It was proving to be an eventful Sunday… the weather was holding fair so we decided to potter on from Fotheringhay to some recommended moorings just above Elton lock, spying several Kingfishers on our way. There seemed to be plenty of Red Kites and Buzzards around. And several times

[We] caught this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding

although the air was anything but steady, but it didn’t seem to cause them any problems. We’ve rarely seen Kestrels while on the boat, apart from the last few days. They’re always lovely and spectacular to watch. Spotted a Sparrowhawk too.

The moorings at Elton lock proved perfect, and closeness to the village suggested a quick walk for some suitable refreshment and a shared packet of crisps before returning to the boat for a rather late lunch.

Losing brownie points for not having draught Guinness for him or a dry cider without fruit-salad flavourings for her, The Crown Inn – officially only serving Sunday Lunches – won them back by happily conjuring up a splendidly cooked and large bowl of cheesy chips. There goes the diet again.

Completely unlike the rather artificial Ashton, Elton is clearly a real village with character, even if Stocks Green no longer has the stocks that are still there according to the 2012 updated river guide we had. Seems they disappeared well over 25 years ago…

And, not at all perturbed by the Ashley Madison farrago, Fran was all set, there and then, to embark on a serious affair with a young brindled Great Dane found attached to a local gentleman.

Her previous experiences of Great Dane ownership don’t seem to have put her off, but I shudder to think what the Captain would think. Fortunately, the promised rain arrived on queue, and we had to beat it back to the boat before things got seriously out of hand.

 

And just in time for a nice sunset, the weather front cleared through. A fitting end to a long and interesting day – over 12 miles, 5 locks and a wet water stop before a late lunch is something of a record for the Song & Dance captain and crew. Could get to like this life…