Soulbury with low water

On Friday night we went to the Red Lion at Marsworth for a meal. They have a good selection of beers and the homely food goes down a treat. Maggie had a huge ham hock that defeated her! On the way back to Albert, in the dark, we passed some CRT waste bins. It was clear from the rustling inside that something was going on. We shone our torch towards the bin for a few moments and then saw a large rat pushing open the lid and escaping to the hedge. There were obviously a number inside!

The morning started fine and sunny and it continued so for the rest of the day.

Thatched cottage at Marsworth

We travelled north towards Leighton Buzzard passing only a few boats. It was great boating. We took lunch (soup) on the move and stopped outside Tesco's in Leighton for some late supplies. One key supply was gin - we had paused at Lock 33 to pick sloes from trees by the defunct side ponds and were on a mission to make sloe gin. Tonight, Monday, we are pricking the fruits before we add the sugar and the gin.

Operating a Grand Union lock

Dredging team at Slapton Lock

The end to what had been a perfect boating day came after we left Leighton Lock to look for our night's mooring. We didn't particularly want to moor near The Globe but there we no vacant berths. I noted that bloggers Derwent6 and Freespirit were moored up along with Parisien Star a boat that also used to be owned by active bloggers; the former owners now appear to post about their other interests.

After The Globe we tried mooring up. On our way south we had noted that CRT contractors were dredging the Jackdaw pound so we expected to find some moorings with good depth. How wrong could we be! After numerous, possibly more that six, attempts at getting Albert somewhere near the bank, and light fading, we gave up and decided our only recourse was to moor on the lock moorings at the Three Locks at Soulbury. The whole of the three-mile pound was at least one foot below its normal level and this was after dredging. I have no idea what was wrong but it appeared to be serious. Several moorers had called up CRT to complain.