Devizes 29 September – 14 October 2018

Almost the  moment we returned we learnt of the Devizes Photographic Treasure Hunt.  Always up for a challenge we invested £5.00 to buy the book and have spent many days wandering around town looking for clues!  A prize of £500.00 is offered. As yet have only identified 81 clues so 19 more to find! To give you some idea of the difficulty here are two of the photographs

Whilst wandering I found a sign I liked on the GreenWe resumed our Volunteering on the K & A and spent two very enjoyable days learning about lime mortar and repointing Vicarage Bridge at Kintbury.

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Great to catch up with our volunteering chums on the Caen Hill flight. Lock 49 tidied and painted.

  

Town Lock 50 and volunteers at lunch. A big thank you to our hosts.

  

Saturday Tony went off to help with more volunteers from St James Church. They removed overhanging branches, cleaned signs and cleared steps  and layed a path.

 

The path opening ceremony. A big thank you to them

Yesterday in The Brittox  Tony & I met Wayne Cherry. He is spending 100 hours remembering those who fell in The Great War. What a hero!  The town is putting on some thought provoking events at the end of the month.

Today we visited the Museum who are preparing an exhibition to mark the 100 anniversary of the ending on WW1. Our Museum is a real gem. Vikings interest me at present as I am reading The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Devizes Caen Hill Friday 28 September 2018

The day began with an attempted murder!  Mr & Mrs Swan of the Wharf, who have a family of five cygnets were unhappy with a lone cygnet and chased it into the town lock that Matilda was trying to enter. They cornered the cygnet and both got hold of its neck and were trying to drown it. We were trying to bribe the family with food to get them out of the lock. With the help of other boaters we managed to get Matilda in, and the swan family out, and the gates closed, however that left the unfortunate lone cygnet in the lock too! It began by swimming down the side of the boat – not a good idea – but managed to get behind Matilda and stay there until the lock gates were opened and Matilda sailed out.  It seemed to have recovered from its ordeal, indeed seemed quite relaxed, staying to have a shower from the water leaking from the top gates! [Later moved gradually to near the Black Horse.]

The wonderful volunteer lock keepers helped us down the flight to lock 29

Then friends, and also volunteers on the Towpath Task Force, Joan and Tim continued to help us with the remaining seven to take us into the Marina.

 

Entered the last lock and Marina with Kelvin and Pam on board. Lovely to see them both.  Our thanks to everyone who helped. It took 4 hours and 59 minutes so we beat last years time of 6 hours 40 minutes.

   

 

Since leaving Caen Hill on 16th April Matilda has covered 406.5 miles.  I have opened 32 moving bridges and 393 locks, not to mention the miles I have walked along the towpath!

 

 

Crofton to Devizes 24-26 September 2018

Crofton Pumping Station and train

The solar panels were covered in ice as a result of the first overnight frost. After filling up with water we began our journey but were held up between locks 55 & 56 as there was a shortage of water. A lovely gent from the CRT had let water down but it needed a half hour or so before we could fill the lock and proceed.

We adopted a stretch of canal and gave other people Christmas presents of a stretch too!

We had to wait for canoeists to emerge from Bruce Tunnel before we could enter it and just as we had we could see a boat entering at the far end! Fortunately it backed out!

 

It took six and a half hours to reach Pewsey Wharf mainly because there are so many boats moored we had to travel at tickover speed.

We missed the Carnival but saw a little of what was left

Leaving Pewsey the following morning was not much better, boats moored all the way to Wilcot.

Tony is really keen to get a good photo of a heron!!

Coate Bridge Devizes. Not a pretty sight

We finally arrived in Devizes after seven hours and ten minutes and found a sunny mooring at the Wharf.

  

Friday we shall be descending the Caen Hill Flight of 28 locks leaving the Wharf at 8.00am, Vounteers welcome!