Curry and Wind

The depression of last night's imprisonment was relieved a little by a magnificent curry at the Mugal-e-Shahi. We didn't read any reviews; the place just looked right and it was (and by the time we dragged ourselves out at 9 everywhere else was shut).

This morning began in a series of odd exchanges with the Canal and River Trust about the state of the River Soar. I knew from the environment agencies web pages that the level had been falling for 48 hours. "It's in flood," the lady said, but she could say no more. CRT then tweeted that the River Soar had GONE into flood. At lunchtime I received an email saying "I have just been told the River Soar has now come out of flood." ... Those rivers, they just do as they please!

We left Loughborough Basin with fresh daffodils and made haste to beat the impending thaw.

I have to say the river was lively, as was the wind. Had my concentration not been needed to keep the boat from blowing into the bank, I might have used my new "app" to measure our speed. A kind man and his little terrier saved our bacon by pushing the boat off at Bishops Meadow Lock. We would still be blowing into the bank unable to move without him.

The Soar was scary, the Trent more so. On arriving at the Trent and Mersey Canal (which is straight-ish ahead) there is the Trent coming in from the left, the Derwent from the right, and the wind from goodness knows where.

We moored a mile from Shardlow and practically in the dark. Oh and we had to open and close 9 difficult and deep locks. Dinner on board, a couple of wines and we will face another long day tomorrow.