Victor Vectis

But where is Barney?

Just flown up Farmer’s Bridge in 1hr 15 mins! Tied up just short of Old Turn, almost back to where we started this morning. 😀

But not for long. BOO!

We’ve got Barney. HOORAY!

I give up!

So you're not at the Vine. Hmmmmmm...... Ma Pardoe's?

To be fair we found the vlockies on the Trent friendly and helpful. The pair at Stoke last Sunday being the exception.

Does it sell Batham's beer?

Can we play 'Guess The Pub'?

And we've got a nice new blue and black 'Brindley Place Moorings' notice on the wall next to us. It was black 'n' white when we went out this morning.

I thought there wasn't a pub near your super secret starting point.

That's 'cos Clarrie is moored in front of us on the Oozells Loop.

But on the other hand the boats that it needs won’t be attracted.

Well Libby was almost in, if not by, the water! ETA She doesn't scare easily but was shaking for a good half hour after we left the lock. And that was after a good slug of brandy.

Last Sunday we were travelling upriver on the Trent. We left Gunthorpe Lock in the company of a small river cruiser and we heard, on the VHF, the lockie at Gunthorpe telling Stoke we were on our way. The cruiser went ahead of us and as we passed Stoke Bardolph I radioed Stoke to tell them where we were. They replied that the lock would be ready for us when we arrived. Turning right into the lock cut I could see the cruiser tied up to the left on the lock wall, the light was green, the gates were open. As we approached the gates they started to close! The light still showing green. I blasted our horn and did an emergency stop. Gates now closed, light still green. I got RW to the lock landing and crew (Little Else, aka Libby, of this parish) went up to see what the hell was going on. The (volunteer) lockie said "They (meaning the people in the cruiser) said they hadn't seen you behind them" and "Oh. Is the light still green?" Libby checked and came back to tell him it was. Only at this point did he turn the light to red. I'm not angry at having to wait for the next locking but at that pillock all but closing the gates with our boat between them. (Wasn't there a topic about this a while back?) It was obvious that he had not done a visual check despite being told by Gunthorpe and us that we were coming his way. If that wasn't bad enough...... The cruiser went up, the lock was turned round and we went in. Due to the deep shadow, this was around midday, we couldn't see the risers on the RHS (there are risers there but that isn't the point) so I shuffled the boat across to the other side, away from the control cabin. Libby was at the front to get a rope around a riser and I was at the back waiting to do the same once she had got her rope on. I was looking to our rear when I heard a scream and looked round to see the sluices had been lifted and water coming towards us! Not being content to almost trapping us in the gates the pillock had now raised the sluices before we had roped up. He dropped the sluices on hearing our shouts and screams, came out of the cabin and said "Well you were on this side last time I looked" It was obvious that he had raised the sluices without coming out of the cabin for that final "All ready? All set?" check to the boat(s) in the lock. We were the only boat in the lock at the time. I've emailed the manager for the East Midlands, Sean McGinley, giving him these details and suggesting that the two vlockies, a man and a woman, at Stoke last Sunday are not fit to be left in charge of a deep, fierce and potentially dangerous lock such as Stoke. This is a real shame as all the other lockies, both full time and volunteers we met on the Trent had been great. I await his reply with interest.