Weekend at Branston then a move to Shobnall

We spent the Bank Holiday weekend at Branston. Well, Saturday and Sunday before moving to Shobnall on Monday. Saturday we went off to Burton and did the mega shop I mentioned. This was not a mega food shop, we intended doing that on Sunday at Morrison’s, but was an attempt to clear up several of the accumulated items on our ‘Things we need’ list.

We did quite well with the shopping and bundled into the Wetherspoons at lunchtime with two rucksacks and two carrier bags full. We met Mick and Cathy, the first time we had seen them for 3 months and had a bit of a catch up. They didn’t arrive until gone 1pm and were going back to Willington at 3pm. We had to get the bus back at 2-30pm because our bus missed out 3pm and went straight to 3-30pm after that. We were going to Willington so we would see them again soon.

Sunday was a fairly uneventful day followed by an eventful early morning on Monday. We walked up to Morrison’s on the retail park, did a huge food shop and got a taxi back to the Bridge. After putting it all away we went to The Blacksmith’s. Came back had dinner, watched tv and went to bed.

4am we were awoken by a noise outside the boat. By the time we got out there the cause of the noise had gone. We looked around with a torch and couldn’t see anything. We went back in then I decided to have another look. I discovered our life ring and Ken’s landing nets some way down the towpath along with someone’s boat hook. I was taking our items back to the boat when the crew of the boat behind us came out and said they had seen some youths running along the towpath.

The boat hook turned out to be theirs and we had a bit of a moan then returned to our respective boats. Ken and I had just gone back to bed when we heard talking and I got up again, looked out and saw 3 youths heading towards the pub. They got in a car and drove off. We don’t actually know if they were the ones who messed about with our stuff or not.

In the morning Ken was getting the boat ready for us to leave when he noticed a hole melted, probably with a lighter, in one of our bags of coal. Then he discovered some grafitti scratched on the side of the boat. We think it was done with a piece of our coal.

We got a cloth and wiped it but it wouldn’t come off so I spent quite some time with the t cut getting it off. You can still see where it was from a certain angle so needs more attention. Bloody mindless idiots, aaaargh!

We then decided to leave and go to Shobnall. But just as we were untying the ropes all Hell broke loose. A boat had just come through the bridge and started reversing frantically. There were 2 boats approaching the bridge along the line of moored boats behind us. They went past then another 2 pulled out from the back of the line and this boat which was waiting decided not to wait any longer so they had to squeeze through.

We thought there was no point in our going just yet because there would now be a queue at the lock. We went  back in and Ken got the dinner ready before we eventually left.

When we got to Shobnall we had to moor before Shobnall Fields as there was a floating market there. We actually moored quite a long way back in the end. After having a shower we walked in to town and did further shopping. I got some nice sandals for the wedding in August and we searched (in vain) for a casual jacket for Ken.

Then we went to The Locomotive to watch the Championship Play Off Final between Norwich and Middlesbrough which I am pleased to say Norwich won, hoorah!

On the way back to the boat we got a celebratory bottle of wine which once we had drunk it with some olives and bread had a very soporific effect meaning our dinner was somewhat delayed!

Tuesday we are off to Willington.

 

Bridget Written by: