Retirement with No Problem

March to Upwell, Middle Levels, 6.75 miles 1 lock

I have had no internet connection tonight.. well not earlier anyway, there is a bit of connectivity now so this might publish.. but today has been a day of two halves, this morning it was warm and sunny, this afternoon as we reached Upwell the rain came down steadily.. it’s still raining now actually, quite heavily..

Which gives me another major toot!

I phoned the environment agency this morning to see what the advice was for boating on the River Great Ouse.. and would you believe this, they told me that I would have to phone a 09 number to find out… at 60p a minute from a normal land line!!

I have put in a formal complaint beings I am a licence payer for the EA this year.  You see, some of my licence fee for this year is for British Waterways and some for EA because I have purchased a ‘Gold’ licence entitling me to move around on canals AND rivers for the whole year.. I am still raging at that tonight…

Some pics of today then now that I have been able to upload them…

Ha, this one was taken in March before we pulled the pins.. In 2005 we saw this bike in exactly the same place as we did in 2006, and would you have it.. there is was again this morning when I looked out the window!!  Good ‘ol plodder this is, and the lady goes off into the town with her shopping bag.. she must be a real regular!!

Once underway not much to see as we are ‘down’ in the drain, but we go right round this lot, so at least there is some interest and conversation with Vic to break the boredom of this part of the Levels..

From time to time a community of errrrrrrrrrrrrr narrowboats?.. well things that float anyway.  Take a look at this errrrrrrr paddle boat.  To power this you need to get on yer bike!!  It is powered as you can see by a bike seat and pedals!  I wonder if the ‘rider’ can actually see over the top though!

Lucy and Meg wait on the back while we prepare Marmont Priory Lock… no lock keeper around today.. note the postage stamp lock landing for No Problem too!!

That bridge is low.. no chimneys or satellite dishes allowed… this is Upwell bridge, and unbelievably, huge juggernaut trucks cross this on the ‘A’ road that goes over the Middle Levels, I really don’t know how it takes the weight.. in the pic is Moore2Life and Chas and Ann by the way.. so late afternoon is was a walk for the girls across some fenland.. the two K9s really enjoyed.. and so did I to be honest.. on the way back a stop at the excellent fish and chip shop at Outwell.. a place I had not been into for 23 years… came here often with eldest daughter Wendie when she rode her pony at the Mill Lodge junior showjumping internationals, we used to go there for fish and chips.. “The best in the world” she used to say.. well Wends, here they are gal!!..

Remember??