Having got everything sorted and ship shape on Indigo Dream in G’s absence, he arrived back to say that Jill and Gary were hot on his heels – Jill and Gary being our winter neighbours in the NL. They are back in the UK due to the imminent arrival of Princess Archbold; grandchild number ….? Can’t keep up with the numbers; it’s like with Chas and Liz Faux – a positive epidemic and world take-over bid.

They arrived with Chula the French Basset and Gem the greyhoundy, Collie, Sheperdy, rescue dogs. Dinner at the pub and then it was way too late for them to go off and find a campsite and pitch a tent; so we investigated Sue and Richards sofa which turned out to be a sofa bed; so that was that sorted for the night (no, we weren’t taking liberties with Indigo Dream; Sue and Richard were adamant that we didn’t pussyfoot around and should just enjoy her and treat her like home). Now one of the mysteries of the learning curve on Indigo Dream has been finding the light switches.  Eventually we turned the lights off (they hide behind curtains!) and we all turned in for the night. The next morning I went to flush the loo (sorry if this conjures up too much detail or you are eating) and nothing happened. Checked the water pump fuses and all the usual culprits….no water. Checked the water tank gauge and it was showing empty – this was crazy as it was 3/4 full when we went to bed. Had we sprung a leak? Nothing for it but to pull on our clothes (not as much as a cup of tea or coffee between us) and hot boat it back to the marina to fill with water. Attached the hose to the tap back in the marina and within 5 minutes the tank was overflowing. So we all sat down and re-thought it through logically trying to make sense of it – there’s a little switch that hides behind the wine glass rack

and then we realised we had twiddled it whilst looking for the ‘off’ switch for the saloon lights. We pressed it back to ‘on’ and hey ho we had water. Later on in the day I spoke to Richard and mentioned the switch, before I could say anymore, he said, “oh, the one that turns the water off? We never touch it”. How bloody daft did we feel – especially as we were under some pressure for me to make a dental appointment in Northampton at 10.30. By the time we got to the appointment G and I were gibbering wrecks.

Given that Jill and Gary were there with their car (and itching for a cruise), we hatched a plan to position a vehicle at Braunston and headed off. 13 double locks (I think) – my first locks in over 4 years and we arrived in Braunston around 7pm. What a heavenly, heavenly day. We shared the locks up the Buckby flight with a delightful couple and then picked up another delightful couple to share down with. We were all deliciously physically wrecked (my first locks in over 4 years) and I just about managed to stay on my feet long enough to throw some food at a pan before we fell into bed – remembering not to touch the water switch!

Gem had fallen in and had to be rescued. I was working ahead to set the next locks (and all the Buckby top gates had swung open of course – no change there then), with every one of the locks, but the first, against us. The paddles on the top gates coming down into Braunston were almost immovable with a blackboard sign saying, “ C & RT are aware that these paddles are stiff – the problem has been reported”. 4 European softies had a bit of a workout and also had a ball.

We woke in the morning to a normal, panic free day (where water flowed freely) and indulged ourselves at the Goongoozlers Rest narrowboat cafe for giant sized breakfasts – G couldn’t finish his; this has to be a first.

We waved fond farewells to the motley crew of Norderzoon yesterday morning, made another trip to the dentist and found narrowboat Funky Fish had arrived with Colin and Eva and their Norwegian friend, single handler, Kirsty on our return. Colin and Eva have a cat Diesel and two dogs Mutley and Misty. We haven’t seen them for 7 years when we poled up in Birmingham for a two night stop (for a concert) and got stuck in the ice there for 53 nights – we made friends when they kept us supplied with water during the freeze up from their Birmingham mooring. Later going to their wedding. We only made it to their wedding courtesy of Richard’s help locking us up the 21 through the Aston and Farmers’ flights after I had been unwell and wasn’t allowed to do much – amazing how things and people all tie up! So it was off to the pub for a good old catch up.

In the galley doing the washing up this morning, G shouted look, look! Couldn’t believe it; of all the boats and all the canals and this brief time of ours on the Grand Union. Nice to see that they hadn’t painted over my birds on the side shutters …yet.

So it’s onwards in the general direction of the Hatton flight tomorrow; early start and a long cruise. Perfik!