Leighton Buzzard 28th February

With nowhere to go today we had a lie in. Sadly the Saturday paper didn’t miraculously arrive whilst we were having our tea in bed like it did last weekend. That’s most probably because Tescos is further away than Waitrose was!

Saturday market

The weather was grey and windy, so after a leisurely breakfast with canoeists zooming by every few minutes, we wandered up into town to take a look at the market. Every fourth Saturday in the month it is meant to have craft stalls, there were a few, but the majority of stalls were the usual dog chews (Guide Dog Oakley would have enjoyed himself) a bit of veg, and general tat. So we headed to the butchers to get a bit of pork and then topped up on some veg.

All Saints Parish Church

 

All Saints has been tolling it’s bell quite a lot since we’ve been here. Sadly it looked like the only way into the actual church was through the cafe which seemed busy and small. So not wanting a cuppa we had a look around the graveyard instead. Much of the outside has been repointed recently and the spire looks a little too tall for the height of the church.

The crosses are dark as they are marzipan. Yummy!

Back on Lillian we have pottered for the afternoon. I have had a go at my Hot Cross Buns in the boats oven. Taking into account that our oven doesn’t seem to work how I think it should, I have possibly made the best batch ever! Apple and Cranberry with a marzipan cross and stuffing. We may have to try them for pudding tonight.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trips to tescos, 1 slightly disappointing market, 3rd Saturday is Farmers Market! 23 canoeists, 12 hot cross buns, 0 hot paw buns this year.

SHHHhhhhhhhh!!!! 27th February

I spent hours of yesterday on trains, so today we decided to go on a very short train journey, 6 minutes in all!

We discovered this morning a deal 2 for 1 if you visit places by rail. The Days Out Guide gives you access to vouchers to certain museums, historic houses, exhibitions etc. We had decided that over the next week we would like to visit Bletchley Park, at £16.75 each is was going to be a little steep, but more than likely worth it. With our voucher and our rail tickets (bought with our two together railcard) we both got in for one admission fee. This still saved us money and we can go as often as we like for the next year.

On our arrival we were surprised at the length of the queue to pay. We thought it wouldn’t be busy on a week day, we were wrong. You can get a Multimedia guide to walk around with for no extra money and this was well worth having. There is a lot on the guide and a lot to read on your way around.

Bletchley House across the lake

Around the grounds are speakers with atmospheric effects. These range from a couple having a picnic by the lake in winter, someone walking on gravel to a Spitfire flying by overhead. All very well done, we were impressed by the plane and couldn’t help but look up whenever it played. In the huts furniture and props were laid out as if the people had just walked out of the room. Several desks were pushed up against walls onto which live action film was projected. All very atmospheric and effective. In hut 8 there were lots of interactive displays about the codebreaking that went on. You get to try a bit too. There was also a exhibition by the Royal Pigeon Racing Association explaining the use of pigeons in WW2.

The Library, the first room the codebreakers used before moving out into huts

Pigeons were parachuted in behind enemy lines to send messages back to Britain from the resistance.

Projection of a chap with no legs

A Shooting Party arrived in 1938, but this was just a cover and the guests were from MI6 and the Government Code and Cypher School. They were there to see if Bletchley was suitable for intelligence work.  They started working inside the house, gradually wooden huts were built surrounding it as the work expanded. Here the Enigma cipher system was broken. Originally the work was done manually but machines were developed to help speed up the ever changing cipher. The cipher was altered at least once daily, giving 159 million million million possible settings  to choose from. Radio messages were intercepted in stations across Britain, the messages were then sent to Bletchley to be deciphered, translated and then pieced together to create a greater picture of what the enemy was upto.

The Bombe was developed to help reduce the number of possible settings being used on the Enigma, before further hand testing was done. This needed more people and at it’s height 8,900 people worked at Bletchley all having signed the Official Secrets Act and never talking about their work. The work done here led to Hitler being confused about the D-Day landings, his decision to avert troops from the Normandy beaches ensured the invasions success. It is said that the work done at Bletchley shortened the war by two years.

The front of the house

A prop version of The Bombe made for the film “The Imitation Game”

Prop bottles of Fullers. No Chiswick or London Pride evident in those days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An exhibition about the film  “The Imitation Game” had been set up in parts of the house with costumes and a pub. We haven’t seen the film yet but if we come across it at a cinema I suspect we will.

 

 

 

The day had been very bright and sunny but the chill of the late afternoon caught up with us on the way back to Lillian. We stopped off to get something for tea from Tescos as we feel we’ve walked far enough today and will save our trip to The Grove for another night.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 together trains, 2 for 1, 1 very good interactive museum, 1 spitfire, 1 dispatch rider, 2 throw in the oven chicken things for tea.

Leighton Buzzard. 26th February

Pip went off to Huddersfield again today and I had a quiet day doing not much aboard Lillian.

As soon as I had seen Pip off at the railway station the rain became heavy and I got very wet on the walk back to the canal. It was still raining at 2PM but I needed to do a trip to Tesco so I got wet again. On return to Lillian one of the mooring pins had become a bit loose, probably a combination of very wet ground, passing boats and the fact that since I lost a pin the other day at Cowroast I haven’t been able to double pin at one end. Anyway I found an alternative, a bit of cable that was wrapped around an iron girder on the pilling of the canal bank and I have used that to tie the stern rope to.

0 miles, 0 locks.  6 trains, 1 supermarket, 1 handy bit of cable.

Slapton Wharf to Leighton Buzzard 25th February

Just above Church Lock this morning

A beautiful morning today, no need for waterproofs at all. By the time we set off the thermometer in the cratch was reading 10C. It looked like Tomasz Schafernaker was right about his slice of pizza today! At one point the cratch reading was 14.4C.

The Grove was passed but will be visited on Friday

 

More boats were on the move today than we’ve seen for months. Must have been the pizza!

 

 

 

 

We moored just short of the Tesco moorings in Leighton Buzzard and passed the time of day with our neighbours in front. Then a bite to eat before heading to the station to pick up tickets. It was such a nice spring day we ended up sitting with the side hatch, front and back doors wide open. We haven’t done this since early summer last year, mainly because of Houdini getting used to her new home, followed by chillier weather. The temptation to let the stove go out went as we know tomorrow the temperature will drop again and we’ll be glad of it.

Town Hall / Market Hall / Court / Fire Station / Restaurant a building can be so versatile

A very aggressive swan tops the Hotel

At the station I picked up all my tickets for the next two weeks, then we came back across the canal and into town to find an opticians as I had lost a screw from my glasses last night. We tried to find Boots opticians, but it seems that it is opening soon! Almost next door was a Spec savers which was packed. Half of the inhabitants of Leighton Buzzard must have been in there! With a new, maybe slightly small, screw in my glasses we went for a bit of an explore. There is a pleasant mix of buildings from different eras. At the top of the Market Square stands the Old Town Hall built in 1851. This used to have a court room upstairs and market stalls and storage below. In 1918 the building changed use to become the Fire Station and remained this until 1965. It is now a Pizza Express. The Swan Hotel is also grand and domineering at the top of the square, now a Wetherspoons.

3 locks, 3.64 miles, 1 slice of Hawaiian Pizza, 2 chatty neighbours, 14.4C, 16 Rail Tickets, 7 opticians, 1 teenie weenie screw that’s a tiny teenie weenie little bit too small!

Marsworth to Slapton Wharf 24th February

We have just realised that a year ago yesterday we put our offer in to buy Lillian. It then took until early April for us to actually own her. Gosh! That year has gone by far too quickly.

The Red Lion at Marsworth, with it’s funny thatched roof above a tiled one

Another for London

The sun was out again this morning so we filled with water and continued north from Marsworth. Most locks were against us today until we reached Lock 34 where a boat had just entered the lock. A chap appeared up the ladder and started to close the bottom gates, I lent a hand. He had no rope up to a bollard and casually opened up his ground paddle. Another chap popped his head out from the back of the boat when the bow hit the cil and then disappeared again. By this time the boat was starting to bounce around in the lock which didn’t seem to bother anyone. After lifting the other paddle for them I got chatting. It was fairly obvious that they were new to this boat lark and were heading to join the throngs moored up in London. We chatted about mooring up along Victoria Park and the Lee Navigation, “Can you double up when mooring?” My answer was “You have to unless you are very lucky”. They had set off this morning at 6.30am from north of Leighton Buzzard, so were obviously on a mission. I mentioned to them about a stoppage at Watford which would slow them down, well until the weekend at least. They headed off round the next bend, really hope they manage the downhill locks without coming a cropper.

Back to the double arched bridges

The wind was getting stronger with every lock. We want to be in Leighton Buzzard tomorrow night as I have a train to catch on Thursday. We also want to have some food and Fullers beer at The Grove Lock before we leave the area. This was the first Fullers pub we saw on our way south, we didn’t stop then, but we will do heading north even if it means coming back to it on Friday. So with just one last page of our Nicholsons guide left to do tomorrow we decided to moor up for the day. This was easier said than done as the wind was very strong and did exactly the opposite to what you wanted. Eventually we tied up and headed inside to finish off the sausage rolls.

Our view this evening

 

Mileage calculations are back to counting mile posts on a map today, the old fashioned way! We are having problems uploading today’s cruise to the website that normally works everything out for us. But we do know where we are tonight, exactly 50 miles from Braunston, it says so outside our window!

 

 

 

 

 

8 locks, 4 miles, 1 more boat heading to London to move around every 14 days, 1 strong wind, 1 across the cut hotel boat, 6 sausage rolls, 0 wet gloves today!

 

P E Mead and Sons 23rd February

Most of our clothes are now dry, but gloves, especially waterproof gloves are stubbornly damp still. Today the weather was forecast to be worse than yesterday. There was a hail storm this morning and the occasional shower, but no where near as soggy as yesterday. Oh well, BBC weather seem to only be able to predict the next 24 hours with some accuracy at the moment.

Marsworth Junction this afternoon. It didn’t look like this yesterday!

We stayed on board this morning, I wanted to be where I knew I could get a phone call until 2pm. A hire company in Hove were due to send things out for my show today, if there was to be a problem with anything I didn’t want to delay a solution by being out of contact. But sure enough my phone didn’t ring.

An afternoon walk across the fields to reach Tom’s Farm Shop. It is actually P E Mead and Sons, we only knew about it from Tom’s blog. They have lots of expensive veg, interesting  meats, jams, cakes and Venison Pies for £8.60! As we still have a good supply of Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil on board we weren’t even tempted by the Chiltern version.

Is it a house? Or just a roof?

Muddy path well trodden.

After a good look round we decided to head back via a different footpath. This took us through Wilstone, straight across the middle of a field. Yesterdays mud was sticky and slimy, this mud was the sort that builds up layer after layer after layer until you are walking like Frankensteins monster, your feet almost too heavy to pick up!

Offending bracket and bevel on the canal side of the lock when the gate is open

Up stream bracket, backed with wood and rounded off

Bracket on top gate of staircase lock

 

We then joined the canal to walk up the last few locks. This gave us an opportunity to have a look at the handrail that got Lillian yesterday. The brackets that hold the rail onto the beam have points that stick out below the wood due to a bevel. On the other side this isn’t the case as the points are still backed with wood. Basically the point is now a very fine gouging tool!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 phone calls, 1 walk to Tom’s shop, 1 walk back, 1 bevelled edge and 3 brackets that bite!

Bits float up from the bottom of the canal, they look like burnt bark. But what are they? There are loads of them!

 

Aylesbury to Marsworth 22nd February

The one water point that works in Aylesbury.

A chilly start today with an alarm! We headed over to the service area to fill with water. There are three taps along here only one of them was accessible as the other two had boats moored in front of them. This tap didn’t work, we’d been warned that the pressure wasn’t so good, it may have been frozen. Only one produced water, but there was little chance we’d be able to pull up without clambering over two bows of boats. We were hoping to reach Marsworth today, so decided to wait til there. A friendly lady popped her head out to say good morning and where were we heading to. We should have said ” The next water point, Marsworth” but instead we just passed the time of day.

Reedy and straight

Perfect weather for a swoop

We stopped off at Tescos to stock up for a few days then carried on. Below one lock there were a couple of fishermen settled on the lock landing, we pulled into the bridge hole just below the lock for me to empty it. One chap wasn’t very happy and said as much, “We are allowed to fish here you know!” and “Why didn’t you pull into the landing?” Mick explained that we’d not wanted to disturb them, the chap then seemed to relax. We were warned that there was a chap above the lock who had turrets, so we might be sworn at. Sure enough above the lock there were plenty more fishermen, but no swearing.

Shhh! Secret place, secret radish ice cream!

By lock 9 the forecast rain had started. I now realised how long it has been since wearing my warm waterproof trousers as I hunted for them between locks. By Lock 8 it was heaving it down. You would think we’d have stopped by now, but we were determined to reach Marsworth for guaranteed phone signal tomorrow. The locks now were all close together and the wind was picking up too, so I stayed on the tow path whilst Mick brought Lillian along diagonally. I don’t mind a walk, I don’t mind the rain (if prepared for it), but I don’t like very very muddy towpaths. Slipping and sliding all over the place, it gets to you after a while.

Lock 4 Black Jacks had new lock gates before Christmas. These are far heavier than the old gates along this arm. On the upper gate they have put a handrail on both sides (normally only one side has one). As Mick brought Lillian through the top gate, the wind blew her towards it, there was a ripping noise then scrapping. The handrail which overhangs the water sticks out, it has given us a big rip in the side of the cratch cover and then a lovely long scratch along the gunnel! Beware of Lock 4, it bites!

MIck all wrapped up against the elements

Progressively the wind got stronger, we managed to turn the corner and pull in at the water point. It was harder reversing to moor back on the tow path. A cup of tea and sausage rolls straight from the oven were well deserved.

We have hunkered down now, clothes are drip drying everywhere, a joint of lamb is cooking away on the stove top and potatoes have just gone on to roast.

16 locks, 6.04 miles, 3 wet waterproof coats, 2 wet waterproof trousers, 2 pairs of dripping gloves, 6 sausage rolls devoured, 1 joint lamb cooking away, 15 roast potatoes snuggled up with parsnips and carrots. 

Aylesbury. 21st February

We have stayed put again today. There is no great hurry to move on as the Grand Union at Milton Keynes is still shut.

Pip had some theatre work to do this morning so I wandered off into the town centre. There have been frustrating times with our ability to record television programmes. Our telly has a USB port which we have plugged a stick into, however we can only record one thing at a time and can’t watch something whilst recording something else. Well, in Argos I spotted a Freeview receiver/recorder for £70. I checked in with Pip to see if it would fit in the limited space we have. “Yes” was the answer so the purchase was made. So now we can record two channels whilst watching a third. The next project is to get this box and the telly to run directly off our 12v battery supply to save running the inverter.

Clock tower in Aylesbury Market Place. I wonder if my friend Mark Harford remembers it from new years eve 1974/5?

In the afternoon I went to a nearby launderette and did two loads of washing.

0 miles, 0 locks. 1 PVR bought, 2 loads of washing, 1 Dorset Apple Cake cooked by Pip (yum yum), 12 sausage rolls prepared ready for swift cooking.

 

Aylesbury 20th February

Well the wet weather didn’t appear today, but we stayed put.

Ronnie Barker statue

The town centre is only a couple of minutes walk away and a retail park only another five. A trip to Hobby craft was required for me and a visit for Mick to Maplin. Our walk took us past a low wall with a chap sitting there. It turned out to be a statue of Ronnie Barker. In his early career he was employed as Assistant Stage Manager in the Manchester Repertory Company based in Aylesbury! His first part was in JM Barries “Quality Street”. It is nice to have him as a close neighbour sitting on his wall wearing his dungarees from “Porridge”.

I spent too long in Hobbycraft and then had a full sales pitch from Mick about a PVR in PC World. We don’t watch much TV, but Sunday nights can be tricky with three things on at once. So maybe it is a good idea.

Darren the Dalek

Aylesbury Ducks, not seen any floating yet, just stuffed ones!

We headed back out to the Buckinghamshire County Museum. There was a hotchpotch of exhibits, very accessible for all ages. Up stairs there was a WW1 exhibit of recruitment posters and then letters and memorabilia conveying the reality of the war from locals at the time. All very moving. one poster was to do with the Scarborough bombardment 16th December 1914. There is also a section of a Tudor house which has paintings on the wall, wood carvings on beams all of which was covered over in Georgian times. Next door is the Roald Dahl Childrens Gallery, it sounded fun in there!

Even Houdini’s talents were famous in Tudor Times

Recruitment Poster

The two Uxbridge boats have now joined us at the basin and NB Nelson’s Lady is getting ready to pull over to the tow path tomorrow for the trike that sits on it’s bow to go for an MOT.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 candles should have been 4, £10 for the cinema! 0 shows to be seen, 1m elastic, 1 fawn t shirt, 1 clock tower, 2 burgers, 1 dirty glass of wine, 1 aqueduct on Llangollen Canal.

 

Wilstone to Aylesbury 19th February

Pleasant morning mooring

With the forecast of rain today we decided to get up and get going before the weather got too wet. To start with it was quite pleasant working our way down the locks, then it started to spit, then rain, then the wind got up. At one point we decided that the wind was getting too much so we moored up on a lock landing hoping that it would ease whilst we had a cuppa. Luckily it did, a bit.

Secret fence, hiding secret cows and secret hot dogs!

Between Buckland Lock and Red House Lock this large fence ran along the canal slightly set back. A large building occupied part of the area behind it built in camouflage colours. On doing a bit of research later Mick discovered that it is an Arla Super Dairy which hopes to produce one billion pints of milk (the website doesn’t state over what time period). But we don’t believe them, Shhhh! It’s a secret place. It’s the only way to explain why my phone hasn’t been working all day.

Most of the locks have water flowing six inches high over the gates. At least it helps fill the next lock if the gates are closed.

Bates Boat Yard with at least seven wooden boats in different states of decay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Broughton Lock on the off side is Circus Field Basin where Aylesbury Canal Society are based. They say to chat to the Welcome Boat about free moorings. The basin seemed very full and no Welcome boat was evident, maybe it was at the end of the arm. Between Locks 15 and 16 is a reasonable sized Tescos where Mick went to buy some potatoes whilst I managed to get signal on my phone to catch up with work.

Our view!

The end of the arm has moorings for “services only” that stretch for some five or six boat lengths which was all full, then it opens out into a basin with pontoons with moorings for six 70ft boats. We joined the one and only boat there. On one side there is a Waitrose (the closest we’ve moored to a supermarket), another the Waterside Theatre (sadly only a receiving house) and then a large building site. I suspect we won’t get a lie in tomorrow.

Does anyone know what the significance of two 1p coins nailed to a lock beam is please?

 

No sign of a welcome boat here either, but the chap next door on NB Nelson’s Lady was very welcoming. With rain forecast for tomorrow again I suspect we shall stay put and stay dry. Just a shame that rumours of free electric here are not true as we have a lot of muddy clothes that need washing.

 

 

8 locks, 5.06 miles, 1 secret place, 34 secret handshakes, 21 secret milkshakes, 26 secret hot dogs,  2 x 1p, 1 collapsing swan, 2 potatoes, 2 snake stamps, 1 leftovers pie, 0 welcome boat.