4th June
Travelled to Napton on Wednesday, mooring just before the bottom lock. The weather has cheered and we had some sun by the afternoon. There is a buffalo farm beside one lock and we had been told we could buy their produce in The Folly shop next door to the pub. We had phoned the farm to check the shop would stock some of their meat. 3pm and the shop door was firmly closed despite an open sign and hours stated as 7am to 7pm. Tried again when we went back for a beer at the pub, but still shut and when we enquired of the landlord, he rolled his eyes and said, " I get asked all the time, but they are nothing to do with us and a law unto themselves with their opening times". So we had an enjoyable beer in this very pleasant pub ( one of our favourites) and headed back to the boat to eat onboard. Our neighbour this night was a very nice bloke who moors at Claydon, where the farmer has sold off 72' moorings with 80' deep gardens along his canal bank. Apparently they sell for £55,000 now! We were gobsmacked. This chap was about to sell his boat and buy a butty to live on which will give him more space - he will buy a little river cruiser to move about on. Sounds like he has his singular life well worked out. He and Pete exchanged stories of a familiar character who frequents The Brasenose pub in Cropredy, who now lives in a house and not on his boat. It's a strange but cheerful world on the canals with those who really appreciate this way of life - people look out for one another and there is a real sense of community.
Thursday in the blazing sun (hooray) found us moored middle of nowhere just past Splash Bridge at the bottom of Bascote Locks. We caught the shop open for literally 5 minutes while the keeper put in some stock and they had the buffalo meat we had asked for - the farmer having made sure it was there for us. So the farm gets a big thumbs up, but the shop? - not so much.
Back on the Grand Union with it's double candlestick locks, heading North. Pete has worked all of the locks bar one and I would have carried on from the one I worked were it not for the boater I would have worked with who rather put me off in his unfeasably small budgie smugglers and nothing else! And he had a Dad Bod. Not a good look! Pete was able to look the other way.
Chairs out on the bank, wine poured, all the windows open and Ani is smiling.
Morning view
Travelled to Napton on Wednesday, mooring just before the bottom lock. The weather has cheered and we had some sun by the afternoon. There is a buffalo farm beside one lock and we had been told we could buy their produce in The Folly shop next door to the pub. We had phoned the farm to check the shop would stock some of their meat. 3pm and the shop door was firmly closed despite an open sign and hours stated as 7am to 7pm. Tried again when we went back for a beer at the pub, but still shut and when we enquired of the landlord, he rolled his eyes and said, " I get asked all the time, but they are nothing to do with us and a law unto themselves with their opening times". So we had an enjoyable beer in this very pleasant pub ( one of our favourites) and headed back to the boat to eat onboard. Our neighbour this night was a very nice bloke who moors at Claydon, where the farmer has sold off 72' moorings with 80' deep gardens along his canal bank. Apparently they sell for £55,000 now! We were gobsmacked. This chap was about to sell his boat and buy a butty to live on which will give him more space - he will buy a little river cruiser to move about on. Sounds like he has his singular life well worked out. He and Pete exchanged stories of a familiar character who frequents The Brasenose pub in Cropredy, who now lives in a house and not on his boat. It's a strange but cheerful world on the canals with those who really appreciate this way of life - people look out for one another and there is a real sense of community.
Thursday in the blazing sun (hooray) found us moored middle of nowhere just past Splash Bridge at the bottom of Bascote Locks. We caught the shop open for literally 5 minutes while the keeper put in some stock and they had the buffalo meat we had asked for - the farmer having made sure it was there for us. So the farm gets a big thumbs up, but the shop? - not so much.
Back on the Grand Union with it's double candlestick locks, heading North. Pete has worked all of the locks bar one and I would have carried on from the one I worked were it not for the boater I would have worked with who rather put me off in his unfeasably small budgie smugglers and nothing else! And he had a Dad Bod. Not a good look! Pete was able to look the other way.
Chairs out on the bank, wine poured, all the windows open and Ani is smiling.
Morning view
Like the continental touch.
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