On the move again - leaving leicester

View down Leicester's "Mile Straight" on the River Soar.

We spent the morning visiting the large central market to buy some provisions and then to a nearby Tesco for the remainder. Having filled the domestic water tank from the tap helpfully provided at the mooring we left at 12 :45 and moved towards the southern outskirts of the city.  Initally we went along the impressively wide "Mile Straight" which takes the Soar past the centre of Leicester under some ornate road bridges.  This soon reverted back to the fairly narrow tree lined meandering river scenery similar to that we had met further north.

We were lucky to turn up at the first lock, Freeman's Meadow, behind another narrowboat just as the gates opened to allow two boats to leave.  Unfortunately one of the departing boats took a wide path when leaving the lock and got securely stuck some way from the towpath on an evil smelling mudbank.  I was able to position Densie so I could pick up a thrown rope and attempted to use the power of our boat to pull the other one free.  To no avail.  Next strategy was to pass the rope to Denise and others on the bank so they could try.  Eventually they succeded in pulling the boat back off the mudbank and he went on his way.  And we continued ours on going through the subsequent 4 wide locks together with the first boat, which made life easier.

We have moored for the night near the suburb of Aylestone surrounded by trees and fields with some housing visible in the middle distance.

Today: 3 miles, 4 locks, 2 hours 35mins