NB Stronghold: Summer Jaunt 2018. 3

Ricky and Serendipity

Wednesday 9^th May

I spent most of the morning writing up my blog and adding the pics. The batteries appeared to be far happier in their present position and were holding up well, but my back was aching as a consequence of all that lifting. I went into to Tesco to get a few things and make a complaint, which ended up with me being on the end of their phone to an Indian guy who seemed to know more than the lady at customer services. I finally transpired that large items could not be stored in lockers at the chosen store, so had to be shipped to a home address. Therefore the previous information from the store was totally incorrect, but nowhere on the website was that info available. I was quite disillusioned with Tesco service and if I can get it in Argos, then I will in future.

I decided to stay on the moorings for another night and move off in the morning as there was plenty of room there.

Thursday 10^th May

After breakfast, I set off towards Uxbridge with the intention of stopping at Uxbridge Boat Services to get a stainless steel chimney, if they had one, and some new sealing rubber for the weed hatch. I also bought another air horn (wherever did the last one go?) No stainless chimneys in stock, but I did get the last two items. However, the weed hatch seal appeared to be holding up OK, now that I had the lid on in the right position.

I was very close now to bridge 186, where there is The Dolphin pub beside the cut. I found a mooring very close to the bridge and walked over the bridge to the pub, having never been there before. Although there was quite an extensive menu of pub grub, there was only Doombar on tap, which was quite disappointing. There is more choice at The General Elliot and The Swan and Bottle, both a short distance away.

Back at the mooring I noticed a white sack on the far side of the towpath and peered inside, expecting to find a load of rubbish, but not so, It was full of logs cut to about 6” in length that someone had deemed surplus to requirements now that the hot wea-ther was upon us. Needless to say it went quickly into my boat.

All cut to size too.

Friday 11^th May

I set off just after 10.00 in cloudy conditions and a fairly strong southerly wind, which luckily was behind me.

A boat came out of the boatyard ahead of me just before Uxbridge Lock, which was nicely timed. Unfortunately, they decided to stop for a walk after Denham Deep. As I was rising in Widewater Lock, I spotted a boat behind me and let him know that I would wait for him at the next one. And so it was that we did the remainder up to Ricky together. We got chatting as is usual and it turns out that he was an indentured blacksmith, who changed careers later into plumbing and heating, which In turn allowed him to retire aged fifty. I think that says something for that particular trade if you are in your own business.

I moored up outside Tesco to get a bit of shopping and then moved across the cut to visitor mooring for the night, but another boat was just mooring in the space. I shouted across and asked if he could move along about six feet and he was quite happy to do that. Then I realised that I had previously spoken to the guy at the Tesco mooring earlier. A little later when I was adjusting mooring lines, the couple were on the towpath and asked if I would like to join them in The White Bear. How could I refuse a request like that? We were talking all the way there and all through a very good Indian meal. When the bill came I suggested that I share the cost, but Mike insisted that it the meal was on him and was good value for money for all the information he had extracted from me during the last couple of hours. Back at the boats, I insisted that they come aboard for a nightcap, despite the cabin being in its usual mess. What was more important, was the continuing conversation. Such is serendipity.