Off the Thames on to the canal

02.10.15 - 05.10.15

After 2 pleasant nights in Oxford again, on the narrow strip of Thames before the very low Osney Bridge, we carried on upstream past Port Meadow on a hazy morning and turned back onto the Oxford Canal via Dukes Cut, our first lock having a dead sheep floating in it! Certainly didn't want that tangled in the prop!

Back to narrows and manning locks ourselves. The weather is lovely : warm, mostly sunny with a cool breeze. We know this canal well now after 4 years of travelling on it. Our first stop Thrupp and a beer in the Boatman, a warm enough late afternoon to sit on the bank on this well-kept stretch. People on the boat behind us who moor here permanently (they of the 'quote of the day' on a chalk board on the roof) were washing/carding (?) woollen fleeces on the path; strange past-time. Next day, we travelled on to a nowhere mooring past Dashwood Lock for our second night, where Pete just about managed to get an ITV signal for the England v Australia game, but then probably wished he hadn't bothered!
This was the 3rd, a Saturday, so lots of party hire boats: hens and stags? Plenty of good times and lots of weird boatmanship as a result! We smile and wave. The Dashwood mooring was another reminder of those ' why we do this' moments: going outside in the cold darkness and seeing a clear sky full of stars - stillness and silence all around you.

 Port Meadow

 Dashwood

 Heyford

 Somerton

On the 4th we decided to press on to Banbury as it was their Canal Day. We toyed with Pete's wise idea of mooring in Heyford and taking the train one stop so as to be there in time for some of the jollity, but there were no trains. We ended up doing the longest day of this trip: 7 hours cruising and on leaving Kings Sutton lock the gear lever alarmingly came off in my hand, just as I was reversing to stop and pick up Pete!! We just about pushed it back on its cog in time to change direction and keep from ramming the lock gate. On inspection the screw that holds it in place had worn, we were able to fix it. Nasty moment though. Nothing like feeling helplessly unable to stop the boat although I suppose we could have switched off the engine and drifted.

Around 5pm we arrived at a miserable mooring outside of Banbury and walked in just in time to see the stalls packing up and the boats' bunting being taken down! Never mind, we had had a lovely day in the still autumn sunshine (positively balmy today) and the boat once again became our solace after a pint in one of the not-so-good pubs in Banbury. Music on ( because we have no TV signal!) a roaring fire, hot shower and a tasty dinner; it doesn't get much better than this.
I will catch the train back from here on 6th, Pete will continue on his own (in the rain as he always seem to end up doing) to Fenny Compton and our mooring. I will return with the car to pick up him and all our clobber on Friday.

Ani will rest until next year, she has given us another fantastic trip.

Dorchester

28.09.15
Today we left Wallingford and a slightly different mooring just downstream of the bridge on an open field, where Pete rescued Polly the dog, who had eagerly hurtled down the steep bank into the water, then realised she couldn't get back and was whining sadly. Pete then struggled to find her owner - a young boy with his rugby ball. Later we found out that Polly was being looked after temporarily by a family and they thanked Pete for rescuing her, saying they believed she had ADHD as she had boundless energy and little fear. That we know. We sat on this bank until dusk, when our neighbours commented on us all getting 'the last rays' before taking our chairs back on board. The weather has definitely turned for the best.

Our next stop was Dorchester on The Thame, a new one for us. We walked the mile into this quiet, pretty village and looked around it's 7th century abbey. Away from the river it was positively hot in the sun and again we positioned our chairs on the bank looking back downstream towards Days Lock and Wittenham Clumps on top of the hill. Another perfect mooring that we will remember for next time.

Night sky in Dorchester

Leaving our last neighbour in the morning around 11am.

More friends

26.09.15
Friends Jacky and Simon joined us in Pangbourne. We met them at the station on this warm sunny day, got back on board and travelled to Beale Park. We moored and had a leisurely BBQ - every small table we possessed passed on to the bank to set the food on. Pangbourne's butchers came up trumps once again with their Cumberland sausages and we'd successfully marinated some chicken with a tandoori style mix Pete had brought from home from his 'kit' of chillies his son had gifted him for his birthday. Yummy.
On to Goring in the fading afternoon sunlight, finishing our wine, we managed to get the last mooring going on the wall before the lock. Jack and Simon kindly agreed to get their train from Goring and Streatley station so that we didn't have to turn around and take them back to Pangbourne. This could have meant us trying to moor up in the dark, which wouldn't have been very clever. This is a lovely stretch of the Thames once again; grand houses with bowling green lawns sweeping down to the water, high banks of trees, kingfishers flashing, kites wheeling and swallows swooping the water. We rounded off our day in the pub before J and S caught their train at 8. Great seeing them and catching up and they are always flatteringly enthusiastic about the boat and our trips together.

Pete and I walked back to the boat in the dark, past George Michael's house (or at least we think we know which is his!), lit the fire and started washing up(lots of it). Pete couldn't get a TV signal for the rugby, so he returned to the pub to watch the England/Wales game. Meanwhile I discovered our fridge had been quietly defrosting itself, so had a fun time mopping puddles on the floor - this has happened before and is because our bank of main switches is on the wall as you come in from the stern- it is all too easy to lean on them without noticing. Obviously the defrosting this time a result of our inebriated swayings as we came in and out throughout the day, oops!

Fading summer

25.09.15
Not only are the leaves drifting down slowly and the first conkers on the ground and the daddy-long-legs inhabiting the boat but the weather clearly tells you we are into autumn - the river and it's banks mist at dusk and the air becomes chilly and damp. Time to batten down the canopies and snuggle in after a warm blue-skied cruise. The well kept lock keepers gardens are fading now too, more seed heads than flower heads. This is a wonderful time of the year to be out on the river.

Boat names - groan

Frayed Knot
P45
Peter-A-Cocup (if anyone can explain this to me, I'd appreciate it!)
Nat and Mrs Woman
Baseplate Oohdalalie (Miss Scarlett and the Rooster)
Rick O'Shea
Corrie D'or
Smile and Wave (which of course we all do!)
Rush no Moor
Rioja Bye Baby
Stougham Hall
Obsession Pays
Inheritance
Firkham Hall
Meand'er
Offerocker
L'eau Life
Costa Fortune
Maid of Ply
Wayfromit Owl
Staines Remover
#wtf
Knot Arf
Not now Kato
Gin and Bare It
Minced Moorhen
Piece of Ship (a tender)
Hair of the Petit Bassett
Aquaholics

And our next boat will be called Scotch Mist - that way we won't have to licence it!!!!

Family and friends

21.09.15
Pete dropped me off by Ravens Ait in Kingston so that I could visit Mum and pick up my car to drive to London to look after my grandson for the day on Friday. Pete turned back to Hampton Court to moor for the night.

After dumping a load of washing on mum (so kind of me) I set off at 4.30pm around the north circular to Haringay, a journey that on a good run takes 1hour 20mins, but took 2hrs 15 at this time of day. So good to see Olly Fran and Rowan at the end of it though.

I returned to the boat the next day, Saturday. Pete had pootled down to Kingston once again and moored by the bridge. We took mum for a trip up to the palace, had lunch onboard and sat in the sun in the bow with a glass or two of wine. Lovely weather for a change, but the river was extremely busy with huge paddle steamers, barges, narrowboats, river cruisers, rowing boats (in a race) and canoes! Ani was rocking merrily on her mooring. Charlie the spaniel from the boat ahead of us was so desperate to get a ball from the water that his owner let him jump in from this sheer sided concrete edged bank and swim for it. A little nerve-wracking as he swam around the outside of our boat to get to the lower pathway to be able to climb out. He did it though, only to let the ball slip back in when he was back standing on the bank. Pete fished it out for him twice, to his owners gratitude. I think the shivering Charlie would not have gone in again.

On Monday, we travelled up to Chertsey lock and picked up our friend Sally in pouring rain. We travelled the great distance to Laleham and had lunch in the Three Horseshoes, meeting Stuart there. A bonus to have Stuart with us - he managed to get away from his work commitments for a couple of hours so the four of us had a mirthful get together with some very nice food and a pint. Great to see them both and they are a mine of information about this stretch of the river and it's inhabitants including the signal crayfish which they catch and eat from time to time, these non-native creatures being a pest in our waters, but apparently very tasty. They have to have a Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries licence to do so though, which sounds a little over the top!

We moored for the night in Runnymede, the rain still upon us for most of the night and into next morning which decided us to have a second cup of tea in the warm and dry and a slow breakfast before the next leg. It's so nice to not be on a tight schedule.

Gordon the cat

14.09.15
We moored behind Church Island on Llamas recreation ground in Staines - a new one for us and away from the town but near enough to pick up shopping. There was only one other boat with us for this windy wet night and we met their ginger cat, Gordon, who was extremely friendly and rolled over obligingly to be stroked as you said hello, as we did. He was very sensibly wearing his life jacket with his name and phone number on it, but this didn't deter him from attempting a leap at the litter bin which he didn't quite make as it had a sloping roof to it. We left him happily dangling by his front paws, just about able to see if there was anything edible within - an amusing sight in his dayglow jacket. Some animals just have it don't they?

The beautiful Thames

12.09.15

From a glorious mooring just upstream of Cookham on a field in the sun which cost us the grand sum of £6 to stay on, we moved on through Cliveden's beautiful high banks thick with trees and Boulters Lock with its scented angel trumpet bushes, through Maidenhead towards Windsor, but stopped short to be on another quiet mooring opposite grand houses by Dorney Reach: the Olympic rowing and canoeing venue. Far from the madding crowd once again.

A sponsored walk/jog/run of 100km was taking place at Cookham, it appeared to be for lots of different charities, probably of each individual's choice and it seemed to go on through the night. Brave people. Pete kept commented on them as they trudged past; "that chap was 18stone when he started" (of a slim whippet of a bloke) and "she had her hair done this morning" (of a woman with a wild windswept barnet)! A triathlon was happening at Dorney Reach, more sporty fit people. Us meanwhile, sit in the bow in the sunshine reading the paper! Oh, I should say, Pete paddles his canoe, I, meanwhile, do nothing!!!

If the sun shines (and it has been) this is a perfect time of year to be cruising these parts of the Thames. The trees are just beginning to change colour, the river is peaceful and not too full of boat traffic: the odd sailing club's boats floating back and forth in Cookham on a Saturday afternoon managed very adeptly by 10-12 year old kids and rowers and canoeists training. Everyone is happy and smiley and slow.





Alaska letting off steam in Marlow Lock





Taking a punt


Pretty little duck who was very shy


The view from our bow on Cookham mooring


Swan family by night


Mural celebrating Magna Carta at Bell Weir Lock, Runnymede

Away from the Hurley Burley

10.09.15

After meeting our friend Christabel for lunch and a good old catch up at the haunted Little Angel pub, which felt anything but haunted on this lovely sunny day, we stayed on our Henley mooring for a second night. C is recovering from a knee op and has some amusing tales to tell of her convalescence in a private somewhat dilapidated nursing home with it's very eccentric patients, kindly staff and extra expenses. Her small single room filled up with people on her arrival; one attempting (not very successfully) to block a wasps nest outside her window which ended in his staple gun breaking and exploding staples and bits of mechanism all over her bed, a cross nurse trying to take her details and fill in an endless form whilst another demanded to know what she wanted for dinner right now otherwise she would get nothing and her bemused friend who had kindly delivered her there and was given a £3.60 cup of tea for her troubles! Mind you, Christabel has recovered well, so they must have done something right.

On sunny Thursday we travelled on to Hurley where we have never stopped before. There is a long bank of public open space upstream of the lock opposite Danesfield Hotel which we had supposed we could stop on, signs telling us we could moor for £5. However, the bank was so overgrown with reeds and the river so shallow, there was no hope. We abandoned that idea, stopped to fill up with water in the lock cut and Pete went to the keeper to ask if we could stay here. He directed us back and into the 'bathing pool' on the back stream of the lock island, suggesting we moor on the island side so that we could get off across the footbridge for the pubs in Hurley. A wise piece of advice! Apparently it's called the bathing pool for just that reason; people used to bathe here. I wouldn't! We moored on the end of the island, the campsite beyond hidden by trees so that we felt we had this little patch of land all to ourselves. Pete canoed in the late afternoon sunshine.

Hurley is expensively beautiful as so many of these villages are along the Thames. We had a beer at the Old Bell, but the horrible smell of muck-spread fields beyond it sent us back to the boat for our second. The sun set over our 'garden' and the temperature dropped off rapidly so of course we lit the fire.




tranquil bathing pool






A chance to get some washing dry




Long shadows on way back from pub!



Shutting down for the night

Rupert House School

On 9th September, a historical day, small children in exceptionally smart uniforms were spilling out from Rupert House School in Henley, either absentmindedly wearing be-jewelled crowns, or casually carrying them, along with their book bags and other paraphernalia. We overheard a mum asking her small son if he knew why they had made crowns today, he thought about it and said "I've forgotten". Oh well, Liz outdoing Victoria's long reign was clearly unimportant to this chap and I suspect most of his classmates.

Having been a TA in a primary school for a short time and involved in craft projects with little ones, I was struck by the superior quality of these pieces of headwear, the raw materials of die-cut card crowns and 'proper' plastic diamonds, rubies and emeralds all neatly glued in place a far cry from the kids' I worked with efforts, who would have haphazardly cut the crown out themselves and gleefully, with much thrown-around glue, decorated it willy-nilly with anything they could get their hands on from the art cupboard: sequins, glitter, shiny fabric, plastic shapes. I know which I would be more proud of my child presenting me with. But I dare say they too would probably not have noted just why they had made one!

Henners and the spook boat

08.09.15

Arrived in Henley at 1.15pm after a very late start from Shiplake - we didn't wake up until 9.45am, it being so quiet and dark, or was it the excess of wine we'd had the night before?! This mooring near Shiplake College and their rowing base was very pleasant on this sunny day, but had a slightly spooky feel, the towpath being narrow with a tall hedge along it behind which was what appeared to be a boggy wood obviously never visited. The land banks up steeply here and the college buildings and a pretty church are at the top, but can't be seen from the towpath. Just to finish off the strange atmosphere, behind us was a wooden boat: Feral Lass, covered in cobwebs, tree sap and general grime. A young fisherman told us it had been there for most of his life, (possibly about 20years guessing his age) and he can't remember ever seeing it being used. He told us there used to be a cardboard skeleton in the wheelhouse window just to add to the ghostly image! We had probably got it all wrong and the owners do still take it out from time to time. Apologies to its owners if that's the case. It could be a beautiful boat with some extra TLC and has obviously been looked after in it's time. However, despite having a lovely evening, a good meal and those glasses of wine, I still felt inclined to leave the battery light on in the saloon for comfort when we went to bed, I don't like complete blackness at the best of times and this was a spook too far.

After our late start we were further delayed at the Shiplake lock water point as everyone seemed to need water and there was a queue. You don't see another boat for days and then 4 come along at once all onto the same spot. Pete had a conversation with the people who owned a Pedro queuing behind us. He is interested in them and thinks we may buy one to use on the French waterways some fine day. I must admit they look very well suited to hot sunshine - hmmm, dream on.

On to our favourite mooring from last year on the Henley regatta course open field. It's nowhere near as hot today as it was when we were here last, when we bbqed in shorts and set our towels to dry in the sunshine. Never mind it's a lovely spot for £8 a night with a short very nice walk into Henley. Aren't we lucky.





Under the dark trees looming behind us!




Autumn bonfires at Shiplake lock


Richard's?

Mooring signs

Mostly we easily find good moorings.
On Sunday, we had a great day with friend Dave joining us at Pangbourne, he is always so full of beans and enthusiastic. A joy to have with us. He drove most of the day too, which allowed me to be extra lazy and sit in the bow watching the world go by, bliss. We travelled back upstream and turned at Goring Lock then had a BBQ on the bank near Beale Park at lunchtime in warm sunshine (for a change) and headed on to Reading where Dave's sister came to pick him up. True to form, we had dawdled over lunch and arrived in Reading later then we'd expected to; around 6pm. Despite Reading doing "little to welcome visitors from the river" as our Nicholson map book informs, their moorings fill up and we struggled to find one where we wanted to be. We backtracked behind Fry's Island to the residential area there and moored on a scruffy bit of bank opposite Caversham Boat Services whose business is on the island.

The next morning there was a knock on the door and a young man from Caversham Boats was asking us to move off by 9.30 as they run their motorboat hire from where we were moored. We were fairly irritated by this as it would appear that this stretch is all public moorings, there is nothing to say otherwise and we said as much to this man and his boss. It became a little heated as we made the point that there should be a sign here and the response was that that was up to the council to do as they had paid them to be allowed to build the bank for their pontoon and the business. This suggested that they had permission to use the public bank, but we were suspicious. So incensed, I rang Reading council who told me they don't own that bank and therefore would not be taking money for development nor letting it to Caversham Boats. I could go further and find out through Land Registry who does own the land and to see if what we were told by Caversham Boats was correct.

This all seems a little over the top now that we are a few days on and have calmed down, but we still feel strongly that there should be a No Mooring sign put there by Caversham Boats if they want to stop people taking up 'their?' bank. Needless to say, we don't think we will be stopping to fuel with them anymore and we don't think we'd be welcome anyway!





The boys at the helm!


Reading Festival fallout - abandoned, shovelled-up tents - what a waste.

People

02.09.15

We meant to leave the Oxford canal mooring around mid morning but ended up talking to new neighbours who had arrived whilst we had been shopping. Tracey and Frank and their dog, Patsy Kline (?!) were jolly people and we shared information about various moorings and boaty things including the inevitable (it seems) discussion about toilets, pump-out versus cassette, and how to keep them fresh-smelling without damaging mascerators and plastic pipes. White vinegar apparently?! An hour later we set off only to be held back by a 50' boat attempting to wind in the so-signed 52' winding hole just before Isis Lock. Pete suggested they go through the lock and turn in the basin below which is just what we had done once when we realised the 52' sign was decidedly optimistic. You can't do it - the boat runs aground and gets stuck in the bushes opposite. It's a wonder there isn't a boat permanently stuck widthways there. There are signs forbidding turning in the basin which is the u-turn for the channel to the Thames, but you have no option. Pete helped them lock through and back and then we were on our way again. Needless to say as time was pressing on, we decided to stop short of Osney Lock on East Street's moorings by the pleasant Punter pub (any excuse to frequent a good pub). We had travelled the grand distance of 1 and a quarter miles! It was raining and cold so another reason for not continuing and we lit the fire.

Next morning we set off, buying our month's licence for the Thames at Osney (£146 now, phew.) We locked through with a couple of nice chaps who had come down from Lechlade and trundled on to Abingdon in some sun at last. Coming out of Sandford Lock, the smiley gentleman on NB Sally Slapcabbage (what a great name!) called cheerily "what a nice day! The second one we've had this year! " which made us laugh and feels pretty much true.

Further along a man was fishing off the back of his anchored boat with the daftest dog by his side, tail wagging madly, looking eagerly into the water as if to say "there's one". And every time the man flicked his line the dog jumped to catch the end. That game could end very messily.

It is customary to smile, wave, acknowledge other boats and we always do, however today I did so to a narrowboat passing on this very wide Thames and was upset by the skipper's po-face back at me. A face like a slapped bottom. His wife managed a weak smile. Trouble with this is, no matter how confident a boater you are, you spend the next few miles wondering what on earth you did wrong, analysing your boating etiquette to the last detail. I'm happy to say, I can't think of anything in this instance and my loyal Pete can't either - perhaps he was just having a bad day, but I wish he hadn't taken it out on me - he even looked back over his shoulder scornfully. Oh well.

Jericho

30.08.15

We arrive in Oxford in the pouring rain and moor opposite a favourite area: Jericho. We have passed the Agenda 21 residential boats on the way in, lots of them in a sorry state. And the backwater (Castle Mill Stream) on this mooring between canal and railway is obviously still an issue for the council, with scruffy boats moored hidden in the bushes and piled wood and assorted debris on its bank by the footbridge. A sunken wooden boat completes the miserable picture. I think the ownership of this stretch of water is under dispute and therefore moorings are free and easy. Both these lead-ins to Oxford contrast with the attractive Victorian 3 storied houses on the Jericho bank, their pretty gardens stretching down to the water with summerhouses and huge willows.

We had hoped the development on the Jericho side of the end of the canal might have been started by now but it seems not. There is a plan to re-open a small wharf (at the moment and for some time since we've been coming here; hidden from the canal by ugly wooden panels) and for a piazza of cafés and galleries around it, the whole development being backed by an existing grand church, St Barnabas, whose original congregation probably consisted of the iron workers and then the bookbinders who lived and worked here. It seems the only change is that Oxford Cruisers hire boat business has been moved, which makes it easier to cruise through!

Along this stretch a large family (grandparents, mum, dad, and children) were gathered at Wolvercote Lock gongoozling. As our boat descended, the 2 small children excitedly recorded that we had a sofa (we haven't!) some books, a washing line (I'm glad to say they didn't announce that our underwear was drying on it) and some biscuits!! And one declared that he would like to live on a boat. I expect it was the biscuits that swayed him! Very sweet enthusiastic children who were delighted a little further on because they had 'beaten us' into town, not difficult to outrun a narrowboat especially when you are only 8 and 5!

The rain didn't let up, so we lit the fire to counteract the gloom and left it in for our return from the Bookbinders pub; a favourite. Tomorrow: a walk into beautiful Oxford.








The backwater mess





St Barnabas

Pubs

I don't normally whinge about pubs ,they generally dispense hop based drinking products which I like very much, in pleasant surroundings , with convivial people, but I have to report that the establishment we visited on Friday evening failed miserably . I won't name and shame but it's THE **** at Gibraltar .
Last time we came through here the pub was just changing hands and the new owners have gone to considerable efforts to make the pub much worse than it used to be. It appears that they have set themselves some low targets and have consistently failed to meet any of them . That said they must be commended for their colour scheme , using I'd say pretty much all of the Wilco paint colour chart, from hearing aid beige through banana vomit yellow to geriatric purple.
I'd like to offer some handy hints from the 'My First Big Book of Beer Keeping'
1. If you offer beer make sure you have some , it's a guest beer not a
guess-it's-all-gone beer
2. Put some beer mats on the table, they soak up all the stickiness. That way I won't have to prise my phone off with a pallet knife
3. The meat raffle is always a winner but keep the fact that you've lost one of your Jack Russels to yourself
4 . If you have a sign on a blackboard which reads
Canalside
Seating
And
Beer garden
Please do not position a plant which manages to obscure the first letter of each word!

Banbury and Aynho

26.08.15
Once again we leave our mooring and head off on a familiar route towards Oxford. The logistics of getting to the boat and loading stuff are fairly complicated. Having spent a couple of days with friends in Wales, I dropped Pete and several extra bits of boat necessities off at Fenny Compton on Friday 21st and took the car back home.
Pete moved the boat on to Claydon top lock and then manned several locks by himself to Banbury. I joined him there by train on 25th, having left my car at Mum's in Kingston. I am logging all this to show how tricky it can all be when you will no longer need cars but have to transport clobber to the boat.

This trip we are travelling on the Thames again - it's our favourite month for it. We are cruising slowly to Kingston where I can visit Mum and use the car to get to London to babysit my grandson for a day - my first stint at looking after him on my own as his mummy is returning to work.

We lit the fire on my first night on the boat in Banbury! It's August, but cold and wet. Second night spent at Aynho and we managed about an hour sitting on the towpath in the sun before the weather reverted to its rainy self, happily we didn't need a fire though.

Lazy heffers paddle opposite our mooring, huge rabbits run the field at dusk, a girl from a boat moored ahead of us takes off barefooted along the towpath to greet her boyfriend arms outstretched , leaping up and wrapping her legs around him in a dramatic welcome! We are back in this very different world.

Last days of the trip

9th/10th July

For some reason we were up early on Thursday, so decided to press on, fully intending to stop at the top of Stockton locks for the night, but when we got that far it seemed daft not to continue to Napton. I picked up the car from Wigrams turn marina, as we turned on to the Oxford Canal. Wigrams had kindly allowed us to leave it for these weeks. I was slightly alarmed to find it all on its own and cordoned in though. They are apparently rearranging their car park so that all parking is on the tarmac in marked spaces, this all happening whilst we were away. We are obviously the last car to shift! It strikes us as odd that they had allowed us to park and instructed us as to where to, without taking down any of our details. Anyway, all was well and we are grateful for the safe and free of charge parking at this smart newish marina. I drove to The Folly, whilst Pete boated there. Once again we ate at this favourite pub at the end of a hot and sunny day. Our mooring opposite the sheep bleating and goats calling (what sound do goats make? Should ask my great niece! ) was very pleasant.

Another Heath Robinson device has been brought into play on Ani. We have finally worked out how to get a reliable TV signal by rigging up the extendable boat hook and attaching our digital aerial to the top of it. Until now on this trip it has been hit and miss as to whether we would get any signal with the contraption we had before, not that it matters that much. This one is not particularly aesthetically pleasing but does the job. Some people have rigging twice the height, which must be such a palaver to have to put up and take down, but of course height is what you need.

Pete moved the car to Marston Doles at the top of the Napton flight and on Friday morning I did the locks with the help of one or two volunteers, Bill not one of them because they are still out cruising. Took the car to Fenny Compton to wait for Pete to boat there. Another lovely hot day and we are now safely back on our home mooring, TV signal sorted ready to watch Wimbledon, cup of tea on the bank beforehand. Missing Jenny and Sid here though, they are just resuming their cruise we believe.

Home tomorrow. We seem to have an enormous amount of stuff to take off, not least of which our strawberry plants, now somewhat decimated, but we have managed to plant the runners, so should get more yet. We imagine our garden will be a jungle and the grass knee deep, Margaret has kindly been watering for us. More work, but hey ho, can't have it all!

This has been a brilliant successful trip and most of it in good weather. We'll be back on board in the last week in August for our Autumn Thames trip, hooray.





Working barges in the early morning sun


I've managed to keep our bow table really girly on this trip! Flowers, solar lanterns and candles! Not a screwdriver, rope or log to be seen!!


Sunset at Napton mooring

Retracing our cruise

8th July

We are now following our outgoing route back to our mooring. Turning on to the Grand Union at Kingswood Junction last night and then down the Hatton flight of 21 locks this morning. Teaming with our newly made friends, Bill and Sue on their boat, Thursdays Child; Sue and I driving, Pete and Bill working the locks. It mostly went smoothly apart from my poor turning in to the locks here and there. Bill and Sue very kindly reassured me the scratches on their stern were already there! They were headed for another IWA BBQ in Saltisford. We continued to Radford, just past Leamington Spa on a green site again, no pubs, no buildings.

Bill and Sue are members of both IWA and CRT and do a lot of volunteering for them. They have worked at clearing the canals of rubbish and the banks of overgrowth and Bill works on the Napton locks one day a week. Oh dear, puts us to shame.




Girls hold out.....



And chat


While boys do the hard work.....


And chat

Lock number 31, Stratford Canal

7th July
We pressed on to Kingswood Junction to turn back on to the Grand Union. Another day of 18 locks and I even managed a few! Even Pete struggled to close lock 25's gate.

A lovely surprise was a Gormley man standing on the edge of lock 31 at Lowsonford. A perfect pose as he contemplates the water level.

Festival fall-out

6th July
We moved off the Avon and into the canal basin in Stratford around 4pm with our neighbour boat, Willow and it's lone owner, Judith. She had had plenty of friends and family visiting her over the weekend though. We moored next to each other once again and Pete and I had a wander through the Sunday market outside the RST - lots of interesting stalls here.
Later we met the family on our other neighbouring side: Daz, Nes and their lively 10 year old, Millie. They were on holiday from Solihull with Nes' brother and his wife from Adelaide. They were a friendly bunch and were obviously enjoying their narrowboating adventures apart from the 2 ply toilet tissue which Nes was creating from her 3 ply supply!! Boat toilets are not well equipped to deal with thick toilet roll so rather than buy new, she was stripping off a layer! Millie hurtled back and forth around he gardens and up and down the bank whilst Pete 'timed' her - a very sporty child, with a nice sense of humour. I eventually went to bed leaving Pete chatting on to them all, I think we all knew each other's life stories by the end of the day.

Next morning there was a mass exodus of boats from the basin and new ones arriving from the river as people moved on from the weekend celebrations. We left soon after Daz and Nes, their space being taken by NB Alexandra, the other couple we have been shadowing from Gloucester. So back on to the canal system and adjusting none too well to Stratford Canal's narrow locks and bridges. We did a few 'Timothy Wests', clonking the boat fore and aft. Oops. The CRT volunteers were on the Wilmcote flight, so that was helpful as there were so many boats climbing it.

Moored on a quiet leafy bend for the night opposite farm fields. Sharp contrast to the bustle of the festival. We had a TV signal for the first time in days so we collapsed in front of the tennis and caught up with the news, both of us quite tired. The Solihull lot passed by calling and waving and so did Bill and Sue who told us they were heading for the next boatyard as they had engine trouble. We wish them luck.

What a nice bunch of chums they all were.

Photos

Couple of photos missed off




Bidford on Avon's historic but now damaged bridge, which was on national news. A lorry crashed into it, very luckily not going over into the river. Now all traffic is diverted around the town and it will take months before repairs are completed.




Elsie and Hiram gave borstal inmates a chance to do something worthwhile.

Stratford on Avon River Festival

3rd/4th/5th July

After a really quiet night near Bidford, moored in the Elsie and Hiram Billington lock cut, we travelled on to beautiful Stratford where we had booked a mooring for the festival. The ingenious organisers have devised a way to moor the boats stern on bank and rafted together in decreasing lengths. They want this to be known as Strafting and for get into the dictionary. We manoeuvred between 2 boats, tying ropes to one boat's fender loops and the other's bow from our fender loop, all very neat. The place was bustling, all the boats covered in bunting and fairy lights. Not to be outdone we trotted off to the pound shop for lots of tacky stuff with which to decorate Ani. Great fun, but we have no high pole to really do it justice and my pathetic attempts at rigging bamboo canes were hopeless. We got to know our very nice neighbours, Bill and Sue, who invited us in to the IWA members gazebo. We got on well with Bill and Sue, then they left us with another fellow and his wife who proceeded to tell us all about their dead relatives!! Not such fun. We managed to get away after a reasonable length of time and follow Bill and Sue to the Alehouse in town. We realised that earlier they had invited us to join them in order to rescue us from the bore. A jolly few ciders and beers were drunk in this interesting emporium (only cask ales and cider, no other drinks) whilst Heather Watson sadly lost to Williams at Wimbledon on the screen above us, despite the Alehouse clientele cheering her on.

Pasta at Carluccios on the way back, parting ways with Bill and Sue, then back on the boat where we were woken some hours later by the most tremendous thunderstorm and we hadn't put the covers on the bow or stern!

Saturday, sun out again and the festival takes off. Music, food tents , beer tents and trinket stalls plus masses of people. The goose herder boat was going back and forth across the Avon, an odd sight as the skipper has his stuffed dead dog in the bow as a masthead, some very odd people about.
What with that and the chain ferry with its Harpo Marx style hooter and the hired rowing boats careering into each other and us, there's endless entertainment.

After sampling the beer tent's wares early evening, we went back to pitch with Bill and Sue and join in with the IWA's BBQ, our contribution being burgers and a large pasta salad, which was met with very little enthusiasm in the association's tent probably because I was a stranger in their midst. Needless to say we stayed in our foursome and enjoyed food and chat together - the IWA representatives sticking to their familiar kind and us to ours. Around 9.30, the lit up boats paraded with much hooting of horns and cheers in appreciation, there were all of about 6, not a great turn-out. We had asked some other fellow boaters (couple we had met in Gloucester) if they were parading as their boat was beautifully decorated, but he was an anchor boat for the rafters, so without dragging another half dozen boats with him, it was obviously impossible.

A fantastic firework display rounded off a great day and after gathering up plates, glasses, chairs and BBQs we all split up into our respective bed cabins for the night.

We lazily didn't join in the litter picking at 7am Sunday morning. We found out that those who did found a deck chair, a pair of Ray-bans, £11, a trug full of soft drinks and various rugs. Astonishing what people leave behind.

                                          Lock cut mooring


                                          Strafting, Ani second from right











                                          Young actors playing Midsummer Night's Dream


                                         The honk honk ferry


                                          Next door boat, Sunday morning