Summer Cruise#1-Days 40-43

 

Oooh – let a few days slip by! Last post was Saturday, tis a very wet Wednesday and so we must be in Loughborough! Third visit here and we always plan to be here in the rain! One reason is to avoid being caught on the river Soar which can rise in level & flow pdq. The town is on a canalised section and is a lot safer and quite a decent place for shopping, beer, facilities and beer!

That blasted toilet hinge didn’t arrive at the marina, when kind Kate tried to phone LeeSan, they informed us, rather belatedly that it was being shipped from the States and would take another week (or two) What?? If I’d ordered it from Jabsco it could have been here the next day, doh! Still, not the marina’s fault – they have been very good. So let’s slip and move on with our tour!

Viv takes some nature shots straight from our side hatch at Sawley Cut

It’s through the locks and down the last bit of Trent and up the Soar!

We’ve covered this stretch before (see blog passim – 2015) but here’s a rear view of the very deep Kegworth lock.

Cruising the Cut, vlogger, David often takes videos of the nice houses (hi-ziz?) one comes across on the network – so here’s a gorgeous one at Kegworth.

We reached Zouch and decided that was enough – it was very windy and so called it a day. Nice spot to walk the dog too. Tuesday we headed off early towards Loughborough – passing the Zouch weir:  All calm now.

We moored up outside what was, the Albion. Shame it has now past into history.  Yes, it was an old-fashioned pub, out on a limb but it shut down in Nov 2015. Still, it’s a quiet mooring spot and a gorgeous sunset.

We spent lunch & evening at the Swan in the Rushes – a Castle Rock pub which had a wonderful selection of real ales and on Tuesdays as it happened, was 2 4 1 on food, so we had a Spinach, chick pea & sweet potato curry plus a beef madras curry for just £7.95. Not bad either. We also played dominoes – these had up to 9 pips on! Hmm. It passed the time. (Beers were Lagunitas, Saltaire’s Sir Titus, Charnwood IPA,  Charnwood Charmer and Titanic’s Plum Porter)

Wednesday was forecast to be wet and then some. 0900 to 2100, continuous wet. And lo, it came to pass. Viv went out shopping (and got wet). I cycled out to see the Grand Central Railway station and the Taylors bell foundry (still making bells). We then walked down to the end of the canalised bit we came thru to see the state of the river and yes, the red light was on! The level scale was only on the amber but I guess the levels would continue to rise.

A very different day – wet!

All togged up for the dog walk. Down at the second lock (Meadow Lane), the red light was on!!

I’m guessing that CRT are being cautious but the level can only continue to rise, below the lock it was only registering just on the amber but it would be unwise to venture downstream.

One animal was enjoying it all – Toby! Just after this bridge the Soar joins the canal exit and didn’t seem too much in a hurry. Just hope it subsides by tomorrow lunchtime when we plan to carry on up the Soar!