Author Archives: Ed Mortimer

About Ed Mortimer

I'm a retired school teacher, now living on my Dutch cruiser in France. I'm touring as much of the canals and river systems as I can. This blog describes what I do and where I've been. I did spend 5 years on first a narrowboat, and then this boat, in Britain.

June 26

Ely and the middle levels. We cruised from Cambridge to Ely, escaping the crowds and noise to experience some of the rural tranquility of this part of Britain. A lovely day and we squeezed into the last mooring space available … Continue reading

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June 25

Cambridge. Gorgeous, lots to do and see, and ABSOLUTELY full of people. Little did we realize, even after arriving on the 23, that yesterday was graduation day in many of the colleges. Touring of the colleges was out (closed for … Continue reading

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June 24

Pat and Kerry joined me in Bedford, and we set off down the Great Ouse River after a provisioning at Tesco. First stop was St. Neots, where I again moored across from the Priory. We watched rowers, swimmers, and all … Continue reading

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June 19

Another week of very different activities for me. I travelled back to Liverpool, having moored the boat in Godmanchester (and rang there on the front 6 of their heavy 8: tuning strange when you do that, and the noise from … Continue reading

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June 13

After a day in Ely to deal with domestic stuff (water, garbage, etc), I then headed back towards Bedford on a now familiar waterway! Overnight at a remote rural mooring, then a most delightful day onwards back to St. Ives. … Continue reading

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June 9

Sorry about the delays in posting. After leaving Bedford, I got fuel, then returned along the River Great Ouse to St. Neots, where I rang for the service, and then was co-opted to travel to the nearby village of Eaton … Continue reading

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May 27

Bedford. We made it all the way to Bedford, and have thoroughly enjoyed the River Great Ouse. Wildlife, blossoms, lots of things to see along the low bank river: we’ve had a great journey. I rang last night in Great … Continue reading

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May 26

How many were going to St. Ives? Well, we did, and after leaving Ely, toured along a fairly uneventful ditch/drain to Earith. A nice mooring on the river beside a marina, and then on to St. Ives. We wandered around … Continue reading

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May 23

On through to Peterborough where we re-provisioned, and moored along a large park (with strange blanket-covered lumps on park benches) and lots of swans. We had planned to go through the Standground lock at Peterborough, but unknown to us, they … Continue reading

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May 19

The River Nene (pronounced nen from Northampton until Isplip (from the Saxon meaning slippery slope- hence I slip…) then neen downstream from Islip). We had an interesting (?) mooring in Islip, where to access, one needed to turn sharply in … Continue reading

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