The forecast for today was for heavy rain all day after mid morning. It was grey as we set off down the three remaining locks into Aylesbury. Part way, the rain arrived patchily and early.
The outskirts of the town are more recently developed and their modern style contrasts with the older terraces which form the central area - no doubt much of the land beside the last part of the canal was once industrial and commercial with the houses being occupied by the many workers.
It took us just an hour to reach the basin at the end of the arm. It was strangely quiet as far as boats are concerned. There are just six permanently moored boats on pontoons outside the Travelodge and the theatre. A Waitrose is also nearby. Only one other boat was tied up on the towpath moorings - actually on the long stretch labelled Service Moorings Only - it looked as if it had taken long term roots!
At least we have now seen where all the water coming down the flight ends up draining off into a stream.
We turned and reversed onto the official Visitor Moorings and took stock of our options. Mike was still trying to sort out an email problem (our mailboxes have exceeded their limit!) and so Christine went to check out the landscape. She had discovered that there should be a launderette at the bottom end of the High Street. As this is a three week trip we anticipated needed to do some washing at some stage but perhaps rather later on. It seemed, in view of the weather, a useful opportunity, especially as launderettes are a dying breed and cannot always be found when you really want one.
Having discovered that the information was indeed correct she came back a different route, passing the front of the Waterside Theatre. we had both looked at the programme for the previous two evenings but not thought that today might be a possibility so we had missed that tonight there is a touring performance of an early Alan Ayckbourn play, Absent Friends.
We quickly decided that staying put for the day and overnight was perhaps a luxury we could afford ourselves so we went back to the theatre - just four minutes walk away from the mooring - to book tickets for tonight.
After lunch we packed up our dirty washing and made for the launderette - the lady on duty was very pleasant and helpful and made sure that we used the right machine and settings!
Whilst the clothes were being cleansed we walked up the shopping street and bought a few items including a replacement for an oven dish that we broke a couple of evenings ago.
The programme cycle was remarkably short and we transferred everything to a dryer and then set off for another wander. The time, in one of the shopping malls, we found a shop where we could stock up our goodie bag (chocolate brazils and such like) - we do not have such a shop still in business near us at home.
Whilst Christine went in search of a watch as her long established favourite has been playing up recently, Mike returned to check on the drying. Almost all of the items were already dry in just a quarter of an hour! A quick extra boost finished off the towels. Sadly, Christine's search was rather less successful.
After carrying everything back to the boat Mike went off to B&Q for some more Wet and Dry paper to continue with polishing the brass mushrooms on the boat roof. They had been 'unpolished' ever since we bought the boat.
We had an early meal before walking round to the theatre for the evening performance. Ayckbourn is justifiably a theatre legend and this was one of his early plays, originally produced in 1974, his fourteenth out of 74 so far and he continues to write at least one a year.
The play pre-dates by three years Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party - a famous television play still much remembered. There are clear links. In this case there are six characters on stage and although it is about four couples, the other two people are absentees. All the couples have an obvious affection for each other but are also equally dysfunctional. The play is intentionally a comedy but has much more below the surface as Ayckbourn's finely drawn characters battle with each other in the context of a 'proper' afternoon tea. The set and costumes carefully recreate the fashions of the day, a reminder how quickly some things turn from huge popularity to almost a figure of fun. The production certainly made it worthwhile to have spent the day here in Aylesbury - somehow the time just disappeared!
By the time we walked back to the boat the rain was only a fine drizzle and hopefully the forecast for tomorrow will be equally correct and sunshine will return, albeit a little cooler than the last couple of warm days.
1.7 miles - 3 locks
2 comments:
Are the pontoons in the basin really permanent moorings now? They were all visitor moorings when we were there last August. And the new building there was still at the below ground stage!
Well they looked pretty permanent and a sign at the marina further up offers free overnight moorings. At least two of the boats on the pontoons had fires going into the evening so I guess they were inhabited! The new building is coming along - a so-called new University campus.
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