Part 6 - The Langley Mill jewel

And leaving Ilkeston after nine or ten days we sailed gracefully to Langley Mill. Doesn't that sound grand?! The weather remained warm and pleasant for us but the biggest problem we faced was the plethora of weeds the nearer we approached Langley Mill basin. A couple of times I had to put the propeller into reverse to clear it of unwanted flora, before making our slow and gentle way forward.

Today was another example of learning. Not that it ever stops in life or on a boat! The lesson was always keep your concentration when using the locks. As we came to our last lock which leads into the basin, a grandfather with his grandson wanted to chat about life on the canals. I had the boat on the central rope to keep it stable whilst the water and boat rose. Only I was distracted with joy at the fact they wanted to share their interest. But when the boat was in a position to leave the lock it was tilted starboard side and the central rope was as tight as a drum. I forgot in chatting to the gongoozlers to slacken the rope. Attempting to look like a consummate boater I signalled to Marian as discretely as I could to open the paddles again on the back gates so I could get the rope untied.

Thus loosened we filled the lock again and managed to wind (Pronounced wind as in the wind in the trees, not wind like a watch) and moor in a very tight area for a full length boat. I kept them talking hoping that my error was invisible. If they missed it Marian didn't.

But it's about learning new skills.  The constant lesson over the previous weeks was balance when the boat moved and not bang you knees or toes into something hard and unforgiving,  like steel or wood. Oh the bruises on my body were like a mosaic. A knee banged, bruised. A toe caught and left painful, and the head cracked against the bulkhead and left with a lump. I began to learn but my spatial awareness seemed to be slower than I would have wished.

There didn't seem to be much in Langley Mill but as we looked around, only a few hundred yards from the basin was a coffee shop/deli. What an oasis in a place which we didn't expect (not disparaging the town). Lovely coffee, lovely food to eat in or takeaway and the staff chatty in a manner that one doesn't see in many pubs these days. If you're in the area pay them a visit, it's worth it.