Guess what? We woke to rain!! It wasn’t that heavy just constant light
rain. We managed to get away just after
9am all dressed in our waterproofs except the dog – I forgot about him!
Our first lock was Garston Lock
(turfsided) and I found a half eaten dead deer by the top gates. I guess it had fallen into the canal and
someone had fished it out but the smell around the gate was not pleasant.
 |
| Photo of Garston Lock borrowed from the internet |
I did the electric bridge by
Sheffield Lock. All went well until I
tried to close it and it just wouldn’t close right back. I kept trying and so did Richard. I phoned C&RT but there was no reply from
the local office. Suddenly Richard managed
to shut it and the barriers opened and lots of cars went through – one girl
opened her window and yelled some profanity at me but I didn’t hear what it
was!
 |
| 2010 - after my falling in at Ufton Swing Bridge |
Our next problem was Ufton swing
bridge. Now some of you may remember
this is where I fell in back in back in 2010.
Then in 2011 the bridge broke down for a couple of hours and we were
stuck. Well it happened again
today. We arrived to two hire boats tied
up on our side of the bridge and another hire boat the other side. A C&RT man eventually turned up, pressed
a few buttons and said that he couldn’t do it and that someone else would come
out. The two hire boats that we were
tied up to where being taken back to Aldermaston from a one way hire and were
due out in the afternoon which obviously wasn’t going to happen.
 |
| 2011 - the last time we got stuck at Garston Lock |
Three more men turned up at Ufton
about an hour later and declared that they needed a new part which would have
to come from Leicester TOMORROW! So we
were stuck between two boats on one side and another on the other side so
Richard reversed the boat down the canal (well we are actually on the River
Kennet) and we are now moored on a sheep field.
The rain got worse in the
afternoon so we didn’t poke our noses outside again!
One good thing about the swing
bridges on the K & A is that because of them there are no low bridges going
over the canal which means that we have been able to have the pram hood all day
keeping us much drier.
I'm afraid it was too wet to take any photos today.
3.60 miles
4 locks
3 swing bridges
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