March week: Day 2

I needed to be up in good time this morning, as I’d been booked to have an on-air chat with Zoe Ball on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, about the Country2Country Festival.  It was at 7.40, and I did it from the cratch where the signal was a bit stronger.

Once that was done we had breakfast, then about 9am Adrian started a wash load on work shirts.  Once the washing part of the cycle was over we set off, with Adrian working us through the lock.  Going anywhere round here takes ages because of all the moored boats, but it was a nice sunny day so crawling along on tickover for most of the way didn’t seem like much of a hardship.  With this being close to base, I hardly took any photos.  But I did spot that the works at Great Linford are now all but finished, with the huge holes in the ground now rather attractive lakes.

We had hoped to moor on the park moorings in Milton Keynes, but these are currently still winter moorings, so we tied up on the rings opposite.  As it was lunchtime we walked back to the Camphill Cafe by Bridge 81.  This is in a residential place for adults with learning disabilities, and the cafe offers them work experience.  They also grow their own produce, and have an artisan bakery.  We’ve tried to go here a few times before, but have never managed to be here on a day when it was open.  But it was today, and we can thoroughly recommend it.

We walked back on the opposite side of the canal, and on through Campbell Park with its many sculptures to Campbell Wharf.  A pub has been built by the marina since we were last this way, and is due to open next month.

We wandered back to the boat and have both been doing odd bits of work in the sunshine.  In fact it’s been so warm in the boat with the fire going and the sun shining that Adrian’s shirts have all dried, and we’ve had to open a window.

7 miles, 1 lock.  (8 miles, 1 lock)