Voyages of Gabriel: Milton Keynes to Marsworth

Sun 20^th June Water Eaton to Leighton Buzzard

After our 9am meeting, when we sang four hymns, and shared communion, some of us walked to the Water Eaton Church Centre, to share in the service at Spurgeon Baptist Church. The service was put together by our team, and they used four songs that we had pre-recorded a few weeks ago from our apartment.

Water Eaton Church Centre

On the big screen

We walked back to the boat, and after a few checks, we set off. We had lots of water on the roof, particularly on the solar panels. We hadn’t gone far when we found a hire boat stuck at the side. We towed them off.

A very wet roof

Hire boat stuck

Hammond Lock was against us, and just after James had started emptying it, a boat came into sight above the lock. Not good timing.

When we arrived at Soulbury Three Locks, we paused to fill the water tank, which took 30 minutes. Just as we finished, a boat came round the corner behind us, and so we shared the locks with Meerkat. The first two locks were against us, and therefore needed re-setting, and the top lock was almost empty.

Soulbury Locks with Meerkat

Co-ordinated boating

James noticed that the safety ratchet on the top gate paddle, towpath side, on the top lock, did not sit properly, and could be a safety issue, particularly with the many hire boaters around who may be inexperienced. Email to CRT.

Unsafe safety ratchet.

We saw several swallows, which was nice, as we have seen very few this year. We also house martins, terns, young moorhens, ducks and cygnets, and a jay.

Swan family

Globe Inn at Linslade

We were looking out for Tudor and Flo on Out ‘n About, but we didn’t see them. We continued through Leighton Lock, and moored up above the lock. Later, we heard from Tudor that they were half a mile on, moored by Tesco.

Andy and Sue passed us on Springwater, heading south. They went as far as Slapton today.

It was cold, so we lit the fire. Midsummer tomorrow!

Heating on

5 locks, 6 miles. Dep 1255, arr 1415 Three Locks. Dep 1445, arr 1635.

Mon 21^st June Leighton Buzzard

Moored above Leighton Lock

Jules Fuels came up through the lock and sounded their claxon. We let them know that we wanted some diesel, and we took on 104 litres. Hopefully, that will see us through until we leave the Thames at Oxford.

Jules Fuels

We noticed that on the boat moored on a garden mooring opposite, Capital, the doors were open, and also the doors were open in the house. We hailed, but had no answer. The owners are folk musicians we know from the sessions in Wing.

We walked along the towpath to find Tudor and Flo, but on the way, we found Ayup, and had a chat with Ken and Sue. It was good to reminisce about the Middlewich Folk Festival where we first met them in 2016. Actually, we met Ken in Rugely in 2015, and he had recommended mooring at Middlewich Narrowboats for the festival. They have a 12-month mooring here at Leighton Buzzard.

Moving on, we found Out ‘n About just before the bridge, on the 14-day mooring. After a chat with Tudor and Flo, we headed up to the High Street, where we visited charity shops, Wilko, the ironmongers, and Waitrose. We had lunch in The Pantry, a good place for breakfast. There was a very noisy toddler who kept flinging things on the floor.

We checked out MiFi rates at EE – very expensive.

We walked back along the riverside path back to the boat and we noticed that Capital had gone. Perhaps we will see them further down.

No boating today.

Tue 22^nd June Leighton Buzzard to Ivinghoe

We cruised slowly from Leighton Lock to the moorings by Tesco, getting a wave from Ken on Ayup as we crept past. We visited Homebase, Aldi and Tesco, which took almost all of our 2 hours of mooring time.

Passing Ayup

Setting off once more, we said cheerio to Tudor and Flo, moved under the bridge and paused at the facilities for rubbish disposal and cassettes.

Moving on again, there were lots of moored boats on the way out of Leighton Buzzard. As we arrived at Grove Lock, there was a boat about to go in, so we shared the lock. This was a single guy who said he was mooring just above the lock so that he could go back and collect his car, and then fetch his daughters from school, as it was his turn.

Sharing Grove Lock

Jula (Ray and Pauline’s boat that used to be in Aylesbury)

There was no available space for him, so he came with us through Church Lock as well. He had to be persuaded to get off his boat and open paddles and gates, as he had remained on his boat for the first lock, with James doing everything. There was no space above Church Lock either, so he came with us all the way to Ivinghoe Locks, where we stopped for the day. All the mooring spaces we had passed were not near somewhere for his car. He had not been able to collect his daughters from school.

In Ivinghoe Bottom Lock

He carried on after we had stopped for the day between the two Ivinghoe Locks. We had realised that there were the two Jules Fuels boats going up in front of us, and almost all the locks had been against us.

We had a Zoom session with Jack, who recorded some of our chat for the church service on Sunday.

It was a beautiful evening, so James went to take a few photos of the area

Bridge 122 at Ivinghoe

The bridge parapet

The Whipsnade Lion

St Mary’s Church, Edlesborough

Ivinghoe Beacon

Wildlife highlights: terns catching fish, red kites flying very close, skylarks rising up from the meadows.

Tern

Moored at Ivinghoe

Water art

Ivinghoe sunset

5 locks, 5 miles. Dep 0915, arr 0935 Tesco. Dep 1125, arr 1445.

Wed 23^rd June Ivinghoe to Marsworth

We left quite early to avoid travelling behind the fuel boats. Most of the locks were still against us. After the Seabrook Locks, we were pleased to accept help from a keen man who swung the swingbridge for us.

Seabrook Lock Cottage

Seabrook swing bridge

In the car park by Pitstone Wharf there had been some fly-tipping. What an unsightly mess!

Fly tipping

Some wildlife pics:

Chiff Chaff

Heron reflected

Heron

Red Kite

Duck with 16 ducklings

As we were entering Marsworth Bottom Lock no 37, we noticed a boat just leaving the lock above. It turned out to be Sue and Eric on Remus. We caught up with them when they stopped for water further on.

Remus

We passed the end of the Aylesbury Arm. We don’t do that very often these days – we usually go down it.

Marsworth Junction

We had planned to do one more lock, and there was a single guy just about to go in, and he opened one gate. We went in and moved across to let him in behind. It is useful to have a bow thruster that works at last.

Sharing Marsworth Lock

As we were going up in the lock, a friend of ours from Aylesbury, Colin, arrived walking towards us on the towpath. We found a mooring just there , so we stopped and put out some chairs in the shade under the trees, and made tea.

Tea with Colin

Moored at Marsworth

Eric and Sue went past, heading for the Wendover Arm. We met a man who was enquiring about Canal Ministries and BCF, so we gave him the leaflets. Later we had a request from him to speak at his church in the autumn.

We visited the Water’s Edge restaurant, in the old lock cottage building which used to house Bluebells Café. We had a light lunch, and were pleased with the food and the service. It is a shame they don’t yet do breakfast. They don’t open until 1200.

Later, James went for a walk round the reservoir to spot wildlife. He saw a female tufted duck with three chicks. Every time she dived, the three chicks dived as well. Then suddenly, she came up making alarm calls and splashing the water with her wings. Only two chicks returned to the surface, so presumably a pike or catfish had had a meal. Life is precarious in the wild.