Rumour had it that a work-boat would be coming up to Kilby Bridge, smashing their way through the ice and maybe releasing us from our enforced stay at Kilby Bridge. After several inspections of the ice by Himself and Graham of NB Matilda Rose it was decided to go for it. The tug duly arrived and macerated the ice around us, I tootled about undoing the cratch cover in preparation for a quick trip to the services and the emptying of the cassette ahead of our journey into the icy wastes of Leicester. Whilst perched attractively on the gunwale one of the workmen asked me if we were going off, (I thought that a trifle impertinent as although no longer in my prime I don't think I have 'gone off' yet...) replying in the affirmative however, he then told me that we would only be able to go through two locks before hitting solid ice 3 inches thick. I promptly secured the aforementioned cratch cover and reported to Joe and Graham what had been said; we were not going anywhere.
One work-boat...
Above, clear water and then ice-soup..
Forty minutes later after further inspections the decision was revised again and I was told to shake a leg, there were locks awaiting me.
Above, clear water and then ice-soup..We covered four and a half miles and eight locks before ice defeated us and we are now moored just below Blue Bank Lock on the outskirts of Leicester. A chilled glass of chardonnay is to hand as a just reward for all MY hard work!!! 
Caxton as the ice breaker...
2 comments:
Hi Lesley. If you peer really hard at your computer screen, you will be able to see us waving at you from warm and sunny Goa!! Obviously we survived the dark and muddy trudge back down the towpath without falling in (only just!!) although we did make a bit of a mess of the hire car. Thank you so much for letting us look at your lovely boat, and I hope we didn´t put you out too much. At least your dogs liked me!!! Hopefully next time we meet it will be somewhere a lot warmer and a bit more accessible! Take care in the cold. Bill & Debbie
Hi Debbie and Bill, I am waving back to you from a frozen canal side just outside Leicester. Be assured, you were no trouble and welcome anytime. Hopefully we will meet again sooner rather than later. You take care in all that humidity and we will avoid the frostbite..
Post a Comment