Friday 29 Wedding Day

First job today as we were not moving was to run the engine to charge the batteries up. This was followed by erecting the TV aerial, rotating for the best signal and tuning in the Freeview, you can guess why.

This afternoon involved a walk into the village to visit first The Buck and Bell to try two of the beers on offer and then to The Harvester (note this is not A Harvester) to try two more beers and a couple of buffalo burgers.

To get to the village we walked to The Two Boats and then along the main road as there is a sign at the end of the footpath by the towing path saying the foot bridge over the stream is closed, not true, we came back that way and much more pleasant than walking the road.

The first pub tried to sell us two commemorative glasses at £2 each to take from pub to pub with us, but carrying a glass around seemed a right pain in the bum, any way at £3 a pint they can wash up after me.

All the boats that use to be moored on the offside between The Cuttle Inn and the lock have been moved and are now moored towing path side. A local dog walker told us that this was due to a dispute with the shed making company that use the land which they use to moor against, but he added its not over yet as BW have told the shed company that they own the first 7 ft of the bank anyway.

As the afternoon has progressed there have been more and more boats joining us moored along the concrete edge between bridge 26 and the old railway bridge. Watching them trying to drive pins into the concrete just under the turf has added to the amusement.

Long Itchington

Date - 28 April 2011
Day - Thursday
Start - Calcutt top
End -Long Itchington

About 1030 this morning we decided to move over to the water point and
top up before continuing on our way. Just before we did a boat cam
passed and tied up on the lock moorings, then nothing.

As we moved to the water point 2 boats came up in the lock, the lady on
the Canalbreak asked if we were going down and should she leave the
gates, I explained we were about to take water and would be a good 10
minutes before e we were ready to set off but the chap on the lock
moorings probably would. As they left the lock the other boat went in
and asked if we were joining him. I repeated the story and he said"fine, I
want a couple of things from the shop I will leave her here until you
are ready"
Once filled with water we went into the lock beside his boat, closed up
and a couple of minutes he returned.

We thought he was single handing, but actually he had a young lady with
him who was not an experienced boat, but her inexperience made no
difference to his efficiency. He was well set up with ropes with eyes
for the bollards and quite happy to both use one gate, at the first lock
he shot down and set the second ready.

As we cleared Calcutt he asked how far we were going as he was heading
to Bascote for the night. We were more than happy sharing with him so we
decided to do the Stockton flight together as well.

As we approached Stockton top, two hire boats just came out of the lock,
so we had a very good run down the flight meeting just one boat half way
down the flight.

We moored between The Two Boats and the lock, just in front of n.b. Lena
H, I had a quick word with Adrian before walking back to the Blue Lias
to talk to Fair Fa who were partaking of a couple of pints of Adnams.

The pound was very low and I was a bit concerned that if the water came
up our gunwale could get trapped under the top of the piling, so we take
a walk a bit further down the cut to where the concrete edging is and
decided to move down to the only set of rings available.

Harnser's Travels towards Long Itchington

Date - 27 April 2011
Day - Wednesday
Start - Napton Top Lock
End -Top of Calcutt Lock

We arrived at the boat yesterday a little before p.m.. yesterday and moved down to the top lock to load up from the car, we then backed up and moored opposite our home moorings.
We went down to The Folly for dinner; it was not so busy as last time we visited. The menu had changed a bit since the last visit and we both had the chicken & Mushroom pie, which was very good.
They are still unable to take credit and debit cards as they are waiting for the machine to arrive.

Before we set this morning we did a bit of shopping so it was almost midday before we made the top lock. There was a steady flow of traffic but no queues and we only turned a couple of locks.

Once clear of the flight we didn't meet another boat until we reached Napton Narrowboats.



The view of the windmill on the hill was very good with the way the light was striking it.










One of the boats in the Napton marina was covered on one side with green netting, I can only think it was to keep the sun off.







On the towing path opposite Napton Narrowboats there was a Green Plover just sitting in the afternoon sun. I suspect it may have been nesting nearby as it took off and swooped around us quite closely several times as we passed.


We turned hard left at Wigrams Turn and moored for the night just before Calcutt top lock in warm bright sunshine.

I waited until things cooled down a bit and then set about some of the rust spots on the rear end of the roof, but its an uphill struggle as the more I sanded the more paint fell off. The only real answer is to sand it all off and start again, but I don't intend to do that, so its just a few more patches coming up.
I took a wander to Calcutt Marina to buy a new pressure cap for the header tank as the old one has fallen apart, I don't know how well it will work as its 7psi where as the old one 13 psi.

As the evening wore on we were treated to a glorious sunset over the reservoir.

Another post script

Its 10.27 at night and some antisocial so and so moored somewhere close by has just fired his engine up.

Don't you love them.

Are he has just shut it down again.

We lose more black 14 04 11

Last night while walking the dog I spoke to the boat moored ahead of us, he asked if we had seen where the two working boats were moored as he wanted to make sure he was ahead of them when he left in the morning.

This morning we heard he depart about 6 am. I worked on the principal that I would leave later and hopefully not catch them up.
We departed about 10 30 am. we had seen a few boats about but nowhere near as many as Tuesday and they all seemed to be going North.We had an uneventful run to Fenny Compton only meeting a couple of boats at the most, Fenny tunnel is much better since BW have cut the off side vegetation back.
We had planned to stop at Fenny to fill with water but both taps were in use so we carried on making our way around the Wormleighton bends. As we approached Marston Doles top lock we caught up to the motor and butty pulled over to the side with the stern line of the butty tied to the DIS lock marker. Just as my bow was level with their elm the woman on the butty untied it and the chap on the motor opened it up to pull away, I was by now already passing the butty and catching up with the motor still pulling and his bows swinging out across the cut, needless to say he took a bit more black off up with his bow just before I managed to get passed.
At Marston Doles there was a boat already setting the lock to go down and we pulled up to the water point, as someone had decided the best place to leave their boat was moored on the water point we were quite well forward. Someone had already pinned a note on his front door saying "Don't moor on water points" The motor laid beside him and the steerer walked forward to the lock asking if I was stopping for water, but not a word about pulling out as I was passing. Diana watered up while I went and helped the pair down through the first lock, for some reason Diana told the next boat they could also go ahead of us, by now there were three behind us and every one seemed to muck in working the boats down, of course we caught up with them at the next lock. Once clear of the locks we had a short run down to our moorings and with a good level in the pound got in without to much bother at about 4 pm.

I did one or two jobs to the boat including trying to get the weed hatch to seal, it does annoy me having a wet bum.
This evening we took a ride down to The Folly for a meal, the car park was pretty full and there were quite a few people there already, it was only just passed 7.30. The sell Hook Norton beer and the food was quite acceptable, at the moment they can't take credit cards, only cash or cheque's as they are still waiting for a terminal, but I will reserve judgement on what I think of the place until I have visited again, but lets say it didn't jump out and grab me.

Post script

It was twenty past seven this evening and Diana was just putting the dinner out on the plates in the galley, we don't do silver service when afloat. We both looked up towards the side hatch as we both heard the sound of a slow engine working well. There about three feet five inches from the side hatch was the bow of a working boat, a working boat is about seven feet wide, those of you old enough to work in pre decimal numbers should be able to work it out. The ex working boat from Clattercote Wharf proceeded to run the length of our hull and then the hull of the boat moored ahead of us, she then dragged her butty the full length of our hull before starting on the one ahead.

I did consider redoing the blacking between the rubbing strips and the gunwale this week, I am glad I didn't bother.

Bye Bye Banbury Wed 13 April 2011

I am always surprised how quiet it is moored in the centre of Banbury, after about 8 pm we didn't hear hardly anything, people, traffic, animals, nothing. Likewise this morning, no early morning hustle and bustle, joggers, dog walkers, just piece and quite.

We set off about 10-30 down through the lock, there were a couple of boats waiting to come up and as the lock was partly full two girls on the boat waiting to come up set it for us first. We had a gentle chug down to the winding hole, on the way I spotted this chap with no sign of a licence on display, not having a roof or engine I suppose he wouldn't need a BSS cert.

The winding hole below Banbury is a bit tighter on the mouth than most and leading into what could almost be described as a very short branch, we got round without to much bother, not one of my best manoeuvres and headed back up to the lock. When we arrived there was a boat waiting on the towing path, one on the services and one about to come out of the lock. After the boat left the lock the only movement was the boat on the towing path side adjusting his ropes. I enquired as to whether he was intending to go into the lock, his reply was the chap at the services was next. The chap at the services said he was about to fill his water tank and would be some time, so the first chap said he wasn't in any hurry and would probably moor in town so I might as well go first.

The house by the temporary bridge, between Hardwick lock and  Tesco's , now makes and sells wooden tiller ends as well as tiller holders, the price looks very reasonable and there are several designs to choose from.

We met a few boats between here and Cropredy where we managed to overtake two of the three ahead of us when they stopped for shopping and water and the third one who moored just above Cropredy lock, we are out in front, all locks will be ours (we think).
Just above Broadmoor Lock we saw the award winning journalist, Steve Haywood, working hard cleaning his boat down so we pulled over for a few minutes to start putting the world right, but moved on when the boat following came out of the lock.
We continued our clean run of locks right into the Claydon flight, where it all went wrong and they were all against us. We didn't see the boat ahead until the second from top lock where we caught them up and that was the only pound in which we met a boat.

As we left the flight there was just one pack of cup cakes left for sale and with great willpower we resisted them and moved on a couple of hundred meters to moor for the night at 4-30 pm. just through bridge 144.

Strange goings on in the night

Sometime last night I woke up, it was dark and I have no idea of the time, I heard voices and thought, that's a couple of the long term moorers off to work, why are they just standing outside our boat talking. I listened a bit longer, it sounds like they are listening to the radio. A this point I decided to get up and investigate, I went through into the lounge to find our radio had switched its self on, how it did it I don't have a clue, its a car radio and its never done it before. I stepped over the dog and switched it off and headed back to bed.

We woke this morning to bright sunshine and set off at 10 am right behind "Sunset", but we only went as far as The Wharf where we stopped to fill with water. This is quite a good tap with decent presser so it didn't take long to fill up. The second tap was also in use and when they moved off a third boat pulled in, just as we were finishing a forth turned up for water and waited until we moved off.
The weather was pleasant as we made our way through Fenny tunnel but the breeze was quite cool in the more exposed parts. We arrived at the top of the Claydon flight to find two boats waiting to go down and one just coming out of the lock. The lock cottage had a table by the top gates where they were selling home made cup cakes at £2 for 4, we found them very tasty. There was a steady flow of boats coming up the flight but they were mostly slow and a bit wide spaced so we ended up waiting for the oncoming boat above every lock. One of them must hold the record for the slowest entry into a lock.

We saw several hand written notices pined to posts and boards saying that the Country Life museum has now closed but no official notice. Once clear of the flight we were also clear of the queues, but all the locks were against us.  The surprising thing was that we met 3 boats between Bourton Lock and the motorway but the next lock was still against us. There does not seem to have been any progress at Bourton Lock cottage.
Coming into Banbury we passed Sunset moored at Spiceball Park visitor moorings, we stopped at Sovereign to take on a 100 lts of diesel at 87 p lt, I stopped to have a quick word with Timothy West and thank him for introducing me to the canals many years ago with his program about the opening of the K&A
We were lucky enough to find a mooring between the foot bridge and the car park access bridge in Banbury at 5 pm. Since we have been here several boats have both left and arrived. Tomorrow we plan to drop through the lock and wind before retracing our steps to Napton.

Back onboard at last 11 April 2011

We left Suffolk this morning in bright sunshine, it continued like this all the way along the A 14 to where we turned off at Junction 1, it even stayed with us until we reached Southam at 1 30 and then it clouded over with thick heavy clouds. These stayed with us until gone 4 pm.
We gave Harnser a quick check over and then turned her round to face south and moved over to the towing path side to load up and get the dog onboard. There were several boats travelling in each direction and we waited until the hire boat "Sunset" to pass before setting off ourselves at 2 pm. We followed "Sunset" up the Marston Dole locks and then passed them when they pulled in for water just above the locks.
It wasn't long before it started to drizzle but luckily it didn't last long. We met several boats as we made our way south, a couple of them in bridge holes of course. Oakfield was moored by the radio mast at Wormleighton and was mid way through an oil change as we passed, you can guess who was working the vacuum pump to suck the oil out.
We moored for the night a short way before Fenny Wharf at 5-30 in pleasant sunshine and it wasn't long before "Sunset" came plodding passed the row of moored boats only to meet a boat coming the other way as they were about to pass us, this wasn't made any easy by us being moored on the bend with our bum sticking out a bit and the hire boat going north being well away from the offside bank.
It was here that we saw our first clutch of ducklings of the season, unfortunately a swan took a great dislike to one of the parent ducks and tried its hardest to grab and drowned it.

Monday 21 February 2011

I like the moorings right outside The Boathouse, it shields the noise from the road and is very handy for coming back after a pint and a meal.

This morning we woke a bit earlier than normal for us to a cold wet day. A quick walk round to Midland Chandlers to spend all of 50 p and back to the boat ready to set off at 9-30 am.
Spot on 9-30 am and our Belgian passenger was just across the cut taking my photo in the rain. He walked down a bit and  we pushed off across the cut and picked him up. It was Michel Van den Berghe http://www.thebw.net/ who is photographing the British Canal System. We took him as far as Calcutt Locks so he could walk the GU.
Unfortunately the two sunken boats are still at Braunston are still there and I wonder if they will ever be lifted. I hope the second doesn't get vandalised before it can be lifted.
BW have been hard at work, or their contractors have cutting back the trees on the offside which is improving the viability on bends and at bridge holes quite a bit. Some one has also erected an owl box on the offside, it's the first I have seen in the area. Michel stood on the front deck all the way in the rain taking more photographs.
Over the years someone has been building a house and what looks like a smallholding near Fox Gate, it started off looking like a shed, then a barn, after this it went up a bit with a pitched roof and now its topped with thatch.
Work is still going on at Calcutt top lock with rebuilding the lower offside landing stage, I found it interesting to see the culverts that run the length of the lock from the ground paddles, these allow the water to enter the lock at 3 separate points and not all at the head as is common practice. The pond between the locks not only holds a great deal of mud but also several fenders and other debris. I wonder if any of this will be removed before the flight is refilled.

After saying farewell to our guest at the locks we winded and headed back to Napton Turn where we turned hard right and continued  on to The Napton flight where we found all the locks against us as usual and raining. We made good progress and were soon in sight of the boat ahead and at lock 13 they drew the bottom paddles as they left for us. Then the strange thing happened, by the time we reached lock 14 there was no sign of them, we had been gaining on them all the way up the flight, the last but one lock was almost ready for us, but by the end of the next pound they had vanished.
We stopped in the top lock and unloaded into the car before taking Harnser back to her moorings and heading home .

Sunday 20 Feb 2011

Well yesterday was another great afternoon and evening of entertainment with one artist just following on from the other. We nipped off about 6 to feed and walk the dog before heading back so as not to miss to much. We were going to eat on the boat, but the pub was doing meals in a bowl to bee eaten on your lap whilst being entertained, so it was two bowls of curry and chips.
All in all it was a very slick well organised event with only about ten to fifteen minutes between performers. Again Soundwave, the sound team did a wonderful job mixing for all the acts from solo singers with acoustic guitar accompaniment to full bands, even including a 9 strong  shanty choir.

We pushed off about 10 this morning and by then several boats had been passed, Napton Narrowboats only look as if they have a couple of boats out but there were quite a few spaces in the marina. The moorings in Braunston opposite the Boathouse were quite full but nothing at Butchers Bridge. One hire boat found a good spot on the waterpoint and sani station to moor. We went into the marina and had a pump out, luckily they were open so that we could buy a £10 token, once that tank was empty we stopped just outside the marina to fill the water tank. While we were doing that a small outboard powered boat stopped for water, he had 9 fenders hanging on each side, but still managed to hit the hard bank with an unprotected bit of steel.
We moored for the night right outside The Boathouse door on their moorings as we will be eating in there tonight, we just have to put up with their music until closing time.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Well no sign of the Aurora last night, no sign of the moon ether and at about half one this morning it started tipping it down with rain which continued most of the night.

We had a great night in The Bridge Inn last night starting with a meal at 6 pm followed by an evening of great entertainment.
It all took place in the dining room which is not the biggest venue in the world and with acts ranging from a female soloist to a 5 piece band the sound mixing guys and girls "Soundwave"http://www.soundwaveaudio.co.uk did a great job. The evening was supposed to wrap up at midnight but "Something Nasty in the Wood" were still hammering it out until about quarter to one, complete with bagpipes.

About 10 this morning BW contractors came past by on a work boat and have been hard at work cutting offside trees and scrub in the winding hole opposite the pub. There have been a few boats passed including a couple of hire boats.

I didn't do any photos last night after all and if I had I would not have been able to post them as I had a message from 3 saying I was approaching my data limit for the month.

Today the performances start at 4 pm so we are going to have to work out who we intend to miss while we have dinner and take the dog out.

For more information go to www.wff.me.uk

Friday 18 February 2011

It was a full moon last night, but with a thin cloud cover, this not only kept it warm overnight but prevented us seeing the Aurora if there actually was one, maybe we will have better luck tonight.
The mooring was OK with only a slight problem, the rooks have claimed the tree opposite where we moored and were keen to tell us so at first light this morning.

We didn't set off until 10 15 am by which time it was one degree colder than last night, there was nothing moving down the flight so all locks were against us. When we walked the dog down late last night all the locks were well above weir but this morning all about 2" below, so the back pumps must have been running last night but off today.
We stopped at The Folly to fill with water, it still looks the same as it did straight after it closed down, even the empty kegs are sill in the same spot. Maybe it will be open for the summer. Once topped up we pushed on towards The Bridge Inn, on the way we passed two chaps trimming the towing path hedge, one with a long shaft petrol hedge trimmer and the other with a petrol blower to clear away the trimmings. We arrived at The Bridge Inn about 11 30 am and are on the first mooring from the pub ready for tonight's entertainment.

For more information go to www.wff.me.uk

Thursday 17 February 2011

Well we are back onboard Harnser but only for a long weekend to visit The Bridge, Napton for the Winter Folk Festival.

We set off from the moorings at about 4 pm and stopped in the top lock to load the boat and get the dog onboard, he is now approaching 14 and doesn't cross lock gates any more.
Once everything was onboard we decided to carry on down the flight for a bit and moored between locks 10 and 11 at 5 pm.

While we have been away the minimum temperature in the boat had dropped to -3.3 C and outside to below -8 C so it was a good move draining down before we left. All we have to do now is to get the boat nice and warm again, the Dickinson is on in the galley and the fire alight in the Boatman's Cabin so hopefully by bedtime we will be nice and cosy.

Stone to Chester 1948

Another video from Frances's grandfather, A family narrowboat holiday 1948. Stone to Chester.

An unusual View of The Norfolk Broads

View Larger Map

If you are still wondering what it is visit this blog

http://xcentric-earth.blogspot.com/2009/06/two-headed-eagle-pond-near-hickling-uk.html

IWA Festival old footage

Francis said this was a canal journey from Oxford through Braunston to Market Harborough.
Are they going to the first IWA boat rally Festival in 1950? Any more information welcome.

Old Film Footage of the K&A

Scenery shots by Frances's Grandfather on the Kennet and Avon canal taken about 1948 - 1950

More old working boat footage with Sonia Rolt (Smith)

Early canal footage of George and Sonia Smith on Narrowboats Cairo and Warwick taking cargo from London to Birmingham about 1948. Any more information welcome.

 

Old Boating video

Early footage of George and Sonia Smith on Narrowboats Cairo and Warwick taking visitors of a tour of Regents Canal in about 1948. Any more information welcome.

 

2010 Basic Cruising statistics for NB. Harnser

After seeing that some blogger's where including boating statistics on the bottom of their blogs, I thought I would just total up a few statistics from our cruising on Harnser over the past 12 months.

In the past 12 months Harnser has covered some 933 miles passing through 783 locks, or 1716 lock miles. At an average speed of just over 2.8 Lock Miles per hour (LMPH) against engine running hours.
Our true average speed would probably be just over 3 LMPH as some engine running is done without moving.

To do this we have spent 115 nights onboard and had the toilet tank emptied 5 times.

The engine has run for some 610 hours and we have bought 925 litres of diesel for which we paid an average of 69p/Lt before duty.

The diesel consumption including what has been burnt on the Dickinson stove averages out at 1.6 litres per engine running hour or 1 Lt per mile travelled.

Fri 28 Jan 2011 Napton

Last night was interesting in more ways than one. We went to the Wharf as planned and when we arrived we found they had a function on. It was a talk and tasting session for Bombay Sapphire Gin including using it in cooking. The had take up the canal side end of the dining room. To demonstrate the use for cooking they had a portable gas ring,Unfortunately they had chosen to place this directly under the fire detector, luckily for them it was not a sprinkler, just a very loud alarm. So we had free entertainment for the evening. Since last night I have been thinking about the food we had, steak pie and game pie served with mash potatoes and peas. After a lot of deliberations I must say I think they were the best pies that we have had for a very long time, not only that but the mash potato was very good as well. O and we were drinking Hooky.
We returned to the boat and toddled off to bed, but not for long, Magic decided at 4 am that he was hungry and wanted his breakfast, this was followed at 6 am when he wanted a drink, after that it was under our bed and off to sleep.

We set off this morning at 9-50 to a bright but cold morning. A chap filling his water tank and extra containers told me that the new water point at Marston Doles was out of use, BW has only recently fitted a new tap stand so the information may be out of date.
We encountered the first ice at the winding hole and then broke very thin ice for about half our journey home. We didn't see a single boat all the way back to our moorings, once there we unloaded the dog and dirty washing to the car and then drained down the water system again, because there is still plenty of time for a lot more cold weather.The journey had taken us exactly 3 hours.

In the past 13 days we have done 130 miles and 26 locks clocking up 59 engine hours

27 Jan 2011 Fenny Compton

Last night we didn't get back to the boat from my sons until after 10 pm and the temperature had dropped quite a bit, as we had not changed the heating setting the front of the boat was quite cool where as the boatman's cabin was cold. The wind had picked up and was hitting straight onto the back doors forcing its way in with us. The engine room was cold as the engine had been shut down from about 1 pm. so a hot water bottle joined us in bed. I think the wind must have gotten up to a full gale overnight and was enough to wake us up.

This morning was a late start, it was quarter to eleven before we left heading south. A boat had come down the flight but one had also gone up so we were more than a little surprised to find the Marston Doles locks both empty for us. We only met one boat all morning and the only ones we passed were long term moorers even if they weren't all on long term moorings.

We arrived a Fenny Compton Wharf at quarter to one and winded in front of the pub, this was followed by filling with water and then backing up passed a couple of moored boats to moor for the night.

I have just been looking at the forecast and the numbers -5 show for early next month for this area so make sure you keep those water tanks full and also keep warm.

Wed 26 Jan 2011 Napton

Last night as planned we slipped across the cut and moored outside the door of The Boathouse, but even that close I was unable to pick up their WiFi in the boat. We went in for a meal and a drink and were quite impressed, still two main courses for the price of one, waitress service taking our order at or table and bringing our drinks over, the food was tasty and everyone very friendly. I think the other pubs in the area need to watch out.
I took a quick walk round to Midland Chandlers before pushing off at twenty to ten. The large building between MC and The Boathouse is now vacant with workman hard at it inside and on the canal side they were busy cutting back some of the trees.

Peter Boyce looks as if he is starting a collection of working and ex working boats, he now has one moored outside his yard completely wrapped in plastic, both hull and top sides, so I assume it must leak a bit. At Braunston Junction we turned left under the bridge towards Wigrams Turn. We only met a couple of boats and the weather was quite chilly with rain showers.

At Shugbrough bridge a boater has found he needed to moor with his bows almost in the bridge hole forcing boats to take a trip into the bushes to avoid him, there are miles of empty towing path on the other side of the bridge, its not exactly wall to wall boats this time of the year.

Over the past couple of weeks we have seen less than half a dozen hire boats about and lots of vacant visitor moorings, however the hire boat we saw this morning still found it necessary to to moor across the winding hole by The Bridge pub even though there was only one other boat moored there.
All the Napton Flight were with us which eased our journey and unlike when we went out there were quite a few boats moored by The Folly, I think there was only one here when we came down last week. We moored almost opposite our home mooring at just after 1 pm.

Tuesday 25 Jan 2011 Braunston

It was reasonably bright first thing this morning, but by 10 am when we were ready to set off it was very fine drizzle, over the course of the morning this got worse and by the time we left Hillmorton locks it was raining. BW were hard at work in the bottom lock, there biggest problem seemed to be pumping the chamber dry and sealing the top gates by throwing hand fulls of ash or dust in to close the gaps, the bottom gates are still missing and they had two pumps running in the lock.
The tree by the long term moorings in the top pound now displays a lovely growth of fungi on its trunk.
The moored boat that was above the first lock has now gone as has the shared ownership one from the top lock, I think it was the same one that we saw outside The Boathouse at Braunston when we arrived, they have since left and we may move over into their spot..
Refurbishment work has started at The Royal Oak, Hillmorton with the painters hard at work painting the window frames on the outside and in the rain!

There was no sign of activity or progress at the new Barby Marina, but this could just be due to them waiting for the land to settle, but there is still a lot of work to do before it becomes a working marina open to boat. There is still the entrance to cut and the pontoons to build, let alone filling with water and leak testing, I don't know their latest proposed finish date but I would guess its still several months away.We met several boats on the move between here and Braunston. At Braunston Turn we branched to the left and carried on into the village, turning in the marina entrance.
The elsan disposal facilities and water point have now reopened with a brand new cast iron water point to replace the taps that were screwed to the wall, I would imagine this is to discourage people using the water point to flush their elsan equipment after use and improve hygiene as they would have to unlock the stand to use it. 
As we passed the waterpoint a Buzzard landed in the bush next to the canal in the grounds of Braunston Manor Hotel. I have never seen one so close to the village before. We carried on under the A5 bridge and have moored opposite The Boat House, as we are planning to eat in there this evening I may just slip across and moor right outside the door.

Mon 24 Jan 2011 Newbold

Today we not only dumped the rubbish at the Hawkesbury Junction recycling point, the news paper/cans had not been filled with general rubbish but I also removed the stuff that had been picked up yesterday coming back from Coventry. The "stuff consisted of about a meter of bright red 6 mm polly rope which was well wound round the prop shaft intermixed wit carrier bags and some heavier polly material.  
We set off at 11 am with a few boats on the move, what did surprise me was last nights temperature, it fell to 0.4 c some time overnight which was quite low when you consider it was still about 5 c when we went to bed.
There is a notice on bridge 9 saying it is half a mile to The Elephant and Castle pub that now does food, I would estimate it to be a least a mile by canal.
We passed the golf course that is situated both sides of the canal, on the right hand side they have a "driving range" and use a small 4X4 pushing a contraption that gathers all the balls. 
As we passed Rose Narrowboats The air ambulance flew over us and then as I we approached  All Oaks Wood I heard a police car with blues and twos, I finally spotted him doing all of 30 mph and crossing the canal by Rose Narrowboats heading north.
We stopped at Lime Tree marina  and just across the canal from them was the Air Ambulance and police cars. We pulled into the marina to fill up with diesel at 77 p lt. Speaking to the owner he is installing a boat lift this season so that he will be able to lift boats from the water to the hard for blacking, repairs etc. Just as we finished taking almost 150 lt of none bio, low sulphur diesel the air ambulance took off and headed off which just left the flashing light of the emergency services and the vehicle recovery trucks. As we approached Terry Yates's yard we thought he was firing up a steam boat, but it turned out to be a bonfire at the bottom of the garden which obliterated the canal with smoke. We stopped at Newbold outside the pubs, they are now both open and The Boat doing food, to fill with water, Di tested the tap and it was just a trickle, but the other had a very good flow, once full we carried on through the bridge and moored at 3.30 pm on the almost empty visitor moorings.

Sunday 23 Jan 2011 Hawkesbury Junction

Last night we ate at Weatherspoons, this was not our first, second or third choice but as the others were all heaving with people standing waiting for tables it seemed a good bet. As before the food was fine and both food and drink a reasonable price.
This morning I did a few jobs on the boat and then we visited The Herbert Museum http://www.theherbert.org/ which like a lot of places is now free to enter and has a nice cafe attached where we had lunch.
We got back to the boat at 3.15 pm and set off for Hawkesbury Junction, I picked up something on the prop, forward/reverse made things better for a bit but then things went down hill, I didn't want to stop as I knew that we would only just reach the junction before dark, then suddenly as I left a bridge hole the boat accelerated and I was able to drop the revs back to our normal cruising speed, what ever was there must have gone and we were on track again. There was only one boat moored on the Oxford just through Sutton Stop so we pulled in ahead of them at just on 5 pm with the light going fast.

Sat 22 Jan 2011 Coventry Basin

Last night the temperature dropped to almost -6 but when we got up this morning it was just above freezing point and the ice was melting.
10 AM and we made a move down to the water point, the pressure was very poor but we needed water badly so persevered, I walked down to the refuse disposal point at the junction, BW have recycling bins here as well as general refuse but people have just dumped their general rubbish in the bottle recycling bins so they are not proving very successful. When I returned to the boat the water flow had improved greatly so I can only assume the stand pipe had ice in it. It was just on 11 am when we left and made our way past Hawkesbury Junction straight on toward Coventry City Centre.
My memories of this stretch of canal are crystal clear water with the fish flashing about under the boat, being able to see all the weed that grew so well in the clear water and all the rubbish laying on the bottom. Now the water is as murky as the rest of the system and has obviously stifled the plant growth, the rubbish is still there but you just cant see it. There was still a covering of ice in some places but no particular thickness. On several of the bridges there is a silhouetted map of the canal mounted high on the parapet wall made of quite thick steel, anything less would have succumbed to some of the lowlife that seam bent on destroying all in their path. We passed the old Club Line hire base at Swan Lane Wharf which is now a "not for profit" project. Entering the basin there was only one boat moored there which is good because the swing bridge is closed preventing access to the end of one are, its "No Mooring" along the front of the shops and services and the other arm has room for about 3 boats against the island and one the other side. The canoe club are out in force and we are getting constantly rammed as we are opposite their base, I don't mind if its the canoes hitting the black but I wont be amused if I find paddle scratches on the gloss.
A majority of the shops and offices around the basin are now displaying large "For Sale" or "To Let" signs and only the hairdressers and one shop are open.