Without Wyton, St Ives I wouldn't be here!

Godmanchester to St Ives, River Great Ouse, 4.5 miles 3 locks

Today was going to be a special day for me.. I had planned my walk for the afternoon.. You see my Dad phoned when we had just passed St Ives on the way upstream, he told me that he was stationed at RAF Wyton during the war, and that is where he met my Mum!.. So, on the way back I was hoping for a good day to be able to walk over there and have a look at where they first met.  I had no idea he was stationed there.. It’s amazing all these years and I never knew where he was stationed.  He might have mentioned it in passing I suppose.. if he did then it didn’t stick at the time.. It has now!

Anyway a truly delightful trip downstream this morning.. the weather was warm and I was feeling good.  On our way upstream EA were working hard on Godmanchester Lock putting in new landing stages… it was a hell of a mess when we went up, but hey look at it now.. lovely new landing stages.. and notice that the sides are low enough to accommodate a narrowboat!

Its a lovely name, Godmanchester… such a big name for a small town I thought.. Onward then to Huntingdon Bridge where we stopped for a pot of paint,  through Houghton Lock ….

Then Hemmingford Lock to the GOBA moorings just before St Ives.  Then I was off after checking the map for the best route to RAF Wyton.

I found it.. A grass runway with some little trainer aeroplanes buzzing around.. I walked for miles round the place.. It is all very secure, and I wondered if I was chancing it by pointing my camera at the place in these times of high security.. but there was a gap in the hedge, and I just managed to pull the plastic chain linked fence down a bit (sometimes I do wish I was a couple of inches taller!) and took a couple of photos.. here is one..

I stopped for a while here wondering if my Mum and Dad met in any of these buildings.. No doubt you will tell me Dad!!   But I have some more photos for him to see.  I’ll put them in an album for you Dad!

Anyway, not much about our travels today, but for me it has been rather a special day… I lingered long at RAF Wyton.