"Michael Askin" wrote
> We should reach Braunston tonight without to much trouble (assuming a
> clean run up and back down the locks again), after which my Dad drives
> back to Hull to go on the Bethellls Bridge Boat Club cruise to
> Beverley Beck. Leaving me to single hand the boat until Sunday night,
> when he joins me again!
>
> Keep an eye out for the Jam 'Ole Convoy,
>
> Mike
By chance I was moored at Braunston on Friday Evening when I noticed some
old boats gathering at the marina for the start of this run. I didn't know
it was the Jam 'Ole run then but I bumped into someone I knew in the bar at
the Plough. He told me he was part of the crew on Nuneaton and Brighton and
that they were on the Jam 'Ole run. I gathered from him that they were
planning to start the run at 9am the next day.
I therefore resolved to set off early next day to try and at least get
through Hillmorton before the convoy caught up with us. It was, however
nearly 9 before we actually set off and we had only just got past the Marina
entrance when the boats stared appearing. I managed to stay ahead of the
fleet for a few bridges as they got slightly held up at the junction itself
as a couple of hire boats came past going into Braunston. At Willoughby
Wharf they caught me up and I decided to pull over and let them pass. At the
end of the convoy came the support boats and I suddenly realised that one of
the boats was Shoestring with Mike Askin. I new Mike from work in the past
but it has been several years since we had seen each other so we had a brief
exchange as he came through. I set of after them knowing that I would be in
a big queue at Hillmorton.
On the way to the locks we past Lily who had become the first casualty of
the run. They had pulled over with some minor engine problem but they soon
got going again and caught us up at the Top locks. I expected to see quite a
queue of boats at the top but when I got there most had got through with
only two support boats and Lily waiting. I helped work them through and had
a slightly longer chat with Mike whilst helping him.
The boats were working through the Middle locks at speed but the Bottom
locks were the problem as Lock 3 is still out of action. We joined the queue
with 7 boats still ahead of us so I went up to generally help and managed to
get a longer chat with Mike. After this the convoy set off at speed towards
Atherstone and I didn't see them again until they all past me coming back
from Atherstone on Sunday morning.
For the record the boats in the convoy are Nuneaton and Brighton, Corona,
Lily, Swallow, Nutfield, Clover, and three support boats including Mike on
Shoestring and a hire boat with Tim Coughlan on board. As I write this they
should all be somewhere between Weedon and Leighton Buzzard I believe.
Richard
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