Sitting by the town lock, I watch people from the Environmental Agency clearing the debris build up in the main lock. Using a grappling hook and a long pole, they lift out what people have thrown in; a bicycle, Sainsbury trolley, spikes from the building site, cans, aerosols and McDonald's rubbish. With the sluice gate open enough to let out the undertow of water but closed enough to allow the scrapers to hold the garbage upstream, they bring up their finds.
A paddle boarder lifts his board and walks it through to continue upstream whilst a couple lift their canoe through a separate bay to continue down.
How I want to join them; to see the Medway from the middle of the river rather than the bank.
I watch and the men have caught something, slowly pulling it up from its watery grave......intrigued I wait.......its almost like fly fishing only the prey is not alive. They retreat to the van for more tools. Slowly it comes up, a fence post; unused but as they said, enough to interfere with the sluice gates.
Time for me to depart. I'm hungry and in need of lunch.....blimey, no wonder, it's gone 2pm!