Milton Keynes

We had a rest day on Sunday, we both agreed that it was needed, I know what your're thinking -  every day is a  rest day for us - and you are right, but cruising can be tiring, and day after day is hard work. For Ali it's physical as the  appointed 'lockmaster ' they are heavy, both the gates and the paddles, and  for Baz it's more a case of concentration and patience, neither come naturally to him, and standing still for 5 or six 6 hours, well, for a guy who loved to run -  hard!
A big move planned for the day, about 16 miles and seven locks. We have to be in the marina before 4pm, we have booked two nights at Milton Keynes Marina to make life a little easier for the radio training man, firstly to find us and park, also so we have a loo nearby to offer him. Progress was slow, fishermen and moored boats, it  seemed all the way, but at around 3pm we rocked up, filled with diesel and reversed into our appointed slot, without problems, much to the disappointment of the pub based gongoozlers. First impressions of the place, some work needed to achieve average, we have a feeling that doing the work needed is their main problem, still we are in, safe and ready to put our feet up.

Who says you can't have a garden on a narrow boat ?

Two patient yorkies wait to see where we are going next

Baz holds the centre line to allow a second boat in the lock

Another converted working boat, something about them

Milton Keynes it would seem had arrived

Close Syd, still looking for a Carol, we did see one but the camera batteries died !

Nice open stretch,   

Micky tied up in the boat estate 

We hadn't been moored up for more than an hour when Archie fell in! Luckily he was attached to his lead at the time - however our rubber doormat fell in with him and sunk to the bottom of the cut. Despite Ali's fairly feeble attempts to fish it out it still lies in the murky depths, Ah well that'll be 3 mats lost off the back of Micky Jay so far.............

Bye for now

Ali and Baz