Today we returned to the magnificent and daunting Caen Hill flight of locks.

Here we see our intrepid crew demonstrating the two main techniques for moving lock gates. Greg uses the frontal approach.

Karen uses the bacon technique.

It’s called the bacon technique because you lean back. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha. It’s really funny if you’re English, honestly.

With almost no other traffic and some help from Canal and River Trust volunteers, we made it up the flight in a bit over four hours. I piloted the boat for the first third of the way up, and Paula took it up the rest.

There is a Kennet and Avon canal museum in Devizes. Apparently, my usual boating garb which includes wearing a waistcoat (US: vest) is traditional, but I have been wearing the wrong kind of belt. Here’s a traditional boatman’s belt, with the “spiderweb” embroidery that is traditional to the cut.

Incidentally, the waistcoat is very useful as it stops your mobile phone slipping out of your shirt pocket and falling in the canal when you are bending over to moor the boat.