Thursday 10th November 2022

We were asked at church to think of a question we’d like to ask a biblical character – I thought of asking Noah how he dealt with all the rain! Yesterday was our first dry day since arriving on the Wey and there is noticeable evidence of flooding all around. Fortuitously the closure of Triggs lock has been postponed by a week so, assuming the water levels fall, we should in the near future be able to get the boat to its winter mooring.

Instead of boat moving we’ve been walking and discovering the delights around us. How true it is that you often never explore the area closest to you. I think I last visited Wisley, a garden of outstanding beauty, over twenty years ago and yet it is barely a 20 minute car drive from home. Our visit coincided with fine dry sunny weather, a craft show and a special jewellery event, with some eye boggling prices for exceptional craftsmanship. The enormous tropical gardens house left you feeling you actually had visited the jungle and reminded me of a visit to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. I need never go so far again!

We walked back through Wisley village and visited the ancient small church en route. Today we walked to Pyrford and saw an equally beautiful compact Norman church. Both these churches are lovingly cared for, open in daylight hours for visits and private prayer and still hold regular services. However arriving on foot is treacherous. The narrow windy lanes have no footpaths so every time you hear a car you have to jump into the hedgerows as there is barely room for two cars to pass. On Sunday when we exited the pub carpark by car it took at least ten minutes to get over the single lane canal bridge. Most cars travelled at a snails pace so by the time they crossed over, another car arrived this lengthening the queue. Eventually a guy in a car waiting behind us ran across the bridge and forcibly stopped the traffic so that ‘our side’ had a go! Mayhem. This road is used as a rat run when delays arise on the M25 – I now understand why, the previous week, car horns hooted and people were shouting at one another. Sheer frustration.

It’s mid afternoon and it’s still threatening to rain. Maybe my hopes of moving will be thwarted once again. At least we managed a ‘pump out’ at the marina opposite. Not everything is sweetness and light in that department. There has been a noticeably stronger aroma in the boat, similar to some old people’s homes! When even R’s distorted sense of smell picked up on it I decided we had to investigate. No easy task. It involves removing our double mattress and finding somewhere to house it, whilst we then remove the bed base. Regrettably we discovered a small leak by the outflow pipe, only a noticeable problem when the tank gets very full. Pro-temp I have made a seal out of blutack and gaffa tape! Only time and smell will tell how long this works! Funnily enough we were told, just a few days ago, where we can source new tanks locally but we hadn’t anticipated maybe needing their expertise so soon!