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Thursday 3 September 2015

Grimes Bridge N Oxford Thursday 3 September 2015

When we set off at 10 there was only two other boats still on the moorings. I expected to meet lots of old boats but it was very quiet to start with.

Just before The Barge moorings CRT were busy repairing the towing path with 2 female members of the crew on the shovels. I did wonder if they were volunteers as they all had name badges on.DSCF0149A little further on I saw one of the best anti speeding signs I have seen so far, it looks like a real  CRT item if I didn’t know better. I would expect CRT would have a copy write issue with it. DSCF0148At one of the bridges I was greeted by two large dogs looking over the parapet. The lady appeared later.DSCF0153 

Earlier I said it was quiet, we meet 10 boats between Burton Hastings and the junction, a couple of them big ones.

On our way up the canal on Monday I reported a sunken boat to CRT via the emergency as it was leaking oil and diesel onto the canal, the oil and diesel have dispersed now but I was surprised that CRT have not affixed a “CRT Aware” notice to it.DSCF0159 When we reached the junction with the Coventry canal we turned left towards Hawkesbury Junction often referred to as Sutton Stop.

Charity Dock now has the Home Guard and The Stig on display,

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they have also raised one of the old wooden motors that has been sunk for many years. Being on the bottom is the best way to preserve them if they are not being used.DSCF0161

We stopped in Bedworth for a while to have a cup of tea with Terry and Christine before continuing on to Sutton Stop, so called because the lock only has a fall of a few inches, so its a “Stop Lock” and the keeper for many years was a Mr Sutton.  To leave the Coventry and turn into the North Oxford involves a 180° turn under a bridgesutton stopAs I approach under the foot bridge I could see a full length ex working boat leaving the lock so I pulled in close just above where it says Hawkesbury Junction to give him room to get round me. He in turn waited for me where you can see the moored boat, but nether of us could see each other due to the building between us. He crew called and told him what was happening but he insisted on waiting for me, so I had to go through the bridge and round passed him to enter the lock. The manoeuvre wasn’t helped by a fisherman who had set up right under the bridge by the trees with rod and keep et in the water, but I made it without hitting any of them. As I went into the lock he in turn started his turn onto the Coventry canal to where I had just come from. You can see the fisherman guarding his equipment.DSCF0164Later I was to discover one of the little darlings playing on the bridge had deposited some of the fisherman’s maggots on out roof, he must have dropped them as we came under the bridge unseen by me.

We made our wan south along the Oxford canal finding and disposing of maggots whilst planning to stop at Ansty for the night.  However there was no room for us so we pushed on along side the railway for about half a mile to moor opposite Les Wilson’s yard for the night, here the canal and railway are separated by a small hill.

Today’s Journey map 07 18 miles, 3 canals, 2 junctions, 1 lock in 6¾ hours.

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