6th July 2012

Today is Wednesday and it’s our final run down into Bedford, as far as we can go on the River Great Ouse (that is until they finish the Bedford to Milton Keynes Link), first planned in 1826. Now as there is a current road widening scheme for the A421, some of the canal work is being done and the soil for the road embankment is being taken from the route of the canal (makes sense), thus part digging the link.

Anyway it is a wet day with heavy rain showers, so not to many photographs today; so we will get some on the way back for you to see. We left our mooring making for the town with two locks in front of us Cardington lock and the Bedford town lock, and once again the scenery was beautiful, with the park running to our right almost all of the way in. After the first of the locks we started to enter the built up area of Goldington (or as Sally kept saying Godington) passing the Bedford Boat club moorings on the left, where we have been invited to a BBQ on Saturday by the commodore of the club. He was on the cruiser stuck with us at St Ives, and we looked after his boat while they went home to attend to some business, so the BBQ is by way of thanks.

Next came Priory Marina where GOBA have a complementary mooring for members and maybe we will stop there on our way back down the Ouse. A railway bridge brought us to the beginnings of Bedford and with Sally at the helm we had to stop quickly to take down the Sat dish before it got knocked off as it was very low. Then around the island that sits between the navigable section of the river and the one that runs straight through the town, under a few more low bridges before the town lock. Once again, here the heavens opened up and it teamed down with rain as we waited for another boat to clear the lock before preparing it for us to go through. Whilst we were at the lock Any Hubble (the river manager) came down to check on things and we had a coffee and a natter with him. Also the local village idiot came to join in (mad Bob) and he caused a few laughs, as we heard about some of his tales.

Through the lock it was onto Sovereign Quay and our mooring whilst in Bedford and only a short walk from the town centre. Here we bumped into our old friends Pippa and Peter on NB Sentosa 11, who we first met at Kings Lock near Leicester some months before so we had a good catch up and laugh with them. Also in the evening David and Jan off cruiser Morning Mist came for a quick visit and to welcome us to Bedford and make plans to meet us for the BBQ.

Yesterday was a shopping day so Sally and I set off for the town and the shops, but not before Toby an EA worker came to advise us of a strong stream warning for the weekend (bloody rain). So off to the shops and in town I bought a small fold away spade for the boat, for as we had now stopped a few times at moorings with high banks it would be handy for digging in a few steps in the bank for Sally.

Bits and pieces bought it was back to the boat in time to see Pippa and Peter set off back and say our farewells as we waved them off, maybe we will meet them again but who knows.

 Pippa enjoying a bit of me time

And off they go

As I write this on Friday the 6^th, we have had a night of heavy rain with a steady falling of the wet stuff all morning, with a month’s rain forecast in the next 24hours. Sally is away into the town and we have had a nice call from Alex and Hillary wondering how and where we are, but now they know, the blog is up to date.