Voyages of Gabriel: Blisworth to Milton Keynes

Mon 19^th Sep Blisworth

We had no TV signal, so we watched the state funeral of the Queen online. At least we had a good internet signal.

The whole event was very moving, and full of symbolism and tradition. The coverage lasted all day from about 9.30am until after 5pm.

The Queen's coffin was moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, for the main funeral service. Then another procession through London to Hyde Park Corner. Then a new hearse took the coffin to Windsor, where there was a further procession up the long ride to the castle, and another service in St Georges Chapel.

We wondered where and when all those taking part had been able to have a refreshment break.

Watching online on a laptop

We had planned to go through the tunnel to Stoke Bruerne, but we thought that the moorings might be taken up at that hour, so we delayed until the morning.

No boating today.

Tue 20^th Sep Yardley Gobion

It was very damp this morning. We left Blisworth and cruised through the tunnel, which, for a change, was not very wet. We met no other boats, and we could see right through from one end to the other, unlike Braunston Tunnel which has kinks. It took 26 minutes.

Leaving Blisworth

Blisworth Tunnel

Leaving the tunnel

We found a mooring close to our usual spot, and we went for breakfast at the Boat Inn. The food was good, and so was the welcome.

Boat Inn

We visited Kathryn briefly on the way back to the boat, and then waited 45 minutes for a boat to share locks with. Then, like buses, three came along at once, all hire boats from Wyvern in Leighton Buzzard. We shared with one called Ivory. Two pleasant couples on board. We had help initially from a CRT volunteer, but he went back up after the second lock. By now it was hot and sunny.

Stoke Bruerne Top Lock

We met two sets of boats that were coming up, and had no problems. At the bottom, we filled up with water, and emptied a cassette. Ivory continued without pausing.

A JCB was moving one straw bale at a time

We managed to leave again before the other two Wyvern hire boats came down, and we cruised past Grafton Regis, where there are high hedges of apple trees, and a lot of shade.

One of the overflow weirs

We passed Ivory, moored up for lunch. We noticed that the fuel price at Yardley Gobion was good, although we didn’t need any. We moored soon after, near Bridge 62, where there are open views. Ivory came past again.

Diesel price at Yardley Gobion

Moored beyond Bridge 62

We had a brief shower later, and were thankful that we had brought in our mats from outside.

7 locks, 7 miles. Dep 0840, arr 0925 Stoke Bruerne. Dep 1130, arr 1250, Bottom Lock. Dep 1315, arr 1425 Bridge 62.

Wed 21^st Sep Yardley Gobion to Great Linford.

This morning we had no dew at all, and no wind. Dry and still, like a good cider.

We departed after several boats had been past, going the other way. We cruised through familiar territory (0ur 12^th time in this direction, plus 14 times in the other direction). We didn’t even take a photo of Solomons Bridge in Cosgrove.

We paused briefly at the facilities in Cosgrove to empty a cassette, and then we moved on to the lock bollards. A boat was coming up, very cautiously, hanging onto ropes. By the time they had reached the top, another Wyvern Shipping hire boat, Maple, had appeared, but they weren’t concentrating, and they started to head down the Buckingham Arm, which leads nowhere except for some moorings. When they realised, they reversed back and came into the lock with us.

Sharing Cosgrove Lock with Maple

After the lock, we went first, going slowly along the straight mile across the aqueduct, past many moored boats. We saw Robin and Laura, from Miss Matty, whom we have met at Cavalcade and Rickmansworth festivals. They moor here. We also saw a boat with a pentacle in the window. That usually means there is a witch on board.

Miss Matty

Pentacle

We finally arrived at the Iron Trunk aqueduct, where a heron was boldly standing on the edge of the trough.

Cosgrove Aqueduct

Fearless Heron

Just after this, a Braunston hire boat had been coming fast towards us, and they slammed into reverse, put the tiller in the wrong direction, and ended up sideways across the cut. All very entertaining.

Hire boat across the cut

As we left, they were just entering the aqueduct, and the Wyvern boat behind us was also entering from the other end. We didn’t wait to see what happened. Opposite the Galleon, we saw Out & About, but there was no sign of Tudor and Flo.

Out & About

Aerial lifts at Wolverton

Historic Railway Bridge

The train mural

Burnt out boat

We managed to continue through Wolverton without stopping for Tesco, then through New Bradwell, where a boat called Hilda was coming towards us quite fast. As they passed us, they over steered, and had to go into reverse to avoid collision with a moored cruiser. A lot of black smoke was involved.

Hilda taking panic measures

At Stanton Low Park, where we sometimes moor, we saw fuel boats Beverley and Ascot, looking very dilapidated, and moored just where we had seen them earlier in the year.

Beverley and Ascot

We didn’t stop there this time, though, as we fancied trying out the Black Horse pub, which has good mooring bollards outside. We had trouble getting into the side, so we were a little way from the edge. We put some washing out to dry, and James hunted for the entrance to the pub, as it looked closed. He found a way in, and asked them to open the door onto the canalside deck, where we had lunch. The food was very nice, but a bit overpriced.

Arriving at the Black Horse

Out from the side

The nearby road was noisy, as was the pubs extractor fan, so we moved on to the visitor mooring at Great Linford.

Moored at Great Linford

James went for a walk around this manorial village, which has almshouses, a medieval church, and some ponds that are being restructured. Here are a few photos: