Harefield to Ironbridge/ Cassiobury Park

Today turned out to be sunny and pleasant, but at 7 am it was cold with frost on the vinyl cratch cover.   I had forgotten to set the central heating on in advance so first job was to get the stove going.  It still took an hour for the boat to get warmed up, but by then we were well on our way.  No locks in our favour today it seemed, all had to be turned round.  At Stockers we came up behind a barge just leaving the lock mooring to go up.   So there was a bit of a delay, but fortunately in a way, we needed shopping at Tesco, so we would not be held up again until we caught up with it.  Pat was grumbling when finally after half an hour she emerged from Tesco.  She just wanted to get a few bits and pieces, but it was Saturday and the crowds were all dawdling and dithering.  She gave up waiting at the deli counter and did the rest of the shopping and returned to find the same woman there still dithering.  At least it gave the barge time to get ahead.  So Batchworth was full and needed to be turned round, then round the corner, below Lot Mead Lock, there was the barge moored up!   Lot Mead has one ground paddle out of action and the pinions were slipping on the rack on the same top gate.  The pound above was a foot down.  No problem until reaching the lock landing for Common Moor where we were just aground.  Emptying the lock sorted that out.  Then goody, Cassio Lock was open and waiting for us.  We decided to moor up above Ironbridge Lock, as the TV reception was OK there on a previous occasion, but getting through the Lock was a challenge with a massive leak at the bottom and no gate paddles to speed filling.  It took the two of us to force the top gate open after a long wait.  Winding above the lock was difficult on account of shallow water and silt opposite and mooring there is always "off the bank" for the same reason.  A community boat arrived about half an hour after us and ended up about 3 feet off the bank.  Good fun for the kids of course who had to walk the plank.   This evening, fireworks in the park!