Friday 30th September 2022

A momentous week for us as we became grandparents for the very first time! The miracle of birth is such a joy and no matter what else is happening, the spirits are lifted by the precious gift of new life.

This isn’t meant to be a baby blog so enough said! Although I do also think of Naomhog as ‘my baby’. Perhaps because she has similar needs – regular feeding and frequent cleaning up! We are still in the Ware area and found ourselves going through the boisterous lock at Stanstead, once again on Tuesday. We had to wait whilst a boat came up, the helmsman being ultra cautious, opening only one paddle. Even so it bumped the sides as the water entered the lock with some force. Another boat arrived to go down alongside us which we managed with slight trepidation because it was freshly painted and the owner admitted to being very precious about it. I don’t blame her, she had spent many hours on the task and didn’t want scratches on her inaugural journey. However it put the pressure on us to make sure the two boats didn’t bump each other and I strongly suggested to R that he followed the lead of this lady as to the speed with which she wanted the water to exit the lock so that we didn’t get castigated! She was nervous because, she informed us, last year a boat had rolled into its side!

Finding a mooring was pretty difficult with all the choice places taken. However we found a lovely secluded spot albeit somewhat precarious to get on and off the boat, requiring our plank. The slightly steep bank only made itself known after some rain and I found myself faced with a short slippery slope between the towpath and the boat. Having invited our friends T and Al for a drink later in the evening I had visions of them slipping into the canal, a distinct possibility after a glass or two! So R managed to fashion a couple of steps into the bankside and all was well!

It’s a small world. We were talking about our home town and discovered T had done the early photography for Free Bible Images, an organisation set up by two of our good friends and he had worked with them extensively in the early stages of the project.

Another God-instance of the week occurred whilst we returned home for a few days. I received an email from a roving Waterways chaplain saying she had read a piece I had written in the BCF (Boaters Christian Fellowship) magazine and that she and her husband were presently on the Wey navigation, heading shortly to London and then out to Ware for the winter. I replied, saying that coincidentally we were at Ware, heading into London and then out onto the Wey navigation for the winter! As we had planned a walk along the Wey towpath we incorporated meeting for a cup of tea and swapping stories. I mentioned I had knitted an outfit for baby HH but it was rather big. (and one friend, a very experienced granny, also told me it may be rejected for not feeling soft enough!). Ki immediately produced a large bag of baby items. Turns out she is a prolific knitter and asked me to choose something I liked, so I now have a much smaller, softer cardigan, to give to the baby. We have now, quite by chance, met the only two pairs of ‘roving Waterways chaplains’ on the network – quite a coincidence when you think they could have been anywhere on the cut. Maybe there’s a message there somewhere!

I noticed condensation forming on the windows so the damper weather is certainly on the way. I’m thankful I found time to revarnish the wooden window sills so hopefully they will be protected from too much water damage. It’s time for us to hunt out the thermals and our oversize wearable blankets along with the wet weather gear. I didn’t realise how much I would appreciate the good summer weather. I had a misconception that the cut would be overcrowded with summer rental boats. This certainly had not been our experience on the Lea & Stort. We have had a very enjoyable stay, delighted at how picturesque the scenery is, and little realising we would be in the midst of a known area of ‘outstanding beauty’. For me, to return to my home roots, had been a journey of reminiscence and in a way, put a few ghosts to rest. Growing up here I was impatient to leave. A village with just a church and a pub did not seem exciting enough to stay around longer than I had to. The lights of London beckoned. Now I can see the charm of the area and would happily revisit.