Slapton

Up early this morning for a change and straight into a lock one of eighteen which we have done today although  with some help, after the first lock we take on some water and then the canal cuts through the wooded Tring cutting with it spectacular array of trees. Then we pass the entrance to the Wendover arm and we join a hire boat "the long eared owl",with a friendly family crew that are on holiday to share the next seven locks wich are a breeze as the other boat has ten willing hands to help with the locks.

 

The canal now passes through open farmland with views to the Chiltern hills before the views of the Reservoirs that were established to keep up,the water to feed the ever demanding canals come into site.

We pass the villages of Marsworth, Pitstone and Ivinghoe which was the inspiration for Walter Scott's famous novel Ivanhoe and the setting for Scenes for feature films, such as Quatermass 2, Batman Begins and The Dirty Dozen have been shot at Ivinghoe Beacon. Ivinghoe village, meanwhile, once served as a set for the children's TV series ChuckleVision.

Our helpers a big thanks to them .........

back into open farmland again, and then our eighteenth lock at Slapton here we moor up and with not a pub in site, so its a shower, dinner then a relaxing night.

A bit of haunting in Slapton according Wikipanion.

In 1993, an Exorcism was conducted at one of the village's older cottages following reports of a multiple haunting. The occupants at that time had suffered increased and violent poltergeist activity over a 5-year period, ever since moving into The Court, in 1988. The worst reported incident was when an ‘invisible force’ reputedly picked up one of the occupant’s by the neck and held them, suspended, a few feet in the air. It is believed that one of the ghosts was that of former tenant, Jesse Healy, who lived in Horton Road circa 1940. The entity responsible for the violent outbursts was thought to be of demonic origin and it was assumed that someone must have used an Ouija board at the premises prior to the occupants moving there, which ultimately ‘invited’ the evil spirit in. This, however, remains unconfirmed to date. An article published in the Herald & Post, on 25 November 2003, referred to this haunting.

In another old cottage in the village the sounds of children crying can be heard, but with no mortal source. There is also the story of a ghostly apparition in the Churchyard. It is said that the glinting of moonlight off the buckles on a rector's shoes can be seen as he rushes to an ancient affray. This is all that is seen of him. The pub is also believed to have its fair share of spirits! The bar area is believed to be haunted by a monk-like figure who was killed whilst trying to break up a fight. There is also a ghostly woman who lurks in the kitchen until after closing time, which is when she ventures out into the main part of the pub and can be seen wandering around, from outside. The Luton Paranormal Society and the Paranormal Database both list some of the ghostly goings on, on their websites.

 

Someone's poor boat :(

 

Posted with Blogsy