Victor—What a difference! - Evasion team
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There is now new piling and mooring rings at Junction Lock on the Soar, yet ner a boat in sight, so obviously it must be one of those frequently checked by the evasion team. But also the towpath had also been upgraded to a cycle track, which perhaps was the real reason of no boats as it was a very 'fast' track towards Leicester.
Yet Birstall visitor moorings, that we have never risked as always full, was completely empty—more of the evasion team? Birstall was another lock that had deteriorated, with extremely stiff gates, though the paddles were easy enough.
We had a little trouble at Birstall Lock as there was the boat Paradise Café well and truly moored right in the centre of the lock moorings—and seemingly permanent. Of course it was there to catch the walkers and cyclists, but surely it could have been at the end of the mooring, which would have made it easier for boaters. Here's a picture.
This is the area of those peculiar river water level gauges, were one will be on green, the next on red and the next on orange. It is also the area of lots of vegetation with miles after miles of it with the banks abounding with nettles—and Japanese Knotweed, that Jan tells has roots growing down to tremendous lengths, that knocks thousands of pound off building sites.
Even though the towpath, and when a cycle track, has the grass by its side mown, it is obvious that neither the towpath side vegetation or the off side trees have had any attention whatsoever for a very long time, and cruising into Leicester it is clearly shown that it is the walkers and cyclists who are important, for little or no money has been spent on making life easier for the boaters, as the following photograph—on a canalised section, clearly shows.
Another bad one
As we came nearer to Leicester the state of the locks deteriorated with us helping to get an hire boat out of North Lock, as by the time the fella on the far side had dropped his paddle having made sure he had drained the lock, by the time he had crossed the gate, it wouldn't open, though two people were pulling and pushing— such was the leakage of the top gates. So he had to go back and make sure both bottom paddles were fully open before the gate could be opened.
It was at North Lock we met Niffty Fifty with the boater telling us he came down Foxton Flight on Sunday, and he was the only boat on the flight though there were loads of gongoozlers and four volunteer lock keepers. He also told that St Mary's Lock was difficult to operate as it was broke—so we have that to look forward to.
Those days of dashing from the Lakes at Syston to the moorings at Kilby Bridge or vice versa have long gone, and as we have always admired those pontoon moorings in Leicester at West Bridge, we decided on a stay, and with rubbish bins and a locked gate to the nearby Castle Park it was uneventful.
Not so bad now
For many years the Soar through Leicester had a terrible reputation for vandals, many boaters telling of stone throwing youths, and even the locked pontoon moorings were known to be pelted with missiles from the nearby footbridge. Aylestone Park and the entire area through Wigston was strictly taboo when the schools were out. But things have obviously changed, shown by the all too often paddle locks having been completely removed, even those at at Aylestone Park having no paddle locks, and not a single beer can anywhere.
Victor Swift