A fabulous couple of days with NZ friends

We first met Chris and Willie  about 35 years ago, shortly after we met Janneke and Nico on Martijn and Kimberley's first day at Paparangi School - it was a rainy day and Janneke was walking the kids to school past our place. I asked if she wanted a ride as I was just leaving home to take Tim and Kirsty to school. That was the start of a long friendship, but shortly after that we met Chris and Willie at J&N's place - Chris and Nico are brothers. C&W were still childless then, but great with kids.

So now, all this time later, C&W are on their retirement Europe trip and have come to stay on the boat with us.

They joined us on Sunday arvo, just after Richard, Emma and their three lovely kids left (lovely kids are Edward, Victoria and William). Richard and I worked together at the Home Office back in 2005, and now he is the Director of Patient Experience at the Royal Free Hospital. Richard was in the RAMC and knew what the APC was ... (but as you can see in the comments on the previous post, Tom doesn't agree with Richard's view.)

OK, back to C&W.

So we collected them from the Gumley Road just past the top of the Foxton Locks, and then sat out drinking and eating. Willie and I took a walk in the dusk to the top of the locks - a beautiful sight down across the fields. I'd like to put a photo of it here, but for some reason the photos show on my phone but not when I try to transfer them to the computer ...

The next morning it was down the locks with Chris and Willie doing the paddles and gates, me driving and David instructing. At the bottom we waited for Tim to show up for brekkie on his way from Manchester to Bristol. He arrived on cue, ate and then headed away, as did we after a sit and chat and general mucking about - just in opposite directions. By the time we left, we had time to get to Fleckney, walk in to the village and meet up with Julia and Mick at the pub. I have photos of the pub visit but for some reason they are not showing when I download photos from my phone, so I am sorry but I cannot show them to you!

We’d been to the Coop – one of the best we’ve seen,  and were ready for a cooling drink as it was very very very hot again. The Coop was delicious as it has air-conditioning …

Back to the boat and then blobbing in the shade. Chris was on drinks and for some reason left his beer bottle and glass on the cabin top at the stern. Then he knocked them off into the cut. Beer bottle smashed on the side of the boat and then fell in. However the glass went directly into the water without touching the side of the boat and then bobbed about, about half full of delicious canal water… I gave him the boat hook and he gently nudged the glass closer. I raced to get the sieve so he could swoop in and haul it out – SUCCESS!! I wish I’d got it on video, but I was too busy fetching rescue implements … And given the glass was a freebie (one of two Thatchers glasses found at a railway station on the Straftord and Avon Canal last year) it was especially rewarding to rescue it!

Drinks and nibbles were followed by a yummy dinner of salmon marinated in sweet chilli sauce, soy, lemon juice and coriander, accompanied by coleslaw and carrot salad (grated carrots, mint, coriander, lemon juice, fish sauce, chilli flakes – it’s meant to have salted peanuts but we didn’t have any, sorry, Jack!) Lots of chat and watching facebook/youtube video of anti-Trump stuff, much to the delight of us all…

We left the table and chairs out and ate brekkie there too – fresh fruit salad, Greek yoghurt and home made muesli. 

Lovely wide towpath, good healthy brekkie.

Then on to the locks where Chris proved to be a star at getting in with only one gate open. Another boat turned up though so we shared – always like to do that with the doubles, especially this summer with such low water levels.

First off I did a couple of locks and then it was Chris's turn.

Looks pretty relaxed, doesn't he? Note the white hanky in his hat to protect his neck from the very hot sun.

Sharing with Stuart and Val whose home mooring is in Lancashire - they can't get back there with the low water levels so are leaving the boat in Northwich and getting friends to drive them back home.

Through the locks, turn and then we came back up and moored at Bridge 73 so we could go to The Toast Office in Fleckney - we had had it recommended to us by a couple of women who were out walking the evening before. It was great - had the best food and great coffee and wonderful service! Do go there if you happen to be passing by Fleckney – on the cut, in a car or on a bus!

Waiting for food at Toast.

A clock made with tea cups - I want one and I know I have plenty ...

Fabulous food and lovely garnish - crudites and hummus.

The lady who owns and runs The Toast Office on the left, her fabulous chef/cook on the right.

And David's lunch - a toasted sandwich rather than ciabatta with a good view of the crudites and hummus. Complete with the hairy legs ...

What it looks like from the outside, across the street.

We had to get C&W back to Foxton for the following morning and then wait for the lovely grandsons to arrive with their lovely mum. We were going to head all the way in to Foxton, but decided that another night out in the countryside was called for. Just before Debdale Wharf Marina, we found a nice mooring – wide towpath, shady spot, plenty of room for table and chairs and passing dog walkers and runners, as it happened. Its only downside was that there was a kennels in the distance – we could hear barking dogs. But if we talked and laughed loudly enough, we couldn’t hear them …

Lots of dog walkers, a runner who happened to be an NZer born in Kaponga (Taranaki), grew up in New Plymouth, now lives in Stratford upon Avon, married to a woman from Leicestershire - it is a pretty small world when it comes down to it, especially if you are happy to connect with people.

And we recommended the Toast Office to them and a couple of others we met. (We went back with Marta and the kids - the owners told us that both sets of people had been in - in fact the NZ man was there with his kids for the second time ...)

Approaching the Saddington Tunnel - Chris steered through like a good un, as Julia would say.

Back at Foxton, and the lovely visitors are heading off.