Monday morning started with passage through the Blisworth Boat Wash. The Jannock system of Brenda blowing a whistle as the bow passes under a torrent, thereby allowing the steerer to minimise his soaking six seconds later, worked very well and all but one waterfall was avoided by the steerer. Unfortunately we were passing an oncoming boat at one point which placed the stern immediately under a serious one that I could not avoid. Then the long drag through Bugbrooke, Heyford and Weedon was performed under rapidly clearing skies so that it was blazing when we arrived at the locks at Whilton. We shared this flight with another Alvechurch boat and found that we worked very well together. The abundance of lock crew from Jannock meant that Brenda could work the locks and I was left to steer. During this flight both boys managed to each break the lock wheeling bicycle in their own unique ways. Simon broke the back mudguard by getting a stick caught in the back wheel and then Matt managed to totally trash the frame by performing trials rider type 'bunny hops' on it and bending the hinge plate that USED to allow it to fold up. Now the pedals hit the ground if you try and ride it. The cheeky bu$$er even accused me of having the wrong size crank pins fitted to the bike until I managed to get a look and identify the problem. We passed through a dryer Braunston tunnel and then shared the flight with the same Alvechurch boat that we had ascended Whilton with. As we passed the Admirable Nelson, Kate rushed out and hailed us from the garden whilst John P. waved a greeting from the bridge. We then passed Pilgrim moored outside the marina and Malcolm said he needed to speak to me. We took on water outside the StopHouse and then moved forward thirty metres to moor for the night. After dinner, Simon, Phaedra and Matt departed to head back to Salford and Brenda and I went for a walk to visit M & B on Pilgrim. They were not there and the boat was empty so we walked across the marina and were surprised to find Prairie Crocus at her mooring. After a visit with Ken and Claudia, we returned to Jannock to have John P. visit us for a chat. All in all, a very sociable day (although I'll have to see Malcolm another time)
Graham www.jannock.org.uk [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
