Category Archives: Grand Union Canal

Bangers, Rain and Burgers

Weedon Bec to Bugbrooke Bridge 36

Blimey I totally forgot about the Braunston sausages in yesterdays post. Really not sure how that happened as they certainly left an impression on us.

Braunston gluten free sausages come frozen wrapped on a tray with just GF Pork written on them. For around £5 our initial thought is that they were quite expensive, but there certainly looked like there was plenty, next time we’ll weight them. Mick prepared them for our evening meal, one of our favourites sausages and roast veg (potatoes, carrots, parsnips and a bramley apple all chopped up like chips). After a while he opened up the oven door to check on them and give everything a good move around. ‘They’ve expanded!’ He pricked them with a knife and put them back in the oven.

My photos don’t quite show the scale of them when they’d finished cooking, but hopefully you’ll get the idea when I say that the smallest one (which did look measly compared to the others) was a touch bigger than your average sized supermarket sausage. But the biggest one was the equivalent to at least two whole sausages. There was far too much sausage for us to cope with! We both ended up leaving one.

So they were big, very big, but where they tasty? Verdict. Yes, the tastiest gluten free butcher made sausages we’ve had yet. Not quite the same as a Braunston Banger, but close enough. As with all Braunston butcher sausages you get them in a variety of sizes and in future we’ll know not to cook all six for one meal.

The first boat came by a 6:45 this morning, it’s engine didn’t fade away quite as normal, but as we were still very much in sleeping mode we didn’t take much more notice. Next came a hire boat who pulled in and moored in front of us at just gone 9. Maybe they were wanting a full day looking around Weedon. Then a boat that had been moored ahead came past, then went into reverse, they moored up too.

That’ll be why there’s only been one way traffic!

As we started to get ourselves ready, a slight lull in the rain stired us into action, this is when we realised why we were surrounded by boats so early in the day. Over night a tree had come down about 200ft behind us, luckily missing any moored boats. At 11am there was a boat moving around with a chap at the front, he was sawing up the tree and others were pulling sections out of the cut to open the navigation.

We were wanting water so took advantage of there being no through traffic and pushed off. This of course got the hopes up of other boats waiting to go through. We pootled on the short distance to the next water point where we pulled alongside an ABC hire boat to wait. Swallows and swifts swooped back and forth having a major feast on the wing as boats filled with water. When it was our turn the washing machine went on and we stayed until the final rinse, we also rinsed off the nights debris from the roof.

Just round the corner we pulled in for a top up of diesel. Rugby boats is one of the cheapest on the cut at 77.9p a litre at the moment we weren’t going to pass them. Next fuel stop will be Uxbridge, then we’ll be onto Thames prices, best make the most of it whilst we can.

Another fallen overnight, good job the angle of the wind wasn’t different

It wasn’t raining now, but still very drizzley. We pootled on, another tree down across the towpath, we’d be looking for a tree free mooring today. Arriving at Bugbrooke there were plenty of git gaps, then one space by the bridge. A touch too close to the road for Tilly shore leave, but we couldn’t see anywhere else. As soon as we’d moored i lit the stove to try to get some warmth back into the boat, today definitely felt like an autumnal day.

Oleanna, The Wharf and Unusual at the back

This evening we’ve been across the way to The Wharf to meet with Lizzie our friend from Crick. She works next door at Unusual Rigging. This is a company who engineer complex flying equipment for theatre, TV and events world wide. We’d last seen Lizzie at the beginning of the year, much has happened since then, so there was a lot to catch up on.

We all three chose the same Hog Bun Burger but with slight variations. Mick had the standard, I had the Gluten Free option (GF bun) and Lizzie opted to have hers bread free. All were very tasty and it was nice to not have to have either Hunters chicken or a steak.

Tomorrow we’ll move on a bit. Ahead of us is Blisworth tunnel, then Stoke Bruerne. Currently the Stoke Bruerne flight is closed as the bottom lock was damaged in a boat strike yesterday. Hopefully it won’t take too long to mend, but no updates have been issued yet.

0 locks, 3.72 miles, 1 more wet day, 2 trees down, 1 broken lock ahead, 1 full water tank, 1 chinese laundry, 0 shore leave, 1 full diesel tank, 1 bag of coal on the roof in June! 3 non-identical identical burgers, 2 glasses of wine less than yesterday, we did leave the pub before it closed today!

https://goo.gl/maps/y59zTgsWtWENk3Mh6

Ordnance, Yarn And The Pub. 10th June

Weedon Bec

What a wet and miserable day. Although it seemed to have rained constantly I think we have got off lightly compared to others. There were still plenty of boats moving. If we’d spotted NB Mountbatten and Jellicoe earlier we’d have stopped them for some coal, but they were heading past us before we realised it was them. We had no plans on cruising today and it turned out that was a good decision.

We’ve always passed through Weedon Bec before, pausing for a pint of milk at Tescos to the east of the canal. This time we were going to explore the west side, the proper Weedon Bec.

A small basin now marks where the canal once had an arm, a small housing estate has been built over part of this as access is only by road.

We climbed down the steps from the embankment and walked under the canal and then the railway, back up the hill on the other side where we could see by the large wall we were where we wanted to be.

The Royal Ordnance Depot was built in 1802 just before the Napoleonic Wars. It was positioned more or less in the centre of the country away from possible invasion along the coast. Here small firearms and cannons were stored and repaired, there was a barracks, and a military prison. The site remained a secretive arms distribution centre for around 150 years, still being used during WW2 and into the 1950’s, finally being decommissioned in 1965.

The original site was added to through the years, but now stands pretty much as it did originally.

There is a visitors centre, sadly not open Mondays and Tuesdays and you are welcome to wander around. The site is now owned privately and the buildings are rented out to local businesses as workshops or offices. There were far more vehicles than I’d imagined and it seems to be a busy place. A fascinating place too.

A book shop and cafe are in one of the first buildings you come to, those will have to wait for our next visit as I was interested in finding one business in building 14. Downstairs is filled with vintage cars and parts. Mountains of rush seated chairs were piled up, none of this was what we were looking for, in the end we were guided to a set of steep steps on the end of the building. A familiar face was walking to them anyway.

The canal no longer joined to the Grand Union

Riverknits, Becci and Markus, moved into a space on the top floor of building 14 a few months ago. They used to work from their narrowboat dyeing yarns and were running out of space. They moved off the boat into a house and continued to use the boat as a dye studio, but they missed waking up on the water everyday. So in the end they hired a space at the Depot to work in, redecorated their boat whilst they still had the house and now live back on board.

I’d come for a nosy really and with the intention of buying some yarn so that I can make myself something, something really nice. Becci showed us round their space. on the boat they could only have one dye pot going at a time, but here they now have space for several. On the boat the yarn once dyed and rinsed would be hung from the grab rail outside to dry, but now they have lines of clothes rails all lined up.

A quick look at patterns on the internet gave us an idea of how much yarn I’d be needing. DK weight was going to cost me a lot as I’d need a lot of skeins, 4 ply more manageable on the pocket and now manageable with my fingers after several pairs of socks. But which colour?

A vivid turquoise jumped out at me from the wall of yarns, Becci could dye me some up but off the shelf it was only available in DK. I’d been trying to choose something other than red, but now I was just drawn to a varigated red called ‘My heart bleeds wine’, not all red honest. The pattern I’d chosen needed just over 4 skeins so I chose a mini skein in a rich blue which pulls out the red more. I’ll use this on the pockets or band or somewhere.

Byrn their 3 year old kept Mick amused playing transformers, whilst I was given the chance to wind my skeins into balls. This by hand would take around an hour for each one, so a lot of TV would have to be watched. I’ll stash these away for a while, I’ve got lots that needs to be done before I’m allowed to get carried away knitting something for myself.

A walk down the other side of the depot, a closer look at the fire engine that has the most extreme crackle paint effect I’ve ever seen. Then we walked into the village for some bread.

Weedon is an old village, two villages that have gradually merged together.

As you walk around large thick creamy yellow stone walls with thatched roofs and small windows take you back to Tudor times. Around every corner another building catches your eye.

£190,000 would have got you the house on the end

A lovely end terraced house has just sold, it’s front door down a little alleyway.

Weedon not only has the canal but also the West Coast Main line cutting it’s way right through it. The church of St Peter and St Paul is sandwiched between the two. The interior quite dark today due to the weather and failing lights. Yesterday there had been a full peel of the bells, shame we missed it.

It was quite dark so not many good photos

Later on this afternoon I got a message from our friend Heather on NB Bleasdale, she’d spotted from my facebook picture that we were in Weedon, so was she. A meeting was arranged in the Plume of Feathers for a catch up over a few drinks. Our paths haven’t crossed for a couple of years, so the hours ran away with us. We ended up being the last people in the pub with the front door locked. There was no rush to leave so we managed to avoid the down pours. Hope the weather improves for Heather as she is catching a lift from Lincoln to cross the Wash at the weekend.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 sets of secret steps, 1 Royal Ordnance Depot, building 14, 480 grams of yummy yarn, 9.75 fingers twitching to start, 480 grams hidden, 1 fire engine, 1 transformer, 1 pretty village divided by the railway, 1 photo, 1 car show missed, 3.5 hours catching up, 1 very wet day very well spent.

Five. 9th June

Braunston Stop House to Weedon Bec Wharf

Five years ago today we pushed Lillian (NB Lillyanne) out from Crick Marina to start a year afloat. This was never going to be just one year as when we bought Lillian one of the caveats was that our year would only start when we moved onto Oleanna our bespoke built boat. This of course took longer than originally planned, three years in the end.

So how come we’re now up to five? Well there are still places to explore, plans for this summer, plans that may be changing for next which means that they will be differed to the following year. The lifestyle suits us, so for now you are stuck with us!

To mark our fifth anniversary the sun came out and we were going to make the most of it, along with every other boat in the area!

A lady from the stern of a passing Braidbar boat shouted out GOOD MORNING! as she passed. The sun had given everybody a smile this morning. Our tight mooring became a touch awkward as soon as our spring line was undone. Boats passing, at maybe a touch too fast, pulled us back and forth on our almost straight lines, we nudged the boat ahead who were having their breakfast. From then on until we managed to push off I clung onto the bow rope.

We tagged on the end of a few boats. A lady popped her head out from NB Many Meetings to say she’d just read the article in Canal Boat as we passed. Approaching the bottom of Braunston Locks we could see that we were fifth in line, hopefully someone would join us so we could share the locks. Two boats set off, then the bottom lock was reset for the next two. I walked up to help as it looked like there was only going to be one person working the lock. A chap appeared and helped out on my side. He requested a rope be thrown up, so that he could pull them into the side as the other boat came into the lock. This was taken very literally, he was thrown a rope, both ends of it!

Clare and Graeme, We’ve found your boat!

We were joined by NB Kingfisher a Carefree Cruising shareboat. Plenty to chat about at the stern, a little bit harder at the noisy end of the lock. At just about every lock boats were coming down so we could leave gates for them, if not then the pair following us were eager to close up behind us and empty the lock for themselves.

How many boats can you fit into one pound?

Between locks 4 and 5 is where things got a touch awkward. Someone must have waited for boats to come down 5 meaning they sat in the short pound between. By the time the boats coming down were leaving the lock another two boats had come up 4. The four boats in the locks had to vacate them before others could take their spaces, this meant six boats do-si-doing in the short pound. Those following up the locks just kept on using the empty lock, so there were always six boats manoeuvring around to get to the next hole in the puzzle.

At the top lock there was a queue waiting to come down. This meant there was plenty of crew on hand, one of which was Della from NB Muleless. Only time for a short chat as other boats were hot on our tail. Good to meet you properly Della, I didn’t chance to ask where you were heading.

Into tunnel mode, lights, torch, head light, life jackets and a caring head nudge for Tilly before someone turned the outside lights off. Mick hates Braunston tunnel, two way traffic and the kink, but Tilly hates it more! We were fortunate with our timing as most people must have stopped for lunch. Only one boat which we passed in the last 100 ft of the tunnel. NB Kingfisher took another ten fifteen minutes to appear from the southern portal, they’d have met two boats which would have slowed their progress somewhat.

We paused for lunch. Braunston had taken far longer than before, would we be in time to get down Long Buckby before the gates got padlocked, we also wanted water. We decided that if someone came along and joined us then we’d do the locks, if not we’d fill with water and drop down the top lock and wait for morning.

Two boats ahead pulled in at the new length of armco, the first one plonking themselves right in the middle of the view. A chap from the following boat told them to move up to allow them to moor behind, instantly eliminating two git gaps. At Norton Junction we could see NB Triskaideka swinging round onto the Leicester Section but we were to carry straight on.

You can’t miss these notices at the top lock

As we were still deciding what to do a head popped out from a boat and asked if we were going down the locks. ‘Yes, would you like to join us?’. We had a partner. A boat was just coming up and the crew from a following boat appeared soon afterwards wanting to come up. We dropped down Lock 7 at 14:32, the gates on lock 8 would be locked at 16:00 but last boat in is at 15:00. Plenty of time.

The walk to the next lock was so pretty and fragrant, the gardens of cottages that line the canal were full to overflowing with blooms. Only time for a short pause to take a photo. Lock 8 ahead had been turned and a small tug came up. We were still within the time frame, entering the lock at 14:50 and exiting it 7 minutes later. We were in the flight now, no one could stop us.

I’d chatted with the chap from our accompanying boat, suggesting he stay on board and I’d open one gate, in front of him then Mick would bring Oleanna out through the same gate, this saves a lot of walking round and climbing ladders and means I do no more work than if we were on our own. Having arranged this off course at every lock there were boats wanting to come up so plenty of crew to open and close gates.

At Lock 10 two ladies waited to help us down, they’d left the gates at 11 open for us as they could tell someone was on their way. Apparently there was a rather officious lady there telling them to close the gates and that her husband had headed up the flight to lock the gates at the top. They were concerned that they’d be locked in the flight. I reassured them that I was sure that even if the gates had been locked then they would be allowed out as C&RT don’t want anyone mooring in the pounds over night, I hope I was right.

Arriving at the next lock two chaps were waiting to come up, it was now 15:30, half an hour after the last boat was meant to come through. We were soaring down the flight. The officious lady said she’d not said anything to us as she continued to have a point argued with her. Have to say I’d have argued my point, we’d entered the flight within time and were leaving with twenty minutes before the gates were due to be locked. On reaching the bottom lock of the flight there was a notice informing you that the last boat in would be at 16:00, not the new amended times!

Here I opened the one gate and our locking companion pootled off into the distance to find a mooring, with all the boats coming up we’d done the full flight in an hour and ten minutes.

Not wanting to be too close to either the West Coast Main Line or the M1 we carried on towards Weedon. The Bedazzled chap now has a lady friend and dog and seems to have curtailed his drinking from when we last came through.

The Weedon-Flore bypass bridge is now complete spanning the canal and railway. It is huge and currently the embankments are covered in poppies. In the dry under the road way sits a bench and a plaque commemorating Matthew James Elson a civil engineer who died at the age of 26.

We moved along to just past the wharf onto the embankment to moor, finding a length of towpath not too overhung by trees. Tilly headed off into the trees, we could tell where abouts she was due to the crows and magpies as ever. She popped back out from behind a vocal dog just as it’s back had turned.

A good days boating in the sun to mark our fifth anniversary.

5 years, 13 locks, 9.25 miles, 1 tunnel with 2 mysterons passing 1 just, 1 straight on, 2 boats to share with, 6 in a pound, 1 ex blogger, 1 new bridge, 4478825433638 poppies, 1 lovely neighbour for cutting our grass, 1 year of being Mrs Tilly

https://goo.gl/maps/6j4Wtx4RsXTuUfQt5

16mm. 8th June

Bridge 87 to almost Braunston Marina Entrance, Grand Union Canal

Pushing off after breakfast and a short time out in the rain for Tilly we wound our way towards Braunston. This morning it was to be rainy, this afternoon dry but windy. Rain is preferred when there is such a choice.

A boat was just pulling out from the Midland Chandlers mooring opposite Braunston Turn so we took its place. The man at the helm said he’d pulled in for a bag of coal, he thought he’d got the last one. Sadly he was right, we were offered logs, kindling and fire lighters but no coal was left. With the evenings a touch chilly at the moment we are lighting the stove, we still have just under a bag of coal, so there’s no immediate need.

As we pulled away we passed NB Waka Huia, the crew all inside playing cards. Hope their onward journey isn’t a damp one. We’d heard that Braunston was quite busy, not many spaces to be had yesterday, so as spaces showed themselves we gambled at trying a bit further on. In the end we got a space one boat away from the water point at the Stop House. This space was made to measure with only a couple of inches spare. Almost straight ropes meant the need for a spring line so that we wouldn’t be bumping into our neighbours with every passing boat.

Over the bridge and up the hill for Bangers

Both being a little bit damp we decided to head straight up into the village for our newspaper. Blue geraniums border Butchers Bridge at the moment. Our garden in Scarborough used to overflow with them at this time of year, until our tenants decided that they were weeds! But they are hardy and when we last went to have a look they were fighting back.

Today Braunston Butchers had some gluten free sausages in the freezer, so we’ll give them a go in a couple of days. They can defrost in the fridge and wait to be consumed. Lets see if they are anything like Braunston Bangers!

We also visited Tradline. A couple of years ago we bought a full set of ropes for Oleanna a touch thicker than the normal 12 or 14mm thick. The grip in my right hand has improved over the last couple of years but having chunkier ropes is still a good thing. Our ropes are showing their age and usage, still serviceable but as we’re heading onto rivers this summer we thought we’d treat Oleanna.

The chap showed us various ropes which I got to handle, 16mm blue was our choice. He’d make them up for us this afternoon to be collected just before 4pm. We also bought a couple of soft shackles which attach our centre lines to the ring on the roof. Our first one had been looking worn a couple of months ago so we’d replaced it. Sods law would be that it would give at a really bad moment, so better safe than waving Oleanna goodbye! So now we have spares to last us a few more years.

Just why won’t it come the full way out?!

Mick mopped out the freezer. Then we tried to pull the drawer out to remove it. This proved impossible. The drawer runners have little things that you push up and down which release the drawer, but to be able to do this you need to pull the drawer out far enough,which we couldn’t! We need a square ended screw driver to try removing the back of the drawer, this should then mean we can get the freezer out and have more chance of seeing what the problem is. We know what it is, condensation, we need to do something about it.

During the afternoon the rain subsided and yes it got a bit windy, but nowhere near as bad as had been forecast. By the time Mick had picked up our new ropes it was a touch too late to set off for the locks. So tomorrow we hope the forecast is correct as we aim to go up Braunston Locks and down Long Buckby. Fingers crossed.

0 locks, 1.29 miles, 1 straight on, 0 returned pin, 0 coal, 58ft 9inches squeeze, 1 paper, 6 sausages, 2 ten meter ropes, 1 twelve meter rope, 2 soft shackles, 2nd colour, 1 stubborn freezer.

https://goo.gl/maps/AggARJVTnBsjXC5i8

B***ards! And Leaving The Soar. 14th January

Zouch Lock to Trent Lock Pontoon

Our life jackets need a service. They were last done whilst we were in Liverpool and the big date that was put on the back of them reminds us every time we put them on that they should be checked before we head out onto the tidal Trent. We can check the date on the air canisters ourselves and give them a visual inspection, but in a service they are inflated and left for 24hrs to make sure they don’t have a leak. The time before last we had them done at Sawley Marina. We picked them up and then discovered that one of the air canisters that they had replaced would run out/or already had run out before their next check. So it all took longer than was expected.

Sawley could do them, but the chap who does them is on holiday, but they might be able to get them done at the weekend. We then tried Castle Marina in Nottingham. They would send them off to be done and it would take around a week. Before replacing any parts this was going to be cheaper and a better place to hang around for them to be done. So no diversion today up Sawley Lock.

A cooked breakfast and Tilly was allowed to go off and stretch her legs, there will be times coming up when she will not be allowed shore leave so she was told to make the most of it. However she decided to return long before her time was up and sit indoors instead Hmph! She’s not saying much as she’s a bit p’d off with us this evening.

With out of date life jackets on we timed our departure very well as a boat had just come up Zouch Lock therefore closing the bottom gates for us. Whilst we worked our way down the lock and along the next reach of river a Ryanair plane kept circling. We are close to East Midlands Airport here so planes are not that unusual. Mick checked Flight Radar 24 (he likes planes) and tracked the plane, it was circling and circling. They were doing circuits and bumps, practicing landing and taking off without stopping. Round and round they went, then they circled a bit further off for some scheduled planes to come in and land before carrying on. Just how many trainee pilots were on board this plane, was the instructor in one seat and each trainee taking it in turns to land and take off?

The approach to Kegworth Deep Lock has several weirs off to the side, the main weir channel going in front of a grand house. The lock was ready and waiting for us, winding the paddles up takes some doing due to the depth of water in the lock around 10ft 4 of it.

Here was my first view of the dreaded blue risers, there will be more of these along the Trent, I may have to operate the locks as it is out of season, so I may not have to touch any of them.

Kegworth Shallow Flood Lock was open for us to just cruise through. We’d hoped to be able to fill up with diesel at Kegworth Marine but a sign was out saying they were closed, so we’ll have to wait for either Nottingham or Newark.

Ratcliffe Power Station comes in and out of view constantly now, it was busy generating, all the cooling towers steaming away. Ratcliffe Lock our last on the Soar dropped us back down to join the river.

Here most boats are wide, the Dutch barges look wonderful with their elegant curves next to the less pleasing shapes of the others.

Through the last flood lock which is wonderfully framed by it’s bridge.

We were soon at Trent Junction avoiding the weir to our right and now pushing against the water flowing down the Trent. Left left left! There are so many ways you could go here, down the weir, Cranfleet Cut towards Nottingham, up onto the Erewash or left up the Trent to Sawley then the Trent and Mersey Canal, this route to the north is closed with winter stoppages.

Soon we could see that there was space on the pontoon, two boats were moored on the inside, but nobody on the better side for views. Already facing upstream we pulled in, tied up and settled down for the day. Tilly wasn’t too happy, Harumph!!! as she wasn’t allowed out. Being on a river on a pontoon constitutes in our eyes too greater risk for a cat . Our nearest neighbour also has dogs, so an added factor in our decision.

With no feline shore leave on the cards we decided to take advantage of the situation. B***stards!! Tilly’s collar was removed, a box reached from the top of the bathroom shelves, foil packet removed the tube from inside twisted, Tilly caught and put on the table. F**ing B***dy B**stards!!!! The first drop of flee stuff goes on relatively easily, but then the alcohol chill factor hits her neck and it is so hard to keep hold of her. Chilling b**stard wetness on my neck! Just where it’s impossible to get at!!!! B**stards!!!! Avoidance tactics and a chase around the boat to grab hold of her, clamp her down, part her fur and administer the rest of the liquid. B………………………………………………..s!!!!!

After an hour of squatting in a corner and sulking Tilly then managed to assume various sulky poses around the boat for the rest of the evening.

3 locks, 2 flood locks straight through, 6.08 miles, 1 left, 1 left left left, 1 river down, 1.5 sausages, 3 left for sausage rolls, 2 out of date jackets, 8 circuits, 0 diesel, 8 cooling towers, 1 favourite mooring, 1st Look North in ages, 2 drops, 1 seething sulking soggy necked swearing second mate, 2 complete and utter B*STARDS!!! 1 cat protected from flees for another 3 months.

https://goo.gl/maps/jzn6HCbGaSu

2018 Round Up. 2nd January

HOORAY!!! Proper signal again, sorry for the delay. Here at last is a round up of 2018 and our vital statistics, who they are vital to I don’t know!

We started off the year up on the Llangollen having spent Christmas up in the basin, if it hadn’t been for me getting some work I think we’d have headed back there this year as we enjoyed it so much. On our return journey we dropped down onto the Montgomery Canal for a few days. Then we gradually worked our way along the canal stoppage hopping, the last bridge holding us up by a few days whilst work over ran, but we were first through and soon back down on the Shroppie at the end of January.

A pootle up to Chester and then Ellesmere Port where we spent several days looking round the museum, mooring on site made this very easy.

Oleanna had a day in the dry dock at Chester to check out why our bowthruster had stopped working and gave me chance to do a quick touch up of the blacking.

We then made our way back to Nantwich where we sat out the Beast from the East and at last got chance to meet and spend a bit of time with Jaq from NB Valerie.

Then we climbed the Shroppie to Autherley Junction turned right onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and made our way down to Stourport where the river rose on us over night and left us stranded for far too long. This did mean that Tilly had her annual jabs gaining shore leave for another year. A hire car gave us a few days away from the flashing lights of Stourport, a trip to Beverley and to catch up with the John Godber Company in Bromsgrove along with a recky trip to Droitwich.

In the end we got bored of waiting for the river to drop and decided on going the long way round to Droitwich. Of course about two or three days into ‘the long way round’ the levels dropped and we could have done a quick journey down the River Severn.

Oh well we enjoyed all the locks having good weather for the Tardebigge Flight.

Once in Worcester we turned onto the river and made our way down to the Gloucester Sharpness Canal where we pootled down to the end with all the swing bridges being worked for us, met up with Jaye and Duncan (I’d have got into big trouble if I didn’t mention them!), saw the hulks, all sorts of flamingos and got to watch tall ship Kaskelot pass us.

Back up the Severn for Micks 60th birthday weekend where all our siblings joined us to celebrate. We watched cricket at New Road in Worcester, ate in Droitwich, caught steam trains in Kidderminster and ate some more in Bridgenorth, a very good weekend.

By now the summer had already started with wall to wall sunshine and our Sunday roasts became Sunday barbeques. We made our way back to Worcester and turned back down stream to Tewkesbury (I do like a good Tewkesbury!) and the river Avon. The last rain storm for a while slowed our progress upstream, but we stayed safe.

The Avon was a picturesque cruise and we met up with friends from Australia and old work friends of mine in Stratford, taking advantage to see as much theatre as we could.

Whilst in Stratford I heard that I’d got the job designing Panto in Chipping Norton this year. This would now affect the remainder of the year slowing us down somewhat. We headed back into Birmingham up the Lapworth flight (meeting NB Chuffed) to rendez vous with NB Blackbird and crew.

Here we planned to explore all the back waters of the BCN, but the sun was now on permanently and the thought of spending weeks surrounded by brick work and concrete reflecting heat at us was not attractive. So we chose a route out of the city that we’d not done before (via Ryders Green and Perry Barr) and headed for the shade of trees.

Work and heat were the feature of the next few months. On days we wanted to cruise we tried to be up early to make the most of the cool hours before the sun got too high in the sky to avoid. We hopped from mooring to mooring hunting out good places with maximum tree cover, not so good for the solar panels but it meant we didn’t cook inside.

We gradually cruised the Coventry Canal, the Ashby Canal for the first and second times, all the way into Coventry, down the North Oxford onto the Grand Union and on up to the Leicester Section. All our favourite moorings on the summit pound were visited and the London Leckenbys visited us at Foxton. All this slow cruising was interspersed with Panto meetings in London and Chippy, necessitating being near to stations, but this worked out well with a bit of planning.

Leamington Spa was a handy station back on the Grand Union for my final model meeting in mid September, freeing us up until rehearsals started a month later.

We made use of the Heritage weekend visiting places in both Warwick and Leamington. Oleanna got to visit the Saltisford Arm where we worked our way through the dirty washing drawer before heading back towards the Oxford Canal crossing bows with NB Tentatrice on the way.

The South Oxford Canal then became our home for the next three months.

First we cruised all the way to Oxford taking our time to return to Banbury. I then spent four weeks working my socks off in Chippy enjoying being creative again on Panto, returning each weekend to wherever Oleanna was with my head full of song lyrics and dance moves.

Once Aladdin was open and hoards of kids were shouting ‘He’s behind you!’ I could return to my normal life at 3mph, the boat, Tilly’s friends and Mick’s breakfasts.

Due to winter stoppages leaving the south Oxford couldn’t happen until near Christmas so we slowly made our way northwards breaking off to have a pre-Christmas in London and then once Napton Lock 9 was open we headed into the middle of nowhere for Christmas. The year ended with us returning to Crick and sadly missing out on the festivities at The Red Lion with friends.

We’ve had a great year travelling, meeting up with old friends and new. We’re looking forward to where 2019 will take us and who we shall meet along the way.

So our final statistics for the year are.

Total distance is 944 miles, 1 ¼ furlongs and 614 locks. There were 170 moveable bridges of which 77 are usually left open (although three of those weren’t); 131 small aqueducts or underbridges; 39 tunnels and 2 major aqueducts.

This is made up of 669 miles, 1 ¼ furlongs of narrow canals; 118 miles of broad canals; 35 miles, 5 furlongs of commercial waterways; 42miles, 7¼ furlongs of small rivers; 78 miles, 3 ¾ furlongs of large rivers; 476 narrow locks; 129 broad locks 9 large locks.

1084.6 engine hours, 7 hire cars, 1,383.63 litres diesel, 10 gas bottles (we do have gas central heating), 54 bags of coal, 2 waterway museums, 3 big houses, 3 versions of tuperware, 60th birthday, 2nd solar panel fitted, 7 overnight guests, 6 packs of Dreamies, 26 friends, 1 snake, 9 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval moorings, 7 pairs socks, 6 pairs gloves, 11 supermarket deliveries, 56 boxes wine delivered!

Lack Of Tarragon 30th December

Norton Junction to Home Farm Footbridge 9, Leicester Section

A few boats were moving before us today, most seemed to be in quite a rush! We pushed off and turned left at the junction. Along the moorings towards the Buckby Flight I lost count of the number of C&RT work boats and skips, presumably all tied up for the festive period before they are sent back out for the next batch of winter stoppages.

As you pootle along the pound from the junction the road noise gets louder as the M1 comes closer. Then Virgin trains zoom past and over the canal. We waved at one heading north, hoping to catch a glimpse of Marion and John heading up to Scotland for Hogmanay. I think I got them in this photo, just a shame it was a bit of a blur!

In the summer we’d noted how much the towpath was over grown in areas, small trees having taken hold on the banks. But C&RT have been busy, most of the towpath has been cut right back and a fair amount of the offside has had a prune too. Just a section where we of course met a hire boat, instead of slowing down they had to duck several times to get through.

No boats were waiting at the bottom of the Watford flight, I walked up to check in with one of the volunteers. Three chaps were on duty today, one of them learning the ropes. We would be the third boat through today, the second was part way down the staircase, the very bottom lock being empty, the next one full with it’s gates open awaiting it. Instructions were given to bring Oleanna up the first lock and wait, so I radioed down to Mick who was opening the bottom gates when I got back to him.

The bottom lock has been treated to a whole new set of gates. I seem to remember there being a metal beam, much nicer in oak. The new gates, that now seal very well, have highlighted that the lock leaks sideways. If left full the lock cottages’ garage now floods. So at the end of the day the bottom lock is being left empty and if they can keep it that way during the day, all the better until something can be done about it.

New pointing has happened all the way up the flight and lines of dead grass along the sides of the locks suggest there was quite a lot of scaffolding around the place before Christmas.

Mick brought Oleanna into the bottom lock and I wound the off side paddle up to start it filling, a volunteer then slowly followed with his paddle. I looked down as I often do into the well deck. Blimey! There was getting on for over an inch of water in there swirling around. Oleanna had been touching the gates as I wound the paddle up and this meant the our drainage holes had coincided with where the surging water comes out from the culverts. So glad we always travel with our front doors closed. I’ve not noticed this before here so wondered if the culverts had been cleared out, making the force of water greater. Oleanna was fine, just a wet well deck. I’m now glad that I always move things away from the drainage holes just in case it gets water in it.

We do-si-doed with the boat coming down in the next pound and then the way ahead was clear for us. Mick kept Oleanna away from the top gates in the next single lock, allowing the water to surge into the lock in front of her. With three volunteers on duty there was a bit more time to take photos and have a chat, whilst keeping an eye on what was happening. The Lockies had been trying to work out how much water it would take to raise the summit pound by 1mm all the way to Foxton, they must have been bored!

Before I hopped back on board Oleanna at the top lock I had a quick look at the herb garden. Only sage growing today, I’d hoped for some tarragon to go under our chicken skin this evening. But it being December I’d have to use dried instead.

Now on the familiar summit pound we were surprised at the number of moored boats. We hoped that our chosen spot would be free on the last piece of armco before the tunnel. Here we would get TV and internet along with phone signal. It seemed like everyone wanted to be nearer to the M1 and after bridge 9 there were no boats to be seen. We pulled in, let Tilly out and had lunch.

Tomorrow we’ll put our waterproofs on and head through the tunnel. We may get a bit of internet signal, but I’m not sure I can be bothered trying to upload a post, it really is so frustrating there. So we shall wish you all a Happy New Year from here and see you on the other side in 2019.

7 locks, 4 of which a staircase, 19th time through Watford, 1 left, 40,000 litres, 3 new gates now water tight, 3 volunteers, 1mm = ? tonnes of water, 1 mooring on our own, 1 cheese lunch, 0 tarragon, 1 roast chicken, 12 roast potatoes cooked in duck fat, yummy!

https://goo.gl/maps/76YBhVwxkbs

About Turn.. Twice 29th December

Butchers Bridge to Braunston Turn to the new armco at Norton Junction.

Saturday newspaper bought along with a chicken for tomorrow we pushed off late morning. Facing the wrong way to get to Midland Chandlers we needed to wind, it took quite sometime to get a space between passing boats to be able to push out, then we reversed back to the Marina entrance to wind. A boat pulled in near the water point behind us, but only to let a boat past, then they kept coming our way. Both of us wanting to wind in the entrance. As we’d arrived shortly before the other boat Mick reversed under the arch whilst they trod water. The bow thruster came in very handy for this manoeuvre and meant Oleanna was winded quicker so the other boat could start their turn and clear the main channel for us to get out of their way.

Midland Chandlers mooring was handily free so we made use of it and had a browse around the shop before picking up some spare antifreeze and a new ash boat pole. Some £55 lighter we moved up to the water point just after Braunston Turn, filled the tank and disposed of rubbish.

his outside looked great, what a tree!!!! It so needed climbing, but they wouldn’t let me out.

Now we needed to wind again. There may have been just enough space to turn Oleanna south of the Turn, but we decided to wind using the Turn. Back pushed out, Mick reversed her under the nearest bridge onto the Oxford. A boat was heading to the junction and luckily wanted to turn south, so we waited for them to pass before backing up further and then following through the other arched bridge. We were now finished with Braunston, sadly we’d not managed to meet up with Lucy, a designer friend who was visiting her Mum in Daventry, her message of a suggested rendezvous came through shortly after we’d committed ourselves to doing the locks. Hopefully we’ll coincide here or in Leeds another time.

Union Canal hire boats were all at home filling up the towpath moorings, the advantage of it being out of season is that there was more space up by Braunston Bottom Lock than usual, no boats waiting to go out. So we managed to pull in and wait for a couple of boats to come down, we’d spotted one going up before them, so knew the locks would be against us. Once in the lock we loitered to see if anyone would join us. Back at Butchers Bridge it looked like there might just be a boat heading our way, we loitered, it carried on towards us. Hooray someone to share with.

NB Conchita worked up the locks with us, we didn’t pass anyone but we made good progress with one of us heading up to the next lock to set it for both boats as they rose in the lock below. A nice couple who use their boat at weekends whilst living in London. Their boat is of an age that when they first bought her she needed welding doing, so her waist line isn’t as narrow as she once was. They have never take her through Lock 9 at Napton as they had difficulty at Allens Lock and got stuck just entering Somerton Deep Lock on the South Oxford, C&RT had to come and try to flush them out.

At the top of the locks they let us go ahead whilst they closed up, leaving a good gap between us for Braunston Tunnel. I put Oleanna into full tunnel mode and explained to Tilly that I’d turned the lights on inside so that when the lights went out outside she would be fine. Just a shame she didn’t agree! This of course may have had something to do with meeting two boats heading north. The first had a very noisy engine, the second did a lot of forward and reverse to get past us, but still managed to collide with us resulting in a big bang. Several things were knocked over inside but we have yet to have a good look to see if the gunnel has taken any damage (luckily it was on the side I’ve not got round to touching up yet). Maybe we’d illuminated the tunnel too much for the chap at the helm with our Christmas lights.

New houses have appeared behind the canal cutting at the south end of the tunnel. These will be hidden mostly when the trees are back in leaf. We carried on, hoping to gain a stretch of the new armco before Norton Junction. Only one boat, so we managed to position ourselves with a great view over the rolling countryside and as the sun started to set we were joined by a few more boats. This may now become our chosen spot, rather than round the corner by Welton Hythe.

This outside has a pirate cat! It only came out after everyone had gone to bed and was trying to board Oleanna. This was so not on. I made sure it knew I was on board and that Tilly Too and I would not put up with any nonsense. She came and put a big light on it, white and ginger, and quite big. The three of us soon saw it off, but I stayed on look out for several hours keeping my crew and boat safe as they slept.

6 locks, 5.01 miles, 2 winds, 1 tunnel, 1 mysteron, 2 boats passed, 1 big bump, 1 newspaper, 12ft of ash, 1 full water tank, 1 sharing boat, 1 fantastic mooring with views, almost 0 TV signal though, 1 pirate feline, 1 set of Christmas lights that may need adjusting in the morning.

https://goo.gl/maps/1cMDjFvBqD52

Nothing To Be Had In Braunston. 28th December

Braunston

We’ve been putting off the cooked breakfast this week as there has been quite a lot of food about the place, but we could hold out no longer. So Mick worked his magic this morning, adding in the last of the roast veg from Christmas dinner. He even remembered the mushrooms this time!

A walk up the hill to see if there was any more post that had arrived, sadly not. We then had a look in at the butchers. Once we enter a butchers we always feel obliged to make a purchase, but today I had one question for them, Did they have any Gluten Free sausages? I’d spotted a sign on their chiller cabinet before Christmas and was hoping that they would be a close match to a Braunston Banger. But because of Christmas, their freezers and fridges having been choker block with goodies for the festive period, they had none. The next batch wouldn’t be made until next week at the earliest. Sadly that’s no good for me we may be miles away by then. Having not got my head round what we’ll be eating for the next few days once the duck has run out I couldn’t think of anything we wanted, so today we managed to leave empty handed, must be a first at Braunston Butchers!

Tradline in the main marina warranted a visit. After 2000 miles our ropes are starting to look a little bit worn, so we were going to treat Oleanna to a new set to have on board for when the need arises. But the front door was very much closed, no sign of what their Christmas opening hours were. So ropes will have to wait. We also walked up to Wharf House at the bottom of the locks to see how much a boat pole would be from them. Here also the front door was closed a sign saying they would re-open on the 2nd January. This now leaves us with one option for a pole and that is Midland Chandlers, we know they are open. However they are just a touch too far away to carry a pole back to the boat, so we’ll take the boat up there tomorrow.

We plan on heading northwards, but stoppages are making the planning a touch hard. Cruising in the winter months is always dictated by the winter stoppages. Normally we are happy to slowly pootle our way along a stretch until locks re-open, but this year we’ve been in winter mode for a lot longer due to my work commitments and we want to get some miles and locks under Oleanna again. At the moment it looks like our best route north will be to head up the River Soar. Not the best time of year to be doing this as the river can quickly rise after rain. A bit more studying of the stoppages is needed before we commit ourselves.

After no success in Braunston today we decided to have a typical ‘In between’ day of doing not very much. Father Christmas socks had their ends woven in and a new pair started. We also managed to watch the last episodes of Luther. Bloomin’ heck there are some horrible criminals in his world.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 new outside requested, 0 ropes, 0 poles, 0 post, 2 pairs socks totally finished, 1 started, 0 GF sausages, what will Braunston become without sausages?!

A Guest Dingdinger. 27th December

Butchers Bridge

I’m not too sure about it here.

t took sometime to get the message across to them this morning that I wanted to go out, but it worked in the end. The narrow strip of outside is now really quite boring and there are far too many people on the towpath and even more Woofers. I gave up trying to get across the bridge and decided that a morning snooze would be a far better way to spend my time.

Tom kept coming and going to the bins, I got a clean pooh box and she spent time chopping and cooking again.

Anne and Alasdair were on their way back to Scotland from spending Christmas with family in Wiltshire, a long drive which we helped to break up. Mick walked up to meet them whilst I put a batch of sausage rolls in the oven. It was very good to see them and hear of their Christmas with the grandchildren as we munched our way through the rolls and a slice of birthday cake each.

Next time I make sausage rolls I’m going to try to make my own GF pastry. The ready rolled variety seems to end up being a touch chewy once baked. I’ve hunted for a recipe online and found one to try, but I also got the River Cottage Gluten Free Cookbook for Christmas which has recipes. These however would mean purchasing several different flours which you can’t just pick up in any supermarket. We may have to have another Ocado delivery for them, but then there will need to be somewhere to store them all. I joked with Anne about maybe having a small tender larder that we could tow around. We have to be careful about such comments to Anne as when we joked about buying the house next door to ours in Scarborough and knocking through to give us more space, a few months later the house came on the market. We now own said house which has been knocked through!

At ding ding time today my bell was rung by Anne, it gave a slightly different tone to normal. Maybe that’s because she plays drums lots and is an expert percussionist. My food still tasted the same.

Early evening we walked up the path to the village to The Plough for some food. We’d hoped to try out the Admiral Nelson, but they I believe have just changed hands and are not doing food until the end of January. We hadn’t fancied The Boat House with their two for one and we’d heard good things about The Plough, it being away from the canal often gets forgotten about by boaters.

It certainly wasn’t busy, the menu was fairly standard and the pie of the day had to be checked. As Mick pointed out, I tend to eat a lot more steak than I used to as most options on a pub menu involve things I don’t eat anymore, a shame, but hey. However today there were no steaks available, they’d not re-stocked since Christmas. I had a tasty Lamb Shank whilst everyone else opted for Chicken and Ham pie. The pie looked like it could have done with a touch longer in the oven to get some colour on the pastry and the chips could have done with a touch more cooking. An average meal, we didn’t bother to stay for pudding.

We waved goodbye to Anne and Alasdair who headed off to their hotel for the night, then made our way back to the boat to start to consume the chocolate mountain on board.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 visitors, 16 sausage rolls, 2 balls wool, 1 pattern, 4 bottle beer, 1 afternoon chatting, 3 undercooked pies, 1 lamb shank, 1.5 pints Hobgoblin, 1 pint Doombar, 1 very large glass for 1 bottle of Crabbies, 2 whips (what happened to the walnuts?!), 1 Santa, 1 reindeer, 1 Luther.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna