Friday 12th July
It’s been another glorious day of river boating weather. The only slight cloud on the horizon was the fact that this weekend is the Evesham River Festival, aaaargh! However, we only want to stop over night at Evesham and it doesn’t start until Saturday so as long as we could get a mooring today things would be ok.
When we got under way I phoned the lock keeper at Evesham to enquire as to the availability of moorings at Evesham. He said all the town moorings in Workman Gardens were reserved for festival boats but we may be able to moor topside of the lock or further along on the Trust moorings. We would have to assess the situation when we got there.
So we have travelled 8 miles and 3 locks today. The first lock, IWA Lock we did alone. At Robert Aickman New Lock there were three boats travelling upstream together, a yoghurt pot, a narrow boat and a widebeam. The first two shared the lock, then as their crews waited for the widebeam they did the lock for us which was nice. At George Billington lock there was a flotilla of yoghurt pots moored but not waiting for the lock and a Valley Cruises hire boat coming up.
When we were in the lock, after the hire boat had left, a couple appeared ready to come up after we had gone down. I didn’t notice their boat. We got into conversation about how many boats there were about. I said that we had met the 3 boats at the previous lock and they were going to Welford, the hire boat which had just left was going to Stratford and there were a load of yoghurt pots (cruisers), probably from a cruising club, moored beyond the lock not appearing to be going anywhere soon. I turned round and noticed the bloke’s boat was a cruiser! I mentioned the war, but I think I got away with it as he didn’t seem to notice what I had said, just as well!
As it happened when we got to Evesham Lock there were no boats above the lock near Gas Works Wharf (very attractive name) so we moored there just in case the Trust moorings were full. We went off in search of the fishing tackle shop (of which there are 2 in the same road) and also to get a paper and the things we couldn’t get from Boot’s in Stratford. With all this accomplished we happened upon Ye Olde Swanne Inne, a very handy Wetherspoon’s! We also went for one in the courtyard of The Northwick Hotel which is where we went with Alan and George the last time we were here.
Tomorrow we are getting the Hell out of Dodge before the festivities start! We really are a couple of miserable buggers!
