Stoked up in Stoke

Princess Lucy at Harecastle Tunnel

The very clement December weather, with temperatures well into the teens has caused major confusion on Princess Lucy. We expect, especially in December, to light the stove quite early and enjoy warming the mince pies on the top of it. Well, we did light the stove last night, but it was quickly unbearable. Just as well captain had clean y-fronts.

 

We were advised not to tie up near the tunnel entrance overnight. "You'll probably be stoned," the lone boater told us the day before. But we woke this morning quite unaffected.

 

Princess Lucy was the only boat booked to go through the Harecastle Tunnel today - in fact we have not met another moving boat in the last three days.

 

It is Friday afternoon and we are now tied up at Etruria and our concerns as to whether the bottom Stoke lock, taken out of service some weeks ago, would be repaired in time for our passage tommorow, were ill founded: it is done.