Another bright, sunny, frosty start. Several ‘Viking Afloat’ boats came past very early while we were still in bed, presumably heading for Gailey on ‘turnround day’. We went along to Hatherton junction, winded and headed back again. Having had the fire on all day and all night for several days we were begining to run out of fuel. Heddi remembered seeing the coal boat at Awbridge, so we thought that we’d stop there tomorrow to stock up.

It was still lovely and sunny when we got to Autherley where we stopped for breakfast. Whilst we were getting breakfast I heard the thump, thump, thump of a working boat approaching, but by the time I realised that it was the coal boat from Awbridge it was too late to stop him.

We stopped again just below Compton lock to go to the freezer center and post a letter. On the way back from the Post Office I tripped on the pavement kerb (due to a car coming up behind me in what looked to me like a pedestrianised area!). I had my hands in my jacket pockets because of the cold, but this meant I was unable to put my hands down to break my fall. So I crashed headlong to the ground, gashing my knee and ripping my trousers. The car drove on apparently without even noticing!

Limekiln were out of coal, so we hoped that someone would still be at Awbridge when we got there, but they were’nt.

We could hear, and see, some fireworks going off in the distance, presumable for halloween.