Day 116 - to Gayton Junction

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0 locks, 441 in total.



Sun, cloud, wind, smattering of rain – but mainly sun. We seem to have been on an embankment all day, masters of all we survey although often we couldn't see through the trees. We passed about six old wharves – some still in use for boaters but others now part of private residences, mostly well extended but still not too large for their surroundings.



We looked in at a pub called The Wharf in Bugbrooke (Northants not the Derbyshire one we'd previously visited), ever hopeful of a celebratory meal, and we struck lucky. We were expecting a variety of roast dinners as it's Sunday but there was a very broad menu; calves liver and pancetta, warm sticky toffee pudding and a liqueur coffee – mmm, that'll do nicely! As we left a couple of chaps were trying to moor by the pub but there wasn't enough room, so they just put their bow into the side and left their stern protruding quite some distance – desperate for a drink or what!



We motored again this afternoon to Gayton Junction, where the Northampton Arm heads northwards from the Grand Union. We won't be going up there because we will have to go through Northampton and onto the R. Soar before we can turn the boat round. We can't gp onwards on the Grand Union without going through a 3 mile tunnel and becoming embroiled in a 'Stoke Bruerne at War' festival. So we were turning around at Gayton and heading back the way we'd come. There were several little difficulties with this plan; it was windy, boats (well, 2 of them) kept coming at us from different directions, and Dunlin was becoming increasingly unresponsive. We limped over to the service jetty, thankfully ideally placed for our predicament, cut the engine and checked the propeller; after removing shredded carrier bags and wrapped up twigs the boat had a new lease of life and all was well.



We moored by a plum tree (yes! - towpath side and accessible) and John found another good use for our boat hook – the plums are too ripe for my taste but he enjoyed them.

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Comments

[Salli]

Happy Anniversary
Dear Helen and John I think I wished you Happy Anniversary a couple of weeks ago - prematurely it now seems. Long time, isn't it, 40 years, you deserved that liqueur coffee!! Love Salli & Paul

[Dunlin]

Anniversary....
Yes, it's confusing as our weekend with the family was the anniversary celebration, fitted in when all could attend. Thank you for your good wishes - I bet you had more than a liqueur coffee on your 40th?