Barrow upon Soar

We had decided that we would head off early again today - well, early for us, but not for the Grangers... It rained again overnight and I was a bit reluctant to get out of bed. However I got over it and off we went, on our own.

It has been quite windy, so we abandoned the plan to use the tap after Bishop Meadow Lock, as we would have struggled to get off the mooring. David had to help a boat with five crew who got swept over there on their way out of the lock.

Having looked on Memory Map to see where the next water-point was, I phoned Julia for her words of wisdom about actual water-points. So we came on without concern. She and Mick are great at having answers to such questions - to the extent that I call them Memory Map Plus ...

I am amazed at how much of that gigantic duckweed (no idea what it is really called) is growing along this section of the Soar - parts of the river width are more than half covered. In spite of this, it is a very attractive cruise - lots of farmland and some lovely houses.

This is the gigantic duckweed-like stuff I mean. Does anyone know what it is called?

We've done 3 locks today and decided that, instead of moving on to Mountsorrel (very few spaces available and if it's full it's a bloody long way to the next mooring spot), we would get water at Barrow upon Soar and moor there.

This part of the river is just behind us

It is fed by this weir. The gigantic duckweed is ubiquitous here too!

So here we are, all watered up and at the front of the visitor moorings. And across from us is a boat we recognise from when we were first on the Soar. We locked and cruised with John and Vanessa on nb Swift & Low on our way to Birstall and moored up there together back in 2015. I wrote about it here 

I am unsure whether John and Vanessa still own the boat, given it is now on an offside mooring, rather than at Leicester Marina, where they moored at the time we met them.

Having briefly re-read that post, I am pleased to note that David no longer takes the mudguard off the bike - and I am also very pleased that he reconstructs the bike much faster now ... He has got faster and I have not got more patient 😒😏😚

Two kayaks full of kids came past shortly after we moored up - they were advertised by their excited chatter. Lovely to see. And there is Swift & Low in the background.

This made me laugh ...

So did this bring a chuckle, but as a Kiwi friend said, some of the pronunciations look more Austrayan than NZ.

I think the latter was What's Apped to me by the Lockkeepers Support Group because on Sunday I played the Toyota Bugger ads - they did seem to really appreciate them. Check them out on youtube (just type in Toyota bugger ads) and see what you think.

OK, time to head for the Co-op to get in only some much needed supplies - I avoided going to the Tescos at Loughborough because I am under instruction from a certain cupboard/fridge and freezer monitor from Desborough to empty said food storage areas - a Tesco visit would have resulted in my buying far more than I should ...