Pleasant day at The Old Dairy Farm at Upper Stowe

16th Nov - Bridge 29 to Bridge 33 Nr Bugbrooke, Grand Union Canal, 2miles 0 locks

Still just sauntering down the Grand Union we travelled just two miles today, so that I could take the long 2 mile route over the fields to the Old Dairy Farm at Upper Stowe.

After the first field which the farmer had just plowed, the walk was very pleasant.  The Old Dairy Farm Centre is set in the very pretty village of Upper Stowe, famous as the first testing place for radar.  Apparently there is a plaque somewhere in the village, but I never got to see that as I had said to Vic I would be back at three, and noticed I was still looking around the farm at ten two.

The Centre is set in among listed farm buildings, and there were many little 'shops' which were selling all sorts of crafts and bits and bobs.  Even designer clothes and underwear!  There was also a museum to have a look round, and somewhere for a bite to eat, and at two pounds for a cuppa and a toasted tea cake with jam, thought that was very good value. 

For my overall impression though, I must admit I was a bit disappointed.  There was I after traipsing across ploughed fields, and into what is 'The Old Dairy Farm', the little shops were spotless, and the carpets had not even a dog hair on them.  I enquired in the first one if it was OK to come in with my semi dried muddy boots on, and the guy actually wanted to have a look....... so I stuck my bum in and lifted a boot!  "Well they are a bit dirty" was the response, so telling him that my feet weren't too smelly took them off and left them outside so I could go and have a look around in my socks! 

This happened in all but one of the shops.  In the sweetie shop and the little shop selling extremely cheap china I was allowed in....... the lady there owned both!  She was telling me too that she and her husband had been thinking of living on a narrowboat, but she was worried about the cold and damp in the winter.  She had never been on a narrowboat before though, and I outlined what it was like, suggesting that she took a 2 week holiday in March before selling everything up and moving to the water!

Walking back with just homemade jars of piccalilli and pickled red cabbage, met a chap coming the other way with his dog in the middle of the ploughed field, (you know as one does!  ) struggling in his direction as I was in mine. Stopped to chat for 5 minutes, and in this time was given a complete history of his life and family.  His name was Dave, and he knew an artist on a narrowboat, he thinks she is now in Braunston, and what do we use for lights, because his friend only had candles, he noted though that 'modern' boats have proper lights...... actually he was a very pleasant chap, and I was pleased to stop for a chat if only to give my legs a rest from the clods of earth.

Might walk the other way into Bugbrooke tomorrow, I have some post to send to eldest alien, and maybe we might trickle up to Gayton in the afternoon...... that is of course, if we don't have any wet stuff.

Waterways News Snippits

• 2005 Licence Fees Announced

Up they go then in April, up by 2.9%, and the gold up by 5.5%.  We were thinking of getting the gold licence this year as we are planning to go have a look at the River Nene next year, and maybe explore a bit of the Middle Levels.  I don't know how much the Nene Licence is though, will find that out in a couple of days at Gayton.  So our licence is due for renewal at the end of December, the Licence increase comes into effect in April 2005.  The Gold Licence you have to take out in December (It's a Dec - Dec thing the Gold Licence allowing you to use Rivers such as the Thames and Nene as well as canals) So do we pay for the normal licence in January and get away with 9 months before we have to pay the 2.9%.... Umm I think I will have to get the calculator out!

• Canal boost for Hanley Park

OK why not, we were in this area last year, the Caldon is certainly a lovely canal, well further up from Hanley Park it is.  "Oh don't go up there after lunchtime it's not safe" said the BW chap at Etruria (the Caldon Junction with the Trent and Mersey)  I hope then during this costly exercise that they do something about bridges 8, 9 and 10 which are extremely low.  We only encountered a couple of kids in their back garden picking up a couple of stones, but they decided not to do anything with them after I gave a yell, although another couple told us that their boat was spattered with eggs.  I do hope the yobs of the area will appreciate what is being done for them.