(Another) canal walk

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 Well the time has come - I've reached the last week of my sabbatical, and its time to put down the books, leave the writing up of my reading and research until I am back at work, and prepare myself for the dreaded return to normal work. Actually I think I've worked harder in the last 12 weeks than normal, but its been refreshingly different and has provided a wonderful break from the routine of pastoral ministry.
What to do for the last week? Well tomorrow I'm taking Benji (my BMW bike) to France for a few days, blog and pictures to follow - think I'm going to go and explore some World War One battlefields. But yesterday was an opportunity to do one of my favourite things - a canal walk.
I guess it's partly because they are such peaceful places, and I love water, but also you know the ground will be flat. A perfect place to go and talk to God about life, the universe and everything - and what he wants me to do when I resume work. This is the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union canal near Welford, a really nice waterway running from Leicester to Braunstone junction in Northants.  Only thing missing was my wonderful wife, who I usually share canal walks with. But she was at work, earning money to keep me in my profligate lifestyle.

 Something idyllic about the serenity of the water and the lush green of all the vegetation. The conversation with God? As usual he seemed far more interested in my relationship with him than in what I do for a job - so we mainly talked about that. Pleased to say I think he still loves me. I know that sounds as if I am talking to an imaginary friend, and I do sometimes wonder, but most of the time I think it's real enough. And today I think I learned one or two important lessons. The sort of stuff you can't learn until you're ready to hear it. Anyway - five miles of canal complete and A14 ( a really busy road like a motorway) reached, it was time to head away from the canal to make a circular walk.

 Anyway - enough religious stuff. This was part of an amazing complex of buildings, but attracted my attention because of the reverse symmetry of the two houses. Wanted to walk up the driveway for a closer look but it seems the sort of place with high security where they would probably not be too keen on scruffy individuals wandering around. But positively the landowners keep the footpaths across their land in immaculate condition - not always the case.

Into Welford - and some really nice buildings of great character

 I loved this - one of a number of thatched houses in Welford, and immaculately kept.

 I'm into chapels at the minute - this is Welford Congregational Church, built according to the plate above the main door in 1793. This was a really interesting era in English church history when all sorts of things were happening. It wouldn't have been called a congregational church then - they were known as "independents". In the 1970's most Congregational churches merged with the Presbyterians to form the United Reformed Church, but about a quarter thumbed their noses, said "Yaboo sucks" and stayed independent. This would be one of those. I love the thing stuck on the roof - I've no idea what it is.

 Anyway back to the canal and Welford marina.I walked back along the Welford arm - a short one and three quarter mile stretch of narrow, winding but very busy waterway which takes you to a dead end where you can park (sorry moor) your boat and enjoy all the delights of Welford, then leave again 10 minutes later. No - sorry Welford - it's a lovely place - more village than town, with the most fantastic village shop from which I bought the best sausage roll (certainly the biggest) I've ever had I think. It was made by Joseph Morris of South Kilworth, a little independent butcher, and I had a wonderful time eating it by the side of the canal..

This one had come rather a long way.

Well tomorrow will be about cross-channel ferries rather than narrowboats, and croissants et baguettes avec fromage et jambon rather than sausage rolls, but France still has quite a tough act to follow.