Bartimaeus

Shortly after our encounter with the man taking a photo of our bow dragon, we were on the go and passed a boat, on private moorings, with a dragon on the side, as a very impressive bit of sign writing that was. Not being a Tolkien super fan I didn't recognise the name. It is a very long time since I read the Hobbit as a schoolgirl. I assume this narrow boat owner is a big fan. There are other clues to an interest in fantastic tales, on their mooring, with signs saying Jabberwocky and Welcome to Wonderland.

Later that day we saw a Welsh flag on the stern of a boat. The flag has a dragon of course, but this boat enhanced the theme and had a dragon in its name too and another dragon on the side of the boat.

There were locks to do so I got going to do them. The first was by the busy road and I found that the unusual swinging curved gates were on both sides but the tow path changed sides making it even harden for cyclists on the tow path. I met two negotiating the second gate and told them we'd taken our tandem through one and it had been quite a feat. It looked impossible to start with.

When Shane managed to get it through pretty smoothly I had thought he was doing a magic trick. It was less slick in the other direction, when he discovered it only fitted in one direction. 

We didn't need to take it apart or remove my saddle or lift it over, we just needed to turn the bike around and somehow it worked. Spacial puzzles are not my forte.

Later Shane announced there was a staircase lock and he wanted to do it and so saying he seized the windlass and let go off the tiller. I took the helm and was happy to let him tackle that spacial sequence. When I got in the first lock I saw it was very leaky. I was glad the washing wasn't up in the bow well and kept the boat back.

When I was in the lock Shane appeared on the bridge. He tried to send me signs that weren't our standard lock signs. I just looked confused. He gave up and then I worked out he had been simply saying we were waiting. His sign was of fingers drumming on the bridge, but I had thought it was some sort of creature crawling at first. I know if I had signed actual BSL signs for 'fill' and 'wait', he might have been none the wiser. 

While waiting at the top for the next gates to open, I noticed the Botterham bridge was The Answer, to life, the universe and everything. I have had a little more exposure to Douglas Adams than J R R Tolkein. The waiting was over and I could drive in.

We moored up in a lovely country spot with sheep across the way that were much keener to munch their way through the rushes than stick to the hay. The plants by the canal are indeed greener.

The next day I was volunteering to do the locking and recognised the name Bumblehole Lock - once heard, never forgotten. At the other end as I was winding I saw that someone had not been taking care when stepping round the lock. They hadn't noticed that the cement wasn't set yet. The person had quite a dainty foot, smaller than mine I would say. I wanted a photo but hadn't pockets in my shorts - otherwise it was a perfect locking outfit! Shane obliged when he came to wind down the other paddle. 

We again changed over when we reached the staircase. It isn't even a staircase but three locks so close together you can't have any going in the opposite direction as the "ponds" are short spaces in between. Three boat can go one behind the other though and the boats at the other end need to wait till they are all through. As it turned out we kept nobody waiting and were able to stop for lunch at the top. Luckily I didn't need to used the slimy steps to get in or out. At least there was a rail to hold on to.

We have been here before in our first few months and tried to find the fairy castle described but hadn't looked closely at the signs. 

Shane had mistakenly thought it referred to the toll house, which is at the top of the locks. It is a pretty building with a flag flying but a stretch of the imagination to call it a fairy castle, but it was certainly more attractive than a pumphouse is normally.

We eventually glimpsed the real pumping station and a little tower, but it was shrouded in trees like Sleeping Beauty's castle and hard to see. We found the front and a fence barred our way. Built in 1895, it does seem rather palacial for a pumping station. Some might think it has ideas above its station, but clean water really matters.