A death and then a revival!

It's bu**ered...well and truly! The phone is a deceased phone. Hopes had been raised when Ian turned it on this morning and it sprung into life. "I'll leave it on charge for an hour," said Ian. Hour up and Sim card replaced, he pressed the on button and the screen sprang into life. It was not to be though as suddenly one side got very hot and the screen went black. Ian deduces that somewhere in the workings a short has occurred. He resisted my nagging on getting a new phone for ages but now the moths will have to be released from the wallet and money will be spent!

Sometimes it pays not to leave to early. We had decided to go down the Wendover Arm and see what progress has been made to the restoration so, with no facilities until we headed back to Marsworth, the full cassette was perched on the shopping trolley frame and I became a packhorse to carry the rubbish. Got below the lock and who should be there but Jules Fuels motor and butty. They were in the process of dieseling one of the moored boats and a quick question of her price (72p ltr) and we asked if she would stop at FS to fill our tank.

Although no masks were worn precautions were made to make sure we and they were safe. Ian well away from the stern leaving one of the men (can't remember his name) doing the fill. A spray was used before and after and we wiped down too.

Then with them still stopping to service other boats, we set off up the Marsworth Flight.

Approaching the top lock

The turn from the top lock into the Wendover Arm is a right B. Assessing the situation I decided both gates would benefit from being open giving me more of a chance of doing the turn.  As it was I needed to reverse several times to align the bow. But I made it without a scratch and immediately wondered if we had done the right thing. Soooo shallow at the start that making any headway was painfully slow. At one point the GPS showed 1.5mph at 1200 revs. It did get better the further along we went but I cut the corner by the factories and ended up leaning somewhat as I went into the mud. Anyway, this is a great little canal although I really wouldn't want to meet a boat heading toward me.

Fingerpost on the left pointing to the Wendover Arm under the bridge.

Looking back toward the top lock

And looking back toward the junction

We walked from our mooring, along the road to the footpath leading to Wendover arm and then to  the Chiltern Footbridge

Having winded and then moored, after a spot of lunch we set off to see how much further the Wendover Canal Trust had got with their restorations. All I can say is it is still work in progress but talking to one of the trust workers he assured us that a small section would be in water by Christmas.

Winding at the end of the Arm

Mooring tonight

The start of the walk

From Chiltern bridge, the rest is in water although very shallow. Work would still be needed before boats could travel to Wendover.

 And when we got back...a miracle! Ian's phone has risen from the dead! Starting chuntering away late afternoon with message after message so maybe leaving it on charge for as long as he did, did the trick (actually he forgot it was still plugged in)  "Saved myself a truckload of cash" Ian smugly told me. Hmm, I wonder if I can persuade him to pass the cost of a new phone over to me. I wouldn't have any difficulty spending his money!

And wildlife, I believe this is a Kestral. Rubbish photos but it was carrying what I think is a vole.