Awakening to an almost cloudless blue sky, we decided to get going as soon as we had eaten breakfast. I moved off at 7.20am as Myra had walked forward to set Fenny lock and swingbridge. Myra was chatting (yes, already!) to the moorings warden who was out walking his dog. Passing out of the lock and under the railway bridge, we saw a Heron sitting on a pipe bridge, he did not move as we passed below him.
As we approached Willowbridge, we saw a boat preparing to move off heading the same way as us; a brief conversation with the smiling Martin on the helm of 'The Tartan Rose' revealed the secret. It was a brand new boat, he had been on it for three days, but Mo, his partner told us that she had only been aboard since last night. Their smiles would have done justice to the audience at a school nativity. We shared the next five locks with them, both crews going to Tesco at Leighton Buzzard.
Coming out of Linslade, the gardens next to the canal were well looked after; it was lovely to see them. On the opposite (Leighton) side of the canal we soon began passing some of the disused sand wharves, with the narrow gauge railway tracks in situ. The sand was transported in side tipping trucks which discharged straight into the hold of the boats alongside. We eventually tied up above Slapton Lock, within sight (just, through the mist)of the Whipsnade Lion.
This figure was cut into the chalk in 1933 to a design of Mr. R.B. Brooke-Greaves to show the location of Whipsnade wildlife park. It is now completely hollowed out in the chalk: as originally cut, it was in outline only.
Since leaving Leighton Buzzard, only four boats had passed in the opposite direction; having moored up, two more passed us and two going in our direction.
A sharp contrast compared with yesterday.
The sun made a brief appearance, before the mist descended again.
2009 Totals: Locks 30; Miles 57; Bus Pass uses 2.
Update at 8.40pm - the Whipnade Lion is now illuminated!
