Shopping ping ping

Thursday 7 June

We’d heard of some problems with the run into Market Harborough, in the shape of kids chucking rocks off Bridge 13 onto the boats below. That is, there had been two incidents reported, so not exactly a mega crime wave, but still enough to suggest that travelling early (while they’re still in bed) rather than later would be a good idea.

In the past, this stretch of canal has been very slow to navigate, being shallow, and with reed beds growing out from both sides. Indeed, two years ago after the last time we travelled it, I had an exchange of emails with Robin Evans, the Chief Exec of BW, on the subject. He rejected my claim that the whole thing was so reminiscent of the swamp scene in the African Queen that the main anxiety became looking out for a First World War German gunboat coming the other way, but agreed that it wasn’t up to standard.

With all this in mind, we made an early start for an anticipated two and a half hour trip. We were gratified to find that the canal had been dredged to such good effect that progress was as quick as anywhere else on the system, and we arrived in Harborough by 8.45. There was no sign of hooligans at Bridge 13, but then one wouldn’t expect there to be at that time of the morning.

Having moored on the free visitor moorings outside the terminal basin, we went into the office of the Canaltime base here to ask about getting a pump out. They were in the middle of their busiest turn round day, but said that we could get one done after one o’clock. We carried on into town – it’s a 15 minute walk downhill from the basin to the centre of Harborough’s modest but very pleasant shopping centre. Since it’s quite some time since we were at Rugby, the last chance for a supermarket shop, we need to take a couple of days to restock

Coming back we stopped for a long chat with Dave and Anna on Mehalaland, who were tied in the basin – you can buy a mooring there for £6 per night, including electric hook up, which is not a bad price these days. Then we went on towards the VM, where we stopped again to chat to the folks on Marimpa. Regular readers will recall my last experience of this gent was not wholly pleasant, as he was complaining in no uncertain terms about me running my engine at Yelvertoft. This time, things were very different, and he apologised for his bad mood on that occasion. Having established friendly relations, we then had a long rabbit about various aspects of living aboard. They are in their first year of so doing, having been hirers for many years before that.

One of the lessons from this affair is that it is necessary firstly to be as tolerant as possible towards your fellow boaters, and secondly not to miss an opportunity of clearing the air if you have been at cross purposes. Otherwise, Sod’s Law says you’ll find yourself sharing a broad lock with the folks you had a blazing row with last night, probably all the way down a long flight, which is embarrassing to say the least.

After lunch we went into the basin and pumped out the toilet tank, then Sheila gave a demonstration of turning the boat in a triangular basin without touching the sides and we went back onto the mooring we’d just left. Then we went back into town to do some more shopping, mostly at Wilkinson’s and Sainsbury’s again.

After tea, Sheila did some brass polishing and I cooked chicken legs for salad and caught up with the blog. We’d found a copy of this month’s Canalboat magazine, but there was nothing in it about Crick Show yet.

Friday 8 June

After a good night’s kip, we walked into town again, arriving at Sainsbury’s (again) by 8 o’clock. Back at the boat by nine, we had an early coffee and then set to to clean the roof and the portside. This was interrupted by the need to talk to various passing locals about our lifestyle, why the boat is called Sanity, and no, I don’t want to come and clean your car after I’ve done this boat. (Sigh)

Sheila had been rearranging our plants on the roof, getting ready for them to look at their best at the end of August when we are at the National. We now have a large container of surfinia, two pots ditto, and a pot containing a trailing geranium, in addition to the box of herbs and the miniature bay tree.

After lunch it was heigh ho back to town (no wonder we’re sleeping well) for a last go at the shops. On the way past the Union Inn Hotel, I saw an unusual culinary practice. Someone had clearly ordered crème brulée, as chef had two sundae glasses full of stuff stood on the bare stone of the kitchen door step in the car park He then lit his blow torch and caramelised the tops of them.

Getting back to the boat we had a cup of tea sitting out on the bow and fed bread to the fishes, no ducks or moorhens being about to benefit. Then it was salmon and asparagus penne for dinner and an early night.