Gloucester docks, Sunday 26th July
Last evening, we joined a group of boaters sitting outside the lock cottage at Strensham; we were made to feel at home and enjoyed their company.
One of the younger children had asked her Dad if I was Father Christmas.
He told her to ask Myra: she took the girl to one side and explained that I was Father Christmas, but that I was on holiday and she must keep it secret. When she left with her Mum and Dad at bedtime, she smiled and gave me a big wave. Oh, the wonderful
innocence of the young.
This morning, we moved away down the lock at 8am for the run down to Tewkesbury and the River Severn beyond. There were a number of anglers setting up for a competition, most of them gave a friendly wave; I will really miss this on the canals.
We arrived at Tewkesbury where the lock keeper had just penned a boat up from the Severn, he took our front rope and warped us into the lock. He gave me a lot of useful advice for the trip and contacted the Gloucester lock keeper to tell him of our journey.
In no time we were leaving the lock and heading down the River Severn and Upper Lode lock which we left at 10am.
There was a bit of fresh water in the river, the journey took us just two hours for the 14 miles to Gloucester lock; we tied to a pontoon in the docks and later, we visited the Waterways museum where we spent nearly two hours. It was well laid out and interesting, the bucket dredger was one of my favourites, as it was identical to one that I knew at Shoreham where I was mucking about in boats some 55 years ago.
They have a ferro cement (concrete) narrowboat, only two were ever made; Guest and sons of Stourbridge did the work but the boats were too heavy to carry a full load and were easily damaged.
2009 Totals: 420 Locks – 734 miles – 20 Bus pass uses.
