Post-Crick: Day 5

I arrived back from my third and final night shift of this set, and prepared to move off from Wolverton. First I made a quick dash to Tesco for a few more provisions. I set off at 9.45, in lovely sunshine. My initial plan was to turn atbthe New Bradwell winding hole, but as I had plenty of time today I formulated another plan. When I was putting away the new oil and air filters bought at Crick, I found that some of the supposedly empty plastic bottles, kept for oil changes, actually had old oil in them. So I carried on to the winding hole at Great Linford. Bridge 75 at Stantonbury always looks attractive, and today was no exception.

Of course what always happens during a turn at Great Linford is that a boat comes through the bridge. Today it was Gary on the fuel boat, Ascot, with butty, Beverley. Fortunately I was most of the way round so didn't hold him up too much.

I moored up at Bridge 74, where there are now helpful rings in the towpath. Here I had the second of two dog's mess incidents. The first had happened earlier, when I asked a towpath dog walker if she was going to clear up after her dog. 'I thought he did it in the water,' was her reply. Well, no, perhaps not surprisingly, the dog hadn't done its business with it's bottom off the edge of the towpath. The second incident was discovering the annoying way that the path where I was mooring was similarly afflicted.

I walked the short distance to the tip with the old oil. It's not far, but the site clearly isn't set up for people arriving on foot. Back at the boat, as I now had hot water, I had a shower, then an early lunch -- actually not that early considering breakfast was toast at 4am.

At about 1pm I set off again. I tried a panorama shot as I crossed the Grafton Street Aqueduct.

I moored up beyond the Wolverton Aqueduct. I need to be within striking distance of the car, but I prefer it here to up in Cosgrove.

This afternoon I was outside when I saw the familiar bow of Flamingo coming across the aqueduct, with Alan at the helm. We had a brief chat as he passed.

Flamingo was going up the lock, so I walked down to lend Alan and Cath a hand as I haven't worked a lock since Wednesday. There were a couple of boats goimg up, then a couple to come down, including one of the smallest boats I've ever seen. It really contrasted with the 70ft of Flamingo.

I'll be in bed early tonight as I've been up since yesterday evening, and I need to be up early tomorrow morning.

8 miles, 0 locks. (85 miles, 43 locks)