In the event, as expected, it turned out to be a Monty Python sketch. I used to find them hilarious, but not this one. The sun quickly disappeared behind fluffy white clouds and a freezing, gale force wind developed. Optimistically I began the day in sockless sandals, shorts and a tee shirt but ended it in trainers, woolly socks 2 sets of jogger bottoms, a sweater, wind cheater jacket, scarf, woolly hat and exhaustion.
The. Trent is a very large river requiring high levels of concentration and physical effort to avoid grounding and wind-steerage, not helped by the flat, open landscape ,equalled only by the Gobi and Namib deserts, across which high winds are positively encouraged to develop. Lynne got engrossed in attempting to book Walk off the Earth concert tickets for the family by phone which inevitably left me stranded on the stern for extremely long stretches, fighting the wind, sheer boredom and fatigue until we reached the relative safety of Hazleford lock where we managed to moor with considerable difficulty, as did a motley collection of narrowboats and tuppaware cruisers, all waiting overnight in the hope of a windless morning.
To say it was a rough and very cold night would be an understatement, but suffice to say we were making tea and coffee at 0300 hrs, with the central heating boiler working overtime.
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