Monday 14 October 2019

A few days in Milton Keynes

Thu 10th October  Giffard Park to Peartree Bridge

It was a lovely day for the short cruise to Peartree Bridge to be nearer the bus routes. WE passed some art works and the entrance to what will one day be a link to Bedford, now used for moorings.

Art installation

The MK to Bedford link

Moored near Peartree Bridge

Then we took bus no 4 into Milton Keynes. We ordered some waterproof boots for James from Hotter, then went to Chopstix for a meal before catching the bus back again. We had had some rain, and the towpath here was now very wet and muddy.

0 locks, 3 miles

Fri 11th October  Peartree Bridge / Saxmundham

Bus number 4 again, this time to Milton Keynes railway station, where we successfully acquired our tickets from a machine. We tried to go through the barriers for an earlier train to London, to give us more transit time, but the barriers would not open for us. Then we discovered that the only public toilets were on the platforms, so the guard had to let us through. We waited on platform 4 where other Euston trains were departing from, but noticed that our designated train was not listed on the departures for that platform. Making enquiries, we found it was going from platform 2, so we crossed the bridge again. As we got on the train, we found that it was stopping at several stations, and not direct, as the others had been.

The transit through London was an unnecessary rush as a result, on a section of the Northern Line, and one stop on the Central Line. A lady in her thirties gave up her seat for James, who  didn’t know whether to feel grateful or elderly.

At Liverpool Street we had no time to sit down for a drink as we would have liked, but instead had to grab take away things. Hazel’s mug of tea fell over in the paper carrier bag, and tea made the bag soggy, so the whole mug dropped onto the floor of the train, spilling tea everywhere. James used a lot of loo roll from the nearby train loo to mop it up before someone slipped on the wet floor.  Hazel went without tea as there was no buffet car.

We arrived at Ipswich and were met by Maggie, and we went to visit cousin Andrew in hospital, who is still suffering from a stroke, and has recently burned his hand severely from the hot water in his apartment. He was finding it difficult to find the words he wanted to say, and was obviously frustrated by this. He pointed to his hand and said, “Half of this is coming off next week”. We hadn’t been told that he was going to have an amputation. Then it dawned on us that he meant that some of the bandages were to be removed instead.

We left the hospital and went via Waitrose in Maggie’s car to join her and Clive for two nights at their home near Saxmundham.

We took the cover off our car on their drive where it had been for six months, and we reconnected the battery. The engine started first time, but the tyres were soft.

No boating today

Sat 12th October  Peartree Bridge / Saxmundham

There was some post to sort out today, plus car tyres to inflate with Clive’s compressor. Then we all went for a lovely pub lunch at the White Horse in Sibton. They have won AA rosettes and other awards, justly deserved.

We drove back through Framlingham to see the sausage festival, and then discovered that it wasn’t happening until tomorrow!

No boating today

Sun 13th October  Peartree Bridge / Saxmundham

Looking out of the kitchen window this morning, there was a kingfisher on a branch overhanging the pond. He dived in several times, but we didn’t see him catch anything. He was there for 15 minutes.

Maggie and Clive

We left Maggie and Clive and set off by car for Milton Keynes. Our route took us through Framlingham again, but we didn’t stop for sausages.

Before returning to our boat, we called in at Waitrose for some bits, including their Ancient Grains Muffins, which had been out of stock in Saxmundham.

Back on the boat, we lit a fire, and started the engine to give the batteries a boost. We went for a Sunday carvery at the Waterside, which was very good. We wanted to leave the car there overnight, and have breakfast there in the morning, but we were told we would be charged if we stayed beyond midnight.  James found an alternative place to park, the other side of the canal.

We visited Milton Keynes Christian Centre and enjoyed their café church. The sermon was based on the first verse of the first chapter of the book of James. We met someone who lives in Fenny Stratford, close to where we hope to have a mission next year.

Back to the boat by car, parking it on a small estate road, and walking back through a small park, avoiding the wet towpath.

The park

No boating today

Mon 14th October  Peartree Bridge / Aylesbury

We drove to Aylesbury, collecting a prescription for Hazel, and calling in at More+, the café run by our church. We met several friends there and enjoyed coffee and cake.

We then went to the canal basin where we collected parcels and post. We left the car there and took a bus back to Milton Keynes where we had a meal in a sushi restaurant for the first time. We collected boots from Hotter for James – not the ones we had ordered, as they were uncomfortable, but instead James chose a different style.

Then we took a number 4 bus back to Peartree Bridge and returned to the boat. It had rained for most of the day, and we stayed put.

No boating today

Next: We start the final leg of our journey back to Aylesbury, hoping to reach the canal basin by Friday, when many of the boat residents gather in the bar.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.