My memory!

Not Alan…. was Stan on NB Sophia!

Quietly through Whiston, Doddington and Wollaston

Whiston Lock to Nr Wollaston Lock, River Nene, 3.5 miles, 5 locks
Sat 26th to Wed 30th – Moored Close Whiston Lock

It’s quiet, it’s remote and it’s nice

We spent the whole of Easter here at Whiston Lock.  In fact we enjoyed it so much we didn't pull the pins until this morning.  So this week we have spend doing absolutely nothing..

Oh apart from walking.  Just so many different walks here, some across country, and some around the lakes that used to be gravel pits some 30 years ago.  The wild life, of course, is superb.  I was talking to a fisherman the other day on the path that goes round one of them, and he told me that all that was taken out of that particular place went to making the M1..

These lakes are massive, one looks about 4 miles right round it, and after 30 years it has been given back to the countryside in full glory.  This is only one side of the lake, on the far side of the pic, well that is just an island….. beyond that it stretches as far as the eye can see.

However, I can understand the frustration of the local folk around here not wanting another massive, massive gravel pit, the working of which would be perhaps 50–60 years.  They are campaigning – Help us save the Nene Valley

Today we set off late morning with no particular thought of where our next mooring would be, but for sure, we do need to put water on quite soon.  The last water was put on a week ago at Gayton Junction.

Just as Vic had gone to get the lock ready, another boat arrived, NB Sophia with Alan and Julie!  Well timed that was, and Sophia was the only boat we were to see all day.  We shared the next couple of locks with them before they stopped for lunch and we carried on.  The locks are very different to those on the system.  The river ‘runs’ over the top gates.  So when the guillotine front gate is dropped there really is no need to open the paddles at all…. just sit and wait!

We are sharing our back yard tonight with a few cows and their offspring, there are no towpaths as such along here, just open fields.  Mooring along the Nene is anywhere you can get in really!

But it’s on the other side of the river that ‘my backyard today’ pic comes from..

Don't touch Orange with a barge pole!

Ok, my internet ISP is orange.net.

Here is a list of what I cannot do with my Mobile Office Card at the moment, and haven’t been able to do off and on for the last three weeks.

• Send emails from my gmail account (I can receive them and read them)
• Post my blogs
• Send my order to Tesco online
• Use Ebay
• Use hotmail
• Enjoy a game of hearts in MSN Gamezone
• Connect to MSN
• Make posts on my favourite forum
• Connect to any secure sites (https)
• Connect to orange.net (haha)
• Upload files to my server via FTP (I can download them!)
• Use my optimisation software
• Get updated web pages (cached ones are served to me, I have to put a ? after the web addy to force a new page all the time

After numerous phone calls to Orange, they admit they have a network problem at the moment, and are trying to resolve it, and they have kept me sweet by offering me a large credit on my next bill…. but that is not what I want! 

Discussing this with friend Ron, says he..

“If I were orange I would be looking at the configuration of the network routers; 512 Bytes is about the smallest payload in a packet - it is a power of 2 ( 2^8 ) which makes it suspicious....

I also think that there may well be a number of 'transparent' proxies in the system - which cache the web without telling you... this can cause all sorts of problems with connections to secure websites.”

Above was in response to me showing Ron this chap’s blog… also having the same problems..

“I also need to make big updates to two of my websites. But this Orange Datacard problem means that the FTP won't work on files larger than 512 bytes. It's this fact that makes me think it's something Orange are doing wrong rather than just a reception problem. If the amount a connection can upload is limited to 512 bytes then FTP will fail and also viewing Yahoo emails will fail because the Yahoo cookie is 800+ bytes.”

I also have a dial-up connection that I can use, and have done so to do any or all of the above when needby.  It has become very frustrating keep swapping sim cards and connections, along with the fact, my tariff restricts me in that I can only use dial-up at certain times .

So if you are thinking of using Orange.net for a data connection DON’T at the moment is all I can say.

Happy Birthday Lou!

Happy Birthday Lou, I know a few days ago now, but no blog = no birthday greeting!

Anyway I hope you had a lovely day…. both me and Dad send you our love xx

 

Happy Easter from The Nene

Billing Footbridge to Whiston Lock, River Nene, 1.5 miles 1 lock

Well after a long tiring day yesterday, we have settled for the weekend in a delightful spot we found just before Whiston Lock.  It is very quiet here indeed, with fine views of Whiston village and church about a mile away across the open farmland.  Talking to one of the locals who was walking today, she was telling me that this area is earmarked for a massive gravel pit.  This she tells me will completely devastate this area for the next 50 or 60 years, and instead of their picturesque view from their village they will have mountains of sand and gravel, dust and noisy lorries to contend with for the rest of their lives.  Money talks she tells me.

Well here is our backyard for Easter, the walks around here are varied and take off in all directions.  The Nene (pronounced Nen in these parts by the way) keeps splitting into smaller channels as we travel along, only to join again to make the river wider in places… a very different river than those I have experienced up norf! 

So a very Happy Easter to all the family, hope those Easter Eggs don’t lead to sore tums for my grandchildren!  Have a great time all of you…  And of course to all who read my blog, have yourself a lovely weekend, and Happy Easter!

The first look at the River Nene

Rothersthorpe Top Lock to Billing Footbridge, GU Northampton Arm and River Nene. 9 miles 23 locks

Today it was goodbye, or should I say ‘au revoir’, to our lovely friends Chas and Ann on NB Moore2Life.  We have spent the whole of this winter in each others company… I am going to miss them both.  I shall miss my long walks in the company of Ann very much, and I shall miss Chas… now I have nobody to tease! .  Thank you both for making my winter a very happy time, full of fond memories which I will take with me until we meet again in the Autumn. .

Double wammy of sadness for me today, not only turning in the opposite direction to our friends, but daughter Wendie has decided not to come and join us for Easter… pressures of work mean that it will be too much of a rush for the family, and overcrowded roads have put them off for this Bank Holiday. They may join us for a long weekend in a couple of weeks time though.

The Rothersthorpe flight of narrow locks are a delight after the big heavy locks of the Grand Union, and but for the main road that runs along side all the way down and the M1 over the top, it would have been idyllic.  Here the massive ‘tunnel’ like structure that takes the M1 over the canal..

The outskirts of Northampton are not so nice, graffiti just everywhere, even on the lock beams.  We encountered our first yob behaviour since we left the towns of Lancashire last year… a group of youths wanted a ride on the boat, and then later as we dropped on to the River Nene, another group of yobs throwing stones.  The Nene is wide enough to be just out of range…. but we felt uncomfortable, and with the news of the family now not arriving decided to push on through Northampton before mooring.

Here, the approach to Northampton Town Lock, the first on the River.  It has pointed gates on both top and bottom, and once through that, the Nene opened up into a wide river, and it didn’t take me too long to get used to the open expanse.  I was surprised though how big this river was, I thought it would be much narrower.  It was hardly flowing though, such is the lack of rainfall we have had this winter.

We reached our first vertical guillotine bottom gate locks at Weston Favel Lock after taking the wrong path towards it.  I had missed a sign……. well the sign was an arrow… it was pointing in the air!!  But no harm done, there is no flow, so no way would I have ended up on the weir this time! .

After tying up No Problem, we went to investigate how these locks actually worked.  Luckily there was a local to hand, and he explained the procedure.  Well having done one, all the rest today were the same.  I did find that I had to go on the lockside to firmly hold NP close to the side, using both my centre ropes round two bollards to stop her going back and forward as the lock was being emptied at some speed when the vertical gate was raised to let the water out… very fast emptying!

We decided to do a few more, not only to completely clear Northampton, but to clear some rapidly filling caravan and camping sites, and finally tied up just before 6pm, just picking a spot along the bank and hoping it would be deep enough.  I have a feeling we will be doing that quite a lot in the coming months.

Blisworth Tunnel and on to Northampton

Stoke Bruerne to Rothersthorpe Top Lock, Grand Union Canal, and GU Northampton Branch, 5 miles 0 locks

The Blisworth Tunnel exhibition at the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne was disappointingly not good.  They had decided to make it look interesting by putting it in a ‘tunnel’.  A very dim area draped in black voile…. plenty of pictures, but with no proper lighting it was difficult to see and read the captions that went with them.  Other bits there really were just some tools which were generally used throughout the waterways… so nothing in particular that caught my eye, or for that matter of any interest that I couldn’t find on the internet, information wise. .

 However, we spent a very pleasant morning and early afternoon in Stoke Bruerne, feeling we were on show to the public who were enjoying their day walking from the village to the Blisworth Tunnel entrance and return… the comments as people passed were amusing, obviously some never having set eyes on a narrowboat before..”Oh look, a kitchen sink!”  “Oh look a dog!”  “Oh look people live on there!”

So late this afternoon we set off to do THAT tunnel

I had walked down to the entrance of the tunnel earlier this morning, not only to try and steady my nerves, but to have a look at the new plaque that had been placed there just last Monday denoting that this is the 200th year since the tunnel was built.   On the building you can see on the right in the pic, there was some information…… Bats!!  For goodness sake, will I now have to contend with Bats in there!  A very informative poster describing that there are bats living in the tunnel!  It went on to say, that these bats do hibernate in the winter… I was just hoping they didn’t get a sniff of this spring like weather, and that they would all still be slumbering away!

Well emerging from the northern portal, a sigh of relief.. just the one boat in there coming the other way.. and no bats!!  So that is Blisworth done… no tunnels now for a long time for me!

We turned right at Gayton Junction to join the Northampton Arm of the GU Canal, stopping on the corner for the services, and to wait for Mr Tesco to turn up with a home delivery ordered a couple of days ago, then it was onward heading for Northampton, mooring for the night just before the first of the 17 locks that take us up to Northampton and the River Nene.

Aging Ducks on the way to Stoke Bruerne

Cosgrove to Stoke Bruerne, Grand Union Canal, 7 miles 8 locks

It was raining this morning, but not nearly so cold, so I didn’t mind an hour of wet stuff.  In fact we sure do need it… the environment agency giving warnings out already to Councils to inform householders to take care and think about their water usage.  I suppose it’s two fold in my thoughts… Yes let’s have some rain… but No, please no rain while we are on the Nene next week!  Flood conditions would be not be needed!

Passing the Buckingham Arm, I remembered last time we were here, walking down the now disused and dewatered arm… such a pity that roads and houses have now been built across its route.  There is some talk about re-routing the canal around the housing estate built over it, and opening it once again all the way down to Buckingham, but I don’t think I will see that in my lifetime somehow.

Some amusing signs outside of Baxters fine boatyard at Yardley Wharf… a nice yard by the way.  A very tidy little marina and some good boatbuilding and repair facilities with a large dry dock. The signs.. well here is one.. but as my camera is not the same as David Bailey uses, perhaps the pic is not that clear “Caution elderly ducks crossing”.  and before the smile was off my face, going under the bridge to Baxters Wharf another sign outside “Please do not allow your dog to pump out on the Wharf”!

The Stoke Bruerne flight of 7 locks raises the canal up some 56ft in just under a mile, but at the top the wonderful site of this wonderful village full of canal history.  Here the Waterways Museum at the moment has a display of the history of the Blisworth Tunnel, which I will be having a look at tomorrow morning.

Lucy seems to be 100% back to her self again, much more bounce in her step along the towpath beside the boat, and eating me out of house and home!

I chucked the rod out late this eveing, and the fishing was surprisingly good here for such a busy place, with boats up and down all the time. I am going to try and persuade Vic to take me out for a pint……. yes a pint tonight.. well it is Blisworth Tunnel for me to do tomorrow… Some calming juice would be nice.

 

Goodbye Milton Keynes, hello Cosgrove

Today – Linford Park to Cosgrove, Grand Union Canal, 4.5 miles 0 locks
Yesterday – Moored Linford Park, Milton Keynes

You know, just watching the world go by can sometimes be the most entertaining activity.  On yet another warm morning yesterday I decided to sit on the roof and watch 6 skillful fishermen on the far side of the canal, just to the south of me, with their long poles, concentrating intently on that little movement from the floats…… drag a fish back, and dump it in their keep net.  For sure the third one along was miles ahead… no sooner he had got his line and float back into the water, he was dragging it in again with yet another for the keep net. 

Such quietness and concentration was suddenly shattered when a 70ft heavy old narrowboat decided to leave the moorings here in Linford Park and reverse back to the winding hole (turning point).  Obviously not wanting to do 10 miles further the way it was pointed to turn round.  That was fine except the path it had to take was straight through this tranquil scene of the 6 fishermen. There was a slight breeze…. and those who have experience of handling a narrowboat going backwards will know exactly what happened!  And those that don’t can guess!

Then from under the bridge came 2 long hire boats,  they too had to pass the fishermen!  Yet another boat, going forward, was following the 70ft boat going backwards into the incoming two hireboats…..fishermen shouting and moaning..  I tried very hard not to smile, but in the end I was giggling out loud looking round to see if anyone was watching me!!  I will let your imagination picture the scene…. it has started me off giggling again now just writing about it!!  All six fishermen decided to call it a day soon after…. no doubt off to the pub for a pint before lunch all reflecting on their nightmare an hour earlier!

Sunday lunch for us was at the Nags Head, in Linford Park (the white building in the distance in the pic) .  I highly recommend this one for a Sunday stop.  Gorgeous roast dinner… £4.99 too!  A very comfortable pub this, it’s just outside the Linford Park gates near the church.  Moor on the offside after bridge 78 (going north).

It was nice to see Colin and the boys in the afternoon, and we spent the time until dusk fishing.  Well the fishermen in the morning had much more luck…. with 5 rods between us, we managed just one perch!!

Lucy has not been too well lately, well not eating.  I had a feeling she ate something about a week or so ago.  She went missing for about 15 minutes, and later Annie from Moore2Life found a rabbit’s leg near the boat.  I am wondering if she ate a dead rabbit or something.  Anyway she wouldn’t eat.  It didn’t help that I had run out of her favourite food, and she definitely wasn’t keen on the Tesco mix I had got her… Colin very kindly went to one of the big pet stores for me this morning and appeared with Lucy’s regular stuff.  Thanks Colin, you're a gem . No sooner had I opened it and put some in her bowl she was emptying it!…. so was it a poorly tum, or was she sulking with me!… Wish they could talk sometimes..

So today it was goodbye to Milton Keynes, the town built around the canal in the most amazing way.  Criss crossed with walk and bike ways, a truly modern town with an eye to leisure and pleasure… perfect.

Today then. Just a short trip to Cosgrove… a late walk this evening,  taking the walk along the Great River Ouse.  Watching the water flow, my mind was on the Middle Levels when we will be taking in this river further downstream as we cruise to Bedford sometime in the coming months..

Simply Glorious weather in Milton Keynes

Today – Moored Linford Park, Milton Keynes, Grand Union Canal
Yesterday – Water Eaton to Linford Park, 7 miles 1 lock

I should be sending out postcards to the South Coast!  Hey you lot down there, I have a sun tan!  Awww such a pity I hear it has been cloudy and foggy while I have been sunning it here in Buckinghamshire!

Amazing what a little bit of yellow warm stuff does to the brain.  Just everyone we met on boats or towpath was smiling and in happy mood.  Still the last month has been quite cold.  This is just what the Doctor ordered for all those who brave narrowboats in the winter.  And here is me out with Lucy in just my shirt sleeves!

Funnily enough this ‘best day of the year so far’ brought out all that is spring.. I saw today for the first time this year, butterflies, bumblebees, ladybirds, those tiny blue flowers that live in the grass around poughed fields AND…… wait for it…… Hubby Vic take out the wardrobe a short sleeved shirt!  So that finally proves it… Spring is here!

Left late yesterday after bussing it to Bletchley to the butcher there to fill the freezer compartment.  Then of course I had to retrace my steps on a walk I did sometime back when I found all the gates padlocked and barred off footpaths over a farmers land.   Obviously my subsequent complaint to the County Council has done the trick, and there are now not only no padlocked gates, but also some sparkling new gates with user friendly openers! 

Linford Park is full at the moment, well there was enough space for us to get in just…. some of the boats I recognise here from our last visit in December though! ..

So today….. Fishing!  Fishing all day today! Roach and Bream was the catch. This was followed by watching the rugby.  I told Vic that if England lost to Scotland today, I would never watch them again….. thankfully I will be watching them again.  I am very pleased though that they were playing an awful lot better than they did at the beginning of the torny.

Colin didn’t appear today… he did poke his head in just as we arrived here yesterday, he was on his way back from work… the kids have not been too well he tells me… they might pop in tomorrow though….

White Chickens and Hedge Laying around Solbury

Globe Inn (Br 111) to Water Eaton, Grand Union Canal, 5 miles 4 locks

A very rude awakening this morning just before 8am, when a barge full of stones hit the front of No Problem.  Contractors are working on the towpath between Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard putting in a ‘tarmac’ type path for the whole stretch.  It must be costing an absolute fortune! I think it is horrible, and I can’t see that it will be good enough for wheelchairs.  So far we have seen just one cyclist along it…. such is the popularity of this towpath between the two towns.  Anyway, Milton Keynes itself is criss crossed with hundreds of walkways and bike ways, in fact, one runs right along side the towpath!

So we moved No Problem out of their way, moored a bit further up and then I went off to collect that post from Linslade. The ‘nice lady’ was still insisting that she does not need to hold mail for me, and that I should have gone in there to arrange with her before hand…..

Post Restante..

“If you're travelling but want to stay in touch, you can take your letterbox with you. People can address mail to you and send it to any UK Post Office™ or some main Post Office branches in large towns abroad. You can use the service for up to three months in any one UK town for any letters”

However one piece of mail seems to have gone missing…… .  She was not keen on forwarding it to another Post Office further up the canal either.  I think I will have to have more words with Royal Mail.

But a delightful day today…. I didn’t have my coat on all day such was the warmth of the sun.  It was very windy though.  You know,  No Problem has a very shallow draft which is super handy for mooring in those places others can’t, but when the wind is up, she blows about like a plastic duck in a bath!.  Difficult it was, even got totally blown to the side of the canal, and it took three people to try to shove off the front to get going again!

What is it with white chickens hung upside down on a narrowboat?  Surely someone out there knows.  The first one I saw was a few days ago, and it was a REAL chicken, dead of course hung upside down on someone's tiller.. yuk!  Then today I saw a plastic one hung upside down again on another narrowboat.  Could this be some good luck charm thingy?  Or could it be to keep the devil away?  I did put a search into google, but all I could find was upside down cake, as a pudding to white chicken roast dinner!!

Hedge Laying….. superb today, there was a lot of areas along the newly built towpath where some lovely new hedges has been given the treatment.  Here a photo…..

Chas and Ann on NB Moore 2 Life set up their new sky satellite system this afternoon, which reminded me, I did promise to do a page on how to set one up, where to buy etc etc, but I have yet to do it, so that will be coming soon, just to let you know.

The weather is going to be lovely over the weekend, and we are both looking forward to meeting Colin and his family again at Linford, just through Milton Keynes…. fishing I think will be on the agenda.  Hope Colin remembers to bring the wiggly things with him

I forgot to get the post at Linslade!

Today – Slapton to ‘Globe Inn’ (Br 111), Grand Union Canal, 4.5 miles 3 locks
Yesterday – Moored Slapton

Well yesterday we just spent the day relaxing…. the first real ‘day off’ that we have had since doing the refits.  It was nice not to have commitments for the day.  I walked quite a bit though, exploring the footpaths in the area, and I really do recommend this stop, just to the north of Bridge 118.  Lovely wide towpath, grassy… and no mud!!

When I poked my head out this morning I had quite a shock.  The temperature had shot up, must have been a good 10 degrees higher than of late… fabulous.  .  Almost time to think about getting the sun tan cream out I think… it’s gonna be warmer apparently tomorrow and Friday… .

Stopped off at Tesco in Linslade, then went to Homebase… totally forgetting that the Post Office shut at 1pm… I was in my own little world wandering around browsing and adding to my wish list when I suddenly thought “EEK….. Post Office”.  I had no watch with me… and when I enquired the time the answer was “One minute past one”…. Darn it!!

After all that trouble with getting the post office to accept the post, I had blown it!  I will either walk or take the bike back tomorrow to collect it……. I was so cross with myself!

Never mind….. anyway I have just seen that Blisworth Tunnel has its 200 years since opening celebrations starting on 21st March.  Looking at our rough itinerary to get to Northampton by Easter, we are due to go through the tunnel on 22nd, the day after… I hope there are not too many boats about….. It’s bad enough for me to go through tunnels without having loads of boats around me… . 

Might pop out for a pint tonight (OK two halves Andrew!   )… nice pub this is here

Descending the Chilterns through Marsworth

Bulbourne to Br 118 (Slapton), Grand Union Canal, 6.75 miles 16 locks

So more than the 9 locks we had planned to do today… just a few more! .  Well the weather was fairly calm in the afternoon, so we decided to carry on to where we intended to stop tomorrow night, so we would have a day in hand and still reach the far side of Milton Keynes by the weekend.  Anyway the walks look great around here, we didn’t have a chance to stop here on our way south as we were having to move on to miss the lock closure at Ivinghoe a little further to the south of this spot.

We have now decided to spend that day in hand here rather than at another of our favourite places, Water Eaton because Linslade Post Office has messed up!  The lady there sent back a package marked Post Restante that arrived last Saturday to the sender because she didn’t recognise the name!! .  We were going to collect it tomorrow, and now we will have to wait for the package to be sent again tomorrow… hopefully be there Wednesday now.

I did complain to Royal Mail today, and they seemed not to know that ALL Post Offices HAVE to keep Post Restante mail for two weeks to see if anyone collects it before sending it back. It was Special Delivery too…. After being passed round probably the whole of Royal Mail, and 35 minutes later they told me that they had contacted Linslade Post Office and yes the nice lady there would not reject the package when it arrived again, and yes the nice lady at Linslade would be given training as to what exactly ‘Post Restante’ meant!!  Oh and yes, I would get a refund of the £6 odd to have it sent again, and oh yes of course they would refund me my telephone call…. errrrr where should they send the refund?  Well not to Linslade?!! .

I do normally phone to see if the Post Office I intend to collect mail from is still in existence, on this occasion I didn’t, as it was there last month when we passed through and looked thriving enough. .  I just hope I have calmed down by the time I see ‘the nice lady’ on Wednesday!! .

Today then, a steady trip down the other side of the Chilterns with 16 locks in under 7 miles… Marsworth had it’s usual share of onlookers (gongoozlers) even on a Monday, but there were yet again very few boats on the move along the canal.

Not been in this pub at Marsworth, the White Lion…… but did see another White Lion on Dunsable Downs to the east of the canal near Horton….. It’s pretty remote round here, I am lucky to get an internet connection, all I have to hope for now is that it is good enough to post this blog tonight.

Oh by the way, it is the 200 year celebration of that wonderful construction over in Wales, the  Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ..

                          

There is a nice article about the celebrations in the North Wales Daily Post.  I have never been over that, I wonder if it is better than going through a tunnel!….. Umm that reminds me, not too long now to Blisworth Tunnel UGGGGH!!

The Wendover Arm of the GU Canal

Bulbourne to Wendover Basin and Return, Wendover Arm GU Canal, 13.5 miles 0 locks

Well I have to log it!

I didn’t take No Problem with me on this occasion, leaving her at Bulbourne and setting off on foot with Ann from NB Moore 2 Life along this beautiful ‘canal’. I say canal, well it is…. and it isn’t!

The Wendover Arm was originally just a feeder for the main line Grand Union Canal, pumping up to 4 million litres of water up from the nearby reservoirs to keep the summit level full of water while boats passed over, and down the other side of the Chilterns taking water with them as they went.  Someone pretty clever person realised that by just widening it a bit, it could be made navigable to Wendover, and thus more trade to the picturesque village.

Dogged by problems…. leakage mainly….. it was in fact taking water from the main line to maintain its own levels… it was abandoned in the early 1900s.  Today though there is a vibrant group determined to see it once again taking narrowboats down to the basin.

Here, a flour mill still working, but now with modern machinery…  I saw a man just sitting at a computer screen monitoring the massive machines that could be seen through the windows… but the original building remains.

 

 

This is Little Tring Bridge, part of the recent restoration.. this has now been rebuilt and the canal looks here to be leak free!

 

 

 

 

 

 

   About half a mile further on, the end of the first restored section of this delightful canal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dry bed about 3 miles in…… but it looks OK.. its all there, the banks are good, it sure does look a good restoration project…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Views along this canal are outstanding….. the scenery along the whole length of it is really lovely….

 

 

 

 

 

Rothchild’s Bridge…. he owned a large manor along the canal, and one of his gripes was that the canal was leaking into his dining room! …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The terminus, Wendover Basin… the original walls and jetties are still there.. there is a feeder further on (on the right of the pic) which is sending water down this watered section….

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so to Wendover Village……….

 

 

 

 

A lovely walk… the day was not too cold, and a lot of history was taken in visually… I am a bit stiff now… hopefully Vic will be happy to do all 9 locks tomorrow as we say goodbye to this area and make our way towards Leighton Buzzard. :D

 

Vandals catch us out... But back on schedule

Today and 12th March – Moored Bulbourne, Grand Union Canal
11th – Berkhamsted to below Dudswell Locks, Grand Union Canal, 2 miles 4 locks

Another email from John on Friday morning told me that the canal at Linslade was now full of water, and the work there had been completed… thanks John

So back to Plan A… and our rendezvous with friends at Milton Keynes was back on… and we would make Northampton by Easter as long as there were no other unannounced stoppages.

On Friday we left Berkhamsted fairly late in the evening looking for a new place to moor as the night before we were disturbed by some yobbish behaviour around the canal side…It’s a nice area in Berkhamsted to moor… parks to the left in the picture and the town to the right.

Mooring just as the light were fading, we had hoped for a quieter night, but in the  evening about 8pm, NP started to list, we were aground.  The mile long pound had dropped by a foot!  Another boater went south to investigate the lock behind us only to find that vandals had opened both top and bottom paddles, allowing the water to just pass through like a river!  The towpath and land to the south on the downhill side was flooded.  We managed to get ourselves floating again, but Chas and Ann did not have such luck.  Pushing and pushing Moore 2 Life, we could hear china falling out of the cupboards such was the list by this time.

Another boater went to the lock above and let some lock fulls of water through into the pound… and luckily there was a pumping station allowing water to flow into the canal… So both boats were floating within an hour, and it took most of the night to bring the levels back up..

The following day we moved up to a really nice spot offside between the two Dudswell Locks.  It was OK there as the lock bottom paddles had to be left open…. there was no way (unless the same thing was to happen again) that we would be aground at that spot.

Well with the news of the extended stoppage now not happening, we moved on up to the summit level of the Tring Cutting.  A cormorant insisted on sharing a few locks with us on the way up… most strange!  He seemed quite at home in the locks waiting for a free ride up the canal.  I guess he can’t fly… but he is doing a grand job of moving about!!

 and so on to Bulbourne for the weekend… we have a nice mooring here

Ooops nearly forgot, I promised a pic of the refitted galley…. here you go then.

 All blood sweat and tears, but it is finished, and I just love it!

Extended Stoppage at Leighton Buzzard!

Moored Berkhamsted, Grand Union Canal

It’s with many thanks to John who sent me an email this morning….

”I have a friend that lives in Leighton Buzzard and he told me yesterday that the section of canal at bridge 114 (on your side of Wyvern shipping) is drained while they repair the bridge.  He said they have had problems trying to drain it and would be very surprised if it were reopened by tomorrow (the 11th)”

John phoned BW and yes that is right, that stoppage should finish tomorrow, but BW say there is an extension of a week on that.

Lots of things for me to have to think about now this morning…

1. Important post is arriving at the Post Office near Tesco in Leighton Buzzard

2. Diesel usage will have to be worked out, or we will have to pay 40p to Cowroast Marina

3. We have guests arriving at Milton Keynes on the weekend of 19th and 20th already arranged.

4. We have the family visiting for Easter the following weekend in Northampton!!

I did phone BW this morning and complained that the extended stoppage has not been reported via my ‘stoppage alerts by email’. I suggested that they put out an extended stoppage notice.  I was told that the work started a week later than planned.  If I had known that, then I could have re-arranged my plans too!!

Umm, maybe there is a place here in Berkhamsted where I could purchase some turbo chargers….

 

Berkhamsted and Diesel needed soon

Bourne End Locks to Berkhamsted, Grand Union Canal, 2.5 miles 6 locks

I have some emails to reply to, but my internet connection has just been so awful the last few days, so apologies to those still waiting for a reply from me, I will try again tomorrow morning.. In fact I have already written this blog once this evening, not only could I not post it to the net, but my computer failed to save it for me too…  .  So here I am trying to write the blog again!

I was surprised to get an email all the way from Australia.  From Garry who is planning a similar retirement… G’morning Garry! .  You know when I write these blogs I am thinking that just the family are reading them.  I started doing this so that they could just click on this link in their favourites folder and know exactly where we were and that we were both well.  It saves them getting on the phone all the time checking.. one quick look and they can then get on with their busy lives knowing that we are just fine! .

So today we sauntered down to Berkhamsted, a couple of hours just. 

Pubs at every lock as we climbed to the centre of the town..

I am very surprised how quiet the Grand Union is.  In the last three days I can only recall one boat that we passed, or passed us while we were moored that were on the move.  I would have thought this canal would have been winter busy somehow.  Mind you I shouldn’t complain I suppose.. time enough for that in the Spring when the hire boat companies empty their fleets to the system!

Talking of hire boat companies… we are needing diesel within the next 10 days, and this morning I phoned the boatyards ahead to check the price.  Big differences, from 42p a ltr down to 37p.  Funnily enough the place we called in at on the way South was Willowbridge Marina back in mid December 2004, picking up our diesel at 36p… this time when I phoned they said 42p!!  Such a hype!  Cowroast Marina wasn’t bad at 40p, but we will be taking our diesel this time at the Wyvern Shipping Company…. just north of Tesco at Leighton Buzzard.  A huge hire fleet there, we counted 34 boats as we passed through last time.  They quoted 37p.. Needing 150 ltrs or more, it is worth shopping around at the moment..

Reading Granny Buttons tonight, I see Andrew has to dig deep this week for the red stuff “Ye gods, at 45p/litre it's the most expensive red diesel I've yet bought!” says he.

Will take some pics of the refits tomorrow…… well at least when the internet doesn’t work, the camera never lets me down!

Nash Mills, The old and new

Kings Langley to Bourne End Lock (59), Grand Union Canal, 4.5 miles 11 locks

I am not in the best of moods tonight.  My internet connection let me down, and I had no data flow just at that moment when I was about to bid on something on ebay….. grrrrr and I lost it!  I lost it with Orange on the phone not long after that giving them my frustrations!!

Still, spose that is one of the hazards of having a connection of this type… I can’t really complain, it has been good to me most of the time.

I like Nash Mills….

The old factory, and the feeling of industry as we passed by.  Mind you some of the old factories of the area have been demolished now, and in its place some new residential areas stretching all along this part of Hemel Hempstead.  Nash Mills Marina I think this is…

Just south of Apsley Lock.  Very nice….. wondered if the housing had priority on the moorings outside their door, somehow I doubt it though, still it’s a much better sight to see like this than dilapidated buildings.  Which reminds me, the Ovaltine factory at Kings Langley is almost flattened, the men were working there right up to midnight last night.  I hope what gets put up in its place is something pleasing to the eye like the Nash Mills area.

I managed to persuade Vic to let me do a few locks… wish I hadn’t now, I can hardly move tonight.. very stiff.. and no it’s not my age!!

Had to smile this evening when we moored.  I always have a reasonable idea which way to point the satellite dish for Sky, well the Nicholsons guide shows the maps with north always at the top of the page.. working out SE is easy .  Anyway, I went inside to set up the digi box to the signal test, normally I would then go outside and swing the dish to lock on to the satellite.  But when I switched it on it told me that the satellite had been found!  So I had nothing to do!

While I am on the subject of the sky dish, Pat and Tony have asked me if it is any good.  Oh yes excellent.  Without a doubt best thing since sliced bread.  Very few occasions indeed when we have not been able to get a view to the satellite.  Obviously if you are moored up against high buildings such as in Paddington Basin you have no chance, but by just thinking about your mooring stop you will have no problems at all Pat and Tony.  I would say we have had Sky TV 98% of the time. I’ll do a page all about it this weekend, the setting up, where to buy etc etc.

I think I will have some anaesthetic by way of a nice large B & C to cure this stiffness I have this evening…

Kings Langley and The Newest BW Services!!

Today – Iron Bridge Lock to Kings Langley, Grand Union Canal, 3.5 miles 9 locks
5th and 6th March – Moored Iron Bridge Lock

Wonderful weekend in Cassiobury Park.  Spent most of the time walking and trying to rid a cold…. also we finished off the galley and bathroom, all apart from me doing the final varnish coat to the bathroom cupboard door… Ah time enough, maybe tomorrow… maybe later.  It’s looking good!  Pics will follow when I have done some general spring cleaning, I am not about to show you the amount of dust around the place!

The canal was iced over this morning… sharp stuff, so I was very reluctant to move.  I remember in Jan 03 in Banbury the warden there forced us to move after being on the 24hr mooring for 8 days stuck in the ice. OK it had thawed in Banbury centre, but once we left Banbury the ice actually stopped NP in mid channel, and it took us quite a while to get over to the towpath side using boat hooks and poles to break ice.  We ended up with a line right round the boat at water level where the ice had taken off the important blackening protection.

But by midday the ice was much thinner, and after yet another stroll round the park there we left in really quite nice springtime sunshine.  For sure the temperature was much higher than of late thank goodness.

Lovely Park here, ….. It is a very well used park too, and it was very noticeable that people with dogs never had them on leads.. in fact I can’t even think of one dog that I ever saw on a lead there.. Lucy was in her element with all the streams and rivers that criss cross… she absolutely loved it.

Grove Park Bridge is the sort of the entry from the north to Cassiobury Park, built by the Grand Junction Canal Company for permission to take the line of the canal through the estates of the Earl of Clarendon (Grove Park) and the Earl of Essex (Cassiobury Park).  Originally a tunnel had been planned to cut out this area of the two estates, but it was thought cheaper to make payments of £5 grand to Lord Clarendon, and £15 grand to Lord Essex and do as they asked and make the area as ornamental as possible!…. Glad they decided to do that… it sure is nice.

So clearing that area…. the M25.  It’s amazing really passing under that, its sort of “OK we are out of London now”  such is the impact on our lives that circular road.

So to the new BW facilities…. Here we are then… Chas of Moore 2 Life commented “I don’t think much to BW’s new facilities here”….. had us all rolling up that did!!

A really nice day today, in fact we covered today’s run in just over 3 hours not really rushing, and Annie (Moore 2 Life) was, like me, on tiller duty for the day, while the men worked the locks.  Enjoyed. 

Cassiobury Park in the Snow

 Cassio Lock (78) – Iron bridge Lock (77), Grand Union Canal, 1 lock 1 mile

Christmas card scene here this morning as we make our way back up and over the Chilterns at Tring.  I know the family love these pics of the snow, so here are a couple today.  The first is Cassio Lock near Watford…

You will remember this place Wendie, it’s where you dropped us off after your 30th Birthday party.. remember?  The second one is taken from the bridge in the distance that you can see in the photo above.

A very desolate view this, and later we actually travelled up this bit to get to our favourite mooring along here just below Iron bridge lock which is about a mile away.

I went to the post office in Croxley Green to pick up the mail from home….AND,  a lovely surprise too, .. some beautiful flowers for me for Mothers Day… wonderful, thanks girls xx . By the time I had done that the rain started to come down, and Mr Tesco had to deliver in a very heavy rain storm today, he wasn’t overly happy with his job it seems…. maybe it was just the weather..

The ice stayed though on the canal, we had to move you see because we were hogging the water point above Cassio Lock to pick up the arranged Tesco delivery… Chas and Ann on Moore 2 Life went first, well they are having their blackening done on their boat next month, the ice sometimes takes paint off as boats breaks through.  We had our blackening done last November.  I carefully followed his ‘footsteps’ just on tick over, but I doubt much paint has been lost, it was quite thick, but softish.

Oh yes, went to the butcher also this morning, its just down the road from the visitor moorings below Cassio Lock.  The reason I mention that is that if any of my fellow boaters are passing this way, I recommend you fill your freezer from him.  His meat is excellent, very tastey and lean.  For sure the best butchers on the cut that I have come across…. just about beating the butcher at Braunston who is also excellent.

Staying here the weekend… well the boat looks like a tip at the moment, I can’t stand it like this!!  Total spring clean coming up after our efforts with the refits.

Into March, northwards up the Grand Union Canal

Today – Copper Mill Lock (84) to Cassio Lock (78), Grand Union Canal, 5 miles 6 locks
2nd March – Cowley Peachy to Copper Mill Lock (84), GU Canal, 6.5 miles, 6 locks
27th Feb to 1st March – Moored Cowley Peachy

A few days since I blogged… in fact we have passed from February into March, and the nights are definitely getting lighter.  No more the ‘end of the day’ at 5pm, now its out for a late walk with Lucy.

I caught nearly all of you again on March 1st.. Pinch Punch first of the month… I say nearly all of you.  I had an email from Pat Bycroft.. new boat due August ..  “Hi  Sue, pinch punch first of the month, nah nah no returns”  Ha, well hope you are standing by next month Pat!!

So what’s been happening?…. Well we have at last finished actually building the new galley and bathroom.  The galley cupboard doors needs another coat of varnish (my job), and the bathroom cupboard for the washing machine needs its magnetic catches put on (Vic’s job) and another varnish for that too.  And that is that for now, well almost… I have a couple of nice corner shelves for the galley and a couple of shelves for the bathroom… they need putting up at some time… sometime later!!

It has been hard to do all those alterations… lack of correct tools, lack of space, etc, but Vic and I managed to keep cool through a lot of frustration… just!   However, I am over the moon with the result.  Pics come later. 

On we go then making our way to Gayton Junction where we will peel off and climb to the River Nene on our way to Peterborough and the Middle Levels. 

Passed Harefield Marina yesterday and scanning it closely managed to spy Nuggler … Pat and Mike's NB…  only sorry not to see you both this time Pat and Mike, but hope our paths will cross some time in the future.  The coot chicks were not above Copper Mill Lock.  We had spied them on the way south when Wendie and the family came for an ‘up and back’ visit… Vic thinks the cold weather of late was perhaps just too much for them to survive. 

It has been cold though… bitterly.  After yesterday’s run, it took until 10pm for me to warm up.  Thank goodness Chas from Moore 2 Life fixed our broken eberspacher the other day.. we sure have need the rads as well as the solid fuel stove.  Thanks Chas  Last winter I think we only ran the eberspacher on one occasion, this week we have had it on every night!

Just a few bits about the last week tonight.. my internet connection was not great at Cowley Peachy, and when it is on the blink a bit, posting a blog is difficult for some reason, and very frustrating when I can’t get it to send!  Which reminds me, I did put a link on the main blog page (you can’t see the main page in a rss newsreader), about how I connect to the internet.  I have had a few emails asking how it is done.

Today I was wolf whistled at!…… corrrrrrr hunk of a builder it was too… made my day that did.  Pity it was too cold for him to be showing me his builders bum!