On line at Lowsonford

On the way down here, there was no 3 signal at all; on the way back, there's a weak signal, but enough to get by on. They must have sorted out a dead mast or something, I guess. Before we left Wootton Wawen this morning, I tried to catch up with all outstanding email and blog comment stuff, expecting not to be able to do anything this afternoon. Maybe that's why it's working here today.

Anyway, here we are, after a very pleasant run this morning, in much better weather than forecast. We had an encounter with a group of four strollers at the lock below Lowsonford, and Sheila had a conversation about marinas with them. Apparently there are four applications in for this canal, and one of the blokes was chairman of the anti group for the one here.

It was all perfectly pleasant, he wasn't frothing at the mouth or anything, and I must say I don't see the need for four; it's not as if this canal is stiff with online mooring or continuous moorers. It seems one of the other sites is Hockley Heath, and I can see more logic to that. After all, Lowsonford doesn't even have a shop, just the one pub, and you'd have to work locks to take even the shortest run out.

There was plenty of room here when we arrived at half ten, and the visitor moorings have only slowly filled up as the day went on. I think there may be one space left now (ten to five) so getting here late is not a good idea.

We've used the afternoon to do a bit of boat cleaning, and Sheila has started making a side fender from some rope we had ready cut from years ago. All our tidying has brought all the spare rope to our attention, so the plan is to use it all up, as being easier to store as fenders, if nothing else.

Tomorrow and Wednesday will be hard working days as we work up the Lapworth flight, but then no more locks for a while after that.