Friday, 25 May 2018

We Missed It! 24th May 2018

Thursday 24th May 2018
The Pyewipe to Washingborough
4.5 miles, 1 lock

Running into Lincoln there are a lot of permanent moorings with boats of all shapes,


sizes

a few more familiar to us canal travellers

some in need of a little tlc.  As we passed we wondered if it would ever move again, so imagine our surprise when it went past us when we were moored in Lincoln.

a few broadbeams

and one for our youngest granddaughter who

has a thing about Unicorns

Very close to the service area was evidence of new pontoons being built - maybe to be added to Brayford Pool.  We stopped at the services and I am delighted to say the water pressure was first class and our tank was full in no time at all.

They are still working on Brayford Pool - I do hope if we come this way again we are able to get a visitor mooring as I did miss not being right in the city centre.



We were afforded a brief glimpse of the Cathedral - the closest I am likely to get this trip as my knee is just not up to Steep Hill at present.

Our target was much more mundane - M&S food hall.

Why is it that one only meets oncoming traffic at the narrowest parts of the trip - this was just as we left Brayford Pool and right behind him coming through

the Glory Hole there was another one!

Sue and Ken had gone ahead and were moored up when we arrived

We were initially moored under this tree, but as soon as we had moored, the boat behind us moved off, so we pulled back to get away from the tree and its inhabitant(!).


Lincoln is certainly taking the 100th anniversary of the RAF seriously - not surprising with two such big stations either side of the city (Scampton and Waddington). 




Looking down from High Bridge - when we lived here in the 1970's I am sure we would never have believed we would be moored in our own boat right opposite the Central market.

RAF Scampton is the home of the Red Arrows, so this bunting is very appropriate.

Sue had gone up to the Cathedral area, so I am looking forward to her blog in due course.  Somewhere I would have loved to go with her - another time perhaps.  Once she was back we both headed off again to Stamp End Lock.



There is no landing stage on the off side, so Sue came across the gate and boarded our boat.  The water flow made it very difficult for Ken to get Cleddau close enough for Sue to transship.  He did manage and despite the larger gap than she would have liked, she made it.

Back to the straight and narrow with high sides

and a slightly better view of the Cathedral.

Some building work is going on, but it was impossible to guess what it was.


In the distance are the moorings at Washingborough - completely empty and plenty of room for three boats.

 So we pulled in


It is a lovely mooring with a grass area complete with picnic table, albeit in a very decrepit state.

 Behind the mooring is a disused railway line which linked Boston to Lincoln

and what we are sure was the station - presumably undergoing renovation - this was it in 2014

and now today

There is also a sign they really need to change or amend

The butcher now appears to be a hairdresser and beauty salon, the PO is just a letter box and the general store no longer exists.  There is an Indian, a pizza takeaway and the pubs still seem to be there, but general provisions are non existent.

Years ago the skies above Lincoln were busy with all sorts of aircraft - Vulcans in the main when we lived here in the 70's.  This trip in 6 days we have seen just 3 AWACS.

 Pimms was taken on the pontoon, but the weather it is changing.  The wind is up and the Witham is flowing upstream rather than down

 and this floated past us as we enjoyed the last of the evening sunshine

The sunset bodes well, but we think we will get wet tomorrow. 

Back to the building works by the river. We had seen a couple walking along there and we bumped into them near the moorings, so I asked them what was being built - a new road eagerly awaited by them at least as their children live on the other side of the river and it will save them going through the city every time they want to visit.  We chatted on and discovered that his last tour in the RAF was at Scampton - he was there when I was and knew my boss very well.  It is a small world!

And what did we miss?  Lincoln Camra Beer Festival 2018 which was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RAF.  The story of our lives - a day late and a dollar short!

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