Well, fancy that.................

MONDAY. I applied the final topcoat today, having started earlier owing to the higher temperature, it was to be another scorcher. Tom and Julie were moving off for Pollington, I went with Tom to set the lock. We had seen the dredger back into the lock, pen down; and start work by the lock bottom bullnose.
Tom inserted his BW key, and nothing. No power. We went to the bottom gate pedestal, tried to see if the sluices were not fully down, again, no power there. He telephoned the Leeds office and reported the breakdown – on his mobile as the phone on the lock cabin was also dead. We were impressed, five minutes later, a BW man turned up! However he knew nothing about the problem; he had come to operate the lock for Rix Pheonix bound for Fleet Oil terminal. He would pen Shark down when Pheonix had left the lock.
Oh yes – the reason for the failure; the crew that had penned the dredger down did not switch the lock control back over to self operation!
We ran the engine and each had a shower before refilling the water tank. A boat arrived from Leeds as were finishing. The owner used to go camping on a farm at Shoreham where I lived until my early 20’s, the sister of the farmer had been one of my preparatory school teachers. Then; I discovered that his son used to work for Chord electronics near Maidstone where I used to deliver their cardboard cartons. We parted company when the lock was ready; we had run out of coincidences.
We moved up to Woodlesford, mooring above the lock; after dinner, we walked to Fishpond lock.
The occupant of the cottage may like the old style GPO phone boxes – there were three of them in his garden!
Three private boats have passed heading for Castleford; one hire boat heading for Leeds, it is certainly quiet.

Weather very hot – again!

The 2008 journey thus far: 200 Locks & 319.5 Miles & 19 Swing\Lift Bridges

Journeys using bus pass: 11