Jess was the first of the ladies to be ready this morning so she was happy to go with Mike into town to get a newspaper. In order to get to the main shopping area they had to negotiate the famous roundabout of roundabouts. This intrigued Jess so much that she wanted to taker a photo of the road sign as we walked back.
The shopping centre is undergoing a lot of upgrading - it looked rather like many other places with life-expired shops of the 1960's with no real coherent image. However. it is gradually being replaced by more modern shopping malls - sadly this reduces the variety shops in the process. We had to walk right to the other end to find a newspaper!
On the way back Jess was amused by a statue of young children and took this photo.
Back at the boat the others were now ready so we set off as quickly as we could. We had a schedule to keep ass Mike had agreed last night with Adrian where he should meet us to collect the girls, They have to go home, change and then be ready as dusk gathers to join in Trick or Treat for tonight is Halloween!
Just behind where we moored a workboat was being used to trim the overhanging branches. Such maintenance is very welcome but it was a bit unfortunate to see that they dumped the chippings in the water rather than on the bank - quite a lot floated down to the next lock where they joined the leaves in helping to block the water flow.
For several years we have taken a photo just below Boxmoor Lock and always with the spectacular colours of the trees.
Our research last night told us that the car park for B&Q was at one time a wharf for Roses Lime who transported barrels up from the River Thames to here - 12 hours in none trip!
We stopped to use the sani station above Lock 66. As Christine was preparing the lock, a local gentleman insisted to her that she really ought to go to the nearby Sainsbury for their doughnuts - in fact he told her twice! So whilst Alice helped Mike take the boat down the lock, that is what she did. A little later one pound was long enough to boil a kettle for coffee and we all made sort work of demolishing the sugary jammy doughnuts!
This is the other Stephenson railway bridge (see yesterday's blog) - still not sure whether the original structure has been replaced or just clad in concrete. However, the photo also shows that the weather today was excellent - sunny and notably warm. the forecast was for up to 18C!
After a close encounter with over-hanging branches as she sat on the stern of the boat, Jess spotted a grub that had been dislodged. She tried to see what sort of leaves it favoured - but neither seemed really to grab its fancy. Anyway, she carefully returned it to the hedgerow when we stopped at the next lock.
At Home Park Lock both girls turned out to help - useful as we were now sharing with a single hander on his way to London.
The lock cottage seems to specialise in carved pumpkin lanterns - just as well it is Halloween as several of them were starting to look rather the ancient and grey!
The long M25 viaduct strides boldly across the canal. This inspired an impromptu set of jokes about caterpillars! (and the difference between them and cats . . .)
Our unusual boats gallery was expanded by two all at once. We have never seen such a large awning being used on a narrowboat before - we wondered what might happen if the wind strengthened any more - perhaps it provides a new from of propulsion!
A few metres away was another entry - we have seen photos of this car on other blogs but never passed it ourselves. What we had not realised is that it is joined to its partner by metal rods! (Does that mean it only has one licence, someone asked?) Oops - in our haste we messed up the focus - sorry!
Beautiful sunshine as we neared Hunton bridge - our planned meeting point and time also for a late lunch!
At the expected time, Adrian arrived - actually he called by mobile as he was a bit unsure what to do. We had made plans based on Google satellite images but the layby alongside the former brewery is no more as the site is now covered in houses! However, Mike had just discovered by talking to a couple of other boaters (who obviously knew the area) that Adrian would be able to park outside the church on the opposite side of the A41. Mike provided a running guidance as Adrian drove along the busy road! Fortunately there is an underpass.
By the time that the Windsor party had left, we only had a short time left for cruising and to find a slightly quieter spot (the A41 is at least as noisy as the motorway)
As we dropped down through Lady Capel's Lock the sun had already fallen below the horizon. We found a mooring but whilst Mike made fast, Christine went to check if there was a better spot just around the corner by the well-known Grove Bridge. To get there she had to cross over the turnover bridge and was surprised to discover how narrow the path across is.
On the way back, Christine attempted to take some long range paparazzi shots of Mike at work - perhaps she should invest a few grand in a special long lens camera!
10.73 miles - 11 locks
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