

Anyone interested?

After a right bun fight at the top of Hilmorton locks when after not seeing many boats suddenly three then another arrived to descend.  One crew member slipped on the crumbling brick work so others went to administer first aid in the form of hot tea, one floated and bumped into others as no where to moor up, very short lock landing and again long term moorers right up close to the locks,  luckily we slipped through the melee and got out of the way.

Since we have been through here some changes.  I think we knew houses were going up but if they were in evidence I've forgotten.

Some ugly as houses that I won't be buying.

Then this boat yard has changed beyond recognition.  That mast behind the central building is a zonking great ocean going yacht.

Finally we reached what we thought was a super place to drop anchor.  We snugged up close to the boat behind and after a long day spent the afternoon in the cratch, reading, knitting and myself getting thrashed wholesale at cards. 

There are a few lovely spots to moor up in on a sunny day and we think we snuck in one of the nicest.

Supper was hake in batter with homemade  sweet potato wedges.  

Knitting is coming along and has to be finished by August for that baby's arrival.

The next morning early David went out cycling and at about 6am was doing a recce of the moorings in Braunston, when he returned he reported that there was plenty of spaces available.  That was good as we needed to pop home for a couple of days to see my mother, David takes that opportunity to play golf.  

We sat at the beauty spot until later afternoon and then set off for Braunston.

Halfway there it was drizzling and on arrival it was raining.  Yes Reader you've guessed it, Braunston was pretty full, it seems all the world and his mother had heard that the following day was going to be wall to wall rain and had taken all the spaces.  We inched through ....  One space we tried but it was too close to the bridge, on we went past curtains twitching and other pitying looks were seen, Oh there's a space, off I got with the rope only to see it was reserved for the hire boats.  

So reversing back (Very nicely I might say) we turned and got on the very last slot immediately before the GU turns south towards the Napton Flight.

By now it was wet.

I packed only the few things we would need and the next day we walked with bags up into the village threw off the wet coats and drove home.  

It was one of the worst journeys home ever with thick spray.  Cars and lorries without their fog lamps on were invisible until you were almost on top of them.

At Heathrow it had stopped, home to a cold house and an empty fridge. 

Marvellous.