Back on the canals so back to canal starting time. We set off at 10-30 AM when a boat came down the lock ahead or us. We had to do battle with a willow tree as we passed The Highwayman pub just before the bridge on the bend. These willow completely obscure you vision for a short while. We had avoided one earlier which caught the boater coming towards us. I wonder how many pairs of glasses have been damaged by them? 
O can you see the bridge or who is coming through it? Thought not.
A couple of things I have not seen down here before, the first was how empty the Thrupp visitor moorings were, only 3 boats between the lift bridge and The Jolly Boatman. also there was only one at the other end near Shipton Church.
The other first was the flow on the river Cherwell, you couldn’t perceive any movement at all, the only flow seemed to be coming from the old cement works.
Thrupp Canoe Centre seems to do a good trade and we had to watch out for them as we made our way to Shipton lock, we had better luck than the boat we met, when we passed they were all in a bunch but as we passed the Narrowboat coming the other way they where all over the place going both sides of him poor chap. Once they get close to you, you can’t see where they are. Two Canadian canoes followed us down to Shipton Weir Lock and dragged them overland to the river, they had been advised not to go through the lock, but this one shouldn’t presented a problem.
I don’t know what is happening at the old cement factory but the whole area near Bakers Lock is covered in white dust, I always fancied mooring below the lock but not in that mess.
Again a Pigeons lock there were very few boats moored. We had to turn this lock as we now had a Day Boat in front of us, I don’t know where he popped up from as its the first we had seen of him. Once up the lock we just went a short distance to Kirtlington Quarry. There was one boat already moored there but we moored a long way ahead of him, however the left just after we arrived.
It stayed dry and warm all morning but has just started to rain.
Today’s Journey 
5½ miles 5 locks in 3¾ hours
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