Linslade, Grand Union Canal – Sunday 13 May 2012
Lots and lots of noise from the local pub all through the night, and I also experienced my first bit of anti-social behaviour.  At about 3:30 am I was woken by people running across the roof of the boat, so I got up to investigate but of course they had gone by the time I was dressed and out.  Back in the boat at about 4:10am I suddenly felt the boat move and went out to discover that the mooring lines for “Ice Breaker” and “Jasmine” had been removed from the bollards (we had looped them round the bollards and tied off on the boat.  Fortunately I had also used a ring set in the ground so “Ice Breaker” was still fixed to the bank but “”Jasmine” was completely loose, but had not floated out too far.  I grabbed her rope, pulled her in and put the ropes back over the bollards.  No-one was near but there were two guys casually staggering away on the towpath, (were they the culprits?).  I then spent time putting a chain round the bollard above so that it couldn’t easily be removed and this secured both boats.  Later on I discovered that
After breakfast I got ready and went off to the Trinity Methodist Church in Leighton Buzzard.  This is a fairly new church built with funds from the Rank Foundation, it is in red brick and is very much involved with the local community, there appears to be activities nearly every day (Scouts, Guides, Juniors, Dances, Coffee mornings, and even practice rooms for a band who meet each week.  Everybody was friendly, and it was an IT style service with the words to prayers, hymns etc appearing on a screen next to the Communion Table.  It is interesting seeing different service styles each week.
A slow wander round Leighton looking at the various buildings and when I eventually got back to the boat I spent time cleaning the bilges (inside the bottom of the engine compartment) as I had noticed that the stern gland (where the prop-shaft goes through the hull into the water) was leaking.  Fortunately the weather has again been lovely, blue skies and sunshine so the job was reasonably easy as I could have the back end of the boat open, the ‘Captain’s perches’ (seats) in place and other stuff dumped where I normally stand.  I had to get a sponge mop to reach the last of the greasy water as I didn’t want to dump it in the canal.

Stoke Hammond, Grand Union Canal – Monday 14 May 2012
No ‘night-time problems’ last night so I did not wake until 8:30 so ready to go at 10am.  The rain has returned with a vengeance, I had only 5 down locks to do and had help at every one!  At Leighton lock there was a crew going up but the lock was in my favour so they told me to stay on board and did all the work, at Soulbury Three locks there was a Canal and River Trust lock-keeper on duty who also told me to stay aboard while he operated the locks (CRT is the new name taking over from BW).  These 3 locks  are not exactly a flight but the pounds are only about boat lengths apart so boats can pass in them. Then at the Stoke Hammond lock again there was a crew who were happy to leave me on the boat.
As I was leaving the Soulbury locks I passed “Briar Rose” another Braidbar boat (my first for this year) and we called to each other, but they were going up and as I had just come down the lock was in their favour and the CRT man was waiting for them.
I have moored up on the towpath side of the canal with open fields all around.  Once moored the sun came out and it was warm, just like a May day, but it didn’t last, after a couple of hours we are back in torrential rain and thunder.