Onto the Leicester Arm

Hanley Bear and I had some exciting news yesterday.  Polar and Grizzly told us that Uplander II is having its hull blacked this week and soon, we will be able to go on boat journeys again.

'In that case, I had better finish writing about the journey I made last year,' I said to Hanley.  'Otherwise, it will get very confusing for people reading my blog.'

After the long tunnel at Blisworth, we enjoyed cruising through some more very pretty scenery around Weedon, although we were very close to the West Coat Main Line sometimes, and the very fast trains speeding along it often made me jump. 

Then we had another flight of seven big locks to climb through at Long Buckby.  We were very grateful when a nice couple on a boat called Fever to the Form waited for us to catch them up and we could share the locks, as it meant we could get to the top before it got dark.  They had a baby human cub with them, sound asleep in a sling around his dad as he steered through the locks!

When we got to the junction at the top of the locks, Grizzly and Polar steered us to the right, onto the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal.  They hadn't been this way before but showed me on the map that we had more locks and a tunnel to go through in the morning.

'These are different to the locks we've been through so far,' Grizzly explained.  'They are narrow, so they only hold one boat at a time, and they are arranged as a staircase of five!'

When we reached the Watford Locks, Polar took me with her on a walk right to the top, to see what we had to do and check with the lock-keeper if we could start coming up.  

'Not yet,' he said.  'I'm sending two boats down first.'

While we waiting, Polar explained how there were different paddles to let water in and out of the locks and the side pounds, to save as much water as possible going up and down.  I can't remember which one we had to open first, but fortunately she took a photograph of the notice.

Polar worked the locks, with the lock-keeper and his helpers, and Grizzly steered Uppie, and soon we had reached the top of all five.  I was too small to be much help but I could remind Polar whether it was the white paddle or the red paddle that she needed to open!

Then we set off through very pretty countryside again, until we came to a hill in the way of the canal at a place called Crick.  There was another tunnel here and this time, there were boats coming the other way!

As you can see, it is a tight squeeze to pass another boat, but it can be done, although I did have my paws over my eyes when the boats got level with each other.

We stopped for lunch at Crick and then carried on through the pretty countryside throughout the afternoon, dodging big stormy showers.  I was very much enjoying the view from my usual vantage point on top of the hatch cover, when there was a strange, mewing cry overhead and a huge bird swooped over us.  It was a buzzard, quite big enough to eat a small bear!  I knew that Polar and Grizzly would do their best to protect me but decided I would feel much safer watching the world go by from my hammock in the window, so Grizzly carried a trembling little bear back into the cabin and sat me in my bed.

   Of course I felt much better after tea!