Anna took us down the first few locks - I very soon decided that she was perfectly capable of doing them by herself and got off to help the others wheel. I like working the locks! It is great that after only a couple days, I can leave people to their own devices on the back. I'm sure it took a lot longer last year. Perhaps I am getting less neurotic in my old age... And then Adrian took over - and proved equally capable. How long can this last?
Some of the Union around here is quite tricky - and we had a couple of interesting moments meeting boats in bridge holes, discovering just how shallow the edges are around the insides of bends and the like. But that is all par for the course, really - and you only learn by experience just how Tyseley behaves. And the only abuse that was hurled at us was from someone on a hire boat who came screaming through a bridgehole on a blind bend without blowing his horn, and was rather surprised to find a 72 foot working boat on the other side. Apparently we can stop at the drop of a hat, take avoiding action and make him a cup of tea. At least, that's the translation I chose to make of his comments. "Morning!", I grinned through the side hatch, Boatus Rictus from ear to ear.
And so we come to Milton Keynes. Which is ALL the same. Every time I passed a bridge, I was sure that "This is where we tied up last year...", but it wasn't. Actually, the trip into Milton Keynes is quite pleasant, probably the best way to see the town. But the canal gets shallower, and fuller of rubbish. Tyseley gets much heavier to steer - and when the banks aren't dredged, you find her stern constantly being sucked onto them. Which is not pleasant if you haven't felt it before.
We also had no idea where we were going... Interaction is a new venue to Mikron - and I had no idea what to expect. Beyond - it's by the bridge, on the right, behind some trees. And there was going to be a mooring free for us. Well - we got to peartree bridge, and sure enough, there were some trees. But there are always trees. And surely that rotten looking collection of planks and tyres isn't the mooring we are looking for. So, I put the nose back into the centre of the cut to carry on. And then appear two waving men. And, yes, that is our mooring! So back into reverse I go, and try again. And again. And again. It soon becomes apparent that nothing with a draft of over 2 feet has been on that mooring in years. And Tyseley is over 3 feet deep at the back. There was no way we were going to get in without some serious effort. I tried dredging out a channel in reverse. I tried poling. I tried using the mooring as a fulcrum (but that just threatened to detroy what was left of the jetty...), all to no avail. However... On the mooring behind us, there was an old BW tug. With an enormous Lister engine in her. And one of the waving men was her owner. I think you can guess the next bit...
So now, we are able to get to the bows from the shore, and the stern is not so far over that other boats can't get by. But we are at a bit of an angle. And I am slightly nervous because, although we were promised a pull off when we need to get going - he is going to be at work on Tuesday. I have been assured that it will be alright, though. Oh well - I'll cross that bridge later.
The venue here is lovely - a beautiful garden, with a pond that is home to newts and water voles (as well as rats that we found investigating our props...). I am sure it will prove to be a great location. But unfortunately, the turn out was extremely poor. I suspect that it was partly the weather, and partly due to the fact that we have never been here before. But the show went very well - despite the lack of audience, and we all felt that we had actually managed to find a whole new lease of energy for some of the scenes. Which is a great feeling! Still - I hope some more people turn out tonight. I'm not holding my breath, though.
And now I am sitting in the garden, and wondering - what do you do in Central Milton Keynes?
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