Happy Easter ………………

to one and all.

  Now remember ……. you DON’T have to eat ALL that chocolate in one go!  Pace yourselves!  I can assure you that my Easter egg will last a very long time!!

For an Easter weekend it’s been relatively quiet up here on the top pound.  There’s been a steady trickle of boats but it’s definitely not been as busy as we’ve known it to be over previous Easters.  At North Kilworth Wharf we had 1st hand confirmation that permission for the development of another new marina has been granted more or less opposite them.  So, between  the locks at Watford and the locks at Foxton there will be three large marinas, one small one (at the end of the Welford Arm) and the Wharf at North Kilworth.  We were amazed at how quickly Yelvertoft marina filled with moorers so have no reason to think the same won’t happen at North Kilworth.  The concern is the amount of boat traffic wanting to use the locks at busy times of the year.  Mind you, moored boats do not necessarily equate to active boating as, according to one of the gurus at Crick, 80% of the boats there never go out of the marina.  We will see.

Each morning we have awoken (or rather, been woken up!) to find ourselves iced in.  However, the sun has been streaming through the windows and, with the passage of the first boat + the sunshine, the ice soon melts and things get back to ‘normal’.  IF snowing at the end of March can be considered ‘normal’!  I guess it can for good old G.B.!

We have been making our way towards Foxton stopping off at previous haunts.  At the Welford Arm I saw a red kite circling.  That’s a 1st for us.  I guess it may have found it’s way from Rockingham Forest where there has been a re-introduction programme. 

Climbing up the hill near Laughton, this is the view over the surrounding countryside:-

The River Welland rises near Welford before flowing through Market Harborough and then on towards Spalding and the Wash.           

Lola has been enjoying exploring the big outside world.  Off the lead the tow-path remains precarious but in the fields we can safely enjoy watching her run around.  She responds well to the J.R. Allebone Esquire two-tone dog whistle that has been the same for every dog we’ve ever owned!

               

She’s a girl after my own heart and just loves the fire:-

AND, just for your visit, Lynn, she has a new sweater!  Actually, I think this one could be called a jacket!!  See you tomorrow.

MESSAGE FOR DOUG AND JAMES:-  Moored up where we were last night we couldn’t get a satellite picture BUT John just plonked your recommended aerial on the roof and – BINGO!  FULL HOUSE!  ALL CHANNELS!  Love yoooooooo!

xxoo