Foxton for now

Yesterday we had a leisurely start - still sitting around in a dressing gown with my head in a book at 10.30 kind of start - but once showered and dressed we wandered down to the bottom of the locks and then off to the village shop for a paper and some essential groceries etc.  As we were walking across the car park an unusual and ancient motorcycle arrived.  We stopped to chat to the owner and learnt that he had owned this motorcycle for almost thirty years, he had a number of others, and he was just out for a run in the fine autumn sunshine.

 Triumph Model H motorcycle circa 1919- 30k of these used in WW1 by the Royal Signals Corp, Dispatch Riders. 

 This morning after breakfast we up sticks and took Yarwood down to the services at the bottom of Foxton Locks.

 

 The swing bridge across the Market Harborough Arm by the cut for the inclined plane.

 

 Once the boat was serviced Joe reversed off of the service point and I opened the swing bridge to let Yarwood slip away down the Arm. Closing the bridge after Yarwood had gone through I then hurried along the towpath to get to the next swing bridge and get it ready.

 This swing bridge carries a road into Foxton village from the Church.

 

We moored up just out of the village and I left Joe scrubbing down the roof and the deck while I went walk about with the dogs.

 

 My Husband, the scrubber..

 

 How good does that look?

 

We headed off across Public Footpaths across farmland but all the paths across fields had recently been cultivated and sown and the paths not reconstituted by the farmer so to avoid being caked in mud, I followed the edges of fields. There are no nesting birds to disturb at this time of year so walking the edge of conservation margins seemed the better option.

As I headed back towards the boat my phone rang and it was Adam Porter, of Nb. Briar Rose and Canal Boat Magazine.   Adam had just finished a boat review and was on his way back to Briar Rose but wondered if we might fancy lunch - does a bear etc. etc? - so an hour or so later we met at The Black Horse Foxton where we enjoyed a catch-up and lunch before we all wandered back to Yarwood for tea and cake.

The man himself, Adam.  Lovely to see you..