Canal Boating and Kevin Hunting

Everyone has heard about Stratford-on-Avon. Malmesbury is also on the river Avon. Driving down to the West Country yesterday, we drove through Bradford on Avon. We stopped a while to look at several canal boats passing through a lock.




This was a place where the canal boats could be hired. One family we spoke to had hired one for a day trip. Grandmother, parents, children and even the dog were on board, together with food and drink, for a pleasant day "mucking about with boats".

When we arrived, one boat was below ground level in the lock, with water pouring in to raise the boat at a surprisingly fast pace.







As the water level steadily increased in this narrow, long section of the canal, the boat rose higher and higher.











This boat above had entered the lock from the left hand side of the picture, so needed to raise the water level to be able to sail further to the right. It seems a two stage process. A huge winch key is slipped over a lever and turned, which rotates a cog wheel that clicks round, allowing water to enter the lock.

The next two boats entered this lock from the other direction. Two boats fitted in at one time.


The water that had been flooded into the lock was then released out the other way, so the boats were lowered down to the next level, to sail along the way the first boat had entered from.

I suspect the winch raises the gates to allow water to flow from underneath. I got to turn the handle all by myself.




Then I helped push the huge beams which slowly swing open the lock gates, once the water level is the same either side, so the canal boats can continue on their journey.




It was fascinating to watch and take part in. Both of us were surprised the process was as efficient and speedy as it was.

But this was only an amusing detour in the real purpose of the day: The Hunt for Kevin McCloud. My Internet snooping had determined his property was near the village of Frome.




In an amazing stroke of luck, there was a Sunday market there, the last one before December. Surely he would be out buying up vegetables, cheese and preserves.



This is definitely not him!

At one point my hopes soared. From the back, there was a man who might well be my intended target. I practically pushed shoppers aside, working my way to see the face of this man. Alas! It was not Kevin. The search continued.


Like Stroud market, the stalls stretched along various streets. Unlike Stroud, some of these market streets were quite steep. But I climbed on, peering into shops, at smallholders and customers alike.




In the end, we returned to the car, passing over this bridge in its pretty setting.




I told Woodsie I had written down the road Kevin lived on. He thought that was a bit "stalkerish". Personally, I was quite comfortable with this. After all, it was Kevin we were talking about.

But I just had to content myself with having seen the nearest village to where he lives, to having had lunch in maybe the pub he has been in and visited the scenic countryside which is undoubtably dear to his heart.