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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Thursday 5 April 2018

A glorious day for a cruise

And very glad we chose today to travel up to Langley Mill.



 and as we left, well.....would you look at the temperature.

  
 It was hotter outside the boat than in!!! All due to the sun beating down on the sensor. Will we ever see those sort of figures here in the UK?

We did the journey in about 5 hours, not bad considering all but three locks were against and had to be emptied. Met Jim and Jen on Nb Dire Straits on their way down to Trent lock so by rights all the locks should have been in our favour. Leakage through the top gates was the problem but we did speculate as to whether another boat was in front of us. 


We also had a very interesting conversation with a chap from C&RT. He was at Hallam Fields lock with a generator and angle grinder on the lock side. Apparently, a spike ratchet pall was missing and a new one needed to be attached, apparently to stop fingers getting trapped if dropped.  Ian asked when the job was supposed to have been done and they told him an order had been placed several years ago and it was only now that he had been told to do the job. Bad that, having to wait so long for a repair. More information was also forthcoming from him as he mentioned about the rebranding of C&RT logo. He was very baffled as to why all that money was being spent on changing the design especially as all the cars, vans, signage and C&RT clothing would have to be changed to the new logo costing millions. I must say I'm inclined to agree with him.






Saw quite a bit of flooding on the fields and I did feel for these poor chickens having to cope with water in their enclosure.





Saw this painted on a wall, made me chuckle.




 Once back at Langley it didn't take long to connect to shore line and replenish the bird feeders. During the two weeks away the Daffodils have come into their own on our mooring and the display is wonderful. Lovely to look out of the side hatch and admire the spectacle.


 And seen on route,





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