Hot, Hot, Hot.

Here are the boys

We are in Milton Keynes this weekend, arrived on Thursday pm and decided to stay till Monday, Eiddwen needs a repeat prescription so we have to hang around for a couple of days. You would think that the tablets she requires have to be paid for by the people running the surgeries !! it is getting harder and harder to find someone prepared to authorise them. This time it took a visit to two surgeries to get a signature. the problem is that the doctors will only give a months tablets at any one time, which is fair enough if you could get a repeat prescription without any hassle, but that is not the case, when you go into a strange surgery they treat you like a leper.

"ooh we can't do that here you must try somewhere else" What a way to run the NHS.

What a cracking week, it just got hotter towards the weekend. We left Bulbourne Junction on Monday am in fine weather and it just got better, such that we seemed to do less each day due to the heat. Martin, Sophie and the grandsons, Ethan and Ptolemy came over today for a visit, along with sophie's mum Sarah it was great to see them all. Sarah has been driving Eiddwen round the surgeries because living here she knows were they are. Thanks Sarah, your help has been invaluable.

Lots of Locks

Heading under the M25 near junction 20, Bendigedig in front of Shush.

This weekend we are at Bulbourne Junction near Tring, having passed Rickmansworth, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamstead on the way. The weather was fairly kind to us last week, keeping dry for most of the time, just as well, as this section of the GU is very heavily locked, 52 in 30 miles, we managed 14 one day, the girls were pretty tired that night, however it makes life easier being able to get both boats in at the same time.

Spent Saturday afternoon in the engine bay doing a fuel filter, engine oil and filter change. The engine has done 522 hours since launch last October, this is the fifth change i've done, it takes a while, due to the engine and gearbox being so close to the bottom of the boat, you have to suck the oil up through the dipstick tube with a small pump, works very well though.

Bye Bye London

London from the EYE !

Our visit to see Lisa, Emyr and the girls

Going up to the basin to turn

Waiting for Eric and Bendigedig to come through the bridge hole

Eric turning behind us

That empty space is where we spent our 14 days in Little Venice,

Bendigedig on the inside and Shush on the outside

Sorry there wasn't a blog last Sunday, we went up to Norwich for a couple of days to do a bit of business and see L & E and the girls. Eric & Elsie kept an eye on the boat for us, many thanks both. Whilst in the Capital we managed to get around a few of the sight, the Eye, Camden Market, shops for E and a couple of museums for me, and also one or two pubs. It still amazes me how quiet LV is considering it is surrounded by flats and one or two roads after 11.00pm ish we have not been disturbedthe whole time we have been here.

Well our two weeks in London came to an end, and on Friday we slipped our moorings went up to the basin and turned heading for Birmingham. We did the 13 miles to Tesco at Bulls Bridge, did a shop and spent the night on their moorings. Saturday found us heading for our first lock at Cowley, two more followed including a fill up with diesel at 82 ppl that's the best price for a long time. We ended up in the country near South Harefield. Today Sunday has been very hot all day, makes a nice change. This morning a voice on a passing boat hailed us in Welsh and asked Eiddwen what we were doing this far south, she said we were on our way back from London and what was he doing here, I live here he said have done for many years, nice to talk the talk again. Our dragons attract a lot of attention from ex pats.