Nearly off the Trent

11th July

We thought we'd made a mistake stopping at Holme Lock last night, as the evening air was rent by the sound of someone setting up a pop festival, probably on the Racecourse. Not that I am biased or anything, but it was a case of demonstrating that volume and a random approach to what note to play next are not a substitute for talent and creativity. It all shut down fairly early, however – we've since been told that there's a do on in Nottingham today, so I think my first guess was right, that what we heard were the engineers setting up, and using stray demo tapes to do it.

Today we made a prompt start after a good night's sleep, getting away before eight. A steady chug up the river brought us to Meadow Lane Lock. As Sheila was setting it, the Shakespeare Classic Line boat Romeo came off the County Hall moorings just up river and joined us in the lock.

They were not, however, carrying on beyond Castle Lock, as they were meeting further crew there, so we went on ahead without them. At Castle Lock, a guy off Eight Lords appeared above it, and as soon as Sheila had more or less closed the bottom gates, whipped up the offside paddle with his long throw windlass.

Sheila shouted to say that the nearside paddle would have been better, as that would hold Sanity against the wall, and things degenerated into one of those distressing arguments about locking technique. He retreated to his boat in a sulk, and we finished working up and left him to it.

We later saw the boat below Beeston Lock, with him still muttering about not helping anyone ever again. He must have gone down Castle, winded, and passed us whilst we were tied at the Sainsbury's mooring. He was now planning to wind again, presumably to return to wherever he ties.

I was strongly reminded of Steve Haywood's piece in Canal Boat the other month, about the problems of dealing with people who live on a boat, but are not in any other sense boaters. From this guy's close conversation with another bloke at Beeston who was already well off his head on strong lager at eleven in the morning, it seems likely that he's part of that community that's using the cut as a cheap living space, but not part of it in any other way. He probably only ever works that one lock.

Ho hum, at least we can just move on and leave the bad feelings behind us.

Apart from this run in, we've had a good day, getting in a goodly supply of stores at Sainsbury's, and making a pleasant run up river to Sawley, where we've tied in front of fellow blogger Linda on Kanbedun Again

Sawley is very busy today, it being Saturday, but we were able to get a mooring on the visitor moorings with not too much trouble. In addition to the hire boat Romeo we've also seen our first Ownerships boat for a month, and of course no end of Canaltimes here by their base.

Tomorrow we'll carry on up the very short final stretch of river to Derwent mouth, and go on to Swarkestone for the night.