We arrived in Peterborough on Tuesday 9th May and got a brilliant mooring less than half a mile walk from the city centre. I was so excited to see real shops, real eateries and real wine bars. We’d been away a week and I’d been missing civilisation especially my independence to explore rural areas as we didn’t have a car. I’m not good with one corner shop and one boozer places.
I’d been told how much I would enjoy the Fens. It was cold and damp, so I wouldn’t sit in the cratch (front of the boat), PLUS the banks were so high I couldn’t see over them anyway. Impressed? Not me. Not a jot!
Going out for evening dinner on the floating Grain Barge moored a hop, skip and a jump away from us, we were taken back in time to the 80’s for a delicious oriental meal. We talked strategic tactics. Our aim was to stay until Thursday which would give us 4 days, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to make our way beyond the closure at Wansford. On Wednesday, our first morning, we woke up to flood warnings which meant no-one was going anywhere. The river was so high, it had taken Pegasus up to the second step of the mooring. We made provision that she would not get breached, took our festival trolly off the cabin top (you remember, the roof) and made our way into the centre for some relaxed retail therapy.
It was so wonderful being on top of the town centre. Everything we needed at our fingertips. Retail therapy included a bright flame orange waterproof jacket for me and a slow shop in Asda so as to be fully stocked on board. Which reminds me, must put Bacardi on the next shopping list. Then of course in the centre are loads of food huts selling everything that was deliciously unhealthy so we stocked up on various flavoured fudge, Turkish Delight flavours and colours and honey roasted mixed nuts. I was in snack heaven and sugar overload.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the flood warnings were still in place. We visited the Cathedral. We made a trip to Flag Fen. We filled our waiting time really well. Dave and Carol bussed to the centre from their mooring a day behind us and we met them at Argo Lounge for lunch and drinks. Even Dave and Lynda visited us with supplies from the marina. Our must leave by Sunday was getting closer and tighter. What were we to do? We made a decision. We were going to make a run for it on Sunday. Flood warning, or no flood warning. We hoped the water levels weren’t too high and we took everything off the cabin top that we could to ensure we had the best chance of getting under the bridges.
Loaded with provisions and itchy feet to get to where we wanted to be we were off.
Wansford, ready or not, here we come.