Trip to get some fuel

Saturday 22nd January 2011
We've had a nearly empty tank for a while, and we didn't know of any fuel boats due past, so we decided to go to get some diesel at Grove Marina, just south of Leighton Buzzard.

As always, we had some things to sort out before setting off, so actually left our moorings shortly before 11am. It was drizzly, cold and grey, but we were happy, and so was Charlie the dog, although he got very wet on the walks between locks. Walking along the towpath there seemed to be a strong smell of fermenting apples at times, and there were heaps of rotten crab apples underneath some of the trees, but I couldn't always see where it was coming from.

It has rained a lot recently, and many of the fields were so flooded that it was hard working out if they were fields, or lakes ..."Well, it LOOKS like a lake, but I've never noticed one there before."

We started to notice small groups of runners passing us, thin wiry runners with very developed leg muscles - mostly men, but there were a handful of women among them. All of them decked out in bright shades of yellow, orange and pink lycra. They all bore numbers declaring that they were in an 'Ultra' race. Enquiring at a checkpoint by Church lock I discovered that they were running from Northampton to Tring, and had set off at 8 am. The nearer we got to Leighton the more women there were among them, and the older and less wiry the runners were.

We got to Grove and got our diesel, and a new cylinder of gas, then headed on northwards to pick up some food in Tesco.

As we were leaving the mooring outside the supermarket a couple of people were watching us leave - I pushed the front of the boat away from the edge, and jumped on. Mr Bystander called out, "why are you doing all the work, why doesn't he do it?" I never fail to be surprised by passers by, who no matter what I am doing are convinced that I am working hard, and Alan is being lazy. I can be working locks, or steering, just about everything except lying on the roof, and they will ask why I'm doing all the work. I turned back, "because he's recovering from a broken pelvis". "Ha," says Mrs Bystander, "that's a good enough excuse!"

We carried on as far as The Globe Inn, and moored in the gathering gloom. Another runner passed, a much larger woman. All credit to her, but I was worried about her carrying on along the towpath in the dark, given the state of it these days. She must have had another 12 miles to run.

We walked Charlie. Getting a dog has been really good for us, in the past we would have collapsed at the end of a day's boating - on the computer, reading a book - now Charlie gets another walk, we get to talk things over. I dropped into the Globe to check the menu, and discovered that we would be able to take Charlie in as long as he remained in the paved area and off the carpets - but that the last table in the restaurant had just gone. No matter, said the landlord, you can sit in the pub area and eat - just come back in a while when it has got quieter, when there would be tables free.

Back on the boat we changed out of our muddy clothes and went back to the pub for a drink before our meal - and found the previously busy bar much quieter. We ordered drinks, and decided on our meals, which were excellent. My peppered mushroom suet pudding with chive mash and seasonal vegetables cost £10, and Alan's Red Pepper and Onion Tart was £7 - both really delicious, with attentive service from the bar.

Somehow we found ourselves in conversation with another couple in the bar - the talk became more and more animated, and they moved over to sit with us. Eventually they had to go, as they had another place to go to that evening, but we left with their phone number, and the plan to meet up again at some time.

Back to our nice warm welcoming boat, and a good night's sleep.