From Leicester to Nottingham Monday 24th to Thursday 27th August

By Nick Haynes
Crew

Sunday 23rd

Journey started with a Sunday crew change over at Castle Gardens Leicester, nice little mooring against a pontoon by the park.  Dave Stott was staying on as driver and with myself arriving Sunday afternoon, my wife Sue duly took Sue Day and Tony Tibbins back to Braunston to pick up their cars and return home. Due to our friendly nature Dave and I were invited to Sunday lunch on a boat moored behind us. So by the time the remainder of the crew arrived we were well lubricated. The original plan was to split the journey to Nottingham into four days of 4 hours each. Over a beer in the pub it was agreed we would combine the first two days and spend the Tuesday in Loughborough.

Monday 24th
So at 9am on the Monday morning off we set. We were joined by Dave Upton, a former driver and now returned member, with his camera through Leicester. The Soar is a very pretty river, but interspersed with sharp bends and unprotected weirs, makes for some interesting steering. Progress was good, only going aground in the one pound we had been warned about. As we passed Cossington Lock at about 14:00, our previously planned stop, a total lack of mooring confirmed our decision not to stop. At Sileby Lock we had our first problem with strong weir pull. President was pulled towards the weir and the bank and ran aground, but thankfully after the weir. Kildare, getting impatient, decided to over take, stern first. We managed to stop her going a full 180 with a shaft. Eventually President moved off and pulled Kildare back into line. Once passed Pilling Lock and into deep water, Dave “Stirling Moss” Stott took over control of the boats. A cry of slowdown from the bank side lock wheelers, running to keep up, managed to get him to slow down. But Stirling was to re-appear later. No more problems and we eventually moored outside the Albion Inn in Loughborough. Highly recommended, home made food and selection of well kept real ales. Dave Stott’s birthday made it extra special and can I say made us slightly over indulgent.

Tuesday 25th

Tuesday started leisurely, with the driver unusually being the last up. As part of the publicity leading up to the National, BBC Radio Leicester was scheduled to be with us at 9am. The intrepid reporter ‘Boadicea’ duly arrived and as well as doing a live broadcast a recording was made to go out the following day. After providing her with breakfast, the crew got down to some work. In between showers, cratch was re-built, fire wood cut and lots of cleaning. We also had a number of visitors who had heard the radio broadcast and came to see the boats. Once again the Albion Inn hosted our evening libations.

Wednesday 26th

Wednesday greeted us with heavy rain and after a warning about a possible high river from the BW lengthsman we were of on our travels again. Much to our driver’s relief we managed to find accessible water and filled up all tanks at Bishop Meadow Lock. Don’t know if it was the level of water or a slow tap but it took an hour to fill the tanks. For anyone going this way again Bishop Meadow Lock has never been extended, the result of which is that the bottom gates to get both boats out. So Kildare was pulled out, President moved over and then driven out. Apart from verify high winds at an exposed Zouch Lock the rest of the day’s journey was uneventful, the scheduled downpour never arrived, and we arrived at Ratcliffe Lock, the site of the National, at 12:55. We had planned to stay on our weekend mooring overnight, but after contacting the organizers, were informed the pontoons were not ready. So in sight of the Power Station cooling towers, we stayed the night and ate onboard.

Thursday 27th

Thursday saw the final day for this crew and the short journey to Nottingham. So now it was off the Soar and on to the wide deep water of the Trent.  With another media appointment scheduled we arrived in Nottingham, winded and moored opposite the old FMC depot part of which is now called the FMC pub. A BBC crew arrived at 2pm and took 2 hours to produce 5 minutes to go out on the BBC East Midlands Today programme as publicity for the National. After discussions with local trip boats we moved the boats away from public access and moored outside the pub. Once again we had found a mooring within 50 yards of a pub’s front door. But that was for the next crew as it had been decided there would be a crew change at Nottingham.

 

Nick Haynes