The lock keeper had a chat to me, while it emptied, about travelling by narrow boat He had had a share in a boat but being a fixed place mooring it limited exploration of the network. He had sold his share but was planning a trip to Scotland on a cruiser to do the Caledonian canal. That is a more suitable boat for that trip. I told him to look out for Nessie. He was very friendly to us, giving Shane a card with the numbers for phoning locks ahead, so they could start setting them out way in advance, definitely not a service at the Thames. He waved us away and it’s the first time I have been blown a kiss by the lock keeper!