Braunston Stay. Tuesday.

It was an overcast start to Tuesday, the sun tried hard to come out throughout the day, but was always hazy. When Paddy and I went out for his morning stroll it was quite chilly, but with no one else about we had peace and quiet as we walked down the locks.

Back on the boat, breakfast was enjoyed and I got all the usual morning jobs done and the generator was started up to charge the batteries for the day. I got coal out of the hold for both stoves, which will keep us going for a few days, Our loose coal pile is slowly going down and before long I should be able to bag the remainder of it up soon, which will mean we will be able to get more bagged coal on board. After a coffee we walked down the locks and it was quite warm, we went to find our friends Jo and John on NB Acen. Jo very kindly invited us on for coffee and so the chit chat began with all the news from Market Harborough. It was wonderful to catch up with Jo and John and to hear about their Summer cruising plan, we will probably not see them again until the Winter, when they will probably have a Winter mooring in Market Harborough again. Lunchtime came and we left them in peace and wandered back up the locks towards the boat, stopping off at The Admiral Nelson pub for a quick half, we actually needed the loo and that was closer than the boat. Neither of us had been in the pub before, so I suggested we could use their loo’s and have a swift half and very nice it was too. On walking back up to the boat an easterly wind had gotten up making it feel much colder. It does make the thought of a hot Summer more inviting and wondering will it ever come.

Lunch back on the boat and a chance to put our feet up for the afternoon. I was actually feeling quite sleepy after my half a pint in the pub. Drinking alcohol at lunchtime seems to have that affect on me, but there was no sleeping, because dinner needed preparing, animals needed to be fed, fires needed stoking and the good old washing up had to be done.

The afternoon has now worn into the evening, dinner and pudding has been eaten and now I really am going to put my feet up before it is time to retire to my bed.