Hi Everyone
Yesterday our visa’ s for Leeds ran out so we had to leave,
another early start for us and our travelling companions Kara and Henk a lovely
Dutch couple on there Boat “Double Dutch” they have been over here since the
80s. The outbound trip from Leeds is just
as thwart with the same difficulties as the inbound trip mainly the locks are
to short for a 60ft boat though in reverse the difficulty wasn’t opening the
lock gates but closing them I would advise all boaters to remove any large
buttons from stern and bow. However this time we were aware of the problems and
took action to remedy them which made it a bit easier. Yesterday Being a Sunday
I think the volunteer lock keepers (who do a grand job and have a lot to put up
with) had forgotten to take their Happy Pill because they were as miserable as
sin, one did explain to me that the locks were not working properly some were
very stiff some paddles were broke, some sluices were blocked, and to top it
all last week they were visited by CRT top brass who came in a narrow boat and
I will put it in the words of the lock keeper “ the lazy bast==== never got out
of the boat, didn’t ask us what could be done to improve the locks, how we felt
as volunteers didn’t even get a well done, apparently all the local CRT brass came along but not a word was spoken in
reference to the operational state of the locks. He even implored me to write
to the trust about how awful the locks were I assured him that I already had
but would do again I love writing letters of complaint.
Having already decided that today Monday was going to be a
wet one and Buggerlugs wasn’t moving, when Henk and Kara passed and hooted this
morning I said we were staying put but as they are on a schedule they were
pressing on. We are moored half way between Leeds
and Shipley in the Borough of Pudsley in a little village called Rodley. After
lunch Noreen and I took our daily walk around the village, after looking at
what it had to offer we decided that the occupants of this little back water
must be the best fed and groomed people in the country and have the smartest bath room, They must have nothing better to do with their
money than pamper themselves, which I do not have a problem with what ever
floats your boat. For the village
contains three Pubs, five hair dressers/Barbers, two nail shops, ( I consider a
nail shop to sell round, oval clout, tacks etc apparently I am wrong) three
bathroom design shops/fitters, four restaurants not counting the pubs and the
two take away shops, Oh yes and one fitness / spa club.
One advert brought us back down to earth it said the HQ for
the WI (Women’s Institute )in this area.
That was it the sole number of shops in the village there is nothing
else. No Garage forecourt, no post office no general store if you want a pint
of milk then it’s a bus ride to Leeds . Yet
there is a big building program, lots of new houses and more being built so
come on all you budding shop keepers a golden opportunity awaits. We managed to
buy nothing but Noreen is booked in tomorrow for a hair do???
God Bless everyone
Buggerlugs
My new friend, comes every morning to have Breakfast with me
Henk and Kara as they pressed on through the morning rain
have a safe trip back to Coventry
Yesterday pulling out of Clarence Dock Leeds after our Visa's ran out
