Night out at Blue Lias and it's happy boaters all the way to Flecknoe

Yesterday and Today, Bascote (Grand Union) to Flecknoe (Oxford Canal), 7 miles 13 locks

We have had a fabulous couple of days cruising meeting many boaters as we climbed the locks towards Braunston.  Everyone seems to be in a great mood, and nobody rushing about.. super stuff.  Yesterday we arrived early at the Blue Lias in Stockton so we could get a good mooring, and of course an excuse for a pint and pie at lunch time.. then we were treated to President and Kildare on their way to the Braunston Historical Boatshow this weekend, the smoke in the lock behind gave them away..

I knew that they had left Dudley in Birmingham on Thursday afternoon, and this was Friday around 2pm.. didnt they do well!  They have travelled all night, but still the crew were just about enjoying!..

It’s always nice to see this pair on the move like this.. I remember the last time I saw them was on the River Ouse a couple of years ago when they attended the IWA Festival at St Ives.

Oh yes I must tell you about last night when I went walking.. I couldn’t avoid a load of what I thought was mud and had to trudge through it (as you do ).  It was only when I got back I realised that this was no ordinary mud, but Blue Lias clay…

It took some getting off I’ll tell you!

We had a lovely meal in the Blue Lias with some friends who had caught up with us, and this morning we waited and waited for another boat before deciding to pull the pins and do the flight ourselves alone.. but hey ho, there were a load of boats coming down including a pair of ‘camping boats’ and the scouts were keen to lend a hand.. it took just one hour and five minutes to climb the 8 locks!

Lucy and Meg were wondering what on earth I was doing on the bridge instead of being on the tiller!

I couldn’t believe the size of Ventnor Farm Marina, it had grown two fold since I past last and so had the Calcutt Marina just across the cut from it.. and with the huge Marina at Wigrams Turn where the Grand Union meets the Oxford Canal it was no wonder there were suddenly an awful lot of boats about.. but what cheery crews!  All day long we have met lots of lovely people, no hassles no problems, I wish everyday was like that!

We just kept going today waiting for a nice mooring to appear, and it was very shortly after the bridge that carries the footpath to Flecknoe that the perfect place was found for the rest of the weekend..

Hope those of you that went to the show at Braunston had a good time!  For sure there are an awful lot of boat coming away and past us here this evening.