Foxton

The London Leckenbys had planned on having a few days in the Lake District to celebrate Josh’s 12th birthday. Their original plan had been to camp high up and do some walking from one of the passes, but the weather forecast put paid to that so they had booked themselves into a campsite in Buttermere. Andrew and I have many a happy memory of staying at The Bridge each Easter when we were young with a group of family friends. From the hotel long walks would be planned. However the weather this hot dry summer meant that the furthest they got to walk was from the campsite to the pub, due to low cloud and heavy rain! So on Saturday they had broken camp and headed to explore Liverpool instead.

I got them to count how many boats were on the visitor moorings in Salthouse Dock. They counted nine narrowboats. These boats must have been there since the breach occurred in early June near bridge 10 which cut Liverpool off from the rest of the network. There have been at least two crossings of the Mersey by several boats to reach the Ship Canal and Ellesmere Port to escape the docks. We reckon we’d have crossed the Mersey by now after managing to see everything in Liverpool if we’d been stuck.

So on Sunday the London Leckenbys came to join us for the night. Their arrival was held up by traffic and a slight misunderstanding between driver and navigator as to our location, they ended up at the big roundabout off the M1 near Crick! But in the end they managed to join us.

We had a walk down the locks just as the Lockies were locking up the flight for the day. They were sorting levels out and letting a lot of water flow between side ponds, presumably carrying on down towards Leicester to help with the levels there.

Our walk back up the hill brought us up past the inclinded plane. A handy model shows you what the site would have looked like in 1900. Josh had been sort of listening until now, being polite. Now he was intrigued as they all were. We explained how it all worked, like two bath tubs that you drove your boat into, one would go down hill as the other went up all with the assistance of an engine. A nice walk which turned out to be the furthest they had managed to walk over their time away.

Birthday presents followed, I actually got to give Josh his birthday presents for the first time since his first birthday, they have usually been abroad.

This was followed by his favourite food Lasagne which I’d made yesterday. All rounded off with birthday cake, what a lot of chocolate!

It looked like Josh had a good evening and he didn’t once get his tablet out to play any games.

They all seemed to be having a good time, what about me?! Those London people are all noisy and take up far too much space. There’s no sofa to snooze on after a hard days playing with friends and my dingding was stranded by them. I was hungry and stuck in the bedroom!

Monday morning all the beds were put away and Tilly (much to my relief) was allowed out. I did wonder if we’d ever see her again! After breakfast the car was packed and we said our goodbyes until next time. It was lovely having them to visit and catch up on everyone’s news. As soon as their car drove off, quiet returned to our lives. One call for Tilly and she came running from a long way down the towpath. Normality had returned.

My model and paints that had been packed away were brought out again and I started to carry on painting. Mick decided to go and gongoozle at the locks leaving me to it.

Just as I was morphing an Amstrong Sidley and a Jaguar car together (as you do) a green boat came past, NB Alchemy. Mike quickly stopped and we managed to have quite a chat, at last we had got to meet. Last week we had just missed each other and our paths have almost crossed several times over the last year. The last couple of months I haven’t managed to keep up with all the blogs I normally follow. Lots of people have been down on the River Nene and Middle Levels this summer, so being busy I have left them all for a major catch up sometime when I have more time. Mike handily puts where they moor as his title so I’d known that they were nearby.

An approaching boat cut our conversation short just as it started to rain.

0 locks, 0 miles, 10 locks looked at, 1 inclined plane, 9 boats left for 10 weeks, 10 weeks free electric, 12 years old, 3 presents, 2 cards, 1 big lasagne, 2 boxes of green sheets, 3 bottles of wine, 1/3rd cake eaten, 2 many people on my boat, 2 much noise! 2 whole days of towpath frolics, 1 empress car, 1 grubberie, 1 blogger met at last.

Welford to Bridge 60, above Foxton

The pump keeping the dry dock empty luckily didn’t keep us awake last night, we’d kept the bedroom window closed on that side. Soon after we were awake boats started to move. Some coming to the winding hole just to turn, others to fill with water. We were beaten by one boat to the tap, but Mick laid out our two hoses to stake our claim in the queue.

A quick tidy up in the galley and then the shopping arrived. We very often get a driver who’s never delivered to a boat before, but this chap was an old hand. He delivers to a couple of boats that are moored in the basin, Yelvertoft and he’s even been to the new marina at North Kilworth. Two things were missing from our shopping, which we’d already been alerted to by email. Birthday cake candles, I found some that would do in the bottom of a drawer, the other thing was our Saturday newspaper! Our shopping had been picked in the early early hours, long before the Saturday papers had arrived. Fortunately there is a shop in Welford where Mick managed to get a copy and some newer looking candles too. Having preburnt candles when you are in your 50 or 60’s isn’t so bad, but on your 12th birthday! I’d have been reported to the authorities for poor Aunt duties.

Once everything was stowed we winded and headed away from the basin. Large signs are on most locks at the moment encouraging boaters to save water. ‘Be prepared to wait’. This is to encourage people to wait if the lock is set against you for a boat coming the other way so as not to waste a lock of water setting it in your favour. However the Welford Arm was originally built as a feeder to the summit pound, bringing water from the nearby reservoirs. Welford lock was set against us, but as water was flowing over the bywash we didn’t feel the need to wait for a boat coming up to fill the lock for us. The bywash carried on flowing as the lock filled so we weren’t lowering the pound above either, just helping the water on it’s way.

At the junction we turned right heading towards Foxton. North Kilworth Marina still looks very much a building site, plenty of landscaping to go on and the marina buildings are only partly clad. Harry the Heron was taking advantage of the new entrance as a good vantage point for his fishing.

I was glad that NB Paddington Bear was still at the wharf as we passed.

Then on to Husband Bosworth Tunnel. We could make out another boat, but they were heading away from us. Staying within the profile of their boat seemed to be an alien thing to them as we could see arms reaching for the roof. With our big torch pointing up at the roof at the back we get to see alsorts. Today we got to see a couple of giant insects running across the roof, it was quite disconcerting.

We’d been gaining on the other boat, but once through they sped up and disappeared into the distance. With cooking to do I came below and had just turned the gas on when Oleanna went into reverse. We’d slowed right down, we were stopping. It was a bit too soon for our planned lunch stop. Looking out of the hatch I could see the reason why, our path was blocked. NB Queen Bee had slipped it’s moorings and was right across the cut, no getting past. With gas turned off in the galley I held onto Oleanna as Mick used our boat hook to pull the boat back to the side. Their mooring spikes, luckily those with rings, still attached to the ropes, so easy to hammer them back in. Had the boat been poorly moored or had the boat ahead of us gone by at such a lick that the pins had pulled out?

After a short break for lunch we pushed on to Bridge 60, mooring before the visitor moorings at the top of Foxton Locks. Close to here is a long stay car park which will be handy for the London Leckenbys tomorrow. We may spend the afternoon being gongoozlers at the locks, who knows. But one thing is for sure Josh has the most chocolatiest chocolate cake I’ve ever made ready to celebrate his 12th birthday.

1 lock, 8.69 miles, 1 wind, 1 right, 1 tunnel, 0 newspaper, 8 used candles, 20 new candles, 1 newspaper, 1 rescued boat, 3 hours freedom, 2 layered gf chocolate fudge cake, 16 gf boat biscuits, 1 vat of ragu sauce ready for tomorrow, 4 groundrows painted.

https://goo.gl/maps/nQNMCki3TvE2

Houdini’s Field to Crick to Welford Wharf

A couple of days ago we had placed an order with Shoes for Crews for some new shoes.  They make work wear shoes with very good grippy soles which are great for wet surfaces. The other good thing about them is that Mick’s feet don’t manage to burrow their way out of them within six months which is a rarity as he wears them every day all day. Yesterday we’d had notification that they had arrived at Crick Post Office, the parcel was likely to be quite large so we wanted to pick it up sooner rather than later. So as soon as breakfast was packed away we pootled the half mile to bridge 28 to wind so that we could return to Crick.

I was on mooring duties only today, trying to get a second good days model painting under my belt. If the set I was designing was a house or something a little bit abstract say then I’d have long finished painting the model, but this just seems to be taking forever! It doesn’t help when I change my mind about what colour to paint things. Slowly and steadily I’ll get it done, I’m quite pleased with the pieces I’ve finished, there just needs to be more of them!

Mick pootled us back to Crick, waving as we passed Lillian at Yelvertoft. The space nearest to the bridge was free so we tied up and Mick headed to the Post Office for our shoes and some locally grown beans for our evening meal. A little early for lunch, but as we were stopped it made sense before we winded and headed back the way we’d come. We’ll be back next week as there will be a yarn order arriving for a custom order from my Etsy shop, shame the lady hadn’t got in touch a day earlier as more than likely it would have arrived by today.

A boat was just turning out of the marina main entrance as we wanted to reverse up to the nearest one to us to wind, so we waited for it to slowly come past. This gave me chance to see if I could spot NB Blackbird sitting in the ABNB pool outside the office. She was just visible behind a couple of other boats, her bow button fender and pram cover giving her location away. When the way was clear we reversed and winded and were on our way again.

The afternoon passed quickly along the summit pound. Plenty of moored boats to slow for and plenty going the opposite way. Passing moving boats makes Oleanna list quite badly in shallow water. Mick slows us down but others on their lighter boats keep moving at speed, I don’t think they realise just what effect this has on deeper droughted boats. One chap had a breaking wash as he passed us, causing a five drawer moment and I picked up my water pot as a precautionary measure.

As we rounded one bend Mick opened up the rear hatch and told me to take a look out of the side. Fixed to a roof of a boat were two scaff poles which both had guide ropes, suspended between them was a very large hammock with a chap laying in it. It looked rather comfy, but a bit of a contraption to set up, bet they don’t move everyday.

Keeping an eye on our trip computer I counted down the bridges to Welford Junction. A boat coming the other way just beat us to the junction and turned up towards Welford where a mile further up the lock sat empty waiting for them. I hopped off and helped them through, the lady staying to lend a hand with the gates for us, chance for a chat. They are killing time until they can move onto their mooring in North Kilworth Marina, which is still going to open soon (this has been the case for years!). Apparently they booked their space over a year ago and were told that the marina would be open late last year, the latest date is September this year. However there are still not many pontoons with electric to them. I got the feeling that by Sunday there would be one more pontoon powered up just for them.

They elected to wind and moor near the lock whereas we carried on. Our memory was hazy as to whether there was space to wind at the end, we could remember facing the way we’d come, but not where we’d winded last time. Nicholsons shows one winding hole before the basin, but Waterways Routes shows the one at the end by the water point and pub as well. The two spaces right by the pub were taken, but we got the nearest mooring by the winding hole which will do us for a delivery in the morning (we have a birthday to cater for over the weekend).

1 lock, 17.32 miles, 2 winds, 1 reverse, 1 right,1 big parcel, 2 pairs new shoes, 2 pairs to be thrown away to make space, 500 grams beans,1 Grubberie backing, 2 tables, 4 chairs, 1 gin palace finished, 2.5 hours nowhere near as good as yesterday.

https://goo.gl/maps/Q7CqkjyBSrA2

Cracks Hill to Crick to Tilly’s Houdini’s Field

The last few days the weather has returned to normal English Summer. Overcast and at times rainy, thank goodness, I have to say I prefer the lower temperatures.

I’ve been working most days, gradually working my way through a box of set pieces. The box contents still seem very pale, there’s a lot more painting still to do.

On Saturday evening we were glad that we’d moved out of the village. Lots of gazebos had been set up at the marina and we guessed that it might be the moorers summer barbecue. It was, even with the constant downpour it sounded like everyone was having a jolly good time. Our mooring was half a mile away, but we could still join in and sing along with the music.

Sunday evening we met up with Lizzie and Gary, heading to The Wheatsheaf for a meal. Their Sunday roasts are meant to be good, but sadly as it was the end of a busy day there was only one left. Lizzie and I opted for the nearest thing on the menu, Belly Pork whilst the boys had beef fajitas and gammon and chips. All very nice finished off with puddings all round. There was lots to catch up on as it’s only a few weeks since Lizzie and Gary returned from a two week cruise up the Thames on NB Panda. They had moved her over to Cropredy in advance of their trip and had planned on leaving her there on their way back for a few weeks, but because of low water levels they legged it all the way back to Crick instead and got Panda back on her mooring. Quite a few long hot days.

It just so happens that our friends Bridget and Storm were arriving on NB Blackbird this week. One of those coincidences that was meant to happen. On Monday afternoon the curly ears of a familiar black springer spaniel appeared in our side hatch Bridget followed soon afterwards. They had arrived in the village during the day and were moored towards the tunnel where mobile signal is very poor if any, so she’d decided to walk Max over Cracks Hill to find us. Plans for a meal out at The Moorings were made for Tuesday.

So on Tuesday morning we winded and returned towards the village mooring quite near the main entrance to Crick marina, this gives Tilly plenty of space to explore not too close to the busy road bridge. There were parcels to pick up from the post office and a bit of shopping needed. At the water point a familiar green boat was moored, NB Alchemy. Neil Stuttle was busy working away on the bow, but we couldn’t see anyone else to say hello to.

In the evening we walked down to meet up with Bridget and Storm. Crick feels like home to us all, a familiar friendly place we have all got to know through the years. Mick and I started off our journey four years ago here and when we pulled out of the marina on NB Lillyanne (Lillian), NB Blackbird was waiting for us, this is when The Wasp was formed. So it was only right that we were here for their last night on board Blackbird. We had a nice meal at the Moorings. Have to say that Mick and I remembered the menu being more extensive than it was and they do not cater for those with food allergies, a little disappointing. Having said that what we had was very nice and we had a lovely evening, finished off with a couple more glasses of wine on Oleanna.

On a previous occasion there was mention of doing the Ribble Link together, which happened last summer. On this occasion there was mention of exploring the Irish Waterways, I think that after our fourth glass of wine we agreed! So watch this space.

This morning we walked down the towpath to say our final farewell to NB Blackbird. Bridget and Storm were pulling her along towards the water point but had just been beaten to it by boats coming from the tunnel. Time for one last photo before they emptied their belongings into their car and handed the keys over to ABNB for her to go on brokerage. Big hugs all round, a sad day. Their next adventure is already on the horizon in the form of a maroon motorcaravan. So we’ll be expecting those black curly ears to pop through the side hatch again, they will have just arrived by road not by water next time.

A parcel hadn’t arrived at the post office, so we shall have to return in the next couple of days. We reversed back past the marina entrance and then pulled in to fill the diesel tank. Since we were last here there is a new Harbour Master, we’d met him at Cropredy a couple of years ago. A very jolly chap who has brightened the marina back up after a year of it being in the doldrums. It was nice to see Him and Her in the office even if the diesel was a touch on the dear side.

In the past we would have waited for a lull in the wind across the marina (we’ve met all sorts of people when Lillian got blown the full length of the marina!) but today with bow thrusters reversing and turning out was easy. We then turned northwards and headed towards Yelvertoft.

Passing Yelvertoft Marina we kept our eyes peeled. We needn’t have really because very soon we could see Lillian glowing on her mooring. Minus her pram cover she looked in good order from what we could see. Wouldn’t it be funny if once NB Blackbird is sold she ends up mooring at Yelvertoft next to Lillian, the owners wouldn’t know their past.

There was a boat loitering in a bridge hole, they kept looking over their shoulders and then at us. What had they lost? As we got closer they moved towards us and warned us that we’d be coming across three boats. The front boat was towing the second which had broken down. This was then attached to a third boat which they were using as a break when needed. Luckily we’d got through the bridge before they came round a bend and we managed to hold back for them to pass.

A short distance on was our chosen mooring for the day. Houdini’s Field. As soon as the trip computer was off the doors were opened and Tilly and I went to have a look at the field. The crop had recently been harvested leaving the golden stubble. Tilly had a good shout at it all.

It is great here! Trees, sideways trees, friendly cover, someone though had stolen the tall grass that was here last time. That was fun I could pounce around to my hearts content, jumping high enough just to clear the grass before landing on top of an unsuspecting friend. The grass was short and spiky, but it did mean I could see any friends much easier.

There was a really good boat too. It had a low roof and was all made of wood, very handy for sharpening my claws. I think it should be Tilly’s field, but she won’t change it’s name!

0 locks, 5.3 miles, 1 wind, 2 reverses, 1 left, 3 rights, 2 meals out, 1 cottage, 1 final bye bye to Blackbird, 54 litres, 2 parcels, 1 still not arrived, 1 empty gas bottle, 4 days of part time work, 3 boats all in a line, 1 favourite mooring, 1 name not changing, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZHdaH5GZZUD2

Welton Hythe to Cracks Hill

We pushed of at around 10am today, there was a newspaper to get, we couldn’t dawdle. This is the first time we’ve have been here in August and despite the recent dry weather the whole of the surroundings to the canal are so fat and green. Along one stretch there are quite sizable trees growing between the path on the towpath and the cut, you’d be hard pressed if you had to bow haul your boat along here. The closed Thai Restaurant is almost invisible behind all the growth in the garden and the very weepy willow trees. It’s normally a sad sight.

One boat had come past us this morning so we hoped there wouldn’t be too much of a queue when we reached Watford and we were pleasantly surprised at being the only boat. With a walkie talkie in hand I walked up the flight reaching the staircase before I met a volunteer lockie to book in. He said we could start our way up as we’d be following the boat he was with. Had we been through before? They always ask this, yes we think it’s our 17th time. I radioed down to Mick and he started to set the bottom lock. As it was ready for us a boat appeared behind us and the chap walked up the flight to book himself in.

We worked through the bottom two locks as one of the lockies emptied the bottom chamber of the staircase, open gates awaited us.

Chatting to the chaps they made sure we were aware that both Watford and Foxton will be closed overnight from Monday to help with levels. Apparently there are still problems with water levels down towards Leicester, when we came through last year there were chaps letting water down all the time and that was before the several dry months of this summer! The Lockie today told me that they have to run water down from Foxton every night to cope with the falling levels below. He said that they pump water up from the river at Stoke Bruern, then water is pumped up the flight at Long Buckby followed by being pumped up at Watford. Of course during the day all the pumped water gets used by boats travelling up and down the flights of locks, so restricting passages means the pumps can work to raise levels when the locks are closed. That’s 40 miles from the river to the bottom of Foxton and another 7.5 miles to where the chaps were letting water down last year.

Our passage up was easy and by the time we were almost up the top of the staircase boats were arriving to come down, a line of three by the time they got started. We pulled over to fill the water tank and I helped myself to some Tarragon and Sage being grown alongside the top lock in sinks. A very healthy herb garden.

In the hut at the top Mick found some old instructions on how to use the locks. Blimey! So glad it’s colour coded now.

Onwards to Crick Tunnel where we donned our waterproofs. As the bow entered the tunnel we could see that the light must have been nudged since yesterday, it was pointing to port and would blind any on coming boat. Nothing for it but to adjust it, I passed through the cabin and swivelled it to starboard before we carried on.

Mick thought the rain from yesterday wouldn’t have percolated through to the tunnel yet, but I was certain that the north end would be wet, it always is. I was correct, glad we’d warned a new boat owner to put his coat on before he got there. Part way through we could hear shouting from inside. Tilly wasn’t happy, Not happy?! I was NOT happy at ALL!! She is normally alright going through tunnels as the cabin lights are on, but for some reason she spent the next fifteen minutes shouting either out of the bathroom window or at the back door. Nothing much we could do other than get through to the other end and hope she’d calm down.

Back in the sunshine the noise from inside disapated and we made our way to moor opposite the marina. We decided to keep Tilly in for a while to help her calm down, I was calm now, the outside had got light again. But no matter how many head nudges and licks I gave her she wasn’t going to let me out. So not fare, Tom got to go out!

Mick cycled to the Post Office and checked they do Post Restante, which they do for any parcels we might want. But they didn’t have our newspaper, so he carried on to the Co-op where he succeeded. After lunch we decided to go a little bit further and see if the mooring at Cracks Hill was free. Here there is better internet and phone signal than back near the village along with rings to tie to. Contact has been made with our friend Lizzie and plans are afoot to meet up. We may also meet up with other friends whilst we’re in the area too, but now we have reached the long pound I have to knuckle down to work again.

7 locks, 4 of which are a staircase, 1 tunnel passing 1 with 0 mysterons, 7 day old boat owner, 1 tunnel light refocus, 2 moorings, 2nd shop lucky, 1 clean pooh box, 1 full water tank, 2 lots of herbs, 17th time through Watford, 1 calmed down cat, 1 better bell, 4 hours at last!

https://goo.gl/maps/wUhkWu8fmBo

Dunchurch Pools to Welton Hythe Marina

The temperature certainly has dropped and we woke to rain, constant rain. This is good as even more of the system is going onto night closures in the next week and now the eastern end of the Leeds Liverpool Canal is due to close, leaving the twenty mile long pound at Skipton lock bound for the foreseeable future. So any rain is good. We literally dusted off our waterproofs tops and bottoms and pushed off to cruise the three miles to Braunston.

A farmer rounded up his sheep as Swallows had a great feast under trees on the canal bank.  They swooped and dived and swerved to avoid Oleanna as we passed.

The first glimpse of Braunston spire (BANGERS!), we were nearly there. Our hope had been that arriving in the morning we’d find a mooring easily. Braunston is a popular place, the start of the Grand Union heading south to London and the Thames, the south Oxford heading to Oxford and the Thames, routes to the River Soar and Leicester, towards Hatton Locks to Warwick Leamington Spa and Birmingham. Because of this there are a lot of marinas in the area, therefore lots of boats.

We were lucky as we pulled round the bends to find the customer mooring at Midland Chandlers free right opposite Braunston Turn. Here the two arched bridges span the junction towards the South Oxford and very pretty they are too. Midland Chandlers didn’t have a Vetus fuse for our bow thruster. It hasn’t blown again, it’s worked fine since Finesse put a new fuse in, we just want to have a spare at hand. So we disposed of our rubbish mountain and then found a mooring.

We walked up into the village past the church the day was starting to dry out now and I slightly regretted leaving on my waterproof trousers, gradually getting sweaty knees. There are a lot of properties for sale in the village, The Shambles being the prettiest and most expensive at £750,000.

First port of call the butchers for some bangers. Several other things also went into our shopping bag including a caramelised onion pork pie, some burgers, a couple of pork steaks and some veg. The freezer would be slightly fuller and all we should really need for a couple of weeks is bread milk and fresh fruit and veg.

Then we headed to the bottom lock to Wharf House Chandlers. They didn’t have the fuse we were after either but did have a filter and some new fender hooks as we’ve broken a couple recently. Time for lunch and then make our minds up whether to cruise on today or not. The weather reports suggested that there would be more rain this afternoon, but not until 4pm, so enough time to get up Braunston Locks. The cratch was rolled up ready, waterproofs close to hand should we need them and we pushed off.

The bottom lock was full, so we decided to wait for another boat to either come down or for a boat to join us to go up, doing our bit to save water. A boat appeared behind us and kept coming towards the lock, I walked up and zoomed my camera to the next lock and could see bottoms sitting on the back of a couple of boats, we were following. So I set the lock for us and NB Ottawa who had four on board so plenty of crew to get us up the flight. It was sunny and warm, no need for jumpers now. Well until a very big black cloud made it’s way towards us, it was only 3pm.

Drops of rain, we were following four boats up. The waterproofs were handed out and I’d head on up to the next lock to set it for us. I think it was about lock 3 that the heavens really opened up, rumbles of thunder, fork lightening on the hills. Mick even lifted up the pram cover for a bit of shelter. No matter what clothing you were wearing you were going to get soaked. Up ahead there was a hire boat sitting in a lock, water pouring over the bottom gates. I popped up to see if they were okay, they were waiting for another boat to join them from the lock above. Wise, except that boat was already sharing so a full locks worth of water headed over the bywash and the gates as they waited to be joined, the other boat then had to wait their turn. By the time we reached the fifth lock everyone was soaked, but in good spirits and the sun came back out and made everything steam.

We kept our coats on and headed into the tunnel. We thought there were two boats heading our way, but only passed one, the other one was either a kid with a torch or it vaporised before we met it. Luckily we passed north of the big kink so no new scrapes on the gunnels. As we emerged from the dark the sun was streaming down through the tree cover. Works are on going near Norton Junction with a long length of armco going in, so no mooring there yet. We turned left and made our way to Welton Hythe, passing NB Happy Daze (another boat who won’t recognise us now) with a very colourful bow. Our usual mooring opposite the marina was free so we pulled in a tied up for the day.

Waterproofs were nearly dry but shoes most certainly weren’t, meaning very soggy socks. Once a warming shower had been had I popped some nice cosy socks on. The lamb steaks I’d planned to barbecue went in the oven with some roasted new potatoes, helping to warm up the boat and put us off lighting the stove.

6 locks, 1 straight on, 1 left, 1 tunnel passing 1 with 2 mysterons, 1 wet morning, 1 torrential downpour, 8 Braunston Bangers, 2 pork steaks, 1 ring black pudding, 2 burgers, 1 pork pie, 10 new potatoes, 4 carrots, 2 pints milk, 2 fender hangers, 1 filter, 0 fuse, 2 hours curtailed, 1 cat home and locked in by 7pm!

https://goo.gl/maps/wsJ1Jjpv9rB2

Newbold to Bridge 68 to Dunchurch Pools Marina

Tuesday we stayed put hiding from the sun under our tree canopy. My model pieces came out from the cupboard and I started to work on the smaller details of some of the elements and traced out a section of the set to see what colours would be good. Tilly explored when she had the energy to move and Mick sat out on the towpath trying to sort out one of his pensions, they’d lost a form then found it but then lost a birth certificate! Luckily it was only a copy, another copy printed off and popped in the post, fingers crossed they don’t loose it this time.

In the afternoon we had a walk down into Newbold to the shops. The Barley Mow had an interesting bouncy castle in the garden, a dog playing dead. A visit to the Co-op for an onion, milk and some chilled medication, nothing special but still worth having on what turned out to be the last very hot day. In the evening we finished off emptying the freezer with a sausage slop for tea. Only a couple of crusts of gluten free bread and some coffee remained, so it was turned off, lid removed so it could warm up and defrost over night.

Wednesday and the freezer was cleaned out thoroughly, how does cat hair get in there Tilly? After breakfast we pootled onwards to Brownsover to find a mooring to be able to go shopping. Four heavy bags came back from Tescos with us, I wondered if we’d over done it on things for the freezer (not everything was destined for the small box under the dinette, some wine might have sneaked in there too!). As Mick moved us over to the water point I repackaged the things that were to be frozen. I chicken jointed, mince, turkey steaks and salmon repacked into meal portions, bread, the freezer gradually filled up leaving enough room for some purchases from Braunston Butchers.

With the chores of water and yellow water done we pootled out of town. We paused at the nearest mooring to the station for lunch, this may be handy for my next meeting at Chipping Norton and then carried on a little bit further. The works on the new housing estate seem to involve a lot of mounds of sand and the works seem to stretch from Brownsover all the way to Hillmorton. A new bridge is being built over the canal and the foundations on one side look like they are in.  We passed quite a few boats moored up and then found a stretch of Arnco for ourselves, managing to pull in out of the almost constant flow of traffic.

Yesterday we’d been passed by Riverknits whom I follow on Instagram, I’d been busy rummaging for something as they passed, so Becci had sent a message to say if we passed them to come and say hello. I could see what I thought was her boat up ahead so took Tilly for a walk to see if it was them. I like going for walks with her usually, trotting along in front having chance to sniff things as I go by. There was a big bridge which needed a slight detour to check out but then I rejoined her. She didn’t go that far before she stopped at a boat and started to talk to a lady, this was boring, so I popped through the hedge to find immaculate grass with those funny little holes that my arms fit down. My afternoon was sorted.

It was very obviously Becci’s boat, inside there were shelves and shelves filled with of skeins of different coloured yarn and a small notice in the window. Having followed each other for a few months, me being jealous of her having got the good spot at Tixall Wide twice this year had kicked off conversations. We had a long chat about boats and yarn. I was invited in to have a look at the new yarns she is working on at the moment. Black Faced Leicester DK in some wonderful colours, all very tempting, but luckily she wasn’t willing to let any go yet as they are for a collaboration with someone. I’ll be keeping an eye on her website for when she adds them as they were lovely. She and her partner hand dye the yarn on their boat in big pans, once it is rinsed and ready to dry it is hung out on large hooks from their grabrail. Some of her dyed yarns are named after places on the canal, Hillmorton and a popular one is Idle Women.  It was nice to meet, our paths may cross again, hopefully when my panto model is off the boat and I’ve been paid.

Today we waited for a gap again in the constant flow of boats passing us before we could push out. Passing Becci’s boat she was occupied adding colours to her next batch of yarn a deep indigo blue, more skeins hanging out drying.

A mile ahead was Hillmorton locks, one of which is the busiest lock on the network. Today certainly wasn’t going to be an exception. We expected to join a queue, but only had to slow our pace a bit before one of the paired locks was in our favour. Two volunteers manned the bottom locks and we were soon up and on our way to the next one. A brief wait here where a single hander looked like he was about to jump infront of us but he just ended up being in the way for a boat coming down hill.

Above at the last lock one boat impatiently refilled a lock instead of waiting for the next boat heading up, so nearly 100% efficient use of the locks. These locks are now being locked overnight to help the back pumps restore levels for the next day. It looked like the pumps were on full time anyway  with a flow entering the cut above the flight.

On we pootled. Boats coming towards us all the time. Along Barby Straight you could see at least three boats in both directions slowing to pass all the online moorings. The tree house we’d spotted a couple of years ago has gone and so has the old Ambulance that has been a landmark to us since we first came along this stretch. One of the rather nice moorings had a For Sale sign, wonder how much these go for with their gardens.

Under the M45 we came across C&RT staff working on the towpath. In parts the path has been eaten away by the canal making it very narrow. Here the chaps were adding wooden poles and filling behind them with the hessian sausages that help wild life and hopefully stop bank erosion.

We passed fellow Scarborian boaters on NB Bessie Surtees and then between Bridges 80 and 81 there was plenty of space for us to pull in for the day. Tilly was given 6 hours of shore leave and off she went. Lunch followed by an afternoon of work for me whilst numerous boats came past, others moored up leaving git gaps making us look like we were at fault.

I’d been getting bored of red for a while, it is so last year! For a cat to be up to date with fashions I have to go to quite long lengths. Today I saw an opportunity and took it. The sideways trees here have had a mesh fence added to them which is quite hard to climb, but the sideways trees are dense and climbable. When I reached the same height as the top of the fence I noticed that it had prongs, this was going to be very handy. Being a cat and not having opposable thumbs means that unless I can make my collar ping with my mouth then it won’t come undone. My latest collar wasn’t a pingable one (believe me I’ve tried), but it stretches instead. I took a risk that she had fitted it correctly and I managed to loop it over the fence, I then carefully lowered myself to a lower branch. Brilliant it slipped off like a dream Fantastic! It’s quite liberating not having a collar on, this usually only happens when she puts that horrid stuff on my neck saying ‘It’s for your own good’ Pah!!

Feeling a touch hungry I headed home. Whilst calmly munching away at my biscuits there was a rush to close the doors. After much rumaging around in the cat proof cupboard she produced a new pristine clean collar in a rather fetching shade of dusty blue. That will do nicely I thought. But they will insist on adding a cat tag and dinging the bell lots. Apparently it didn’t sound like me, neither did the spare one in the pot. Tilly Too had to donate her bell to me as this was from an Easter Bunny like my previous one. I sat patiently whilst I had several collar fittings, the bell on the wrong side, a different bell, cat tag etc. Then when she was happy the back door was opened back up and I was given an hour. An hour! I had to parade along as many cat walks as possible to show off my new collar to other boaters I was going to take my time.

She did take her time, far too much of it! She was out through a thunder storm, ignored being called several times. We watch TV for an hour, then another hour, it was dark, her litter tray went out the back. Another walk along the towpath with the big torch in hand and still no sign. Where was she? At about 11pm she nonchalantly walked in the back and stuck her head in her food bowl. The bell on her collar must have been a substandard Bunny bell as it wasn’t making the right noise anymore, it was far too quiet. New tags have been ordered, now we need to find a better bell and a spare collar for the next time.

3 locks, 7.64 miles, 1 new bridge in the making, 1 empty wee tank, 0 boats at Clifton Cruisers, 12 skeins of wool, 10 degrees temperature drop, 1 thunder storm, 2 sunsets, 1 walk being deserted, 0 ambulance, 2 Scarborians, 1 marina more than it was, 2 collars, 2 tags, 0 spares, 4 ordered, 7 cat walks, 18 jealous people, 1 collar hanging on the fence at Dunchurch Pools (possibly!), 2 boaters relieved to still have a cat even if she doesn’t sound right.

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Power Station Footbridge to Hungerfield Bridge

Saturday morning, newspaper time. Google maps had been studied and Mick reckoned he might have some luck not too far away. Luckily he headed off with a bike as he had no luck and had to go further afield. After three shops and still no luck he had to resort to heading to the big Tescos back towards Coventry where our chosen weekly read sat waiting in abundance.

Back at the boat Tilly and I kept a close eye on the new grass cutter, have to say it was doing a good job. When it ventured further away it looked like it was auditioning for a Timotei advert.

They took their time! They had to have their second dingding before pushing off because the morning had taken soooo long. All this was eating into my shore leave just so that they could eat, very inconsiderate.

The sun was out again, yesterday under cloudy skies I’d managed to go a little bit pink, so sun cream was needed. Aim for todays cruise was to find somewhere for a barbecue, maybe some shade and hopefully not alongside the M6 or the railway. This being the Oxford Canal we were maybe hoping for too much.

Once we spotted a gap in the passing boats we pushed off meandering our way southwards. The Oxford Canal is one of the earliest built. James Brindley was appointed as engineer and built a 91 mile long contour canal between Longford (Coventry Canal) to the Thames through Oxford, the full canal opening in 1790 after his death. Its meandering ways were soon considered outdated and inefficient, The Grand Junction Canal  opened up and became a shorter route between London and Birmingham. Something needed to be done to keep the Oxford Canal going. In the late 1820’s the company decided to modernise the northern part of the navigation. Major engineering works began which substantially changed the route the canal took. Aqueducts, embankments and cuttings shortened the route between the Coventry Canal and Braunston by some 14 miles. The new route worked and stopped trade from going elsewhere, dividends were kept high and a respectable profit was still shown into the 20th Century despite the railway.

As you can see on a small extract from the Waterways Routes map the new route is far straighter. This is likely to save us 3 to 4 hours cruising to Braunston.

There are still quite a few bends which meant that the boat ahead of us kept coming and going into our view. At times the canal is narrow, other times it is just overgrown. The chap ahead seemed to be doing his best to widen the channel, zigzagging from side to side. Every now and then he’d come across a boat coming the other way which meant he had to concentrate, somehow two boats squeezing through where we’d have waited.

Having travelled this stretch several times before we know how hard it is to get into the sides (the angled stone bed making this hard) and the towpath tends to be narrow at best, so we kept our eyes peeled for any chance of a mooring. But possibilities were few and far between, the railway hugging the canal for some miles and most moorings full.

After six and a half miles we reached Stretton, the boat ahead of us had gone straight through the small swing bridge at the boat yard and left it for us to close. We were now being followed too, but they were too far away for us to leave the bridge open. I hopped off and swung it closed. A lady from a moored boat walked up and whilst her husband untied the boat she swung it open, we wondered who’d get there first the boat following us or the one about to pull out. Whilst we pootled away and waited to see who’d win the lady had to close and open the bridge a couple more times to let people across. We rounded a bend and never got to see who had to wait.

Through the wooded cutting in the cool, if only we could have moored there. The long stretch of moorings before All Oaks Wood were full so we carried on through the tree cover and out the other side, round the bend and there was space where we’d moored last year opposite the farm. We’d had difficulty finding a deep enough length for us last time, but that was before we had some ballast removed. A lady said that the bottom was a bit lumpy and we might have difficulty, but we pulled in with ease this time. Sadly the towpath was too narrow too get the barbecue and chairs out, so the grill had to suffice for our kebabs and sweetcorn.

I’ve been here before. It’s good here, a big field to run around in, sideways trees right by my boat, other boats (not that I went on any, honest!) and a little distance away some good trees. When she called me home for my dingding it took quite a while for me to get back, the trees had called to me, I had no option but to climb them.

0 locks, 8.2 miles, 4 miles saved at least, 4th shop, 1 towpath mowing horse, 1 pointless woodpile, 1 zigzagging boat, 2 much growth, 0 moorings free, 1 unswung bridge, 1 mooring with a view, 1 happy cat, 1 indoor cooked bbq, 1 freezer nearly empty.

https://goo.gl/maps/3d8Z3fESWP22

Coventry Basin to Power Station Footbridge, Oxford Canal

Having only achieved a visit to the Transport Museum yesterday it was a good job we’d moved over onto a 7 day mooring as we still wanted to visit the Cathedrals.

Coventry has had three Cathedrals in the last 1000 years. The 12th Century Priory Church of St Mary, the Medieval Parish Church Cathedral of St Michael and the modern Coventry Cathedral. The first is a ruin which had been left to decay following the dissolution of the monasteries.

By 1918 the diocese of Coventry was created and the Parish Church of St Michael was designated as it’s cathedral. The medieval church served the area well for 22 years until on 14th November 1940 it was bombarded by several incendiary devises and burnt along with the city.

The morning after the cathedral was burnt the decision was made to rebuild it, not an act of defiance but one of hope for the future of the world. The ruins would remain as a reminder of the follies of war. A competition was held to design the new cathedral, out of 200 entrants Basil Spence was the only entrant to have kept the ruins and linked them to the new modern building with a high porch.

The new cathedral is a vast contrast to what had been before, a modern building decorated with modern works of art.

The Great West window looks out towards the ruins and inwards towards the nave, large angels and saint figures swoop and play instruments etched into the large glass wall (John Hutton).

John Piper designed the bowed Baptistry Window which consists of 195 panes in an abstract design filled with colour (made by Patrick Reyntiens). This grabs your attention as you walk in with coloured light flooding through.

The zigzag walls towards the nave house more stained glass (Lawrence Lee, Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke) all directing their rays towards the alter.

The choir stalls hover like flocks of birds designed by Spence leading you towards the huge tapestry that covers the east wall of the Lady Chapel designed by Graham Sutherland, this tapestry took 3 years to weave. A wonderful building soaring upwards and filled with colour and wonderful works of art.

The art gallery can wait till we visit next time, but I needed some artist materials. We headed to a shop in the university complex which I’d checked would be open during the holidays, for some reason today they weren’t open! I tried other shops in the city centre hoping that they would have what I wanted, but one shade of paint was not available. Only one thing for it Hobbycraft outside the ring road getting on for a mile from the canal basin. Mick headed back to Oleanna to get a few chores done whilst I dipped under the ring road.

Hobbycraft came up trumps, better still they had some squeezy pouches of paint at half price, so instead of picking a blue and hoping it would be right I got three shades, along with several other colours! I should have enough paint for my model and several more too.

A bite to eat and we were ready to head off. Mick winded Oleanna and we ducked back under the basin wall to wind our way back towards Hawkesbury Junction. We were following a hire boat out and a short distance behind us was another boat. The weather had turned hot and muggy, a short shower though freshened up the air. Bags still hung from railings and there were more coconuts bobbing along.

We pulled in before the junction to fill with water, dispose of yellow water, etc. Even though there had been signs at the basin for rubbish, the bin store was locked with a padlock which didn’t accept our key of power, so we’d been stock piling it again.

With chores complete I walked ahead to set the stop lock as Mick brought Oleanna through the arch bridge at the junction. We’ve always had to queue here, but being late afternoon most people had already moored up for the day. With windlass in hand I set the lock the first since Atherstone at the beginning of July, good job it was only a small lock as I’d nearly forgotten how to do it!

The moorings were full as we rounded the first bend on the Oxford Canal. But opposite the Power Station there was space and armco, it being after 6pm we wanted to stop. The doors were opened up and Tilly set forth to explore, tail held high in the air. Trees and friendly cover, that’s more like it! We’ll cope with the constant electrical hum for the night and move further on tomorrow.

1 lock, 5.76 miles, 1 wind, 1 right, 3 cathedrals, 1 roof, 4th time lucky for paint, 10 shades oops, 1 city worth revisiting, 16 coconuts, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh bucket, 1 clean pooh box, 1 empty wee tank, 0 rubbish left, 1 humming mooring, 3 hours, 1 far happier cat, 6 more night stoppages ahead to help maintain water levels.

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