Retirement with No Problem

March to Stanground Lock, Middle Levels and River Nene, 15 miles 2 locks

Not the high banks of the middle level drains, but the High STREET Banks in March.. those where you put money in, or at least try to!  “Sorry you can’t open an account as we don’t have anyone free to see you today, you need to make an appointment and come back next week”… “What!!!”  Barclays Bank.. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t just open an account!.. Explaining that I was only in March for one day, I was instructed to return later.. “The Manager will be at the bank at 10” she said..

So off then to HSBC where I had a query to be sorted.  I was getting nowhere on the phone to them about it, and the cost of phoning their call centre is high on a mobile phone.. “Sorry we don’t have anyone in this branch that can sort that for you.  We have a visiting manager coming next Tuesday”.. Sheeeeeeesh!! “Oh don’t worry about it, I will go to Peterborough tomorrow”.. Out I stomped.

Back then to Barclays.. “The manager is in a meeting”.. “I don’t believe this!”  Well I was entitled to be a tad upset don’t you think!

I was just about to walk out when I was summoned to a seat, and out came the manager.. ah he wanted our account after all!

It then took 55 minutes to open two savings accounts!!!

That was enough of March for one day, so we pulled the pins and headed off to cross the other half of the 27.8 mile stretch of the Middle Levels that joins The Nene with The Great Ouse.. Kevin was out on the bank at Fox Narrowboats just outside March where he keeps his own narrowboat, and I got a pic of him taking a pic!!..

Once outside of March it was evident that the wind was still high.  We were very sheltered overnight in the town.  Vic and I took turns at the tiller, and we opened the throttle as much as we dared.  Homemade tomato soup for lunch this time, and it warmed and cheered us as we chugged along.

One of the most annoying things about this half of the trip is the numbered fishing posts that you can’t help but notice along the way.. it starts with Number One, and ends in Number 299 just before the one and only lock along the way at Ashline Lock.  The numbers are on sticks and occur every 15–20 mtrs or so, and they become really addictive to watch.  I think I will get a pair of blinkers next time I come this way!

Ashline Lock was ready for us to go in with the gates welcomingly open..

It took us a good half hour to do this lock.. it needs to be emptied after we had gone up, and it takes an age to fill and empty.  Also after leaving the lock, something managed to wind itself round the prop, so we were a while clearing that.  I phoned the lock keeper at Stanground and left a message on the answer phone that we were delayed and would not be there until after 4pm.. the latest time to lock through.  We planned to stay on the lock landing till the morning, before locking through then.

Whittlesea 90 degree turn between concrete walls took a bit of push and shove.. I wasn’t about to leave No Problem’s paint on the walls.. there was enough graffiti around today without me adding to it.. so gently does it with Vic working with a pole on the front and round she went.

There are stretches on the Levels that are really very shallow.. much more so this year than in any year before, and our trip eventually took just on 4 3/4 hours, although we had a problem at the lock..

The lock keeper was still at Stanground when we arrived at 4.15, and he locked us through which was great.  In fact it was the relief lock keeper today, not the normal locky Tina.. funnily enough it was the same relief keeper that let us out at Salters Lock and onto the Great Ouse in May on our way to the fens!

We are on the Nene side lock landing tonight, and will move to Peterborough tomorrow.. Let’s hope HSBC are a little more helpful there!!