Again it rained overnight and our prize petunias started to look battered, but the rainbow set off the green colour of the water delightfully. We hung about patiently for our time to lock through, with a little excitement when a Fire Rescue RIB with three crew members needed to lock down to rescue some naughty boys, stuck in the mud down stream, “been on’t rob” was what we understood they had been up to, when in fact the RIB returned it had a rather muddy police woman on board, apparently the lads had disappeared leaving the damsel in distress.
This all happened about two hours before our departure time, when Fred the lock-keeper told us that following the two nights of rain the mooring at Naburn Lock and in York were four foot underwater. How could this be? Only a week ago we were held up be the driest summer since 1920. Well the ground is so dry the rain just ran straight of it and into the rivers. We would be going nowhere until Friday 6pm earliest.
The bus took as all, including Duggie, into York and although it was chilly, we had a good day sightseeing and enjoyed the street entertainers. The Fox Terrier Pub in the Shambles area, welcomed Duggie and the four meat pies we ordered were delicious.
Whilst the girls did the shops Brian and I checked out the mooring by the side of Museum Park, there was no sign of rings or bollards and although the water was receding it must have still have been six foot above its usual level. I nearly found out how deep it was when I slipped on the silt that had been left behind, serves me right for wearing Sunday best shoes and trying to look smart and until the silt dried and brushed off leaving not a mark, I walked around looking like a mud lark.
Friday was bright and beautiful and the Fred the lock-keepers advice was to catch the 6am tide on Saturday, so rather than stay put we turned SKYY around and gently cruised the five miles back to West Haddlesey lock were we enjoyed an al-fresco lunch before an equally gentle return, Brian once again holding up the traffic whilst ourselves followed by two other boats entered the basin. An early night after introducing ourselves to our two new neighbours who would also be going to York tomorrow.
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