Reading to Kintbury

I’ve decided the K&A can be a-likened to having a baby!  It’s a painful experience but time forces you to forget!  I remember there being a lot of locks.  I remember the locks being double, heavy and fierce.  What I hadn’t remembered were the number of swing/ lift bridges!  Locks and swing/lift bridges are relentless!

       

Before leaving The Thames we spoke to Ricky on Hidden Pearl who said he had recently been as far as Newbury.  He was not impressed!  He told us that not only was it hard work but it was over-grown and there was nowhere to moor – the first two observations are definitely true and, as for mooring, opportunities are seriously insufficient.

With the exception of the little Cornish Crabber which I now know to be called Demelza, we had not encountered any other boats going our way since the first morning.  Coming towards us we have met a few hire boats.  Demelza with Ros, Barbara and Nancy on board have passed us and then we have passed them and then they have caught us up and then we have caught them up ……………  You might be interested to read about the challenge, Derek, as they will be coming past your watch next Spring:-

www.virginmoneygiving.com/rosbennet

www.cornishcrabberchallengeblog.wordpress.com/

And onwards to Newbury.  The navigation passes through the centre of the town.  On reaching Newbury we did, at last, begin to see a handful of other boats on the move.  One of them was …………. April Love, Ben’s old narrowboat!  It was good to see her still being used but she’s seriously in need of a polish!!

Jane and Ron came to find us for the day and we had a really nice meal in a canalside pub.

I thought Newbury was a really good town for shopping!!!!!!

We moored up right by the The Newbury Bypass – noisy but really good for Lola because the lovely Victoria Park was so accessible for ball games.

We have now moved on to Kintbury and, thank goodness, we have managed to get on to a good designated mooring – the banks are seriously overgrown everywhere else.      xxoo