Cambridge Eights change our minds

Today – Fen Ditton to below Baitsbite Lock, 1 mile 1 lock

Decisions were made today to turn round and not venture on up to Cambridge.  I was disappointed a bit to be honest… I knew we could only go to Jesus Lock, but I also knew there were punts on the other side of the lock.  I had asked Vic last night whether he would punt me up the river past all the universities and colleges… but the way his mouth dropped open I realised that I would have to get one of those handsome university students to do the punting bit for me!..

But this morning we made that decision to turn back.  Yesterday we met a couple on our way through Baitsbite Lock who warned us of the rowing eights… “There have been no fatalities, but they bump into boats and it turns their rowing boat over” “They don’t like boats between here and Cambridge” “You will be OK, just try to keep out of the way” “You might get shouted at, but don’t worry about it”…

I know, believe only half of it!!

But we had experienced the rowing eights yesterday evening… guessing, there must have been 70 of them in just a few hours passing our mooring at the Plough at Fen Ditton… they were bumping into each other, some going upstream some downstream and some going across stream… it was quite funny really…

Anyway……. I don’t particularly want to be the first to kill a crew member!

So we turned when we saw a quiet moment and went back down through Baitsbite Lock to safety… The rowing boats turning back to Cambridge above that lock.

I spent most of the rest of the day walking with Lucy at the glorious Milton Country Park… about half a mile from the River from our mooring below the lock.. There is a narrow road from the towpath to the park… just perfect, in fact, for a Tesco Delivery in the morning.