Around-and-about.

Sorry to have been rather lapse about the blogging lately, but we have been enjoying much of our time spent with family. We have been cruising on fine days and here are some lovely bright flowers that we passed all along the towpath near Purton.

    

I went out during the damp weather in search of snails to photograph, but didn’t find any. The grasses and wildflowers have grown quite tall along the towpath edge, so the shears were brought into use again. This delicate Corydalis is one of my favourite flowers as it used to grow profusely from every nook and cranny between the stones and in the walls when we had a garden. I suppose it reminds me of my ‘landlubber’ times spent slaving in the gardens! Not only did I have my own hillside garden to contend with, but my fathers cottage one and another that I was paid to look after at a holiday cottage down the road. All this was juggled with a part time job and household chores, don’t know where I found time for all this activity.

We spent a few days at Saul Junction admiring the R.W.Davis boats there. This is Marsland No 976, we wondered if they are near to building their 1,000 th boat yet.

Mike and Do came to see us here and after a long chat over tea and cake they took us out in their car for a pub meal. We drove back down the beautiful Slad Valley where the poet Laurie Lee used to live. We enjoyed going around some of the scenic routes that we used to travel when we had a car.

Another lovely tug from the R.W.Davis yard chuntered by us. This one is aptly named Beast and is No 967.

A narrow-boat passing through junction swing bridge, which is electronically operated by the bridge-keeper. There is an office at the side of the house where the bridge-keeper has a monitor linked to a video camera overlooking the canal. He/she controls the traffic lights for the marina boats and the main canal traffic Saul is such a busy place with so many boats on the move and gongoozlers promenading and looking at our boats. The worrying thing is that BW want to cut down on the mooring times here. So the 14 day ones would become 7 days and the 48 hrs only 6 hrs which is no use to anyone who wants to moor overnight! Likewise we have learned that the 14 day moorings between Sainsbury’s and Monk Meadow Dock may become 4 hrs, what good is that to anyone? There is already a 4 hour mooring directly outside Sainsbury’s for boaters to stop to shop which works well, but could be sensibly cut to 2 hrs. We shall have to have words on these newly proposed  arrangements I think!

Keep an eye out for any other cuts in the mooring limits in your areas and object to any silly proposals.