Saturday 9^th May 2020

The day was very hot. Far too hot for much work. Brenda went up to the chandlery for bits and pieces but primarily for another 5ltr bottle of drinking water to supplement our supplies. At some point we will have to travel to the water point but do not want to lose our mooring here at Syke’s.

The paint has now dried sufficiently for the Turk’s Head decorations so these were started. The poles are looking good and we are well pleased with the result.

On and off over the last few weeks, we have been at Syke’s for 20 nights and had the place completely to ourselves. However, today another boat arrived. Terry and Sonya on ‘Beccles’ whom we last met at Tattenhall, a nice couple. They came with gossip from Tattenhall Marina that showed just how small a world the canals are; the system is known as the longest village in Britain, but reinforced our choice of not wanting anything to do with marina’s where gossip, hierarchies, one upmanship and bitching could easily become the order of the day.

We witnessed a number of breaches of the lock-down. A couple of guys out fishing, on lures and moving along the towpath. Then two boats, travelling together, ‘Life’s Too Short’ and ’Lest We Forget’, moored up while they had lunch. These two had come out of Aqueduct Marina and had cruised to Venetian Marina where they turned for the return to Aqueduct, obviously out for a Bank Holiday jolly but completely in breach of CRT lock-down recommendations. Most marinas are now closed and not allowing boats either in or out. Obviously Aqueduct Marina are not following this. When these stupid people had their lunch, they spread their chairs right across the towpath completely blocking it. Totally selfish with a complete disregard for others and just putting two fingers up to the world. We are all frustrated with the lock-down but that is necessarily the world we live in right now. Like it or not, the lock-down is in place for a good reason. 

Stupid, Selfish Boaters out from Aqueduct Marina

and completely blocking the Towpath

One of the boats moored towards Venetain reported these boats to both Aqueduct Marina and to CRT. Hopefully, action will be taken against them.

Keeping social distancing to the fore, we chatted away to Terry and Sonya for a while before dinner, and afterwards when they had a few couple of friends off another boat, visit.

Harvey has been acting completely out of character here. It is as though he has come to regard Syke’s Hollow as his own home territory. He rarely barks, but has been barking at people passing by and has been attacking a young swan whenever it comes near. The friends of Terry and Sonya were accompanied by their cat and Harvey had a go at it. He ran up to it barking and growling but the cat stood its ground and hissed at him. Although the cat did not touch him at all, he ran off howling and squealing. Funny but real embarrassing.

Weather: hot, hot, hot.