Berko or Bust.

Hello Friends.

After a lovely time in Hemel Hempstead yesterday, we left our overnight mooring opposite B&Q, which used to be the Wharf for the Rose's Lime Juice Factory and set off for Berko. Which is 3.85 miles, and 12 locks. So I was going to need to be fit and raring to go. I was actually pretty fortunate with the locks today, because most of them were fore us, or boats were coming out of the locks ready for us to go in to, so it made my life so much easier. Many of the boats were probably off to the National Festival at Beale Park at the end of the month. As we came up through Winkwell Lock, I walked up to operate the Swing Bridge and there was another boat coming in the opposite direction. It turned out to be Bob and Nicola on NB Vagabond. It worked out ideal, that we could both use the Swing Bridge at the same time, which gave us great power over the waiting traffic. I had all that power in my one finger and there was nothing the traffic could do until we had both cleared the bridge. Just up from the Winkwell Locks a British Waterway's man was painting the bridge. Nothing odd about that your thinking. Well that is true, but it was by now raining. I said to the man "Not a day for painting", he replied "It was sunny when I started". It was an enjoyable cruise pretty much, although we did have a problem with Sewer Lock, because we could not get the bottom gates to close properly, there was something on the cill. Another boater arrived and after a lot of pushing and shoving of the gates, we both managed to get them closed, so we could open the paddles and fill the lock. I had visions of us having to call BW out. Thankfully that did not have to happen.

As we arrived in Berkhamsted at the Rising Sun Lock.

I was sorely tempted to get my tankard and pop into the pub for a Cider. The Rising Sun is the Cider Pub for 2010. But these days your not supposed to drink and operate a boat, and although I am not actually steering the boat, I am working the locks, which can be as dangerous. So I had to pass the pub by. But one of these days, I am going to have a tankard of Cider from there.
As we came up in the Rising Sun Lock, a wonderful floral sight was ahead of us. The Boat Inn was putting on a fantastic floral display with their hanging baskets. I wonder if they have won anything for all those wonderful blooms?
As we cruise the Waterway's of the UK, we see many old boats, but this one always makes me smile. It is called Jester and I have absolutely no idea how old it is. I call it a shed on the water, but in a nice way. We do see many sheds on water, but many of them have no character at all. This does at least have some character.

We arrived at Berkhamsted and the first thing we noticed was the lack of moorings, so I had to walk ahead and see if there was any space for us to get into, baring in mind we need over 70ft. Wooo hooo luck was shining on us, as there was one space near the footbridge which we could get into and it turned out to be a deep water mooring.

All moored up, I did us some much needed lunch and then we donned our rucksacks and headed off to Tesco to do a bit of shopping. I will do a proper shop when we get to Leighton Buzzard, but we did need Bread, Cheese and some Salad stuff. Shopping put away, I then needed to post some Birthday cards, but the heavens had opened and it was chucking it down. But hey it is only water, so with my hat and coat on, I went in search of the Post Box. On the way back I called in on our friends David and Jenny on NB Sweet Dreams. Jenny was out shopping, but I got to chat to David in the rain. No he was not getting wet, he did have a large Umbrella to stand under.

So another day of cruising is done and enjoyable it was too.

Dinner tonight is going to be Faggots, with Mash and Veg I think and we may even have a pudding, which will include Ice Cream mmmmm.