Both us and the Uncle Mort team wanted an early start because of the forecast hot weather to come. So last night we agreed on 6:00am. Just before six Andrew was about and moving fenders etc. We said our goodbyes and they chugged off. We pulled over to the water point to top up. It was 6:20 when we actually set off.

At that time of the morning there was no one about and we worked through the locks fairly quickly. The forecast was right and by 9 o’clock the sun was beating down. We were hoping to stop around midday providing we’d made sufficient progress.

A quick stop in Leighton Buzzard to pop in to Aldi for supplies and off again. At the three Soulbury locks there was a really helpful and pleasant lady volunteer lockie. She lives on the south coast, but once a week she drives up to do a day volunteering to help boaters through the locks.

There was a good shady mooring spot just below the locks so we pulled in and were tied up by one o’clock.

After lunch we walked to the village shop to buy a couple of things we’d forgotton (and an ice cream).