We hadn’t intended to move today. Indeed I had booked in to have my hair cut this morning. However, as we have a lot of shopping to do in Burton tomorrow we decided to move to Branston this afternoon so we can get an early bus without having to get up at the crack of dawn to travel to Branston first.
While I was having my hair cut Ken went in the Post office again then walked back to Barton Marina to check it out for future reference. I joined him there after my hair was done and we had a swift one in The Waterfront Bar. This is a very classy bar/restaurant, far superior in our opinion to The Boardwalk Bar at Mercia Marina. It is very much larger, has better beers and a lovely outside seating area and conservatory.
We didn’t linger there though because we were going to move. When we got back we were gazumped to the lock and then the water points by 2 other boats. Sod’s Law isn’t it that you hardly see a boat moving all day then as soon as you want to go so does everyone else!
We waited below the lock for a tap to become free and were soon on our way again. While we were at the water point Ken and the chap behind, who was already using the tap, got chatting and Ken mentioned we were intending to moor up at Branston on the derestricted moorings past the water park and just through the bridge. This chap said he was going to the moorings below Branston Lock, where people moor for Morrison’s.
But would you believe it, when we got here that chap was in the exact spot we had wanted to moor in! So we had to stop in the ones outside the pub instead. You would think that this was ideal for us, being moored right outside a pub. Well, it would be ok except we don’t use this particular pub because it is also an Italian restaurant and always reeks of garlic, even in the garden!
Anyway, we got in and after mooring up had a shower while the water was hot. Then we went off to the other pub in the village, The Blacksmith’s Arms, to wait for the fish and chip shop to open. What better place to wait?
We had the fish and chips, very nice. Tomorrow we are off to Burton for a mega shop and to meet Mick and Cathy.
