Back to Beeston

We were off this morning at 09:20, with just 40 minutes before we stopped at Egg Bridge. We’d booked a grocery deliver from Tesco, which was due between 10 and 12, and there’s a handy car park right alongside the canal here.

As it was, the van didn’t arrive until 11:20, but Meg enjoyed herself running around with the local dogs, and I spent the time sitting on a bench with 3 local chaps who meet here regularly to sort out the world’s problems. Mags said it looked like a clip from Last of the Summer Wine!

Golden Nook Farm have diversified into canal side moorings. They have maybe a mile and a half of frontage and are making comprehensive use of it!

Extensive moorings

Between a couple of the boats out popped what are the first ducklings we’ve seen this year.
Mum’s got seven to look after, hope she manages it OK. No sign of Dad, of course. He’ll be down at the pub with his mates, passing out the cigars.

Young family
And a close up of two of them. Ain’t they cute…
We’d been leapfrogging Nick on Gloriana through the day. But he caught us up at Wharton Lock. He’d a boat full, he and his wife had collected a few more family members for today’s cruise.

Both boats moored just above the lock for the night. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow before making a decision on how far to go.
There has been a lot of boats about today, heading north. As well as a marked increase in hire boats, there are quite a few ex-working boats heading for the gathering at the Boat Museum.

Mountbatten and Jellicoe were moored near the Shady Oak, so we took the opportunity to top up solid fuel stocks. We’re nearly out of wood now, and I’ll not be looking for more till the autumn.

This pair, Cowburn and Cowpar boats Starling and Ethel, are moored up near Beeston Brook Bridge.

Locks 1, miles 8