By jove it's good to be out cruising again! The canal here on the Watford to Foxton summit is looking very pretty in the spring sunshine. Daffodils, coltsfoot, primroses and violets, sticky buds opening and pussy willow in full bloom. This remote stretch of canal gets better and better as you go further north, and the last few miles into Foxton offers as good a view of typical old England countryside as you can get anywhere. Sadly I cannot show you pictures of it because I have forgotten to bring the lead that connects my Canon camera to the computer. From now on I'll use the little Lumix which has an SD card.
From the Welford arm junction almost to Foxton we had wonderful aerial support in the shape of three buzzards circling low over the canal and following us along from farm to farm. Eventually they left off when they came across the territiory of a red kite. I might have some good buzzard pictures but as I haven't down loaded them I can't really tell yet.
Now the news of Foxton Locks restrictions. This morning we spoke to one of the lockies who said they had no objection to people going down the locks and on to Market Harborough for a couple of nights and then returning. We didn't do it however, because we want to get back to Crick on Thursday. So we got the bus from Foxton into Harborough, where I now sit to type this courtesy of Wetherspoons WiFi. Drinking coffee I hasten to add!!
Maybe its just the blue skies and sunshine, but it is extremely handsome here. I'm sure we'll want to return. As to Foxton village, we have already benefitted from a few very friendly and helpful locals. Without them we wouldn't have got the bus, for there is no proper bus stop - you just have to wait under a tree and flag the bus down when it appears. A nice old lady went out of her way to get us bus timetables from the shop and invited us to a coffee morning at the shop and another at the village hall.
Last night we tried out the little Bridge 61 pub at the foot of the locks. What a little gem. It could be that our first canal pub of the year might turn out to be the best. It's tiny. Beer is served from the hatch and healthy sized free tatsers of the ales are offered without really asking. This is where the locals huddle for a natter while the tourists ( and Foxton has lots) eat in the Foxton Locks inn next door. It didn't take us long to join in the conversation - about chess believe it or not!.
The beer is good too. If you go there try a beer called Inclined Plane. A contender for Herbie pint of the year if ever there was one.
So there may not be much water, but being out on the boat is still great.
HERBIE! Journeys on our narrowboat and the trials and tribulations of maintaining her.
1 comment:
There may not be much water, but there sure is plenty of beer, especially in Bridge 61! A cracking little pub and no tourists either. This is the place to talk boating and beer, which we always do when passing with the Narrow Boat Trust. Well, actually we don't pass, we screech to a halt there!
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