Saturday 9/5 Union Wharf, Market Harborough

Sad day today, as Tim and Mike left us. We have enjoyed their time with us immensely - not only for the delight of their company, also for their domestic and newly found locking skills will be sorely missed. Lawrence and I have been thoroughly spoilt this past week as Mike and Tim whipped up culinary delights, seemingly out of thin air, meal after meal. Thank you both, very much.

The taxi arrived about 10 and we hitched a lift with them to a waitrose (Tim's supermarket of choice) which was on the other side of town on the way to the train station. A teary farewell was held outside the Waitrose front door, much to be the bemusement of the fellow customers. 

Mike and Tim caught the train to Burton on Trent and another taxi to Mercia Marina where we started our journey last Sunday. They then face a long drive, by English standards, back to Totnes in Sth Devon.

Supermarket shopping done and with Lawrence loaded like a packhorse, we began the long trudge back through town with further stops at the market and butcher for the final supplies and a stop for a revitalising coffee before beginning the final leg up the hill to Union Wharf.

Aqualife is the first white roof from the top of the photo.

Lawrence has had a lovely afternoon reading the Saturday SMH on the tablet (at least it is good for something) whilst I unpacked the shopping and rearranged the cupboards and had a bit of a tidy up. Our kitchen and living area, or, salon/saloon as it is called in boating terms. 

I know, I know it hasn't been Rhondaised, but it's a lot neater than it was. Speaking of which, Rhonda and George's dinner guests tonight will have never seen Tradewinds so clean and tidy. Treasure the moment folks!

L. has had an afternoon nap which will help throw off the effects of his cold. Yes, it's been officially downgraded from mancold to cold. And I have got this blogging malarkey up to date.

Tomorrow we face the Foxton Locks which consist of two staircases of five chambers each. Boats can only pass in the pound between the two staircases. Operation of the locks requires extreme care. The paddles on each lock are painted red and white and the adage is " red before white and you will be alright, white before red and you will be dead". If the blog stops you'll know I got it wrong!! Just kidding, I don't think it's literally lethal, but I have been told that if you get it wrong the pub at the bottom of the locks gets flooded.

Now I'm going to make a cup of tea and curl up with my book. A really nice thing about marinas and Cart facilities along the canals is that people leave the books they have read ( I suppose because narrowboats don't have a lot of room for an extensive library), so you take a book you want to read and after you have finished reading it you leave at the next marina or CART facility you use. Neat