Changes

The world is full of gloom and uncertainty but our own small world has changed completely in these past few days too.

A week ago after a a day of dry towpaths and sunshine, the evening turned to rain – torrential rain. All night it rained and by the time we awoke the towpath had vanished, the boat was riding high in the water and we were having to lower ourselves into water flowing past fast on the towpath. 

All day the water rose, and rose. It rose higher than previous floods this winter at this spot, and water flowed round the boat, out of the river, across the pub garden and into their car park. Swans, geese and ducks replaced Audis, Fords and Hyundais. 

Within hours the pub was flooded too and roads were under water. Still it rained and still levels rose.

A boater who had arrived below the lock before the flood needed shopping but was unable to get off his boat. Boaters from the wharf opposite had helped him secure his boat in the night. We fetched basic shopping and the Skipper waded out to hand it over. 

For us the new gangplank was our saviour in terms of getting on and off. For three days we waded and waited.

Then it began to fall. The boat below the bridge wanted to come under the bridge and up through the lock to join us at the safer top location but the water was so high his boat couldn’t fit under the bridge. Again we all waited at the mercy of the weather.

We took advantage of the car to make a trip to check on repairs to an lock ahead of us on our journey to find the flooding had destroyed the work site and resulted in a delay of weeks. 

Then as quickly as it came,  it began to fall. The sun came out, drying breezes flew and after two more days we all began the clear up operation. Suddenly came the email to say t he river was no longer in flood. It hardly seemed possible but as I write this we have left the mooring where we have been since December.

We went up river to fill up with diesel – first time since October so £147 worth.

We came back down, through the locks under the bridge and filled up with water passing 3 boats on the way, all eager to be on the move. Now we are moored with new views, new and interesting walks for the dog and feeling somewhere she’ll shocked at the suddenness of the change. Sadly in other parts of the world this week others have seen sudden change that has been fatal. We are very fortunate.