Gargrave (finally moved from our idyll)

Washing day on Tuesday rather than Monday

Since all the locks between Skipton and Barnoldswick are now closed until 10.00am every day there have been no early boat movements over the last week.  A hire boat was the first boat past us today at 9.30am and, as we were about 20 minutes from the first lock, we set off about 10 minutes later, so we could pair up and go down the locks with them.

Karen walking to the first lock with coffee mug in hand

Talking about coffee mugs reminds me about Karen’s chicken mug; it was her favourite for years until one winter’s day at Shardlow lock on the Trent & Mersey.  She had finished her coffee and left the mug at the lockside for me to pick up on my way through.  We can’t remember what happened, but I forgot to pick it up.  Since then we have always had cheap mugs for outside use 😉

On the way to the top lock

We arrived at the top of the Bank Newton locks just as they were being opened at 10.00am.  As expected, the hire boat was already waiting so we went down the locks with them.  They had three crew to operate the locks and, with Karen also helping, we got down the locks very quickly.

Me taking the opportunity to do some dead heading in one of the locks

The hire boaters were all retired teachers who have taken boating holidays together for the last few years.  We all had a good laugh and chat on the way down and, at the bottom, they carried on cruising whilst we stopped for water.

The hire boat was brand new and the paintwork still looked fresh

Pretty cottage at the penultimate lock

Whilst getting water, Karen took the opportunity to wash the side of the boat as there was no one else waiting for the water point:

   

After taking on water we went over the River Aire, the river that runs through Gargrave, and it was definitely the lowest we have ever seen it.

Crossing the River Aire

We went down one more lock and then moored up two locks from the centre of Gargrave and spent the afternoon with Mum and Dad.

During the day we had decided to go camping at the weekend, so I rang Malcolm who is an eccentric farmer who allows tents on one of his fields at the scenic Gordale Scar.  Many people don’t like the place because of his eccentricity, for example he is a hoarder so goes through all the rubbish to build up his collections of things like disposable barbecues, kitchen scourers and cutlery.  As a family we think otherwise and have been going there for years.

His answerphone said he isn’t taking campers any more, other than overnight DoEs, which we knew but he lets us go up there and stay as he seems to have taken to our family.  His answerphone message has been amended to add that he is nearly out of water as the beck has practically dried up.  When I spoke with him later in the day he said it’s the driest he has seen it for 25 years.  Looks like I may finally get Karen to climb up the waterfall in the scar if there is little or no water coming down 😊

We moored up with a little difficulty as the sides were so shallow but finally found somewhere so soon settled in and hung the washing out again.  After a while we noticed the boat was listing and the pound was going down.  We struggled to get the boat out into deep water but finally did it and moved down a bit further towards the lock where the sides weren’t so shallow.

Karen couldn’t resist taking a picture of me driving with the washing still up and her holding onto the centre line

Coincidentally, as we were struggling with the boat, a hire boat came past and asked if we needed a hand, but as I felt we were nearly safe I declined but thanked them for the offer.  The guy reminded me that I had rescued them when they were stuck up at Bank Newton last week; they were now on their way back to the hire base after a glorious week’s holiday.

Our mooring for the next few days – recognise it Clive & Jenny?

There is a small pond in the field outside the boat and a mallard has taken up residence with her family of chicks.  Over the years we have watched this pond form with a succession of wet summers and/or winters as I well remember when it was just another part of the field.  Anyway, we were wondering if the duck family are safer on the pond than in the cut as there may be fewer predators.

Our duck family still swimming and catching flies at 10 at night

During the day we went down seven locks and moved two miles.