Red Faces

Tony Collins

On our trip to the Leicester ring in August we arrived at Buckby bottom lock to be met by 10 young ladies very lightly dressed on 'Woodlark', a Gayton boat. They asked us if we would show them how a lock worked, because this was their first trip and first lock. Being a gentleman I couldn't refuse, and anyway I needed a hand with those big gates. I think they thought they were in for an easy ride, but Did and I had other ideas.

We taught them how to use the paddles and to open and close gates, keeping our eye on the steerer who had her mate working the throttle because she was so short she couldn't work both. They soon caught on and we worked well together getting hotter all the time as we worked up the flight, with some of the girls taking off their shirts to keep cool leaving just Bikini tops on. I wasn't complaining and all went well until we reached the top lock when the boat coming out couldn't keep his eyes off the girls and caught me side on! With many apologies from a red-faced helmsman we untangled boats and carried on.

We were staying at the top for the night and it was then that I learnt that the girls were on a hen weekend and were going to turn round and go back to the next pound for the night. They presented us with a bottle of wine for our troubles and then promptly went and chatted up the lock keeper to help them down again. He must have thought it was his birthday.