Descending the Chilterns through Marsworth

Bulbourne to Br 118 (Slapton), Grand Union Canal, 6.75 miles 16 locks

So more than the 9 locks we had planned to do today… just a few more! .  Well the weather was fairly calm in the afternoon, so we decided to carry on to where we intended to stop tomorrow night, so we would have a day in hand and still reach the far side of Milton Keynes by the weekend.  Anyway the walks look great around here, we didn’t have a chance to stop here on our way south as we were having to move on to miss the lock closure at Ivinghoe a little further to the south of this spot.

We have now decided to spend that day in hand here rather than at another of our favourite places, Water Eaton because Linslade Post Office has messed up!  The lady there sent back a package marked Post Restante that arrived last Saturday to the sender because she didn’t recognise the name!! .  We were going to collect it tomorrow, and now we will have to wait for the package to be sent again tomorrow… hopefully be there Wednesday now.

I did complain to Royal Mail today, and they seemed not to know that ALL Post Offices HAVE to keep Post Restante mail for two weeks to see if anyone collects it before sending it back. It was Special Delivery too…. After being passed round probably the whole of Royal Mail, and 35 minutes later they told me that they had contacted Linslade Post Office and yes the nice lady there would not reject the package when it arrived again, and yes the nice lady at Linslade would be given training as to what exactly ‘Post Restante’ meant!!  Oh and yes, I would get a refund of the £6 odd to have it sent again, and oh yes of course they would refund me my telephone call…. errrrr where should they send the refund?  Well not to Linslade?!! .

I do normally phone to see if the Post Office I intend to collect mail from is still in existence, on this occasion I didn’t, as it was there last month when we passed through and looked thriving enough. .  I just hope I have calmed down by the time I see ‘the nice lady’ on Wednesday!! .

Today then, a steady trip down the other side of the Chilterns with 16 locks in under 7 miles… Marsworth had it’s usual share of onlookers (gongoozlers) even on a Monday, but there were yet again very few boats on the move along the canal.

Not been in this pub at Marsworth, the White Lion…… but did see another White Lion on Dunsable Downs to the east of the canal near Horton….. It’s pretty remote round here, I am lucky to get an internet connection, all I have to hope for now is that it is good enough to post this blog tonight.

Oh by the way, it is the 200 year celebration of that wonderful construction over in Wales, the  Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ..

                          

There is a nice article about the celebrations in the North Wales Daily Post.  I have never been over that, I wonder if it is better than going through a tunnel!….. Umm that reminds me, not too long now to Blisworth Tunnel UGGGGH!!