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The Secret of The LarkThe Secret of The Lark
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What could go wrong ? A five day canal trip with “brothers” along the Kennet and Avon canal ? It’s a straight line ? Aldermaston to Hungerford and back and some locks? Oh yes it’s Captain Jezba Haddock’s big birthday! Hic! Read more
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  • Ant TravelsThe Secret of The Lark
    Day 1

    All aboard

    October 11, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We all gather at the wharf for lunch and it just happens to have a pub appropriately named - The Butt! The pub was closed ! So after a bit of schooling we are off and within 20 feet we have a metal swing bridge to move and then some locks ! After being stuck in the weeds we move up with another couple and double up on lock gates ! And then we are off - after making lots of friends as the bridge open and close operation took 15 minutes ! Didn’t catch what the drivers held up were shouting ! It’s then steady sailing west with captain Jerry Haddock! We moor up at Woolhampton lock and the Rowbarge Inn! Safe !Read more

  • Ant TravelsThe Secret of The Lark
    Day 2

    Another lock !

    October 12, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Well it’s the birthday boys day ! The boys are up fishing at 6am ! Only Tiddlers! Birthday cards and bacon butties!
    And then it’s a dozen locks ! Half a dozen mobile bridges ! A selection of local weirdoes! A guy who is officially checking locks and testing them with his machete ? Is he skilled ? A weirdo who is just looking after the locks ! A hippie too ! A weird Geordie guy who has an altercation with the hippie and says he hadn’t had a bath in 37 years ! Slightly worrying ! The odd isolated church on the hill ! Another set of of bunkers -what was Hitler doing invading by the Kennet canal ? The centre of Newbury is pleasant and quaint , the odd smell of herbal cigarettes in the air . We have a Swingbridge incident where Jerry managed to get a child to fall off his bike ! Ladies who were walking as a threesome with , of course ,walking poles - “Looking good ladies” says Hugh ! We finally get to the pub at Marsh Benham as the day is closing - it’s a good pub with good food and Hugh manages to get away with calling the waitress - Luv! Andrew tried his luck with a justification story of why he kicked the dog ! Weird day - home for birthday cake and red wine ! Let’s hope we sleep tonight !Read more

  • Ant TravelsThe Secret of The Lark
    Day 3

    More locks!

    October 13, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We survived the night and are up early and we now have a plan ! Captain Haddock has turned into Capt Ahab and the boat is moving faster to catch that whale ! After a pretty nifty reversing circle by Hugh ! The boat is being put into overdrive by Jezba!

    Less boat weirdos today thank god ! We do meet our hippie friend from yesterday who seems to have a job watching over one lock ! It’s the Monkey marsh lock which is one of the last remaining pair of examples of turf sided locks once prevalent on the Kennet! Timber walled chambers and turf sloping away at the sides at 45 degrees - problematic as there’s a lot of water seepage! The hippie also explains the pillboxes ! Hitler wasn’t going to use the canals for a slow invasion at all ! It’s a north south moat when the bad boys invaded from the south coast ! A moated line from the Thames to the Severn - but of course they could have landed north of it so-who knows!

    The weather holds and it’s a sunny day mostly and then we reach the pub again on our way back east at Woolhampton ! Jezba does some nifty boat parking ! Some fishing and then off to the pub for some libation !    Read more

  • Ant TravelsThe Secret of The Lark
    Day 4

    Final locks !

    October 14, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I awake to the sound of our own Reeves and Mortimer aka Jezba and Andy talking fishing and all manner of stuff rather than actually fishing! “ I don’t like celebrities” “I read the Express - it’s always on about Woke - what is woke?” A better nights sleep but my watch says about the same ! The radio is on and amidst the usual politico chatter there is a controversy over British sprinkles on cakes ! British sprinkles are not good enough as the banned colouring makes them flaccid ! It’s the end of the world as we know it !
    It’s a slow but very sunny start to the day - they are fishing again! Hugh is Random-ing again! I take the sun! I think Jerry has caught all the fish in this canal and Andrew is still on the lures!
    We are off on the final leg !
    A few more locks and no more weirdos !
    We park up for water - the boat is thirsty ! Jezba does a 360 pirouette turn and we’re in ! An hour later and we have helped many get into the lock and open the swing bridge ! We’re back at base and all we need to do is get Jezba to do another 360 and we’re done ! Moor up and it’s an evening in the pub! And yes the boys are fishing again !    Read more

  • Ant TravelsThe Secret of The Lark
    Day 5

    And in the end

    October 15, 2021 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Another interesting sleep on the ledge ! Last night was fun and preceded by Andrew getting the big one - a Pike!
    We dock safely but the boys fishing is disturbed by the arrival of another boat parking in their swim! It’s an odd bunch of north Wales/ Liverpudlians who are somehow going to dine at Bray at the Roux bros restaurant ! 45minute drive by taxi and no doubt a late arrival back at the dock after we have retired!
    I didn’t hear them come back and the sleep was okay!
    So it’s over and what’s important is not the destination or the journey but the company !
    We’re off - a happy birthday trip Jezba!
    PS they also say golf is a good walk ruined so a barge trip is a ….    Read more

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