Blossom and Poetry Trail

We were up early today with brilliant sunshine and Thomas still sleeping like a baby..

We got to Hillmorton Locks, and going through the second lock Del nudged the gates waking him up.. lazy git! 

On the lock gates was a sign telling you about the writing on them...

It comes from a poem which was written about the canals and the lines of the poem are on the lock gates at Manchester and Pennine, Huddersfield Narrow, Birmingham Frazley, Hillmorton, and Leeds and Liverpool.. It goes

 

WORKING WATER

HELD CAPTIVE FOR A WHILE

THEN SLUCED AWAY TO JOIN

THE WORLDS OTHER WATERS AGAIN

OPEN

ENTER AND

BE LIFTED SAFE

WITH WORDS AT YOUR BACK

THESE DOORS MAKE DEPTH

POWER TO SINK YOUR BOAT

BODLEY INTO THE LAND

AND LET IT GO RIDING OUT

UNHARMED

STEP AT A TIME A RIVER

CLIMBS CAREFULLY

DOWN THROUGH THE TOWN

check it out on www.locklines.org.uk/



We then pushed on through the countryside to Barby and then on to Braunston, where we saw our first ducklings this year..

Braunston was busy as it has the Boat Share show on this weekend, so we decided to go straight through.. On our way we met Beryl and Gary on n.b. The Answer and then Lisa and David and Amanda on n.b. What a Lark.. We then got to the lock and met Diana and Brian off n.b Harnser who were having work done to their boat in the dock..

We met up with another couple who came from Bluebell Hill, which is close to where we used to live in Kent and went up through the locks with them.. 

We had made good time as we went into the tunnel and you noticed the blossom coming out on all the trees making it look like it had snowed..

We managed to get a mooring just before the junction..

We noticed n.b Oakfield there and arranged to have a drink in the pub with them in the evening.. We had a lovely evening and the food was great, it was lovely to see them as we planned to go our separate ways in the morning....