Watford Top Lock

Crick Tunnel Exit

On Thursday we left Crick at 0810, heading for the tunnel. At the top of Watford Locks- (the photo doesn't do it justice; the grounds are beautifully kept and very colourful with all the flowers)- we checked in with the lockkeeper at 0905. Another chatty lockkeeper and we got through the seven locks in only an hour today. The staircase lock operation is different from other ones we've been to and works very well as long as everyone does the right thing!

The second photo was taken when we were emerging from Crick Tunnel, after the twenty minute trip in the dark. Decided to have lunch before the big locks at Braunston, then waited to see if another boat would come to share the locks with us. After five minutes a boat appeared- and it was one of ours! Jenny Wren, with Edward & Elizabeth Hughes on board. There were a few showers that afternoon, but though some were heavy, they were short-lived. It was a yo-yo game with putting jackets on/off in the heat as we worked the locks together. We parted at the Bottom Lock and soon after, we moored TQ opposite the Boathouse restaurant. Went for a walk to the village later, where we sheltered a resident under our big Windbrella for five minutes and learned a little about the village life.