At Gayton, we saw Peter and Jean on Arachne.  They had an engine problem, and will meet us down in NHampton to do some of the locks down the Nene.

We started off down the flight, and Jean came and joined us, and set all the locks down to the motorway bridge ( 12). what a pal.  Thanks Jean.   It makes a big difference to have a crew.  That part only took 1.5 hrs.  The next few locks are more spaced out( so to speak) .

There was a numpty trying to help at the flight.  He sleeps in a barn and asks for a tenner to do all the locks in the flight.  However, as well as carrying a windlass, he also carries a  of beer. Totally sloshed.  I was struggling with one of the heavy old paddles, and he stood there winking and trying to say “ can help” wink” let me ‘ave a go”.  I said “No thanks, its 9.30am and you are drinking beer, dangerous stuff”.  He shuffled and lurched off up the locks to find the hotel boats, that were following us down.

.  I understand he gave them a hand.  I also heard later that he had decided to shed all of his clothes. !   Now, it must have been a day for getting you kit off, beause at the penultimate lock, 2 young fellas turned up with a big ruck sack, they were polite, but after we had left I looked back through my binoculars, and one bloke was using a wrench to lift the paddle to fill the lock,and the younger fellow, took all his clothes off, before putting on some shorts.  I have been seeing some sights, goodness me..

We waited at Northampton Midsummer Meadow, for Peter and Jean to arrive, and then set off to Weston Favell, for Thursday  (tonights) nights mooring.  \only short distance for us, but P and J, had been on the go since 6.45, to get down the last locks of the Rosersthorpe Flight.

Wednesday evening, at this splendid mooring, I tied up some fatty ham in fishing twine, and went “Craying”.  Caught these critters.  American Signal Crayfish, that are destroying fish stocks, and our own native crays.  I just kept pulling them out one after the other.  In the end I had to phone a friend,   Rita and Scooby on Festina Lente, to find out what to do next.  They are good at this wilderness stuff. !!!!

I got all the info.  Had bad dreams that night about putting a live creature into boiling water, but the next morning, I did it without fainting.   I reckon I might be a bit of a female Ray Meers type.  Can we eat the Canada Geese, that are everywhere making a pooeee mess????

I showed Mick( not good with crustaceans, and only really likes fish n chips.) and he just muttered  something about I must be bloody mad. !

Ate ‘em for lunch with a marie rose sauce.and salad and a can of San Miguel.EXCELLENT.

The Nene is beautiful, as usual, and we are heading for Earls Barton tomorrow.  A Field mooring around a lake. mmmm

 the last of the canals for this year

...a bit reedy, too.

 Midsummer Meadow, a new parasol and...................

 Crayfish.Alive in a bucket

                                              

 Hotel boats Oak and Ash 

 Crayfish. Boiling in a pan

Crayfish. DEAD 

 and for all that effort, this was the result.  about 2 tbsp. !

 Peter and Jean on NB Arachne

 Lovely mooring at Weston Favell

 

 looks like rain.