Did not have the best night’s sleep. The boat kept knocking against the towpath in an alarming way but both R and I too tired to want to investigate outside in the wee dark hours. Once daylight came I looked out the window to check we were not straddled across the canal and reassured, managed to get some shut eye. Think the problem was that the mooring ropes had loosened and so the boat was prone to more movement.
Having said that, a boat passed us at an alarming speed just as we were going to the Fisheries cafe. It then stopped to operate the lock and I mentioned to the young men on the boat that some boaters may bad mouth them passing them at such a speed. It really rocks the boat! They were very apologetic, saying they were new to boating, so R helped them with the lock procedure. I mentioned the bacon butties were renowned at the cafe and one of the guys promptly ordered 6. As only 5 of the guys wanted a buttie R was offered the 6th as a thank you gesture.
The cafe is well worth a visit if you happen to be in Hemel Hempstead. I can particularly recommend the coffee. R and I sat in the heated outside marquee charged our Powerbank and listened to the chatter. There was a young mum with a toddler and baby who was born a week before the first lockdown so her partner was able to be with her at the birth. He promptly contacted Covid so she had a newborn, a toddler and a sick partner to boot. She’s still smiling! Then an older lady with a full sized standard poodle and airedale cross (by her guessing) whose previous owner has had to go into a hospice, so I am sure she is reassured that her dog has found a loving home.
Walking towards the town centre we passed a chemist advertising free flu jabs for the over 50s so we popped in and got vaccinated by a very chatty and kind pharmacist. We walked on towards the canal to find a new mooring closer to Apsley, where we are headed eventually for ‘essential services’. Found an ideal spot, right next to the street entertainer we met a few weeks ago with the two widebirths. He’s hoping a lady coming tomorrow may be keen to buy one of them.
Back to the boat, we then left our mooring and went to pastures new, delighted to find we are close to a church, the town centre, Aldi and a farm shop with a cafe and pizza oven! Before leaving we gave the boat a spruce up as Holly (daughter) wanted to see some internal pictures and I didn’t want her to think we had become too slovenly!
NarrowboatTLC 