Bartimaeus

We stayed at our moorings in Netherwich Basin after we got back from taking Heather to the station.  Just the other side of the reed bed, but out of sight from the boat, was the sign I'd seen years ago showing the furthest points you can reach on the connected canals and rivers.

Since we first saw this sign, we have been to three of the locations shown on it: Tewitfield, Godalming and Llangollen.  I was always puzzled that the fourth arm said Boston, and we've been there too.  When I went back to the sign, I was surprised to see that the eastern-most point (correctly) says Brandon.  I don't think I misread the sign, and I don't remember the printed panels fixed to the wood - perhaps it has been corrected.

Brandon is in Suffolk and was already on our list of possible future adventures.  For now though, we needed to move on in order to charge the batteries.  We warmed ourselves up by going through the two swing bridges in the park.  We had no intention of going beyond there without having lunch - there is almost no chance to moor until the Hanbury Junction.

After lunch, Clare drove while I worked the locks and bridges.  She was slightly apprehensive about both jobs, but agreed afterwards that driving this section is simple enough when you aren't surprised by everything you reach.

We got help from volunteer lock-keepers through the the three locks with side ponds and pressed on a short way beyond the junction.  We stopped at a spot with an open aspect.  It doesn't have any of the facilities of the basin, but the view from the boat is much better.

I went for a walk in the late afternoon to stretch my legs.  I ended up doing a lap of Hanbury Hall on public footpaths.  The following morning we walked together on a similar route, but this time stopping for coffee and scones at the cafe.

We had lunch when we got back to the boat, and then drove on through the Astwood Locks.  We met a few hire boats coming the other way.  It was Saturday afternoon and there is a hire base nearby, so some of them were very new to locking.  I tried to be encouraging to a woman who was working her very first lock as I arrived.  She let a paddle crash down, but clearly learnt from the experience and did the other one perfectly.

She was surprised when I suggested she could now walk on to the next lock.  Her companion on the boat seemed to have worked that out, but he then slewed across the canal on approach to the lock, even though Clare had conveniently vacated for him.  We've both made all those mistakes ourselves, but we've come a long way since then.

A short distance after the locks we moored on some handy rings.  I put the pram cover up as the forecast for Sunday was heavy rain most of the day.  I remembered that I haven't changed the oil in the tandem gear hub, which is meant to be done annually.  That seemed a good use of a wet morning.

The pub on the opposite side of the bridge advertised Sunday Carvery lunches, so we enjoyed supporting the local economy there, and managed the short walk both ways without getting soaked.

After lunch there was a small rearrangement of the electrics at the back of the tandem cupboard I wanted to do.  It was convenient to do that while it wasn't occupied, and then I moved the tandem back to its usual home.