A swollen river blocks our way at Lower Heyford

Nethercott to close to Lower Heyford, Oxford Canal, 4 miles 2 locks

We pulled the pins fairly early this morning.  It was important to get close to Lower Heyford so I could walk up to the post office in the nearby village of Steeple Aston to the west of the canal.  Well there is a Post Office at Lower Heyford, in the village hall.. yep the village hall.  But it is only open on a Friday and just for one hour only.. now that is unusual, but it obviously works for the villagers.

Anyway, I need to collect mail today, so had to settle for the nearest en-route which happened to be Steeple Aston.

Annie of NB Moore2Life, myself and the two dogs set off from around half a mile south of Lower Heyford walk heading for Mill Lift Bridge, where there is a lovely walk across the fields to the other village, but the river was high, and was sweeping across our path.. Lucy was keen enough to go on, wading into the river the water came up to the top of her legs, no way would we be able to get through that lot!

So about turn and back to Lower Heyford Wharf and a walk up the road to the Post Office.  It was pleasant enough, although the rain was still coming down having started this morning just before we pulled the pins.

Got there in time though and duly collected the post.

Popped into Oxfordshire Narrowboats on the way back just to have a word with Richard who will be taking a look at our gas installation in the morning.. but he was busy with other people according to his work colleague “He is really busy at the moment, this guy here is waiting to see him about his domestic battery bank which is over cooking (running really hot), this guy is waiting to see him about his starter battery which is over cooking”.. “Ha and I am waiting to see him about my cooker which is not cooking at all!” Chirps I!!

With that everybody laughed, and Richard said, “Ah must be the lady with the gas problem!”.. (Well my cooker has I thought!) Told him I would be in to see him early in the morning.. I will ask my questions then..

Thrupp is aways delightful and the Cherwell is almost in the red..

Today – Thrupp to Nethercott, S Oxford Canal, 5 miles 3 locks
Weekend – Moored Thrupp

A very wet weekend it was too!

Chas and Ann of NB Moore2Life caught us up on Friday after leaving Devizes some 2 weeks after us.  They travelled every day, and had two wonderfully sunny days on the Thames, unlike us who had pouring rain!

Tara’s future new owner came over at the weekend to get a taster of his new boat to be, bringing a friend with him.  They enjoyed very much the calm and tranquility of the canals for a couple of days, staying on Tara.  It was also good of them to offer me a lift to Kidlington, where I visited the market and stocked up on loads of really nice veg.. and spoilt I was too, a lift back in a car instead of having to traipse on the bus and a longish walk.

They also enjoyed a walking around Thrupp and visiting the local pub of the Jolly Boatman Pub.. oh and of course watching the footy on Friday night! Glad you enjoyed yourselves Dennis and Fred

Saturday word had got around Thrupp that I had a few bits for sale.. and I managed to raise about £60 on items no long required but that were useful to others.. so that will buy me something nice for No Problem in Banbury I am sure!

We did relax a bit over the weekend, well I certainly did.. but Vic did a few bits and bobs of trimmings and the like, and we ate out a couple of times.. well we have a problem with the cooker at the moment.  It is not working properly and too much gas is coming out of the jets when we switch it on, it sounds like too much high pressure, so we decided to switch the gas off all together for now and go and seek out a corgi gas man this week to get it all checked out.  There is one at Oxfordshire Narrowboats at Lower Heyford, a few miles up the canal, and I have booked No Problem in for Thursday.

It is funny at the moment, we are having to do all the cooking on Tara and eating on No Problem.  There is nothing left on Tara now.. well not plate or utensil wise, so it is a bit difficult, but we will get round it, and anyway it should all be fixed on Thursday with a bit of luck..

So today on the move after Tesco delivered some groceries to the boat, and we slowly move off and through the moorings at Thrupp.. in the pic above, the Boat Inn is just a bit further on the left.. A stop at the services for some much needed water.. the last water was put on 9 days ago at Aldermaston on the K&A Canal.. this narrowboat must have a big watertank! .. then away again..

Through the northern part of Thrupp and more moorings.. on the left is the warden’s moorings with a garden shed and a big George Cross Flag..

Wasn’t long till we were on the delightful River Cherwell.. just a smidge off being in the red zone, I wasn’t surprised to see that as the River Thames was closed today so we heard, .. but the river wasn’t angry at all, just a bit full, and No Problem easily punched against the flow and round the tight bends..

It was a sort of sit back and enjoy day today, very pleasant indeed. I was lucky with the locks, boats just coming out as I approached with other boats waiting to come down, they were happy to lock me through as I was a ‘single handed boat man/woman/person’.. it’s quicker to lock a single handed one through than to let them do them on their own.. I was grateful to the two ladies at Blakes Lock who did just that from NB Cassie’s Dream.. thanks ladies

Just before knocking the pins in on a lovely day, I spied this wonderful arrangement for drying clothes on a day when showers spoilt the warm sunshine..

Reminded me of similar days last year when we lit the bbq under the brolly on showery days!

It's looking a bit more like home at Thrupp

Moored Thrupp, Oxford Canal

Well everything is off Tara (NP1) and today I had loads of carrier bags of all sorts to try put away best I could.  We still are in the process of refitting No Problem, our new boat so space available is restricted.  But by the end of today I had everything put away into ‘somewhere’, awaiting it’s final destination..

But there has been some permanent fittings taking place today… here Vic proudly putting in place one of our most important items.. the pics of the four grandchildren.. random of course around a nice print that I found in a charity shop a while ago….

We like this new boat a lot

Ho Hum.. I hate moving home..

Moored Thrupp, Oxford Canal

Well Ron (F_O_R), the boxes of chairs have been opened and the major construction of our arm chairs has taken place at last!

But one fell to bits (it would be the one I put together!) and left Vic on the floor.. hehe good job I wasn’t here I think I would have died laughing.. I was walking Lucy.. well not exactly across country, just down to the services to put in a few carrier bags of rubbish bin items.  Why or why do we keep so much rubbish!.. You only find rubbish when you move home, tis the same whether you live in a house or a narrowboat you know!

Nearly done moving, but hey look at this…..

Found Vic’s ‘glad rags’ in a black plastic bag in the storage area on Tara.. tis his suit!

Worn just the once..

Needs a bit of a press I think!

In the inside pocket of the suit jacket was the evidence of where the suit was worn on that one outing that it did before getting squashed into that plastic bag …

The wedding of my daughter Jennifer Lois to Philip Heath Sharland at 2.30pm on 13 December 1997 at the lovely church at Salisbury Green Nr Fareham in Hampshire..

Well that stopped us for a while today and we reflected and chatted.. I remember what a wonderful day that was and the weather was beautiful for the time of year.  I remember watching the sunrise out of the window across the fields from our house that morning.. Hard work time at the moment, but doesn’t moving home always rekindle fond memories?..

A change of abode!

Moored Thrupp, Oxford Canal

Well tonight I write this blog from No Problem…

It does feel strange, and I don’t feel like writing much.. I do feel pleased that we are, at last, on our new boat, but also a bit sad at the same time.. NP1 seems so lonely tonight all on her own. I know the guys reading this will probably be laughing at me.. “sentimental ‘ol woman” you are probably saying, (maybe no so much of the old though!  ) but I am sure the ladies reading this will know exactly how I feel..

Actually I have enjoyed being here at Thrupp, I have always liked it here each time we have passed, there is something about this place.  It is a hive of canal people and boats of all sorts.. the visitor and permanent moorings are beautifully kept.  There is no rubbish allowed on the towpaths and the boats seem all maintained to a nice standard.. The two pubs, The Boat and the Jolly Boatman vie for business, both giving good deals to attract the boaters to their pub.  I like the Jolly Boatman myself, but then The Boat is perhaps more for the actual long term moorers.

A quick nightcap for me I think.. I wonder if I will know where I am when I wake in the morning!

Oh!… Nearly forgot… HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIERA! – (9 YEARS OLD TODAY!)

“Single figures for the very last time grandma” says she this evening.. bless her xx

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA! (granddaughter) 6 years old last Friday xx, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIE! (daughter) last Monday xx.. Gawd tenners are flying fast out of my purse into envelopes at the moment!

I Spy at Thrupp..

The two ‘Dees’, Dot and Derek at Thrupp

Our gardens are mowed while moored at Thrupp

Moored Thrupp, Oxford Canal

Just a day of doing some bits and pieces on No Problem.  We have finished putting in the skirting boards right through the boat, and I stained up the edging strips today to go around the floor and fixed cupboards etc.  Really now it is just a matter of odd jobs to be done to complete the fit out, oh and some bookcases at some stage or other!  I popped into Kidlington on the bus this morning to go to the butchers… got completely out of food I did, and got some fresh veg from the market and the usual bread and milk to keep us going for a while.  It is a lovely mooring here and very convenient having the two boats together..

They even came along this morning and cut our lawns!!

Bit more then on our Thames trip..

Tuesday 15^th – Teehee, don’t tell her..

A very early start and it wasn’t long before I headed off between the concrete buildings to Blakes Lock,

the last one on the Kennet and Avon.  This one is normally manned and is where you buy the licence for the Thames, but we arrived early before the lock keeper so did it ourselves hoping to be at Caversham Lock just on 9am as the lock keepers arrived for duty.  Here Paul having found the magic pole pushes open the gates..

And yes, raining again! , but it didn’t dampen our hopes and we turned left and out onto the Thames against the flow.  For sure it was going to be a longish trip, I didn’t want to push No Problem, I had no idea how the new boat would shape up with a good 7 hours to go.. Nor did I have any sort of idea what speed to run at, but for sure I didn’t want to overheat!

Two locks up river and out came the increased flow amber boards.. well there had been a lot of rain the last few days, I was not surprised!..

As the day wore on I increased speed myself with No Problem against the flow, and for sure there was no indication whatsoever of over heating, although I did find the hydraulic gear box was acting a bit strange.. there was quite some delay in the gears actually working from neutral.. so that was getting a bit hot.. we will check that out later.

I did my share of turning the wheel on locks that were unmanned although a lot of the unmanned ones are electric with a big obvious button to press.. at one of them the two boys watched me turn the wheel a good hundred times to get the sluices up and open the gates.. “Go get the boat then” barked the orders from Vic.. I duly did and waited in the lock for Vic to take his turn at the dreaded wheel, but I suddenly heard this whirling sound.. the lock gates were closing under power!! .. “Hey how come”… “Well it’s the magic finger” says he laughing his head off!.. Apparently one can ‘stick one’s finger in a hole’ and make the whole thing work under power… Ah well if I shed a few pounds then it was worth it!

We made Days Lock which was well over half way, and moored just above it on the right outside the pill box on the meadow.. Lucy was well pleased, it meant a nice walk for her late in the evening..

Wednesday 16^th – River rage fury

And still it rained as once again we pulled the pins very early so we could do the first 3 miles or so and arrive at the next lock at 9am when the lock keepers come on duty.. the cloud formation was incredible, and as you can see in the pic above it looked just like a tornado in the sky!.. yet another wet day!

Approaching one lock a small cruiser type boat was coming out .. this was great to see because it was lunch time, and lock keepers don’t man the locks between 1pm and 2pm, and I lined up Tara to head straight in, Paul having taken No Problem today.. but horrors, this guy started to close the gates!.. I ‘onked me ‘orn.. shouted and screamed at him, but still the gates kept on shutting.. wind, wind, wind on the wheel he was going.. then I saw the sluices going down.. I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I then had to make a huge stop and try to get over to the moorings for the lock having been on the wrong side ready to enter the lock.

Got there and jumped off to try tie up just as he was leaving in his boat… “OI!” I raged “Wadda you do that for??”.. nothing, completely ignored me.  So I tied up properly and Vic started on the winding wheel to open the gates and sluices.. I went to help and low and behold the guy in the plastic boat appeared again and tied up behind Tara, now wanting to go up the lock!..

We opened the gates and Paul brought No Problem in, then this guy brought his plastic boat in and promptly set it about half way inside the lock giving me not much room to get in myself.. well with that I did have a good ol’ rage at him! .. felt better after that.. hey it was a very wet day.. had to take it out on someone!!

He did apologise in the end.. he had no idea how to do locks or how to drive boats.. “It said shut the gates and sluices after you leave the lock, I was just doing as it said”.. sheeeeeeeesh!!

And so to the end of our trip along the Thames, and here Paul bringing No Problem round the awkward bend from the Thames to enter Isis Lock, the first of the narrow locks on the Southern Oxford Canal..

Thanks to Paul and Christine without who’s help we would have really struggled to get both these narrowboats along the rest of the Kennet and Avon and up the Thames.. you have both been diamonds.. , but we have had great fun too. and of course, quite challenging times!

Tara (No Problem1) has been sold...

A deposit has been received for Tara (Formally No Problem), and soon she will have a new owner.  Thanks to all who mentioned she was for sale, and to those who had a link on their site.

Onward to Thrupp to revisit fond memories..

Kidlington to Thrupp, Southern Oxford Canal, 2.5 miles 2 locks

A more leisurely day today as you can see.  Had some bits and bobs to catch up on this morning that had been neglected over the last few days, then we pulled the pins on our temporary mooring of last night to move the boats to Thrupp.

We were extremely fortunate with moorings too.. I arrived at the 14 day moorings just up from the Jolly Boatman Pub with No Problem about 10 minutes or so before Vic arrived with Tara. I just managed to squeeze in, then the crew from the boat behind arrived back from shopping and started to pull the pins just as Vic radioed me to see where I was, so we have both narrowboats on the two available 14 day moorings here!

Ha we did cause a queue today.. the first of many I guess.  Boaters were not overly happy at having to wait while we locked our boats through one at a time.. well they could have come to help but they didn’t, and they are only narrow locks too!.  One guy sat on the lock gate while Vic steered Tara out of the lock.. stopped, took a stern rope.. went back and shut the gate behind him before getting back aboard to continue on.. the guy just watched.  Why on earth he couldn’t have shut the gate behind Vic I will never know… Ah well *sigh*

We have very fond memories of Thrupp.. we were here on two occasions with NP1 (Tara) while we sorted out our house before moving permanently on to our narrowboat.. tis a lovely place.

It was very relaxing today after our adventures of the last few days… Here some snippets of each of the days..

Saturday – A ‘do’ day.. I get handy with the wood stain..

The skirting is the next item on the list to be done.  The pipes that carry the water to feed the radiators had all broken out from behind the side boards of No Problem.  In fact one of the side boards had dropped down from the gunnel, and it took quite a lot of jacking up to get it back in place so the pipes would go underneath.  In other areas Vic cut along the bottom with a jigsaw to make a larger gap for them to go in.. meanwhile I readied the new skirting board that will cover them all.. and got going with the wood stain. 

As you see the dinette comes in useful!

Its a lovely colour that wood stain I used, I might even use it to do out the bunk room wood instead of having it a pale wood colour.. I will think about that when the furnishings are in place

Sunday – 2 narrowboats between a broken bridge

We had a call from Paul Balmer to say that he was available to help us along the rest of the K&A Canal and the Thames for the next three days starting Monday morning.. WOW Thatcham to Oxford in 3 days!.. We decided to do a few locks and miles on Sunday just to get some out of the way.. so we pulled the pins on an awful day, it was absolutely tipping down, we don’t normally travel in this type of weather!..

This was the first lock of the day.. you can see it is very different from normal locks, this is a turf sided lock, there are only two left in the whole country, the other being Garston Lock which is also on this canal. They are now protected by English Heritage.

It was slow going for sure, but we made it to Aldermaston and stopped by the services to get something to eat and a hot drink as well as changing our soaking wet clothes.  In the meantime another boat arrived to take on water.. so we waited and waited and waited as both our boats also needed water.. the guy knew we were waiting, and after an hour or so I went out to enquire as to what sized water tank he had!.. “Oh I am giving it a good flush out as the water tastes a bit funny”…. gawd!

So by this time we had eaten our main evening meal before filling both boats with water and taking one through Aldermaston Lift Bridge which is mechanical.. Tara went through with a hire boat from Reading Marine.. then the fun started.. the bridge refused to work any more and the barriers refused to go up!.. So two guys just finishing their holiday were both stood there holding these barriers up for cars to be able to pass for a good half hour before engineers arrived!

It was just about dark by the time No Problem got through the now fixed bridge, the engineers over-riding the system as it does not work after dusk.. I was worried that we would be stuck there in the morning when Paul arrived and we would not be able to move her the next day.. it has happened before that the lift bridge at Aldermaston has been closed for days!.. So we moored for the evening just past the bridge..

Monday – The lock wheeler goes missing and a scrape with nature …

It was with great delight that I spied Paul’s wife Christine riding along the towpath on the bike towards Padworth Lock which we had just reached when they arrived.  Paul was walking just behind.. goodness he does walk fast does Paul!.. so we had lots of help from there to Reading on Monday.. but not before a few bits of fun and games..

Here Vic and Tara coming away from Burfield Lock.  This was in a terrible state when we came in the opposite direction at the end of last year, but now there are new lock gates, they were very much needed.. it was not long after this that we lost our lock wheeler Paul.. he had opened Ufton Swing Bridge, one of the numerous swing bridges along the way, and jumped on his bike.. and he never appeared again for ages.. in fact we had got ourselves into Tyle Mill Lock when he appeared along the road!  “The towpath ran out” He protested “I had to ride along the busy A4 for a mile before turning down the road for here”.. Ha I bet people on the A4 wondered what he was doing with a windlass stuck out of his back saddle bag and wearing brightly coloured waterproofs!

It was not long after that that I got caught on a very twisty part of the river.  I was on the tiller of No Problem when she got caught by the strong stream and got thrown onto the far side of one of the sweeping bends.. the water was running fast.. there has been a lot of rain.. and straight into the heavy buses and trees we went.. I had to duck right out of the way, and nearly got swept overboard at one point.. but I knew damage had been done.. there was going to be no escape from it.. the trees were sharp, the paintwork was going to suffer.. And it has done.. there are scratches along the side..

Everybody was trying to console me.. I am still feeling devastated by it.. but these things happen, there was nothing I could do about it..

We took the two boats separately through Reading Town centre as once again the water was running dreadfully fast through County Lock.. but they both arrived safely at the moorings outside the prison for the evening.. more to follow tomorrow..

Turbo charged narrowboating to the Oxford Canal

Wednesday 16^th May – Days Lock to Kidlington, River Thames and S Oxford Canal, 22.5 miles 8 locks and some awkward lift bridges
Tuesday 15^th May – Reading to Days Lock, River Thames, 22 miles 7 locks
Monday 14^th May – Aldermaston to Reading, K&A Canal, 9.5miles 10 locks and loads of swing bridges
Sunday 13th May – Widmead Lock to Aldermaston, K&A Canal, 6.25 miles 7 locks and a few swing bridges
Saturday 12th May – Moored at not a secret anymore location

60 miles in that little lot!!

And lots pf stories to tell including ‘two narrowboats between a broken bridge’.. ‘a scrape with nature’.. ‘a lost lockwheeler’ .. ‘river rage fury’ and ‘teehee don’t tell her!’

But just for tonight, our secret location revealed for any of my blog readers to enjoy – 14 days here if you want to!  …

Just been relaxing tonight reflecting on our last few days, so short blog just before bed.. more tomorrow on what we have been up to over the last few days ..  

We are on the Thames..

Cruising The Thames

Just a very quick note to say that at the moment we are cruising up the Thames having got within 7 miles of Abingdon.  We hope to be in Oxford tomorrow.  No blog updates as we have Paul Balmer onboard at the moment and enjoying his company.. so no computer switched on.. He has just gone to bed so thought I would post a very quick blog before hitting the sack myself.

Lots of news either tomorrow or Thursday evening..

Utility Room looks full.. but I can get more in yet!

Moored at a not nearly so Secret Location at all now, Kennet and Avon Canal

All Vic’s tools fit in…

What a delight.. he is a happy guy.. everything to hand and at a decent height that he isn't scrambling on the floor like he was in his other ‘tool shed’.. I did manage to bag 3 shelves for myself to the left of pic above…

So I got half of them!   Also underneath the bench in front of the large toolbox lives the washing machine, so we have managed to use the space to a maximum.  This used to be a loo on this large ex hire boat from Black Prince, it is amazing how much you can actually get in a loo space!.. Here is the other wall..

Ah, still plenty of space on this wall.. but this room will also be used as a loo for visitors when they are sleeping on the dinette as the bathroom is at the other end of the narrowboat past our bedroom which would mean anyone sleeping in the dinette area would have to climb over us to get there.  We will have a porta-potty in the utility room.

But I can get some bits on the wall that are thin such as Vic’s screw boxes which you can just about see in the pic above, those thin boxes on the left above the towel.. they will hang on the wall above the stools which also hog close giving plenty of space in the middle..

Hard really to get the pics to be able to show you what it is like.. still no doubt you will get some idea..

So that is what we have been doing today, and each time we moved from Tara to No Problem we took something with us, and now the larder area has been cleared I am starting to move all my stuff from the galley on Tara over to the new galley on No Problem.. there seems plenty of room too!

We also fixed back all of the backs of the cupboards and wardrobes that we had pulled out to do wiring or plumbing.. and put a second rail in the wardrobe.  Two rails in the full sized wardrobe.. It would be such a waste of space to have just one rail, so now we have double the space, top rail for shirts and blouses, bottom for fleeces and heavier stuff.  Coat hangers went up near the back doors and mini hangers at a handy grandchildren height for their coats when they visit.. pics of those to follow… so a lot of cosmetic items done today.. we are trying to go from the back of No Problem to the front doing those odd bits and bobs.. but I need to woodstain all the skirting to make them a good mahogany colour to match the rest.. I need to do that outside, but the weather has been too wet.

I managed to get out this evening with Lucy, I had to post a letter, well a birthday card.. Jenny my second eldest has a birthday on Monday.. It is very remote here, and had to walk a good 2 miles to find a post box.. WOW the things I do!

Anyway on the way back I decided to have a go for a geocache that I knew was there after having spied it on the way out.. but I got caught by a muggle with the contents on my lap trying to write the log with the rain absolutely tipping down.. I then had to explain to him exactly what I was doing.. the log book was soaked by this time.. I stuffed the whole lot back in the huge bag.. this was the biggest box of treasure I have ever seen.. I will go back tomorrow and make sure everything is OK if the rain keeps off!..

We are delighted with progress today.. Vic is doing really well, his back is getting better by the day.. I think he can see the light at the end of the tunnel..

One tool shed on the move at last..

Moored at not such a Secret Location now, Kennet and Avon Canal

Well a couple of guesses have more or less pinpointed our location.. ah well, if you are ever passing this way by narrowboat this is the best mooring on the canal, you will love it!

It rained the whole day today, and Vic was feeling like doing something, his back beginning to come to life and allow him to do some work.. so today the utility room was completed.. and that finishes all the major construction on No Problem.. here I have the ‘tool shed’ out on the saloon floor of Tara (NP1)…

All that is left in the shed is some pots of paint.  After tea this evening I went in and varnished the shelves, they look a treat, and tomorrow the tool shed contents are on the move!.. Hooray, because that will free a lot of shelving on No Problem that is actually my larder, at the moment being used for shelving for ongoing fitting out stuff!.. I also need to grab a few shelves for myself in the utility room for cleaning stuff.. so we will be bartering tomorrow no doubt for shelf space!!

A 'Do' day turns out to be a 'Move' day outside Newbury

Whitehorse Roving Bridge to ‘A Secret Location’, Kennet & Avon Canal

The weathermen were unsure last night as to the state of the wind, and we planned to stay and have a ‘do’ day on No Problem fitting out the utility room.  But we awoke to a calm day with hardly any wind, so took the opportunity to have a ‘move’ day.  We have decided to have new rules!

We will either have a ‘do’ day or ‘move’ day, but not a ‘do and move’ or ‘move and do’ day – that is far too stressful!

So over to B&Q a bit sharpish this morning to take back all the bits that were not required for the new galley to get them credited against some bit and bobs that were required.  That having done we pulled the pins and made our way downstream to one of our most favourite moorings on the whole canal system.. Lucy simply adores it here too.. and this is our secret mooring location this evening.  Not towpath and so quiet it is untrue.  Nobody for miles and nobody walking past.  Our very own bit of England for an evening!…

Between Newbury and Thatcham this is.. I know Chas and Ann of NB Moore2Life will know where this is.. I wonder does anybody else? 

I thought for a moment cruising along today that I was back on the River Gt Ouse over in East Anglia, our summer haunt of the last couple of years.. there were loads of tern diving into the river after small fish.. very unusual to see that on this stretch of water.. and cuckoos, well so many of them.  I was out walking Lucy this evening and I heard one about quarter mile away, then suddenly one started right above my head as I walked the footpath, I couldn’t believe it.. there is was on a branch cuckooing away.. what a fantastic sight, I have never been so close to a cuckoo before, wonderful.  I couldn’t take a photo although I did have the camera, it was too dark to be able to get any sort of decent one.  Maybe tomorrow..

I thought I had really done it today though… I was rearranging all the pots of this and that in the utility room when a small pot of mahogany exterior woodstain fell from one of the shelves and smashed open onto the new wooden flooring along the corridor.. Vic went running for the kitchen roll towels while I grabbed what I could to mop up as fast as possible.. I really thought that was the end of that.  It took a good 5 minutes to mop up, and no stain at all to the floor.. just some staining to the cracks in between which I was not bothered about.. it is hardly noticeable, but I don’t mind that when I think what the place could have looked like.. accidents will happen for sure, but that would have been tragic if the floor had soaked that lot in.  Vic said it was due to the varnishing and treatment that the flooring has that averted the disaster… phew!

I have just read Chas and Annie’s blog and they are pressing on getting their house squared over for the new tenants they have coming in… won’t be long till they are back onboard Moore2Life and making haste to catch us up.  Moore2Life is having its bottom done in Devizes (a two year maintenance job of bitumen put on below the waterline)while they are away.. And also heard from Paul Balmer who is on the way with his narrowboat Waterway Routes towards his moorings near Birmingham.. he encountered empty pounds (lengths between locks) at Atherstone today and had to wait for a couple of hours till they got filled.. glad to have heard from them both.. I was wondering!

Away from Newbury.. well a bit away!

Newbury West Mills to Whitehorse Roving Bridge, K&A Canal, 1 mile 2 locks

Quite a cruise today eh?!!

Well I had some bits and bobs I wanted to do in Newbury before pulling the pins this morning, and it wasn’t until noon that we did so.  We moved the boats tentatively towards Town Lock, the wind was really strong, taking the boats away from the towpath side.. but it wasn’t long before we had them both safely in the lock, and the inevitable pic followed that everyone who passes through this point takes…

Well if I hadn’t have taken the pic of Newbury Lock I would have felt I missed out!.. but there is the Lock Stock and Barrel pub below the lock.. went there with Wendie and Dan the other evening to celebrate my birthday… they like it there..

I decided that I shall give up now on trying to close the double lock gates each time we leave the locks, and I am sorry to any crews who happen to be following us, but it is getting too difficult and tiring to do the locks myself, open one gate to let Vic out, climb down the ladder onto No Problem, push her over to get out of the one gate.. stop and tie up myself on the lower lock landing, go back and shut the gate, then untie and get on and continue.. no, too much.. tis only one gate I am leaving open.. anyway 50% of the time a boat will be coming the other way.. “Oh goodie” they will say, “Somebody has left the gate open”!… Teehee, I have often said it myself!

So we whizzed one behind the other through the town on the river current which is rather strong between the high buildings, and for sure No Problem is not as responsive as the nippy Tara, and I did wonder if I was going to make the turns, but more power needed to persuade her to do as she was told, and we both emerged into the ‘pool’ of Victoria Park, much quieter now after the raz-a-mataz of yesterdays Crafty Craft finishing post.

We stopped at Greenham Services to top up with diesel and gas for both boats, the last time we shall do so before getting to Braunston me thinks.. and it gave me an opportunity to knock on Mike’s door to find out why he is no longer blogging with Globetrotter.. but he saw me coming along the canal and gave a wave as I drew close to the boatyard..

The guy who runs the services always gives us a great welcome.. his name eludes me.. is it Peter?  I know he reads the blog.. I hope he will put me right on his name.  Well he knew Vic had a problem with his back, and helped get Tara into the side with the awful wind doing its best to cause havoc.. But eventually both boats were tied up securely and he did a good trade with us for diesel and gas.. thanks too for lifting out our gas bottle  xx

Chatting then to Mike, he gave me the reason why he cannot blog anymore, and I can report that he has had to take his blog and all the past contents off the internet.  What I cannot report is the reason why.. It is a shame because the Globetrotter blog I found very informative, interesting and full of free speech, which is what a blog is all about really.. writing as you feel.. but always a pleasure to spend some time with Mike.. smashing guy.. I will miss his blog, and just hope one day an opportunity might arise when he can start writing again.

We didn’t go too much further after that.. the wind was too bad.. One more lock and then we found somewhere to moor and called it a day.. anyway, it was getting a bit late by then.. ha too much chatting to folk today me thinks!

Crafty Craft and Crazy Living at Newbury!

Moored Newbury, Kennet & Avon Canal

This weekend we remained in Newbury.. well daughter Wendie and the family came a-visiting.. Vic and I made a huge push to try and get the table serviceable which meant putting in the flooring on the raised dinette which Dan and I didn’t bother doing when he was down a couple of weeks ago helping with the other flooring.. we did it, and made a hole in the floor to take the table leg.. and screwed it all together.  The children simply loved being able to play on the huge table while looking out of the window.  The raised dinette is 10 inches higher than the floor and we did wonder if it was going to be too high (the windows are high on No Problem you see).. but it is ideal and nobody had any bother with it at all…

The children simply adored their new sleeping arrangements.. the bunkroom!  Although we didn’t have time to make a ladder for Kiera to climb up and down from the top bunk, we used the reclining chair boxes which have not been unpacked of their contents.. (well no time to lounge around you know! ) and she quite ably managed to scramble up and down using those.. success!!

So Sunday was pure chaos.. I think it was organised chaos though, and everyone helped to lay the galley flooring, while the children played..

Wendie brought back the foam which she had cut just to check that it fitted OK, and here it is in place, it has yet to be covered.. and a half inch or so off here and there and it will be just perfect.  You can see the galley flooring is down in this pic and Vic making a cuppa The fridge is in the passageway while the area under where it really lives is being done, blocking off the children who are now playing between the galley and the bunkroom! Crazy living!!

But later a nice pic opportunity with Niamh and Lucy.. Those two simply love each other…

But everyone enjoyed the weekend, and we socialised on No Problem for the first time and toasted our new home with a few bevies!.. Wendie and Dan then stayed aboard sleeping, while we went next door and slept on our own bed.. much better than sleeping on the floor as is usually the case when they all come up!

Wendie had to work today, so they left yesterday, just an hours ride in the car.. Niamh and Kiera slept all the way.. mind they had been on the go for most of the day.

Today was the Crafty Craft race from Hungerford to Newbury Victoria Park, and here are some pics as they put their rafts back into the water after transporting them around West Mills Swing Bridge..

Here above the Indians, closely followed by the cowboys hard on their heels…..

And some more bizarre craft…

Oooooops wet again! …

And of course the Vikings chasing everyone down!..

Most of the ‘crews’ looked pretty tired by this stage, I am not surprised it is quite a long way from Hungerford on these makeshift craft, but they seemed happy, and we were pleased to be able to watch this again.. the last time was 3 years ago we happened to be at Kintbury as they came by..

Meanwhile…

One plumbed in washing machine into the utility room.. shelf to go over that to take Vics large toolbox.  This is a cold fill only washing machine, but you can see that we have designed it so that we can use the cold fill with a mixture of hot and cold so saving a lot power heating cold water.. I can use the two red taps to mix.  I have this arrangement at the moment and it works very well indeed… so now we have a mess in the galley again because all the stuff that was in the utility room had to come out and go ‘somewhere’ while the washing machine was put in.. here is the mess in the galley for all those of you that have said I should also show the mess as we are fitting out!!..

OK, OK, so I will find somewhere to stash away the mess tomorrow!

Bye Kintbury, hello Newbury...

Kintbury to Newbury, Kennet and Avon Canal, 4.5 miles 6 locks

We didn’t mean to do all that much today, but it happened.  The day started with a wash down of Tara who looked more like a desert rat than a posh narrowboat.. where has all this dust come from.  I noticed Lucy jumping onto the boat today in a cloud of dust from out of her coat too.. she will roll in all the dust on the towpath.. …. Ah but she enjoys getting all dusty and then to clean off she dives into the canal… end result?  A muddy, dusty, dirty ‘ol dog!.. Gawd, if I didn’t have her I would have half the housework that I need to do…. Ah but she is worth my double time!

We had hoped to moor at Hamstead Lock so the family could visit, but there was nowhere at all to park their car.. tis a thin road with twists near the canal and a thin canal bridge.. I should have remembered on the way down.. but we picked up a Tesco order from there this evening from a very cheery chap, then continued on towards Newbury.  We were amazed at these two earlier in the day, it was about lunch time, I think they were checking out any leftover sandwich lunches?…

Locking through the rest today was pleasant enough.. tough though with just the two of us…

So we settled tonight at West Mills on the private moorings by the swing bridge.. I didnt know it was private until an irate woman knocked the boat and went a bit overboard with her repremand of me..

OK,OK, so we will move in the morning..

Digital camera fun.. but useful too at Kintbury!

Moored Kintbury, Kennet and Avon Canal

Now see, we didn’t move again today, although I thought we might do.. well a final push with some bits and bobs to be done on No Problem like fitting that last cabinet in the galley.. sorting which bits of flooring were needed before ditching the rest.. unpacking the new mattress and the washing machine so that the packaging can be left at the bins here.. oh so much to do!!..

I managed to wash one side of one narrowboat today.. No Problem got the first treatment.. did the roof and one side.. I can’t believe how dirty she was and such a long boat to have to clean off too.. but I got the shammy out and to be honest she looked a treat after I had finished.  Both boats are still extremely dirty since being at Devizes Marina.  They do a lot of sandblasting there and the stuff goes everywhere.. it is going to take some time to clear all that from the two boats, plus the towpaths are now very dusty.  A posse of 4 bikes went thundering by yesterday leaving a huge cloud of dust which also settled on the boats.. could really do with a days rain to wash it all off.

But hey, the camera had a good use today.. we needed to design a ladder to get up and down from the top bunk when then grandchildren arrive on Saturday.. ladders.. how do you make a ladder!!.. well over a couple of cuppas we have a plan.. but we need a hook!..  Now try describing a hook to those ‘dan saff’ and that can become very difficult.. but a digital camera comes into its own with a pic of exactly what is required..

Can’t go wrong can they?   At least living in Portsmouth there are plenty of nautical shops to get a couple of those!..

So there you go Wends when you read this blog tomorrow morning this is what is required .. 2 please, of that size, doesn’t have to be exactly the same but something similar.. ta xx .. I do hope the comment that will follow will be ladylike!!

Lucy was a bit miffed this morning.. no walk for her, but I did take her this evening, and we met some wildlife that made me smile.. now then is this a seagull cross?  Or a goose?  When it squawked it sounded like a goose.. but for sure it had that sort of hooked beak of a seagull.. very odd one this..

Oh from this pic you can’t really gauge the size, but this is bigger than a duck by half again.

Further on Lucy is very interested as to what is going on over on the far side of the canal and wanted to go swimming to go over there to have some fun..

If you squint you can just about see what she is looking at.  Now this is where a digital camera really comes into it’s own, because I can now show you with a quick zoom of the lens what she was so interested in….

Ha, they seem just as interested in Lucy!!!  

Busy, busy at Kintbury

Moored Kintbury, K & A Canal

Well all great plans… so as you see we didn’t get to move today.  I had some bits to do this morning and a ton of washing to get through, plus another potential buyer for No Problem due to arrive about lunch time.. so we spent the day here after all.

But I also had time to get No Problem more ship narrowboat shape, and now she looks more like a livaboard.. all I need are some cushions for the dinette and we are in business..

We made the framework for the crossover bed as planned today, and that has turned out great, it takes less than 4 seconds to make the bed and 6 seconds to unmake it!  Plus we get a kingsize bed for that.  Wendie is coming with the family at the weekend, so I am hoping to actually socialise on her in the evening while the grandchildren test out the bunks and Wendie and Dan test out the bed.. we can sleep on Tara.. WOW all this space!!

We carved up a huge piece of hardboard to put under the mattress.. well the boarding that is there covering up the grey tank and making the bedframe is a really rough chip board type of stuff, with very sharp edges, for sure it would have damaged the mattress if it dragged at all on it.. here Vic stretching that back of his before sharing the job of cutting the sheet to size..

Plenty of mooring spaces as you can see, but that was not the case this evening.. and now it is full up with a lot of boats arriving!

Not sure about tomorrow now.. I expect we will move, but these two boats need a wash first.. I expect there will be a mad hour when everyone wants to get away.. all the narrowboats that arrived this evening are also travelling east, so we shall let them all go, no doubt many will want to fill with water first.. we won’t be in any hurry as usual!

I see they have upgraded the little car park by the lock, and are now charging people to park there.. whatever next!  There are a few large mossies about too.. but we are on the river at the moment, only just as it goes off to the right just where you see that white bit between the two boats.  I have caught a lot of fish here.. in fact now that I remember this is a place where I have the record of number of fish caught in a day.. just looked it up, yep 37 fish caught here.. 27 of which were bream.. ummmmm should have chucked the rod out today..

Handy having two narrowboats in Hungerford..

Hungerford to Kintbury, K&A Canal, 3 miles 4 locks

After Tara’s outing yesterday she ended up facing west with the next winding hole (space to turn round) some 2 and half miles and 3 locks away.. ah but… having two narrowboats is handy!  ….

Now heading east! .. is this called piggy back ride? Teehee..

But before that, Lucy demanded I take her for one last walk across her most favourite area.. here I spied a female duck almost hiding in a tiny brook with her brood of 10 chicks..

The female ducks are really getting pestered by the males at the moment.. they just don’t want to know about sex now that they have their new broods.. being a woman I can understand that!!.. so they are hiding as much as they can with their littlens.. this one was enjoying the morning sunshine.  And as I went round the corner hey look.. here is Lucy about 50 yards ahead looking for me.. This is her most favourite ever spot on the whole canal system.  She is waiting for me to throw a stick into the river here .. she never forgets this place.. it’s been 3 years since we were here last, but she ran to this place on the very first day we arrived..

“Hurry up, hurry up”.. you can just see her saying that to me.  The river is running fairly fast, but that is no worry to her, she just simply adores it here…

Then a trip into the town for some supplies from the butcher and baker before we left to continue east towards the Thames.. this time we would be travelling on our own, Paul is, I think, on his way to his new moorings in Birmingham with NB Waterway Routes .. well we knew it would be difficult because still Vic is unable to work the locks.. Goodbye then to Hungerford for a few years.. here we have the two narrowboats tied together making our way to the winding hole in the easterly direction which is just that one lock and about half mile….

We stopped at the ‘services’ and dumped off a lot of rubbish and odd timber at the dustbins, and turned Tara.. moving the boats singly is much easier.. I quite enjoyed doing the locks and getting the boats out.. I enjoyed ‘single handed’ seeing the two boats through the locks and the logistics of doing that safely..  The only big problem I had was that there was quite an easterly wind which meant once I had let Vic out of the lock with Tara, then got myself out with No Problem, mooring up to go back and shut the gates the wind kept opening them again.. I gave up in the end.. so please forgive me if you are going east tomorrow morning from Hungerford.. 

We moored up at a very quiet Kintbury this evening quite late.. but I had put a delicious casserole in the oven to cook slowly before we left.. so it wasn’t long before we settled for the evening.  I think we can do this together.. Vic’s back is getting a bit better, and he moved around more today.. maybe that is what is needed..

We have planned to build the crossover slatted supports for the bed on No Problem tomorrow before we go on a bit further.. must also clean the boats, they are soooooooooo dusty still from the sandblasting at Devizes, still trying to get that off, plus the towpaths are now not muddy.. just dreadfully dusty which sticks to the boats like glue!!