Friday, 17th June
The year is slipping away. It's almost the longest day, and we still have lots to do! At last the weather is improving, and we really enjoyed our cruise today. We left St. Ives and cruised about six miles before mooring up at Brampton on some GOBA moorings. It was another attractive spot, the river is so lovely now, as pretty as anywhere we've cruised. And I think I can safely say that we've done quite a bit of cruising now! The GOBA moorings are always located in the countryside, in quiet places.

Saturday, 19th June
Today was a very long, hot day. I suppose we shouldn't complain about the heat, but it's quite a shock after all the cold and windy days we've had. If only it could be a little cooler! We travelled much further than we really wanted to. This was because it was a Saturday, and all the pleasure cruisers were out for the weekend. The countryside was idyllic. We eventually stopped for water at St. Neots. This was very well hidden behind a bridge parapet and it was also difficult to access. Apparently, there was another much more easily accessible tap, but the local wildlife vandalised it, and so that is why this one is so well disguised.

We eventually found a lovely spot to moor, in a little backwater, under some trees. There was a pleasure cruiser there already, and they helped us to moor up. It was so cool and very quiet and I would like to have stopped another night. But we have a friend coming to see us on Monday, and we need to be sure we're handy for a road for him to find us.

Sunday, 19th June
So, ever onward. Another blazing hot day. I spent some time below decks, away from the sun, as I have fair skin and burn very easily. Also, too much sun makes me feel dizzy....... Some friends might say I'm dizzy enough.

We eventually moored up on more GOBA moorings, not far from Bedford. But this spot won't be any good for meeting Trev's friend Colin, either, as there is no access road. However, we could walk to Tesco and shop, which was useful as it meant Trev could get his mega breakfast, and paper, so all was well with the world! It was another peaceful night.

Monday, 20th June
Today we travelled on through the last lock but one, to moor at The Priory Marina. We had been told that members of GOBA could moor here for one night free, so I rang and checked and that was quite true. So, after nearly overshooting the entrance, as it was hidden by trees, we turned in to the marina and moored up on some excellent visitor moorings. We had water right by the boat, an electric meter, which cost us 42p for the night, and a pump out, which we didn't need. Oddly, this marina belongs to British Waterways, although we're on Environment Agency waters, and there's no canals anywhere near.

Tuesday, 21st June--The Longest Day of the Year
Colin left before 6.00 a.m. to catch the ferry. We stayed on the marina mooring in the morning, and stocked up at the chandlery with some boaty type items. We set off around noon for the very last leg of our journey. We went down the river, in to Bedford, through the last lock and through the centre of Bedford. The river was busy as the local school rowing teams were out practising. They were quite tricky to avoid, they go really fast, and of course they're facing backwards! Some of the boats had a cox who was facing the front, but not all.

We went past the County Hall, out of the town and on to the limit of navigation. We went under two very low railway bridges, where the plants just scraped under, and on towards a footbridge. Here the river narrowed considerably and we deemed it wise to call this the end for us. There was no sign to tell us that this was the end, we just decided ourselves. We turned the boat round, and congratulated ourselves on completing the trip. It wasn't such an exciting end as when we completed the Thames last year, but I don't suppose anything could compare with that.

Since we left Northampton, we've done:

191 miles
81 locks

This includes the stretch to Cambridge and back, which was fourteen and a half miles each way plus 6 locks, so, to get back to Northampton will be one hundred and sixty-two miles and seventy-five locks.

Then we set off back through Bedford, back through the lock and back in to the countryside. We didn't stay in Bedford, we couldn't see anywhere where we would have felt safe overnight. We travelled back as far as Great Barford and moored up by a lovely old bridge. There was a group of school children camping on the banks further along the river, and they were out boating. They were having great fun.

Just as I was cooking dinner, someone called "Hello" and there were two people outside the boat. They were moored on the other side of the river and had seen our boat and had come across as they wanted to talk to us about living aboard. They came on board and we had a very pleasant evening with them. Their boat is called Eleanor and they are about to sell up and move on board. So they were interested in how we had made the transition. They're intending to moor in the Llangollen area, and so we expect to see them up there next time we go.

Wednesday, 22nd and Thursday, 23rd June
We ste off quite early for us--9.30--hoping we might enjoy a cool hour or two before it got too hot, but it was already scorching hot. We've had about five really hot days in a row, and it's beginning to take it's toll. I feel whacked by it all, and have no energy. I don't even feel like eating. We travelled fifteen miles and did five locks, eventually mooring up near Offord on more GOBA moorings. This is such a nice spot, we've decided to stay for two nights, and have a rest.

We had a barbecue in the evening when it got cooler. We've just discovered disposable barbecues, and they're ideal for our purpose. We bought four for GBP6, we have meat in the freezer and so are all prepared for warm evenings. We sat out in the evening, watching the fish jump and greylag geese swim by with their babies.

I was sitting writing my website on Thursday afternoon, when I had rather a shock. Trev's face appeared at the hatch on the riverside of the boat! He was in the river, having a swim to cool down! It was quite a shock, as I didn't know he was going in! He'd got in as quietly as possible, and come round to the side of the boat to give me a surprise! He certainly did!