Monday Sept 7th - Cambridge to Clayhythe

Sunday September 6th – Cambridge

We didn’t do much during the day yesterday, well apart from me going to the launderette.  It is very convenient being just around the corner from the moorings on Victoria Road.  I managed to get all the light stuff washed and dried, including all the towels, in a relatively short time and was soon back on board with everything stowed away. 

I decided to put the planter back on the bows now that the wind has settled. I have to say it is looking rather nice now but I wish the Bizzy Lizzy would grow a bit! It really isn't much bigger than it was when I bought it from the church back in Fotheringhay! Still it is blooming and the flowers do add a wee splash of colour to an otherwise green display.

Pretty Planter

We had a reasonably peaceful night except that I wokeup at one point and thought that the freezer (which is under our bed) sounded awfully loud, then I thought perhaps someone had their engine running. However I eventually realised that it was actually the sound of the water pouring over the weir, which was right in front of the boat! 

I had a wander up into Cambridge to do a bit of shopping at Sainsbury’s and I even stopped off in a local camping shop on the way back and bought myself a long-sleeved microfibre top to wear on chilly days – well they will be here all too soon, we’ve had a little taster already! When we were in St Ives Clive had bought himself a new woolly pully for the winter too.  There is nothing like being prepared!

Vicki and Ben were joining us for dinner and we had decided in the end to have a Chinese, which they collected on their way to us.  It was lovely to see them both again and catch up on the gossip, then it was time to head over the road to ThePortland Arms.

We were the first to arrive and the bar was empty when we got there but no sooner had we got our drinks and sat down at a table than more people started arriving and I knew them all!  Well I had expected it really, there is no way Brian could do a gig in Cambridge without half of the Burwell Bashers turning up! It was great to see everyone again, even though it is really only a few weeks since we all said goodbye when Burwell was over.

Eventually it was time for the gig to start and everyone made their way into the function room to take their seats.  Then the band arrived.  The band consists of Brian Finnegan  (ex-Flook - flutes and whistles), IanStephenson (guitar) and James Goodwin (drums). They make a great team and sound fantastic.  It was a great evening, the music was fantastic and the reunion with my fellow Burwellites put the icing on the cake.  Vick and Ben also enjoyed the gig. Its not really the kind of music they listen to but Vicki came with me to a Flook gig a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, so she knew what to expect and how good it would be.  I think Ben was impressed too.  It was amusing listening to Brian playing some of the tunes we had learned at Burwell only about five times faster!!  He really is brilliant. 

Brian Finnegan Trio

  If any of you out there appreciate really good live music, whatever type of genre you favour, it really is worth going to see the Brian Finnegan Trio if you can get to one of their gigs, believe me.

It was quite late when the gig was finished so we said goodbye to Vicki and Ben and headed off back to the boat.  I still had wonderful tunes whizzing around in my head as I drifted off to sleep.

Monday September 7th – Clayhithe

We couldn’t quite make up our minds what to do today.  By rights our 48 hours were up and we should move on.  We eventually got up and had breakfast and then Clive headed off up to Wilco’s up Milton Road, which is about a fifteen minute walk from the boat. He needed to order some new shock absorbers for Gareth’s van!  While he was out I thought I might as well head back to the launderette and do the dark stuff and the bedding.  I hadn’t been back on board long when Clive arrived home too with his task completed. It was a good feeling knowing that we had clean bedding, clean towels and lots of clean clothes again.  Things take on a completely different priority when one is living on board a boat I can tell you.  You would be amazed how exciting the prospect of finding a launderette is!

We had a bit of lunch then decided in the end that we would leave after all so we left Cambridge at about 2.30pm.  We didn’t want to get too far away, all being well Vicki is going to go back to have another look at her new house tomorrow lunchtime and has said she would pick us up on the way so that we can see it too.  We figured the easiest place for her to pick us up would be at Clayhithe, which was about two hours away. 

There was only one lock to negotiate, Baits Bite.  Once through that we had a clear run to the moorings at Clayhithe.  When we were approaching it looked as if they were full, however we spotted a space right at the very end of the moorings, near the bridge. It was a lot easier mooring up there today compared to the lasttime.  This time there was no wind and we were heading upstream too, so the boat just gently drifted in to the bank and stopped – excellent!

The only trouble with the moorings here is that the mobile signal is almost non-existent!  Wehave to stand our phones in the windows in order to receive any calls or texts and the dongle hasn’t got much of a signal either and therefore everything is extremely slow! 

We didn’t even bother checking to see if there was a TV signal; we have been watching the Robert Ludlum based Bourne films on DVD and we had already watched the first two so just had the third one to watch. So after dinner we settled down to watch that then went to bed.

Unfortunately I got a text through from Vicki to say that we couldn’t go and look at her new house on Tuesday after all and that it would most likely be Wednesday!  We will probably just stop here now until Thursday, then head off again.  There are several “lodes” around here that we would like to explore and as we now have nearly three weeks before Vicki’s move we should have chance to see some of the area before we finally leave East Anglia.