Banbury

 After yesterdays queues with the help of the trains sounding their horns we were away at 9am this morning, we still ended up queuing for locks but only one boat ahead. Thankfully they stopped just before we entered Banbury. Our plan was to spend the night in Banbury but we needed a bit more than an hours engine running time so we carried on south to wind at Twyford, this wasn't as easy as it may have been as to start with I waited towpath side for a boat coming the other way and was in deep silt. Eventually with the use of the shaft against the bank I got out a bit and got the bows cleanly into the offside winding hole, the wind was from the north helping the stern round until we were 90° across the canal then it all stopped. I hopped off with the stern rope and continued pulling her round until again I came to a dead stop. In the end with Diana having the boat in reverse I was able to pull the stern round, the only minor problem now was I couldn't get back on, so had to walk to the lift bridge and hop back on there.
As you approach Grants lock from the South you pass under a brick bridge right at the mouth of the lock. This bridge supports two numbers, its not unusual for bridges to be renumbered when one has been removed or added but in this case the numbers are 26 adrift.
The lock side cottage at Grants Lock is a sorry state, completely gutted by fire taking out the upper floor, roof and stairs including anything else that would burn. The north gable end looks as if its parting company with the back and front walls. I can't see it ever being repaired. As we came down the canal Diana struggled with lift bridge No 170 which was closed and she didn't have the weight to open it, I had to do it. Thankfully on our return someone had opened it and left it open, so no problem. 
Getting closer to Banbury there is now a very large housing estate being built on the offside of the canal, at one time there were   planes to build a marina here as well but they were withdrawn https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/14/01832/REM .

Back in Banbury we went up Banbury lock and moored for the night outside The GF Club.
This week we are doing very well at bumping into old friends, may it long continue.

Todays Journey 11 miles, 6 locks in 5¼ hours

Slat Mill Lock

 Looked out at 9am this morning and the water point was free so made a move, wrong. There was a boat winding I couldn't see who then dropped onto the first waterpoint and a boat moored on the second. I was lining up to come along side him and the traffic got interesting, The boat moored just outside the waterpoint was leaving so I could slide in there to let him pass, there was the boat that was moored in front of us coming through the bridge hole and in the kafuffle the chap in the boat moored on the water point appeared and pulled his boat back into the space where the boat had just left who was now almost nose to nose with the guy just coming through the bridge. 
It was 10am by the time we had filled with water and were on our way. It was 2006 when we were last this way so we are not use to these bridges, I assume the 2 containers are full of water to balance the bridge so it doesn't just pop up by its self. At the Claydon flight there was a steady stream of boats coming up so we not only met a boat in every lock but often there would be a second below the lock when we left, this didn't make it the fastest of passages but it did reduce the workload. There was also a Volockie working on the middle lock of the flight complete with portaloo and tea hut. The long term moorings at Clattercote Wharf were almost empty, far fewer than I have ever seen before. Broadmoor lock looks a bit poorly, well I think it was Broadmoor, I will check on my way back and put a report in to CRT.  CRT have allowed a mooring to be constructed in the short section below Cropredy Lock and with the towpath also being a designated visitor mooring it doesn't make life easy when the canal is busy. After this we were warned there were long queues at Slat Mill Lock, when we arrived there was one boat going down and 5 waiting their turn, we made it 6. This held us up for over an hour, things did move a bit faster as Diana went straight to the lock to lend a hand. The problem was caused by a single bottom paddle. Once below the lock we called it a night as there are no more reasonable moorings until Banbury.

Today's Journey  8 miles, 10 locks in 5¾ hours

Fenny Compton

 We set off around 10am, I was surprised that only two boats had gone up ahead of us. As I was making ready a boat came down Atkins lock and then a second behind them turned it, we were ready for off when they were halfway down so no way were we going to miss it. It turned out to be an easy lock as the third boat had three strapping lads onboard who worked the lock for us. We moored for 10 years just above Atkins lock and there were still a couple of boats there I recognised from our days. Between here and Marston Doles locks we met a couple of boats coming down and then met another about to leave the bottom lock. This lock was a bit slow as one top paddle is out so by the time we were up there was a boat waiting to come down and by the time we reached the top lock there was another about to leave the lock, so the lock timings worked very well for us. There are even more old cars by the top lock now on the off side, I have no idea if they do anything with them or they just sit there out in the weather.
We are now on the summit and even with the back pumping running all night with the locks closed the water level was still down on the weir level. Many years ago the land owner had a running battle with British waterways, often the canal would be impeded with items in the cut near bridge 122 and then one day this boat was sitting in a pond near the canal. Over the years this pond has slowly dried out so it looks as if the boat is no longer afloat. I would be interested to see the state of the lower hull after all these years.Just after this we got another surprise, coming towards on their Narrowboat was Linda and Neil, we also met them like this earlier this year.  At Priors Hardwick I spotted what looked like a Tipi in the field, then a second, just round the corner there was one canal side, it even had an open air bath with a built in boiler.
A quick web search came up with this
 https://www.hillfarmglamping.co.uk but can you imagine laying in the bath beside the canal with nowt on and boats and people passing a few yards away.
At Wormleighton HS2 will be not only crossing the canal but running along side it, I am not sure what this mound is, but its huge. They have quite a camp set up and lots of earth moving equipment.

 We pushed on to our destination for the night, on the way we passed this chap sitting on a boat.   We moored for the night at Fenny Compton, there were three spaces just before bridge 136A so we slipped into the first one to wait for my son to come and pick up my grandson who has been with us for the past week. While Diana and George went for a walk I set to and did an oil and filter change on the engine followed by topping up the batteries, that my routine now after abusing the last set of batteries I now top them up with every oil change, 250 engine running hours

Today's Journey 9¼ miles, 3 locks in 3¼ hours.

Napton on the Hill

 It was somewhat busy this morning and I was very pleased we did Hillmorton locks yesterday evening when it was quiet, I bet there was a queue both ways this morning. We had a good nights sleep with no trains passing so they must be working on the line overnight again, always a bonus, We set off at 10 am and luckily the boat we caught up to by the Hungry Horse pub, now called Water Side, I think it was also the Oak at one time pulled over and let us by, more later.
The white house that stands on the outside of the bend just before the railway crosses at Hillmorton is now all boarded up, I wonder what its fate will be, renovated or demolished as its right on the edge of the new housing development. We carried on meeting several boats but a good distance behind the boat ahead of us. Passing Barby Straight these pair were on the bank watching us, I wonder what is in the handbag.As we were getting a bit low on Diesel we pulled into Dunchurch Pools to top up, a nice marina but a bit windy. Once we left things took a turn for the worse and we immediately joined a traffic jam and convoy, this went on all the way through bridge 85 for well over a mile, we were told in was the boat that let us past at Hillmorton who couldn't steer even with her bow thruster and couldn't overtake any moored boats if anything was coming the other way. Thankfully she pulled over before we reached Branston Turn., like this boat we met.
I must admit a do wonder how some boaters see to steer at allThings weren't too bad at Braunston  Turn, It doesn't really help having a marked visitor mooring almost opposite the water point. We turned right at the junction and headed south along the Grand Union canal, I thought things may be a bit easier but still ended nose to nose with a Navy boat and I was hard against the tow path, it wasn't the only one of the day, but no one lost any paint and we all left with a wave and a smile. We passed a moored wide beam, the owner was busy repinning her but the boat ahead of us had passed them very slowly so I don't think they were to blame. I had to wait at one bridge for a very special boat to come through, not something you see ion the canals every day, a steam powered Narrowboat.We carried straight on at Napton Junction heading south on the Oxford Canal. A Volockie was assisting a hire boat to moor just before the water point and he had helped another with their hose, not sure why the end needed cutting off. As we arrived there was a boat just exiting the lock so we had a good run up to Atkins lock where we have moored for the night, The Volockie is also a boater with a 70foot and made sure I was aware that he would be putting the padlocks on Marston Doles at 6pm sharp, I had no intention of trying to get there tonight.

Today's Journey 14½ miles, 7 locks in 6¾ hr.

Hillmorton

 There were only about three boat moored at Sutton Stop last night which is unusual. The Greyhound had a live band on until about 10 pm. and after that there was only the background sound of the M6. We left this morning a little after 10am. with several boats on the move in both direction, We had just passed the entrance to The Coventry Cruising Club when several boats emerged I assume for the weekend.

The sky was very overcast and we could see rain all around us, it wasn't long before it was our turn with very heavy fine drizzle, the type that just wets everything. Thankfully it didn't last long and after lunch we even had sunshine as we made our way into Rugby, last chance to stock up before heading for the South Oxford. When the team returned from the shops we decided to push on a bit, it was a lovely afternoon with lots of boats moving through the narrows of Rugby created by boat each side. We considered stopping below Hillmorton locks, but as we need water and knowing how slow the tap is if there is a second boat we decided to fill tonight. This of course meant we had passed all the moorings so it was up the three locks with no help from a Volockie, but we managed. The moorings above the locks were packed all the way to the bridge. There was a space immediately through the bridge but the second boat had a noisy generator running so we pushed on past the next 10 moored boats to find a space and we could still hear his genny at gone 8pm.

Today's Journey 16 miles, 3 locks in 6¼ hours

Hawkesbury Junction

 When I booked our mooring  for area C at Coventry I only booked for one night, as you can't arrive before 1 pm and have to leave before mid day it makes visiting anywhere in Coventry difficult, so I tried to book a second day. You can't book a return mooring within 14 days, so I booked a night in section D that's permitted. So last night we spent our night on C and the D moorings were full, One ex working CRT/School boat and a visiting private boater. When we got up this morning the private boater had left, so I poled Harnser across from one bank in C to the opposite bank in D. That done we went to the café for cooked breakfasts again before having a day in the Transport Museum. 
When we returned to the boat there was an event going on in the basin and there was only one boat on the C moorings,  " Scribendi" which is a floating library traveling the system with short stories. This is their web site https://smallbellsring.co.uk/ and they were part of an event being held in the basin.

One good thing about the basin is the silly mooring signs have gone that say 2 narrow boats or one widebeam

After we had finished in the museum we returned to the boat and headed to the South Oxford canal, not using our night booked on D mooring, but as most of A and B are almost empty it shouldn't have inconvenienced anyone, but it was the only way to spend a day there.
On our way back to Sutton Stop we stopped off at Longford Road bridge, this is where the Oxford and Coventry canals use to join up.
There was no queue at Hawkesbury so I just swung under the bridge and into the mouth of the lock, we then took the first available mooring. 
Since we have been here several boats have been passed and one said in a loud voice, "if those two had have been closer I could have got in there" I immediately shot out and offered to draw back, but he decided he didn't fancy in front of us as it was too bendy for him and carried on his way

Today's Journey 5½ miles, 1 lock in 2¼ hours

Coventry Basin

 We left our mooring at 10am with the plan to arrive in Coventry around 1pm, moorings have to be vacated by mid day and we met 4 boats on our run down the arm. We had a short stop at Hawkesbury to deposit refuse and wait for the boat leaving the Oxford who didn't even look across to see if anyone was approaching, just left the lock and steamed straight out of the junction turning towards Atherstone. Good for him I looked and guessed what he would do.
Clean run down the last 5 miles of the  Coventry Canal with no visits to the weed hatch, needless to say we met a couple of boats in awkward spots but it all went well. There are a lot more boats mooring along the towpath on this section of canal now than there use to be, the area is changing rapidly with all the dereliction being cleared and new houses going up. There is some very well done graffiti along the canal, this is professionally done with CRT's blessing,  but I can't help thinking they are making a rod for their own backs encouraging it.

We stopped just outside the basin to fill with water, I do wonder if it would actually be quieter mooring out there with a solid wall between the canal and the noisy bypass. We came into the basin and winded before dropping back onto our mooring at block C. Its a good job CRT have a booking system as the basin is almost half full.

Today's Journey 8 miles in 3¼ hours with no locks.

Bedworth

 This morning we got up to the sound of strimmers and clippers, CRT were cutting all the weeds that were about to take over the moorings. These moorings are made of recycled plastic so need these notices on them.

 First port of call this morning at 9-30am when they opened was Sutton Wharf café for a full English and hot tea, once that was sorted we wandered up the the Battle of Bosworth visitor centre which I felt was a lot of money for what was on offer, mainly information boards and videos, there were a few exhibits like armour and weapons, I suppose its not to bad if you live locally as the ticket is good for 12 months, but how often would you want to go. we wandered back down to the boat and set off about mid day.  Those of you that are boaters may already know that Biffa have lost the contract with CRT so all the Biffa bins have been removed from the bin store, this hasn't stopped someone dumping a fridge and grill there, probably both from a boat.
By now the canal and the wharf were quite busy with both water points in use and all moorings full. Looking back I could see that there was now one new bin in the compound, Biffa had between 4 and 6 as there is also a lot of full time moorings on site.
Our next port of call was Ashby Boats to get the black tank emptied, there was a hirer here filling with water, he couldn't get in at Sutton, his first words were to apologise for holding me up. It seems the boat between us gave him a hard time for going slow at the same time a moorer had a go for passing too fast. Those comments really didn't make his day.
George had a go on the tiller today, he is not to fussed about driving and is happy to sit and watch the world go by. We left the Ashby and turned left onto the Coventry Canal and made our way past Charity Dock, another canal first for George. We only went a short way after this until we moored up I demonstrated my skill burning sausages on the BBQ 

Today's Journey 12 miles, no locks in 5¼ hours.

Sutton Cheney

 A bit of rain overnight again but a sunny morning and as the day progressed it has got warmer and warmer , 26°C at the moment.
First thing we wandered down the Ashby Canal Trust Shop to donate a few thing and buy a few things including ice creams and walked to the end of the in water section of the canal finally untying a little after 11am. It has been much busier today and we met a total of 20 boats in just 10 miles.
The Ashby is now a very rural canal unlike when it was build with all the coal mines,

today instead you see fields of cow and even a field of asses .On bridge 37 someone has mounted several  small  statues,

I have no idea who or why but they are on both sides of the bridge as well as the parapets,Our destination for the night was Sutton Cheney Wharf but when we arrived it looked pretty full, we had a Dayboat turn in front of us at  Market Bosworth so we were following them and they moored in the only 57 space between the water point and the long term moorings. There was a bit of room on the plastic pontoon so we tucked the back end on there, luckily the nice chap on the boat behind us offered to pull along as far as he could so we can get off ether bow or stern. There had been I hire boat directly ahead of him when he stopped but that had left a little earlier to be replaced by some friends of ours, so a bit more room.

Todays Journey 10½ miles, no locks in 4 hours

Snarestone Terminus

 I was lucky enough to see two water voles at last nights moorings, as usual it was a lovely quiet night there. This morning we pushed off at about 10am to a chilly but fine morning, however it didn't stay fine all day and we had a few short, sharp showers. We saw a lot less boats about to day and lots of vacant moorings.
Passing the renewed moorings at Sutton Cherney it looks as if the new work wont be long before it needs some remedial work doing to it, already one facing piece has come adrift. Hopefully we will be able to moor there on our way back.
We needed some provisions so moored at Market Bosworth, the only boat by the water point was just leaving and nothing on the moorings so I moored on the last mooring before the waterpoint and ran the hose to the tap while George and Diana visited the shop, once the tank was full I didn't need to move. This was lucky as before they returned a day boat and another moored behind me. When they returned we stayed and had lunch before setting off again, this time our destination was the terminus at Snarestone on the way I think we only met 2 boats and passed the on in front when they moored up. As we passed a fisherman at Shackerstone he managed to catch a Crayfish on his hook and didn't seem that amused when I said "at least you can eat it", he indicated there were quite a few in there. When we arrived at the terminus there was only one other boat moored here, so loads of room and since we have been here only one other has come down for water and then left.

Todays Journey 12 miles, no locks in 4¾ hours

Dadlington. Wooden Top Bridge

 As it was raining when we were due to set off this morning we staid put and had a quick game of Ludo finally getting away at 1045. it was rather slow to Marston Junction due to a very slow day boat which the boat behind had been following for an hour, even though we were only doing 2½ mph. we caught up to them before the junction.
The piling opposite the junction is still not finished and it looks as if they are going to pour concrete in behind the piling as there is some shuttering and reinforcing iron behind it. As I turned onto the Ashby I could see a boat a short way ahead doing an impression of the "Ever Given" so I stopped in the narrows to lend a hand. It turned out the chap had the center rope fast round his prop. Once we had it alongside he asked if I could help as he was suffering from cancer and no way could he get to the weed hatch. When I looked I was surprised I could, it was under the counter which meant sliding down the starboard swim past the engine, the weed hatch its self was about 200mm by 400mm in a recess of the fuel tank and the prop was quite a bit behind that. Luckily he had a selection of Stanley knives with new blades. I unwrapped what I could but the final 2 turns round the propshaft had welded together and I had to cut them between the end of the bearing and the front of the prop, about 6-8mm. Thankfully I was able to sort him out so I hope is OK now. Diana came along side and picked me up and we waved goodbye.
Coming into Hinckley these flats have Upvc cladding on the front section, originally it was black or dark wood coloured but over the last couple of years the coloured lamination has peeled of almost completely and its now mainly white. The building next door has the area scaffolded up but I have no idea if its to replace/paint the cladding.

After this mornings rain things have been much nicer but the wind has picked up from time to time, we have not seen many boats this afternoon, unlike this morning where we met 6 in the first mile.

 

10¾ miles, no locks in 4¼ hours

Atherstone

 Last night we went to bed at 11pm. to the dulcet sounds of a Clark generator running on the offside bank, thankfully it was ahead of us, then this morning we woke at 4am. to an alarm going off somewhere, I crawled out of bed and went through the boat checking ours and as I opened the front doors to try and hear where it was coming from, it stopped.

George arrived about half 9 and we were away by 10 with a good run up the flight. We met several boats on the way and all locks were with us until lock 5 where somehow we caught up with a hire boat, but after that we were in Volockie territory, so 4 was open ready for us, I turned three and the rest were also ready. I thought there was a boat coming down the top lock but it was just the charity boat, Hargreaves II moored on the lock moorings for a couple of hours. We stopped at the top of the locks to dump rubbish and take on water, while we were there the Hargreaves II winded and then moored up again on the lock moorings, it was a good job it wasn't too busy. Once the tank was full we set off only to moor up about a quarter of the mile down the canal to have lunch passing the tyre boat on the way.

While we were eating lunch the Hargreaves II slid silently passed us with her all electric drive, it must be ideal for the service she provides running for perhaps 3 to 4 hours at a time, even while waiting for her passengers she was recharging. Having finished lunch we set off, a family of swans were sunbathing on the offside slipway,If I hadn't seen them out swimming I would have said they were unwell, as you can see from the photograph it had started to rain, thankfully it didn't come to much and the umbrella wasn't needed for long. 
Passing Rothen's yard they are now stacking their boats and have a couple of ex working boats sitting there, maybe they have bought them in for canal maintenance work.

Passing the allotments at Nuneaton Diana was able to pick our first Blackberries of the season from the off side while I hovered moving slightly back and forth as required.

I expected to see the Hargreaves II moored up at Boot Hill as that is where the original one was kept, but she wasn't there, we would meet her again coming the other way just before the Griff Arm. We carried on south for a bit, on previous trips I had spotted all these beer cans on the ledge of the southerly span of bridge 17, but never managed to get a picture, today I remembered and had the camera ready, still not much room to get the shot.

Another couple of hundred yards and we called it a day.

Today's Journey 9.9 miles 11 locks in 5¾ hours.

Bradley Green

 Mixed weather driving over to the boat but since we have been here the sun has poked its head out but the wind has also picked up quite a bit. Carparking at the marina was a bit tight and I had to park in the roadway to unload the car due to lots of git gaps in the moored cars. Once loaded and dinner finished we set off, with the breeze I was pleased that I reverse into the mooring and could drive straight out. At Pooley Hall there is a small heard of Belted Galloways munching away at the grass, they are not out on the nice meadow but had  worked there way into the overgrown part beside the canal. As we came into Poolsworth it looks as if a couple of them with calves have decided to go into town, I am not sure

how they managed to get out of the canal on the towpath side, as from what I can remember its all a piled hard edge.
Passing Grendon Dry Dock this fine fellow wandered over to say hello, I would have felt more honored he he wasn't doing it to all the passing boats.
We were hoping to moor opposite the services at Bradley Green Bridge but as I was by the winding hole I could see through the bridge and it looked quite full, so I backed up clear of the hole with a view to mooring there for the night, however Diana walked ahead and cam back with the news that there were moorings 5 boat up, so I move along. Our reason for mooring here is that George, my Grandson is joining us tomorrow, I haven't seen him for a year but understand he could now be bigger than me.

Today's Journey 5¼ miles, no locks in 1¾ hours