Doncaster in the evening sun, a first class way to travel, and meeting a commercial boat

Will today be when I catch up at last with blogging about our cruise? I think it might be. I'll break with my usual procedure, and post photos out of chronological order.

This is where we cruised to last night, an excellent town centre secure mooring with water on tap.

I went onto the A19 road bridge over the South Yorkshire Navigation, the River Don and the railway to take the photo in the evening sunshine. Jubilee is on the far right.

But back to what's been happening over the last two or three days. I mentioned that I've been home to attend to post and the garden. To return to the boat I had bought an advance rail ticket from Wymondham (Norfolk) to Kirk Sandall (convenient for Barnby Dun). The cheapest ticket (at £34.00) was First Class. And because the National Rail website took me to the East Coast booking system I ended up paying £33.30 as they seem to apply a 2% discount.

When I read what was waiting for me on the East Coast train (the Peterborough to Doncaster leg) I could hardly wait. But to start with I got on the usual Norwich to Cambridge train, only this time sitting in first class. That was for only two stops, though, as I had to change at Thetford to board the East Midland Trains service from Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street in order to travel to Peterborough. This wasn't so good. The train was busy and there was no first class compartment. The two bike spaces were taken, so I had to fold my bike and squeeze it between a passenger and a suitcase.

But at Peterborough things took a turn for the better. The sun shone warmingly as I waited for the train, the East Coast service to Leeds. I got on with my bike ready-folded and was able to slide it into a luggage space. As soon as I took my seat and the train moved off two attendants appeared offering tea or coffee. Coffee please! This was poured into a proper china mug, and tasted like proper coffee. Then my lunch order was taken. Yes, lunch - and it was all "free"! The macaroni cheese with lumps of "Yorkshire ham" was hot and tasty, followed by a slice of banana cake. Oh, and I forced myself to have an Old Speckled Hen with it (again, nothing more to pay). As I let the food go down I reclined in the seat with The Times (also on the house train). All too soon I had arrived in Doncaster, where I had to change for a Hull-bound train to Kirk Sandall, the first stop. At Doncaster I sought out the first class lounge and helped myself to a tea.

As you can tell, I was dead impressed with East Coast.

Back to yesterday: this was the scene as we approached Doncaster, the Minster dominating the skyline.

The sign welcoming us to the 72 hour mooring was a little hidden by the plants, but it's good that someone (Sandy?) has taken the trouble.

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To bring things up-to-date the following now relates to what we did today. Before setting off we had a look round Doncaster, starting with the Minster. I would have liked to have heard the organ being played - it is one of the finest in the world, apparently.

Our first lock was Doncaster Town Lock. Jubilee looks rather insignificant cowering at the back under the road and rail bridges.

The main event of the day was meeting a proper commercial working boat, Humber Princess, at Conisbrough.

I'm trying to work out the draught gauge by the stem post. If you divide the numbers by ten you seem to get metres; if this is correct then Humber Princess was drawing about 1.8m or about 5' 6". I guess it was returning empty, as there's a lot of freeboard left.

We exchanged cheery waves as we passed.

The most spectacular bridge on this leg was the Conisbrough Viaduct. I believe the railway it carried has now been dismantled.

We tied up for the night in Mexborough, just below Mexborough Top Lock.

A quiet mooring, apart from the occasional trains which pass a couple of hundred yards away. There must be a "W" sign as they all sound their horn. Like last night's chiming clock, I won't hear anything when I've gone to bed.

Time to publish.