Gayton Junction

Here I am Rune

Distance 5 miles

Total 4178 Locks  264 Tunnels

Running total mileage 6,404.1 miles

 

After a quick additional adjustment this morning (I hadn’t tightened the alternatora belt tight enough) we set off to the Northampton Flight of locks (apparently known as Rothesthorpe). The weather to begin with was not as forecast and we started in drizzling rain, but it had dried up by the time we got to the flight proper.

The area around Lock 14 was heavily populated by Police and PCSO’s and it seems that a ‘traveller’ camp in an adjacent field is due for eviction in the next few days and trouble is anticipated. When passing and looking at the mess they have made in the field, any sympathy for these ‘travellers’  being ‘discriminated against’ totally evaporates, the place is a shithole, full of dumped stuff that someone (apparently not them) is going to have to deal with. I don’t have any particular prejudice since I had dealings with Romany travellers in Devon, around the Heathfield area, and never had any problem with them, but groups such as these in Northampton who have trashed the area deserve nothing but contempt and I hope that they get it. Talking to local residents it appears that life has been hell since they moved in, one resident said it was a couple of months ago, so after we had travelled down the flight. It seems that stoning of passing boats was a regular pastime for the kids from the site, so everyone will be glad to see the back of them.

After the activity around Lock 14 (it felt like the various Police/PCSO’s were riding shotgun with us) the rest of the flight passed without incident. Not sure where we’ll get to tomorrow, the forecast isn’t good.