The Globe Inn, Linslade to Cosgrove.

Travelled 17.1 miles, worked 6 locks in a time of 6 hours 55 minutes.

After what can only be described as a funny old nights sleep laden with dreams, we were awake at 6 am and a cup of tea was made and drunk before we got up at 7 am. I had   awful thought my day was going to begin in an awful way when I went to take Paddy for his walk. I opened the back cabin doors and running towards the boat was a dog with a muzzle on, so I kept Paddy inside until the dog passed. It stood at the stern for a few moments until its owner called it away. Paddy and I stepped off the boat and the gentleman who owned the dog informed me there was another one lagging behind, it was 13 years old so would do no damage….. Easy for him to say he did not have the dog on a lead. As it turned out it was fine and Paddy and I got our morning stroll in peace.

We left the mooring at 8.05 am and set off in to the wide blue yonder with a cold wind blowing and when I say cold I actually mean freezing. There was ice on the canal, oh joy our poor old blacking. Thankfully it was not thick enough to do any damage.

We passed The Globe Inn where we enjoyed a nice meal and a pint last night. As we approached the Soulbury Three Locks NB Snotty Coot followed us, so as we got to the locks I got the first lock ready for us both to share.

We were then helped down the locks by the volunteer lock keepers on duty.

I was told to get back on the boat and they would work the locks for us, now that is what I call service and it was done with a smile and a nice word. We cleared the locks by 9.20 am.

At Willowbridge Marina NB Angel Jolie was being lowered on to a lorry. I made us some lunch, which once again we ate on the move and the coffee kept coming to keep the chilly wind out. I had to don another layer because the wind was beginning to chill my bones.

At Fenny Stratford a hire boat had set the lock, so we shared the lock with them, leaving poor old Snooty Coot to go it alone, but we said we would see them further along and we did they soon caught us up.

In Milton Keynes we met up with Roy on NB Gerald No 13. It was as always wonderful to see him again, we managed a quick natter before we said our “Goodbyes”. Roy is on his way to the Little Venice Cavalcade.

We stopped at Wolverton to go to Tesco to pick up a few bits at 2pm. On walking across the foot bridge we spotted this sculpture which is actually made from miniature railway tracks, with a loco on the outstretched hand.

We got back to the boat at 2.45pm and headed off for Cosgrove. There was a hire boat in Cosgrove Lock, so we decided to take the opportunity to use the empty lock.

We moored up in the same place we moored on the way down, the sun was shining, but oh boy the wind had gotten up. We have TV signal so we will be watching television tonight and I will be putting my feet up after dinner.