Saturday 26th Sept
Today we travelled 5 miles and 2 locks from Hazelford to Gunthorpe and are again moored on the pontoon which is not totally empty but not full – yet. We shared the lock with a yoghurt potter who seemed to be a bit of a twat.
He took ages sorting himself out to leave the lock and was not best pleased when we left first. I think he was worried about his front swinging round and hitting us. We got to the pontoon first and he made a comment about having too much horsepower to go slowly while he waited for us to moor up. Well, a) – he could have gone round us as the river is really wide here and b) – how come he took so long getting out of the lock then?
We moored up and went off to the bus stop to catch the bus to Nottingham for football but as we waited for the bus to come we decided that by the time we got to Nottingham we would have missed the first half so we didn’t go.
Instead we went to the Lighthouse Cafe and Bar near the lock for a pint. We have been meaning to try this bar for ages but unfortunately it was a bit disappointing as there was no real ale for a start and it was a bit basic. We got the impression they think they don’t really have to try.
So after one pint (cider) we went off to The Unicorn and had another couple. I had to go back to the boat and change because I was dressed for the weather we had the day before (chilly breeze) and it was actually scorching!
The nice weather brings out the plebs and soon some water skiers had taken to the water making all sorts of noise.
When we got back the pontoon had nearly filled up and there was a large cruiser moored at the front. The chap off this cruiser appeared to say he had forgotten his CRT key for the gate and had propped it open so his girlfriend could get out. We said the whole point of a security gate was for security and lent him one of our CRT keys to use.
Sunday 27th Sept
Before 7 am we were awoken by someone clumping about on the pontoon. I thought it was the people off the narrowboat next to us taking their dog out but it went on and on and on. In the end we got up and discovered the chap on the cruiser next to us was out there cleaning his boat! Aaaargh!
We subsequently found out he was taking it to brokerage in Sawley, hence the cleaning I suppose. Anyway, he was having to sell it because his girlfriend didn’t like boating apparently.
I don’t know why these blokes who are about the same age as Ken insist on calling their lady friends ‘girlfriends’, seems a bit odd.
Later on the chap who had borrowed our key brought it back and said his girlfriend had got pissed the night before and buggered off and left him! Good job she didn’t take our key with her. Unfortunately we would be moored near him again in Nottingham.
We had intended to have a couple of days at Gunthorpe but with the rude awakening and the general feeling of claustrophobia on the pontoon we decided to move to Stoke Bardolph where it is generally quieter.
It was really foggy and you couldn’t see a hand in front of your face but we set off anyway. The chap who was going to Sawley wanted to follow us as he was scared of going in the fog, bless. Our other (recently single) friend had already left after pumping Ken for information about what time the lock keepers start etc.
When we got to Stoke Lock the fog was slowly clearing and as we were stopping there our scaredy cat mate went on alone. We got water and then as the pontooon moorings were full we moored up on the wall at the edge of the lock entrance. We were going to wait for the pontoon to empty but we decided we liked it on the wall. This was just as well because no boats came off the pontoon until about 4-30 pm when there was a mass exodus.
After mooring we walked to The Ferry Boat for a pint. When we got back Ken did some fishing and I titted about with my camera trying to alter the settings to take photos of the ‘supermoon’. As it happened when I got up at 3-45 am it was so foggy I couldn’t even work out where the moon was supposed to be!
Monday 28th Sept
Today we were off in the fog again travelling 5.5 miles and 1 lock from Stoke Lock to Nottingham where we were lucky (or unlucky which ever way you look at it) to get the last mooring on the County Hall steps behind a large cruiser.
We went to the paper shop and of course to The Trent Bridge for a nice pint of Abbot. Or we would have had they got any Abbot, aaaargh! We had to have lager in the absence of any other beers that we had either heard of or liked.
We returned to the boat and discovered the cruiser in front was the one owned by the chap who lost his lady friend at Gunthorpe. He didn’t seem to be heartbroken and was entertaining all manner of ne’er do wells on and around his boat in the afternoon and evening. There was a lot of drinking, laughing, swearing and also a lot of children looking in our windows.
We were going to go back to The Trent Bridge in the evening and watch the football on tv but as there were a lot of strange people about we decided we didn’t really want to leave the boat. They were probably ok but we didn’t want to take a chance.
To go with all this disturbance, the Riverside Bar, on the opposite side of the river, was having some kind of Brazilian Party evening and this was accompanied by very loud, thumping music which went on until midnight. Oh and the trip boats were up and down all night like slow moving floating discos!
Hoping for some peace and quiet when we move on tomorrow!!!!!!
