Our friends join us as we cruise to the Nene at last..

Top Lock Rothersthorpe Flight to Weston Favell Lock, Northampton Arm GU Canal and River Nene, 6 miles 20 locks

Many thanks indeed for all the happy birthday wishes I have received today, thank you all. 

A late walk last night saw perfect conditions for a pic at the top lock of the Rothersthorpe flight….

 I was hoping today would be just as calm with some added sunshine to make it the perfect day.  I sure wasn’t to be disappointed, what a wonderful day for a relaxed decent to Northampton and the River Nene.

Two boats to go down then, No Problem and Moore2Life, and Chas took the lead as we slowly tumbled down the lock flight.  It was great to see our friends John Sinclair and Paul Balmer, who had offered to give a helping hand.. John is off in the summer to have a look at Stratford on Avon, but Paul will have to wait until next year for his own boat, this year he is on the Scottish Canals.. I am looking forward to the photos and blogs on that one, and also looking forward to the produced DVD under the Waterways Routes banner for that particular canal.

Paul was telling me that he is used to ‘doing’ cruising at a much faster speed.. he sure does go a long way in two weeks, and last year did the Leeds and Liverpool canal both ways, plus all the branches in that time!!  Today he had to slow down a bit!!

After having to wait at one lock for a boat which was coming up, it wasn’t long before we caught Moore2Life up again, and I spied Chas and Ann moored in the lock below me having lunch!..

We said a fond farewell to John after 13 of the 17 locks, with a promise that we would meet again at Bedford during the summer.  It is always a pleasure to welcome John, thanks for a lovely day John

Then the most wonderful sight….

We started singing “We’re all going on a summer holiday”.. and a huge, huge smile on my face.. We stopped at the Town Quay to visit Morrisons, just a short walk away, and said an equally fond goodbye to Paul.. I do hope to see Paul again this summer.. he does tend to knock my window and surprise me unannounced!.. Thanks for your help Paul and your company today .

I don’t know why Morrisons don’t bake more meat and potato pies!  It is so annoying.  The last three times I have visited Morrisons especially to go get those, there are none left on their shelves.. I said to the guy.. “Hey why don’t you bake more?”.. “If we bake more, we wouldn’t sell any other type”.. I had to laugh at that, so what??   Anyway, the only reason they sold two steak pies to me today was, in fact, because there were no meat and potato pies left!!

Three more locks to do then, the first was the Town Lock…

Through the park, out into the full Nene, two more locks, before cruising through Abington barrage gates on the Northampton washlands..

Settling this evening at the moorings just before Weston Favell lock.  The beauty of this river is lovely even through the outskirts of Northampton.  Wildlife so different from just a couple of miles ago on the canal.. with grebe, warblers, sandpipers, terns and swans jostling for nesting space being very much in evidence.  Hooray we are here!