I like the new LEDs!

Having read of the advantages of LED modules to replace the halogen lighting in the 'lounge', I decided to purchase three LED replacement MR11 units from a young lady pirate who advertises such items for sale.
Replacing the units themselves was easy, just remove the old ones and plug in the new and test them. I must say, the 'warm white' modules were at least as bright as our previously fitted 20W modules and at 2.4W each they represent a considerable saving on the leisure battery.
Time to look at replacing the fluorescent tubed modules methinks...

What a lovely weekend!

Friday morning (17th April) was a beautiful day and the promise was for it to stay good over the weekend. I was feeling a bit rough, having been a little over-stressed during the week. Judy & Alison did not take much persuasion to come to Constance for the weekend.
We arrived Friday afternoon and went down to the watering hole to off-load all the stuff from the car. We also had 16 gallons of diesel in cans.
After all of this was done we move down one lock and stopped alongside the towpath for the night. On Saturday morning I walked the short distance back to Great Bedwyn to get bread and cakes. After breakfast, we moved slowly on towards Froxfield, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and peace.
We decided to stop just between Froxfield bottom lock and the winding hole. We turned, found some sunshine and stopped. We had lunch and Judy and I walked into Hungerford, leaving Alison to do her homework and revision.
For our evening meal we went to the Pelican Inn on the A4 at Froxfield. We enjoyed it very much!
Sunday morning we leisurely made our way back towards Great Bedwyn, avoiding, as much as we could, upsetting the many fishermen along the towpath.

Easter Weekend away

We managed to get to Devizes over the Easter weekend. On Maundy Thursday evening we went to Constance and got ourselves ready for an early Friday morning departure. On Good Friday, nice and early,I collected loads of Hot Cross Buns and some bread from the bakery and we set off. The weather was not very promising being dull and drizzly.

By the time we got to Crofton Bottom Lock it was raining heavily and the main thrust of the 'Devizes to Westminster Kayak Race' kayakers were upon us. We pulled in and stopped for a couple of hours and watched muddy, drenched kayakers portaging their kayaks over the closely spaced locks. The towpath was, by now, a mud bath.

After lunch the weather improved slightly so we went on up the Crofton Flight, through the Bruce Tunnel and down to the start of theLong Pound at Wootton Rivers, where we stopped for the night. I went up to the Royal Oak pub for a pint.

Constance approaching Pewsey Wharf.

Easter Saturday started with better weather and we made good progress along the Long Pound arriving at Devizes mid afternoon, by which time it was drizzling. We went into Devizes and bought what shopping we needed. In the evening we went out for a meal.

Easter Sunday Judy & Alison went to church in Devizes whilst I visited the K&A museum. In the aftrnoon we started our journey back to Pewsey arriving about 4pm.

This is the decorated west face of the lady's Bridge, built in 1808 and decorated as part of the appeasement of the then landowner, Lady Sussanah Wroughton, who reluctantly allowed the canal to pass through her land.

Easter Monday saw us return to our mooring at Great Bedwyn,, having climbed from Wooton rivers to the top, passed along by Burbage Wharf and through the Bruce Tunnel.

Whilst we pass through the 510yd Bruce tunnel through the hill at the south end of the Savernake Forest, the railway crosses from our right bank to our left bank.

Tuesday was a leisurely day, sat at our mooring, enjoying the sunshine and feeding the various wildfowl. We were visited by several Mallard ducks & drakes and these two Canada geese.

They were not frightened to come right up to us to be fed.