Retirement with No Problem

Today – Burwell to Wicken, Burwell and Wicken Lodes, River Cam
Sun and Mon – Moored Burwell, Burwell Lode

We sent a great weekend at Burwell, a rather odd village by way of shopping!  There are plenty of shops, that isn’t the problem.  The problem was that very few of them were actually next door to each other over a stretch of a mile and a half!

My “I’ll pop to the butchers” yesterday morning turned out to be a three mile plus hike to the other end of the village and back.. For sure there was a Vets, Post Office, Chemist, Curtain Shop, Co-Op, Electrical Shop, Fish and Chip Shop, Florist, Baker… to name but a few, but not one of them were next door to another!  The butcher was not the furthest either… just another 50 yards more was the Bakers.

Anyway, I phoned the Environment Agency yesterday and told them of our plight.. said that I considered Burwell Lode as unnavigable at the present time.  I really didn’t want to stress the boat trying to blast our way out from the visitor mooring through that blanket weed.. “Be there at 9.30 in the morning to assess the situation” said the nice man from EA.

Yes, he had to agree, it was unnavigable.. and he phoned the office to get some notices printed to stop boats from coming up the Lode… then…..

Hooray!!  Good job there was some sort of path along the side, and NP had no choice but to be dragged through the weed by our super hero!

Our very long 60ft rope tied to the back of NP and the bow rope both attached to the towbar of the van kept us in a straightish line.  We were pulled for as far as you can see in the pic, and on round the corner too, that is how bad it was!

Once clear, all was let go, and we happily went on our way stopping to finally clear the prop back at the visitor moorings at Reach Lode near Cock Up Bridge. 

This afternoon we have cruised the one and half miles along Wicken Lode to moor at the GOBA moorings at the end.  Lucy and I couldn’t wait to go off and have a good look at Wicken Fen for a few hours… happy in the fact that our exciting day turned out so well.

Here then my backyard today…