Storm Ashley

I'm starting this on Saturday evening above Braunston Top Lock where, to my great surprise, I arrived this morning.  I got a lift up with a [holiday] family who knew what they were doing and I had nothing to do drive my boat from lock to lock.  I left the boat at 1040 and walked the Dark Lane to catch a [thankfully late] D1 from the Sheering Lane stop.  Daventry consisted of two Big Issues and a bacon bap with a cup of hot chocolate.  I returned to the boat with a litre of Gold Top which later helped cook mushrooms I had seen on my way to the bus and collected along the Dark Lane on my return. 

In the evening I was delighted to help Nick Wolfe slot Aldgate behind mine til morning when we would rearrange things.  During Saturday I cleaned up the water trough comprehensively and helped a few boats though the lock including "Image" the beautiful 60's icebreaker whose owners have sailed on the Nelson and for which the first mate has a yardarm ticket.  Before dark all was set for overnight rain and wind and I got an hour in on computer.  I also managed to off load maybe a dozen cards to various victims including "Image". 

There was rain overnight but rather less than a deluge. After bailing WavyRider I took off to pass out a card or two and have chats with Nick and V and M and Flix.  On the list for onboard entertainment was maceration of trotters in very warm water and exfoliation of same along with a clipping of nails ... before settling in to enjoy Ashley ripping the treetops above.  Apart from a short sharp downpour midday and the odd gust over the boat the day passed quietly and the sun came out in the later afternoon.

Monday morning I was up at six checking the tunnel lights worked as I had decided to go for the tunnel at 7oc which I did (waved away by Nick using night semaphore)  emerging at 7.40 and taking til 8.30 to get to Norton Junction and an hour tidying up for a longish stay.  I have to say the new tunnel light system was brilliant and I saw stuff in there I never seen before including the 100metre boards that count you down to the water cascade next to the kink at 450m.  Alan Buckle will be doing my pre BSS and I am not leaving here til Pentargon is certified. 

Also Simon Pollard will be looking at the umbilical cord.

10oc I decided to go for the D4 from Long Buckby Wharf and walked there by road catching bus at 1035 and D1 at 11.15 to transfer to a No.1 about 12.15 to drop me outside the Rugby printer at 12.30.  I then walked up the hill for a Clifton Cafe full english before the 13.15 D1 landed me at Daventry to wait for the D4 back to LB Wharf. I was back on board at 3.30