KILBY BRIDGE

I feel bad about blogging away without any pictures but I caught sunsets and locks and boats and birds all of which deserve a place but not just yet. Kilby Bridge is a destination and a big CRT depot.  All facilites including a shower room where you can have hot and cold and very hot and very cold in an order decides by a faulty thermostat.

I arrived here on Friday9th knowing there was no Sunday bus.  Only one service goes through  49 which links Fleckney with Leicester Monday through Saturday.  Bus stops don't bother with timetables out here in the sticks so I rely on one photoed in Fleckney to provide intelligence. 

Buses should pass 17 to 20 mimnutes after the Fleckney departure and that translates to H+51-53.  I quickly learned to arrive at the stop at least five minutes early because with no timetable the buses race to get to a fag stop at Wigston Magna.

On Sunday 11th I discovered how remote the place can be.  I had run the boats right through the wharf half a mile back from Kilby Lock as I wanted to nail MILE8 which is right by the landing. Looking at OS maps and apps it appeared there was access from the lock across the fields over the railway line and via some side streets to a Co-op.  Well!  Yes!  But they don't tell you the pathway is not a right-of-way and the railway bridge is gated.

All the land is private property and all the little side streets beyond are cul de sacs and the actually distance footing it from the boat is well over one and a half miles. The legal way which routes out to the main road down to the Navigation Bridge is over two miles. 

On Monday12th  I caught the first 49 through and explored Leicester routes before returning to the boats to separate Wavy and take Pentargon on her own back to the wharf.  Subsequent 49s were missed in sequence until I copped what they were doing and arrived at the bus stop five minute before the due time and stepped right on. 

All this messing has its reasons.  By finding out what buses actually do rather than what they are supposed to do, or what others tell you they do,  I am tapping into primary evidence.

It was thus some weeks ago I discovered that if I were to take a bus from Haymarket to Uppingham I could connect within minutes with an R4 to Stamford which could then allow me to take a bus to Peterborough (via Bourne if I wished)

On Tuesday13th I caught the first 49 and then the LC7 to Uppingham to prove I could catch the R4 on the following day.  I then took the LC7 back to Leicester to further explore that city and complete a relaxing day by buying a watch a clone of my Seiko for £50 until I get mine fixed.

Wednesday 14th: traveling day with a bag of laundry

On Thursday15th  I woke in Orton refreshed and ready for laundry and to pay my respects for the little flat I hang my clothes in.  I spent the day bussing to and from Stamford to check if there was an easy and painless way to bus back to the boat. There isn't but by surfing a little net I got a train ticket for £8.43 one way taking an hour, and I will rest over til the morning then and iron some stuff to bring with me ...