Bourne End

Today's Canal - Grand Union

We were concerned by the overnight stoppage notice about a tree blocking the navigation about a mile along the Tring Summit pound. Apart from the need to make good progress towards Packet Boat by Friday, we also had two 'meets' today: firstly with Martyn from Travelsat and then Andrew was joining us for the rest of the trip after a morning meeting at work.

Mike and Alice set off in good time with Alice spending some time learning about steering. However, after Cowroast her book called and she spent almost the whole day with her head deep in the pages, with just a reluctant break for lunch!

It was a bright, sunny day with hardly any clouds for much of the time.

When we reached the tree that was supposed to be blocking the canal it was rather a let down, barely a thin, almost weedy, branch that normally would hardly warrant any stoppage notice! Two boats coming the other way passed it just before us so we knew that there was no underwater obstruction.

Immediately afterwards we passed a film crew on the towpath - spot any well known faces?

Most of the summit pound is in a cutting but emerges just before Cowroast Lock, the start of the long descent to the Thames at Brentford. Some cloud was still hanging around but once in the sunshine it became remarkably warm.

At Cowroast - so called, according to the information board, after Cow Rest, a staging point on an old drovers road - Alice and Christine went in search of milk and a paper whilst Mike used the sani station and took the boat down the lock. From here on, there will be little let up in the locks.

A couple of locks later and the clouds were fast disappearing.

Autumn on a bright sunny day produces some stunning scenes with the various colours standing out brightly.

Mobile calls established that Waitrose car park in the centre of Berkhampstead would be good all round and shopping could be done whilst waiting. But first it was lunch and no sooner had Mike sat down with his plate of sandwiches than the phone rang again to say that Martyn was in the car park, could Mike please bring the dish to him.

It took a little whilst to conduct the transaction - just a few minutes to replace the broken bracket but a lot longer to hear about his recent operation. He was clearly very relieved that it had been on the mildest end of the severity spectrum.

Christine then took off to Waitrose and whilst she was away, Andrew announced his arrival in the same car park. He off loaded his bags and then went to find somewhere to leave his car for the few days. Whilst he was doing that, Christine returned having persuaded the store to extend its usual 'Carry to the car' service into a 'Carry to the boat'! Of course, her delight in arranging this had nothing to do with it being provided by a dishy young man . . .

Although we expected to meet Andrew at the next lock, he arrived just as Mike was casting off - from the opposite direction!

Somehow we failed to get any photos that showed the cloudless sky at its best but we were pressing on, lock after lock, and by now the sun was low in the sky and good photos proved a bit elusive. With not much daylight left we pulled in close to Bourne End. Not sure if we can get a satellite signal here, however.

7.5 Miles - 13 Locks