Wet in Berkhamstead!

Early start at 7.15 on Wednesday morning, we stopped at Apsley by Sainsburys for a small shop and then moored just short of Berkhamstead. Pleasant enough but nothing startling.

Thursday was not a good day or a good forecast so we completed the 3 locks to Berkhamstead and called it quits! Hopes of reaching Aylesbury for the weekend were abandoned as the forecast for Friday was dire.

En route to Berkhamsted we passed this rather nice warehouse conversion.

Locking in the rain

Canadian Totem Pole - approaches to Berkhamsted

When we last came through Berkhamstead we had been impressed by the big sign on one of the bridges saying "Welcome to the Port of Berkhamsted". Sadly it is no longer there.

It was incredibly wet weekend with muddy towpaths all around us which is not good news when there are two dogs on board. Geoff gallantly walked Parga nearly 5 miles each day to get rid of his surplus energy, all I had to do was clean up a filthy dog on return!

We went to the Parish Church of St Peter on Sunday morning which had a large congregation and huge choir of all ages. We were also impressed by the size of the Sunday School.

Later in the morning we had a visit from friends Brian & Patricia with daughter Anna. After coffee and a tour of Petroc we all enjoyed a good Sunday Roast in the Boat Inn. Really a highlight of an otherwise dank weekend.

Monday morning as forecast dawned dry!!! Unbelievable.................

To make up for lost time we did a longish day whilst the rain held off (More forecast for Tuesday!) For the first 7 locks we had company which made life easier. At Cowroast we stopped to water etc and also went into the marina for diesel...85p.......The following locks were completed on our own until Marsworth junction. here we turned off onto the Aylesbury Arm and back to narrow locks. How strange they look after all this time, last seen when we came off the Oxford.
We did the first 8 locks to where our guide book told us there was a suitable mooring place.....however there was work in progress on the bank at the obvious mooring place so we had to go a little further up. This was close to a sign we haven't seen before saying the space was reserved for disabled anglers, however no anglers in sight and we shall move if one comes along.

9 locks to go to Aylesbury....will the rain hold off???