Where is Milton Keynes?

We had a little lie in and whilst Helen was making the porridge, yes porridge as we had missed it last week (even in this heat) I went to find the paper shop and post some mail. I found both only about 100mts north of Bridge 78. For some reason the Wyvern Shipping hire boats seem to stop when ever they pass a water point even when they have obviously just picked them up, or are just dropping them off later in the day. One the one had cleared we moved up and topped up as we had run a load of washing so we could have it dry when we stopped for the day. The Canal Boat Hire that I helped out in Market Harborough had a sign on the tap saying that the water shouldn't be drunk. I had never heard of this before but they must be just insuring against claims of upset tums or something.

We were soon on our way, and I was soon making a mental note to increase passage times by at least an hour as there are so many boats moored that you could never get up to speed for very long. There were plenty of gaps but they all seem to be 'house boats' where folk use them as a residence and not for boating. If they have to move them, which they clearly do, it is not because they enjoy it. This being Sunday you would have thought you would have seen folk around their boats in the sunshine. It seems to me that many go 'home' for the weekend use the boats as work pied a terres.

From the canal Milton Keynes is very green with plenty of room to move about off road etc. You would hardly know you were in a town, even houses hardly backed up to the canal, with green on both sides. There were plenty of parks too. In the sun it looked lovely, but there weren't that many people around.

A heron in a tree, enjoying the sunshine.

A piece of sculpture in Campbell Park.

Not only cyclist and walker on the tow path. I reckon some boaters would want these banned from the tow path as well as cyclist even though they are authentic.

Just as the ice cream boat was approaching and gesticulating wildly for me to keep coming round a 'moored' boat I was busy trying to push it back to the bank as it was no longer moored at all. At least six boats had passed it and they had either pulled its pins out or ignored it's plight. You just have to hope that if it happened to you somebody would be bothered to help out. With this weather the ground is very hard! Just past the bridge in the picture above is planned a new broad beam link that will join up with the Middle Levels at Bedford. That would be a welcome link if it ever gets sorted. 

I tried to spy my Alma Mater through the trees but couldn't quite make out the Open University buildings. Just after Milton Keynes Marina we came across Blue Line butty 'Raymond' and narrow boat 'Ian'. At least I think it was Ian as I was too busy avoiding it and the trees to look. Raymond was built in 1958 and ten years earlier in 1948. I expect they are heading north for the Blisworth Festival in a couple of weeks.

NB 'Ian'? and butty 'Raymond' in original Blue Line colours.

We finally pulled round the blind bend under Bridge 94 to see only two spaces left. We choose the first and we were soon tied up and hanging the washing up that was soon dried. We may go in search of a pint later in Fenny Stratford.