Day 20: moored at Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard has space for only three boats our size on the 7-day visitor moorings (there are spaces for a 2-hour stop for shopping - fortunately we squeezed in. The other side of the hedge is a large Tesco, an Aldi and there's a laundrette within 10 minutes' walk - this might sound terribly functional, but it's just what we need! And the towpath, whilst busy is quiet and seems safe. We're staying for a whole day, so we can catch up with chores, see the town and have an engineer examine the troublesome stern gland, which is still leaking despite our attempts to adjust it.

Seeing the town - the Fly Past sculpture, which includes a replica of the Vickers Vimy aeroplane propellor. The aircraft was built near to where Tesco is now and was flown by Alcock and Brown in the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in 1919.
 
Around the base of the sculpture, the different names of Leighton - in 1644 it was Leighton Beaudesert. Denis says that after a few drinks, it would be easy to slur one's pronunciation, hence Buzzard

The house where Mary Norton (1903 - 92), author of 'The Borrowers' grew up - the blue plaque is just visible. One of Jan's favourite books as a child and a work of great imagination, about tiny people living under the floorboards and 'borrowing' and repurposing items from the house's inhabitants. There's an element of precariousness about their existence, since they mustn't be detected. The telephone kiosks have been carefully positioned, like sentries!

The Borrowers - a story of tiny people who live under the floorboards

The High Street is lively and has some interesting independent shops and cafes, as well as the usual charity shops and chains. The market has two large fruit and veg stalls, an Italian deli, a bakery selling freshly made focaccia, ciabatta and Italian cakes, a plant stall and numerous others - good to see it so well patronised.  We bought three novels and some chocolate from Oxfam, focaccia and cinamon cakes from the bakery and some pasta and cantuccini from the deli, so we're well stocked up for the journey ahead.

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