Involved with the police yet again!

Yippee away we go. No more sitting in the Great Northern Basin as we have done for the past 4 months. How great to be free to cruise the system once again. Yesterday was all about getting the boat ready. You wouldn't believe the muck that had accumulated on the super structure during our time at Langley. As for the roof.....well......4 months of road dust as well as leaves, small branches, ash seeds, a mountain of sawdust from when the tree gang came and chopped 3 trees down overlooking the basin the clean up task was daunting. We pulled out of the basin to make it easier for ourselves and within 3 hours had cleaned the roof, washed and polished both sides and loaded the top boxes with all that was needed for the nexrt 7 months cruising.

First side done

This fab tool takes all the hard work out of buffing after the polish had been put on.

No point in moving back to our mooring so thought we may as well stay there for the night.

Jade watching us from the swing bridge.

So today, after the final loo emptying and watering, we pulled into Langley Bridge lock and awaited our locking buddies Michael and Carole on Electra.I decided to walk on to set Eastwood and Shipley locks, both needed filling and Eastwood had bottom gates open which didnt bode well for the rest of the locks down to Sandiacre. We needn't have worried because most of the locks were full and only the last 3 had to be filled. Waiting an age for them to turn up at Shipley, I heard the thundering of hooves and wandered what had spooked them.

 

Could it have been this?

Finally the wait was over as Ian arrived at Shipley with Electra bringing up the rear.

Michael and Carol just entering Shipley lock

 Soon Stenson lock came into view. With it being in our favour it wasn't long before we had descended and making our way toward Ilkeston.

 Going past the council estate, 3 lads were fiddling with a red scooter and trying desperately to get it started. Ian reckoned it was all a bit suspicious and suggested that it may have been stolen. I reckoned that if the lads did manage to start it we would be seeing it along the tow path very shortly. Sure enough, not many minutes later, the roar of the engine alerted us to the scooter. All three lads were on the back, no helmets and all wearing hoodies. I managed to get this photo.

Note the footwear on the one at the back.

You can make out the three hoodies

As they raced off into the distance scattering all the unaware public along the way, a cat leapt from the far bank and into a reed bed. There it sat intent on something and judging by this nest nearby assumed it was the Moorhens.

At the bottom of Pasture Lock we came across a sunkun boat. C&RT had been aware of this boat for months. In fact it was sunk mid channel and dragged to the side by C&RT. Seems that the ropes holding it may have snapped or even been let loose. It's now become a bit of a hazard as the reed bed narrows the channel considerably and to get round the boom takes some skilful navigating. 

 It was also after the final lock at Pastures, and on the approach to Sandiacre, that we once again met the lads on the red scooter. This time there were only two of them and I again took a sneaky photo. As we got to the bridge our local police lady PC Laura Buchanan happened to ride over the bridge with her push bike. Seeing the lads disappear in the distance she did no more then peddle as fast as she could along the towpath after them. We did laugh at the idea that she was trying to catch them up but we very much doubted that her legs could peddle fast enough. Then we had only just finished mooring the boat in the Derby arm when she appeared from around the lock cottage. Recognizing our boat she caught us up and ask if we had any information. When I showed her the photos she was more then pleased and immediately gave me her email address so I could email the photos to her. She was especially pleased that I managed to get their faces. The third lad (the one at the back) was already in custody. He comprehended the youth earlier when he jumped off the back of the scooter. That's one lad that can't deny being part of the trio as he was still spouting a fashionable pair of plastic socks when he was caught (as my photo shows!)

 

I have cropped the photo

We are now back on the moorings by our bungalow. This weekend we have a games night and Pie and Pea to look forward to at the Lock Cottage and on Monday we take the boat to Sheet stores with the hope that Paul Barber will once and for all be able to sort out the rudder problems we have experienced since changing the prop.

And finally my macro photos taken yesterday:-