Today we have travelled 7.5 miles and 3 locks from Braunston to Stockton. We are moored about half a mile from the top of Stockton Locks.
We started the day with a visit to the water point and elsan disposal. Unforunately that particular elsan disposal was blocked so we just got water!
We planned to moor at Midland Chandlers to get some coal, kindling and a few other bits and from there we could gain access to the other elsan disposal and the rubbish bins too.
While I did the necessary with the loo etc Ken went to Midland Chandlers but they were experiencing an electrical failure and could not serve him. So we came away empty handed. Good job we paid for the tv yesterday.
So off we went and as there was quite some time before I had to do the locks at Calcutt I did the ironiing, hoovered and mopped. Then we had our soup before the locks.
As we approached the top lock a Black Prince pulled out right in front of us. This didn’t particularly matter because these locks are doubles and we could both go in together. But, they obviously didn’t realise that because as we got to the gate they started shutting it!
I had to call out to get them to let us in. When we did get in they confessed that they didn’t know two boats could get in the lock at the same time. We did the 3 Calcutt locks with them and went on to moor before the top of Stockton Locks. We will do those tomorrow.
Just as well we weren’t doing them because we would have waited for them to join us and it was ages before they went past! God knows where they had been.
After mooring up we walked about a mile down the locks to The Blue Lias. On the way we noticed that The Boat Inn at the top lock was open. Last time we were here it was closed down. We decided to call in there for one on the way back. Sadly, it may be open but it’s got a long way to go to be a decent pub I’m afraid. We had to have cider as you couldn’t see through the real ale! But we sat outside and it was quite pleasant. The toilets were nicely done up, the ladies was even papered with pages from the Towpath Telegraph!
We spent some time this afternoon trying to set up our new tv but we don’t seem to have the right connections, ho hum.
Tomorrow we are probably going to Radford Semele.
