Talk about a cockup!

Sunrise at 8am

 Not the best starts to the day. Appointments had been made in Sandiacre, the dentist for both of us at 10am and then a nurses appointment re vaccinations for our trip to Duhbi at 11am. With the Doctors being directly opposite the dentist one would assume that nothing could go wrong. And thereby you have it. We assumed and it all went wrong! First we hadnt put onto the equation that the dentist may have been running late, and secondly, that Ian had written the wrong time and date in the dairy! Sitting in the dentist waiting room we were on tenterhooks watching the minutes go by and we very nearly gave up on that appointment. We were just about to get up and go when we were both called in together. 15 minutes was all the time we could afford to give the dentist and, give her her due, she got both check ups done in 10 minutes. Then a 2 minute walk across the road and we were in at the doctors. The 11am, two minute silence was about to start but we had enough time to give our names and expect to be told to sit down. Thats when the second of our assumptions went wrong. Not only had Ian booked the wrong day (was for tomorrow) but the appointment Ian thought he had made to see the doctor tomorrow was actually the 11am appointment for today.(confused? yes I was too) That in itself would have been okay had it not been for the fact it was at their sister surgery 3 miles away!!!! So as soon as the two minute silence was over and with the promise from the receptionist that she would phone the other surgery, we high tailed it to Stapleford. Within a minute of arrival Ian was whisked away, saw the doctor and was out again after 5 minutes. Me thinks the doctor had got fed up waiting and wanted Ian gone as soon as possible!

So after all that hoo ha we decided to go to Dolkhom Lock and see how work was progressing. Met a lovely C&RT guy Graham Mitchell who was only to willing to tell us about the work. Apparently, with only one crane barge and both top and bottom gates being replaced, the lock had to be dewatered twice. First with the crane barge above the lock, replace those gates, refill lock, turn crane boat round at Sandiacre winding hole, drop down below lock and then dewater to replace bottom gates. 'What a  right palava' said he, 'Took us a lot longer to do then previously thought'. 'Shame we didn't have second crane barge, that would have made life easier'. I then went off taking photos leaving Ian to continue to chat with Graham. On my return Graham asked if I would like him to take some photos 'first hand'. So handing him my camera and showing him what button to press I left him to it. So first 7 photos are mine.

Temporary footpath around the work. Permission had to be given by the EA for this to be done at C&RT's cost.

  

 

Old top gate

Graham Mitchell in black

 And then Grahams photos,

Me and Ian behind bars!

New top gate

  I then got the camera back and took these last few,

Removing the safety ladder

Old bottom gates

 

Anything in there to eat?

Let me see....

Nope just a load of junk.