Round about

Last night (Thursday) we walked up to the Blue Ball for a couple of pizzas. We hadn't realised beforehand that there was a special offer going on and all the pizzas were only £6. The staff were very friendly and although we were offered a table in the garden, we decided to sit inside out of the sun. Makes a change to sheltering from the rain.

A lovely summer's evening looking towards our mooring.

Friday morning and time to turn round and head back the way we came.

Found a splendid winding hole opposite the old rectory. Of course, the wind was no help at all! But we managed OK.

Back through the bridge we were standing on last night.

Here's Brigid taking a breather while the lock fills.

Brigid asked me to take a photo of the helpful step on the side of the lock beam.
Helpful that is if you have long legs, which she hasn't, and can see the step when you're trying to get down off the beam, which she can't. When I am on the boat and her leg is reaching down I'll call out 'left a bit, right a bit' until she gets her foot in the stirrup.

We've travelled all of 2 miles today to Hamstead Lock and found a mooring right in the reeds.

In the bathroom it looks like an invasion of Triffids.

Since we weren't boating we went for a walk round Hamstead Park.

The red object in the distance is an ornamental bridge seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Our little walk turned out to be just over 4 miles. I don't think the captain was too impressed.

A note for the ornithologists, we saw a grey wagtail - how do you know it's grey? Because it's yellow!

A nice peaceful mooring but no Internet. Bliss.