Tuesday 4 October 2016

We left our mooring at about 9.30am – another lovely sunny day.  It’s so nice to have good weather for our last couple of weeks – hope it lasts until we make it to Roydon.

Six miles later we went through the lock and swing bridge at Fenny Stratford then carried on to Stoke Hammond Lock and three locks at Soulbury Three Locks which is a small staircase.

This part of the canal is back in the rural countryside and very pretty it is too.  We decided to moor up just before Leighton Lock on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard where we had moored last year but we couldn’t get a TV signal even with our new super duper aerial so decided to carry on to a higher bit of canal. 

We arrived at Leighton Lock where there was a hireboat coming the other way with a boatyard member giving them tuition on how to operate the lock.  He then came back to chat to us as we were going through the lock so we gave him a lift back to the boatyard.  We left the boat at the boatyard last year to go back to London.

There were several boats moored just along from the shop stop in Leighton Buzzard so we pulled over.  There were two young lads fishing around in the canal – one had been in the canal and told us that he had lost his rolex ring.  The guy in the hotel boat moored behind us came to ask if the story was the same as they had told him.  The lads asked me if we lived onboard and were we river gypsies - I said you could call us that!  Let’s hope it’s the last we see of them as we really don’t want to move on again this evening.

Another lovely morning.

Looks like they have been waiting a while!

There's Wychwood over there - they said they had found a nice little mooring.

Look out for the iceburg!

a few chard remains.

More river rats!

This heron was just staring into the window on this boat!

Lots of boats moored in Simpson - there were only a couple here last year!

Pretty cottages and bridge.

A little penny farthing.

I think my balcony is complete with pig and sheep!

This moorhen was teasing this dog - it was quite comical! 

Get a garden! 

Nice wheelhouse!

Arriving at the Soulbury Three Locks

In the middle lock.

 

There was a boat moored and they had put signs on the towpath at either end of the boat - I'm sure the dog walkers are going to take a lot of notice!!

Passing Wyvern boatyard - nearly the end of the hire boat season. 

Moggie Minor!