No light pitter patter this morning. It was bucketing down!
Fortified with bacon and egg rolls for brekkie (thanks chef Jen), it was full rain gear on for everyone and all hands on deck.
There’s nothing like starting the day in a big way, so tackling a staircase lock seemed to fit the bill. Memories of our near disaster in 1982 when we nearly flooded The Three Locks Pub on the Grand Union Canal will be etched in our memories forever. It was time to do a bit of revision homework.
Staircse locks are exactly what their name suggests. They look like a set of stairs, exiting one gets you directly into the next one. And repeat. No gaps, no mooring places. Once in, you stay in. The major factor in negotiating a staircase lock (going up) is to ensure the bottom lock is empty and the other two are filled, thereby having water capacity to fill as you go. If the bottom lock is also full, you risk a disaster like we nearly had in ’82 when the diners in The Three Locks Pub nearly all had fish for dinner!
At the Grindley Stair Lock, true to his word, Fred was there to help, and the whole process went seamlessly.
Also, assisting at the bottom lock were Suzie and Tyreen, workers in the coffee and cake shop. Sustenance is vital on a wet day when you’re under lock pressure, so their delicious cakes put a sweetener on an otherwise damp morning.
We alternated shifts once again throughout most of the day. The rain was consistent, reasonably heavy, and not pleasant. An hour or so on the poop deck was enough.
We knew there was still time to make up so we pushed ourselves to keep going, the holy grail of Pontcysyllte foremost in our minds. Despite the weather, there was still plenty to see.
And it was time for cake!
The countryside rolled away, and with no more locks to negotiate, we made good progress. Unlike Meggy Rose!
Then, just like magic, at 3pm, the sun came out, and the clouds parted to reveal a beautiful blue sky.
Moorings were found opposite the Narrowboat Pub which, being a Friday night, filled up fast. It was warm, cosy and had a very friendly publican who made us feel welcome. Apart from the fact he was a Collingwood fan, all was happy in the world.
We just had one more thing to do before bedtime!
It’s Friday night here, but the polls had opened in Australia for the Voice Referendum, something very close to our hearts. Jen and Grahame had been lucky enough to vote in Brussels a few weeks ago but John and I were in the wilds of Scotland before postal voting had opened, and a whole world away from the only voting place in the UK, Australia House in London. We felt very frustrated!
Back home, we had proudly joined many in our neighbourhood to show our support.
Even though we were on the other side of the world, we remained positive!
Kanga And Wombats Adventures 