Helen home.

I cleaned the windows and made an egg custard and then killed a bit of time until Helen's train was due in. Hull Trains have a route that stops in Doncaster, Retford and Stevenage before Kings Cross in London, so has made a great place for Helen to get to/from home. The Station is quite a nice building really.

Retford Station in 2006.

The railway arrived in Retford in 1849 when the Sheffield and Licolnshire Junction Railway came through and built a station. The line ran fr and they crossed on the same level but at about right angles. om Sheffield to Gainsborough. A few years later the Great Northern Railway from Doncaster built a track though. They shared the same station until the GNR built there own in 1852. Later the Sheffield and Licolnshire, now called the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railway, built a short curve so they could access the GNR station and the first built was closed. In 1965 the crossing of the two lines was changed whereby the MS&L Railway was run under the GNR track to enable the later to be designated as the high speed east coast main line. The short curve was done away with. This line was accessed by a walk way from the station to the lower level. There are two East Coast mainline tracks for through traffic and it is impressive when they zip through.

Helen had two big bags that weighed a tonne and at least some of it was a surprise or two for me. After a cup of tea we decided to head off out of Retford. We stopped for water outside the Hop Pole Pub when the trip boat had just arrived back to its base after an afternoon cruise. The weather was quite blustery but we seemed to be avoiding the heavy showers and just getting the odd drop.

Miles stone 32 (from Chesterfield) with nice bedding opposite the water point.

The pressure was good so we were soon off again. We did meet a GRP cruiser just at a bridge on a bend  and then a bit of a Mexican standoff as to who should go first. All sorted and we met his pal on a nice straight section. We kept going to the moorings at Hayton near the Boat Inn. I think the pub had closed for a while but it was definitely open so we went in for a pint before tea. It is very comfortable inside and they serve Sringhead Brewery beer from Laneham near Retford. I had the Maid Marian which was rich up my street. Helen had Scrumpy Wasp Cider that is made near Marnham close by which she really enjoyed. I then had a pint of Olivers Army that was also nice. By then the smell and sight of the food changed our dining plans and we ate out. Helen had a massive all meat burger with chips and onion rings and I had a beef and ale pie with chips and veg and they were both very nice. There was a band on later but we waited and waited and as Helen was nodding off we gave up waiting and headed back to the boat.

Our mooring for the night at Hayton.