Eggs for sale

Wednesday promised to be another dry and sunny day so we set off on the last leg to Milton Keynes.  For once this involved more miles than locks so plenty of time for seeing the views of the countryside.  First we took Buddy for a walk round Ouzel meadows in Leighton Buzzard.  Although he walks around five miles a day on the tow path he only runs when he meets other dogs.  We therefore feel it’s best to take him to open spaces as well so he meets other dogs and gets a good run.

We set off about ten o’clock and passed the Globe pub just north of Leighton Buzzard and then the site of the Great Train Robbery.

A plastic cruiser pulled out behind us and I let him past once it was safe as he was faster than us.  We caught up with them at Soulbury three locks and they kindly left each lock filling for us as they left them.  It makes such a difference when people help each other.  Generally people do help but when you come across someone who doesn’t wait for you to share a lock or they leave the gates and paddles open it sticks in the throat a bit.

Soulbury is one of the few places that has recycling facilities alongside the standard waste facilities so we took advantage of those and also filled up with water and had lunch at the bottom of the flight.

There is a pub at the bottom lock which must get packed in the summer.

Stoke Hammond lock was a really pretty place complete with produce for sale and an honesty box.  We picked up some eggs which reminded me of when I used to sell them at work; a good mixture of colours and no stamps.

When we got to Fenny Stratford we had a slightly embarrassing encounter with a couple we met a few days ago.  They were the couple who tried to squeeze us out at the Marsworth flight.  Anyway we went through the lock together and she was really chatty in the end and he thanked us for helping out.  She was really excited as she had visited a patchwork shop in Fenny Stratford.

Fenny Stratford lock has both a pub and a swing bridge!

We moored up in south east Milton Keynes at Wroughton on the Green.  We had stayed here on the way down south last year so knew open areas where we could take Buddy for a walk.  Also there is a nice old pub that would be useful as my son Steve is joining us on Thursday.  Even though we are not meant to drink during the week we thought we ought to check the pub out to make sure it was still OK.  Unfortunately it is now part of the Chef and Brewer chain so dogs are not allowed not even in the bar area.  The manger was most apologetic and said he would love to allow dogs in but it is company policy.