Yesterday was another run eastwards. As we had bought some smoked haddock for breakfast we did not get an early start but even so we were the first away from Hungerford. A stop at the sanitary station for water and a pump out, amazing how quickly the effluent (Being posh there) tank fills when you have visitors, and we were off, wrestling with more K&A locks. The paddle gear on these locks is a real collection of oddities. No two locks seem to have the same type and we have been amazed to find one set of gear clearly emblazoned B.C.N and another G.U. I can only assume that as restoration took place they just grabbed whatever was available. Pity they found so many of those horrid hydraulic things.
Dreweat's Lock has the most elaborate by-wash I have come across,
lots of wheels and sluices, bit o.t.t. really. But it is set in some lovely country.
Arcadian England at its finest
with Armadillo waiting patiently for us to get on with the locking.
Below the next lock on, Copse Lock, we had our first meeting with the River Kennet since early June.
It flows in under this footbridge and a few yards further on
it flows out again on the other side. From here to Reading the canal and river play hopscotch with each other. We moored for the night just above Benham Lock and this morning it was down to Newbury, moored by the houses at Westmills.
Usual routine in urban areas,out shovel and clear the momentos of the visits of the local canines.
First article on the agenda was a visit to the local Halford's emporium. Jill said that having a bottle brush projecting from the roof was an embarrassment, even my claim that it showed a brilliant touch of improvisation was met with scorn and my offer to replace it with a convenient balloon whisk was rejected out of hand.
So we are now the proud owners of a new radio aerial. Boring, but reception is
somewhat greatly improved.
Looking at the weather forecast it looks like it will be thermals and waterproofs tomorrow.
Watch this space...........
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