tales from the riverbank

“So, what do you do when you break down” is something I’ve been asked several times by friends who seemed concerned that we might get stuck in the middle of nowhere. Well, we’ve always found people on the river, in the main, to be very friendly and helpful.  Of course there are the funny b’s, but they’re thankfully few and far between.  Generally everyone will help when there’s a problem.

So, it was nice to repay help we’ve had in the past when we came across a family who were broken down just beyond  Cotterstock lock.  It was a Sunday and there was no-one coming out to help them, so we gave them a tow.

All for one and one for all

We got to Ashton lock and there were people all over the pontoon, making it difficult and dangerous to get into the lock.  They made no effort to stop diving into the water and then I lost control because, it turned out, I had caught one of their towels in the propellor.  I was not over pleased and it took 20 minutes to cut it off.  There was no apology when I took the remnants back to the party.  They just thought it was funny!

So, we had a cup of tea and carried on to Oundle.  We then had to tackle a sharp right hand turn, still towing the boat.  The trick was to drop one of them onto the bank as we passed through the gap.  Amazingly we managed it and then waved goodbye to our rescued family who were very pleased to be back at base and able to drive home that day.

Towels in the water don't go well with props

So, the Indian summer we experienced this autumn just had to be taken full advantage of and we headed out towards Fotheringhay with family and friends to enjoy a picnic on the bank.  Once moored up we climbed the mound and enjoyed the view.

Who needs to go abroad?

After the long climb we were exhausted, of course, so we needed to sit down and enjoy some refreshment. So, leaving the men to take the child and dog for an exploration further afield, we ladies sat down to relax and remember the lovely things we’d seen along the way between Oundle and Fotheringhay.

Three little maids all in a row!

This is the side of narrow boating that people imagine is how it is all the time.  It’s not, but it’s great when you get days and company like this.  It’s what memories are made of.

Memories are made of this.

This year hasn’t provided the best weather for cruising, but the Indian Summer made up for the lack of sunshine during July and August.  However, our narrowboat trips on the river Nene weren’t over yet.

Our grandson just loves the boat and can’t wait till he’s big enough to take the tiller and steer.

Why can't I drive Sue?

Unfortunately, so far he prefers to face to the stern when having a little go at steering  - I think he likes to see the water frothing gently as we roll along the river.  He still needs to stand on the cool box to see over the top of the hatch!

Not like that, like this ....

Mid September was earmarked as the time to take a group of BB society members out for a narrowboat trip on the river Nene from Oundle to Wadenhoe.  Originally planned for July, the weather had been too unpleasant and we’d had to cancel.  The replacement day wasn’t a lot better in terms of rain, but at least it wasn’t too windy.

The artist and author Denys Watkins-Pitchford, BB, probably has a larger fan base now than when he was alive.  As my husband knew Denys quite well he’d noticed that where we were moored at Oundle was more or less the exact spot where BB had moored his boat all those years ago.

The idea of the trip was to give members of the BB society a chance to travel in his footsteps, so to speak.  This they did, faithfully, with several carrying copies of his book ‘A Summer on the Nene’ . They wanted to identify and match  locations of various illustrations featured in the book, from the river perspective, as if through the eyes of BB himself.

We took one group of 8 up the river to Wadenhoe, had a roast lunch at The King’s Head and returned to Oundle with another 8 society members.  It was a really interesting day for the BB society members who all seemed to appreciate the unspoilt beauty of the river Nene as we do every time we travel along it.

Anyone for a life jacket?

It’s been a while since I posted on here, because I’ve been busy with blogs for other people!

We returned from the canals in August and I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of November now. However, there’s some photo’s I want to include in this travelogue of our trip up onto the canals.

The last leg back took us through Thrapston and down to Lilford.  We had some help from two really great brothers, Bob and Ian.  It’s so much easier when there’s more than two of you.

Homeward bound

Great guys

Amazingly, I even got to spend some time at the front of the boat enjoying the quiet away from the engine.  Yes, this is definitely the life, even on a dullish day.

Is it too early for G&T?