We left our mooring at Weston just north of bridge 80 at about 7:50 on Saturday (10th) ... we've not got far to go today, but it will be a busy one!
By 8:45 we're at Weston Lock 24, the first of two this morning
Leaving the lock and travelling through lush green countryside
Not much boat movement today
A narrowboat waiting for us to pass their mooring so that they can start their journey at Ingestre Bridge 78
Lock 23 at Hoo Mill
the last narrow lock we'll pass through on this adventure
on What a Lark ...
and the last photograph too!
We moored up below Great Haywood Marina entrance and started to pack up all our belongings that we brought with us from Still Rockin' just over three weeks ago. We did a clean through checking all the cupboards and drawers to make sure we'd got everything and by that time it was time to eat and sleep.
Sunday was an early start, as most of our morning have been lately, to shower and breakfast and pack away the remaining clothes etc., emptied and cleaned the fridge and freezer and emptied most of the water from the tank. We're taking WaL into her mooring in the marina but the office doesn't open until 10.
George reversed WaL back past the marina entrance and turned in ... we needed to do a pump-out at the services ... and by the time we'd started the office was open ... George manoeuvred What a Lark into her slot and secured her. We brought all our cases, bags etc., to the front of the boat and waited for Lisa and David to arrive which they did at about 11:15. The car was filled with our belongings and after checking that WaL was left exactly as Lisa and David required, with Lisa driving we left our temporary home to return to Still Rockin' currently moored at Goring.
We had a lovely surprise at we entered the gate leading to the lock mooring to make transferring our stuff from car to SR when we saw this ...
our lovely very first live-aboard narrowboat Rock 'n' Roll (to see our adventures on her click here) coming out the lock ...
Oh, if only we'd arrived 10 minutes earlier ... I would have loved to go and speak to her new owners ... one day perhaps!
Lisa had stocked Still Rockin's fridge with lovely goodies for a delicious meal which I was delighted about not having to prepare (I'll let anyone cook/prepare a meal for me in my kitchen)!
We sat outside on the deck and ate and drank (except Lisa who was driving) and talked non-stop about our experiences over the last three weeks ...
us working our socks off in the narrow confines of What a Lark, on the narrow canals, through all the hundreds of locks, usually in the rain but meeting some lovely old friends and relatives along the way ...
while they took it easy on Still Rockin', moving occasionally but mainly enjoying the warm and even hot sunshine sitting on the deck with good food, good company and wine! Well mostly anyway as I know that Lisa was just a tad nervous about David moving SR!
We have so enjoyed ourselves on What a Lark and would do it again if the opportunity arises, but would not be quite so ambitious as to how far we would travel. One thing we have realised is that selling Rock 'n' Roll and having our lovely spacious wide beam built was the right decision, made at the right time, for us.
Thank you Lisa and David for allowing us to use your lovely boat to re-experience life on the canals.
2 comments:
It's been lovely reading about your narrow travels, Carol. And we have thought of you often as we boated to and from Berkhamsted - saw lots of widebeams, but none of them a patch on Still Rocking, in our view!
Mxx
Glad you've enjoyed our travels Marilyn! Are you heading for the Thames by any chance?
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