Hillmorton to Sutton Stop

Last night was very clear with a full moon, the temperature outside dropped to 2.5 deg C and this morning started sunny but cool, however by 10 30 am. things had warmed up nicely.
We were a bit late starting today, not getting away until 10 am. We would have been off sooner but were invited to have a look round n/b/Oakfield as they filled with water and very nice it is to. I especially liked the show/ toilet which is of the walk through design and very spacious. We met several boats again today, a majority of them being Ownership ones, the do keep the place alive out of the main season. At Rugby I had a word with Bill and Fanny on n.b. Rosy while Diana went to Tesco's for a few thing we needed to top up on. Some one has repaired the lights in Newbold Tunnel and all except a green one at the very end were working, this is the most I have ever seen on. At the south end of the tunnel is a new board with information about the tunnel on it, but it is to small to read from the boat so I will have a look at it on our return. BW and May Gurney  are doing sterling work repairing the bank at All Oaks Wood just before Brinklow using sandbags. They had a barge full of them and three chaps in the water up to their chests laying them to edge up the towing path, I didn't realise the water was so deep along that section. By 2 30 pm the rain had stared again and continued all the way to Hawkesbury Junction, also know as Sutton Stop. Just as we arrived the rain stopped, the sun reappeared and a full rainbow crossed the sky. We found a mooring spot a short way before the lock and tied up at about 3 30 pm, a little while later a shorter boat than us managed to get in between us and the boat in front.