Our day started with a trip to the local computer shop where a very patient man explained how we could use our powerbank once he showed us where the recharging socket was and furnished us with the necessary lead! We are such dinosaurs when it comes to most things linked to computers and phones but being on a narrowboat without fixed internet we are learning fast. Even taking photos on my phone is a challenge as I have never really seen the need before. Years ago when we got married R said the photographer was limited to taking very few pictures in a very short space of time because he wanted us to remember the day in our minds rather than through the camera lens. We’ve never got into the habit of taking photos and it hasn’t been much of an issue because whereever we go it seems someone is always ready with a camera. Now it’s just the two of us we haven’t got that luxury. I must say trying to helm and taked a photo at the same time is a recipe for disaster. It doesn’t take long for the boat to steer itself off course!
One of the challenges of life aboard is keeping everything charged up so that when the engine is turned off the phone doesn’t run out of battery or the laptop. Since we only have internet via mobile hotspotting this means both need to be charged in order to use our laptops/chromebooks. We take so much for granted when we can just flick a switch or turn on a water tap. And as for using the onboard potty facilities – a pub lockdown would not just be sad for the lack of real ale!
Setting off late morning, we meandered along the GUC past a place with the delightful name of Bugbrooke and enjoying beautiful autumnal scenery. Our final destination of the day, with no locks to hinder our progress, was the Blisworth tunnel. Not aptly named as there was nothing blissful about it! It is the third longest presently navigable tunnel in Britain so we knew that it would take about an hour to pass through. Going into the dark, dank tunnel, seeing nothing ahead save for the shadows cast by the one headlight on the boat. And then realising that a light far in the distance is actually a boat coming the other way so we are going to have to keep to our side of the tunnel to avoid a collision. In so doing, R managed to knock our chimney over (rookie error – we should have lain it flat before we started the day!) and fearing it would plop into the canal he suggested that I crawl along the top of the boat, in the pitch black, avoiding the photo-voltaic cells (PV’s) and reclaim it before the canal did. Not sure if I thought this a particularly good idea, especially as you are supposed to keep as much of you as possible in the boat whilst going through a tunnel! However, ever the dutiful wife I did as I was told and was mighty relieved when said chimney was safely stored and I was back in the boat rather than on top! Apart from the odd soaking when we passed under the airvents the remainder of the journey proved uneventful although R was pretty peeved off to be hassled from behind by a boat that seemed in more of a hurry than us and kept firmly to our tail. We spied the chap later in the pub at 1730hrs so we think he was just thirsty! The Boat Inn was another delightful watering hole which we visited before suppper aboard, having walked around the charming village of Stoke Bruerne at sunset. SB is popular with boaters because it is the home of the canal museum and normally well frequented as such. However Covid has meant the museum is currently closed and visitors are minimalised. It was our duty then to make sure we gave the pub some assistance!
NarrowboatTLC 