River levels rise at Titchmarsh

Moored Titchmarsh, River Nene

We are between two lowish footbridges at the moment, the one upstream from us we got under easily yesterday to moor up, but this evening we would not have got under it..

In fact just one boat passed this morning going upstream, but not for long, realising that he could not get under the bridge he reversed back downstream to moor up close to us against another narrowboat.  There is quite a community here now!

The bridge in front of us I think we will be able to get under, I had a look this evening while out for a walk. But we will wait just for the water levels to drop a bit before moving off. 

We are not in any hurry, and it has been raining constantly today.  In fact this morning I spent inside No Problem, venturing out this afternoon when the rain stopped for a while.  I popped into town to get mail that had been posted from ‘dan saff’, however, it has not arrived yet.  I will return tomorrow!

I went again to Thrapston later in the early evening to visit the fish and chip shop!!!

Yep, cod and chips for my tea tonight, yummy!  I have not had fish and chips since last year, promising myself a fish supper once I had lost 2 stone.

After eating all that I thought I better take the girls out for a late evening walk around the huge sailing lake here.  On the way back an enormous cluster of cowslips..

That is the sailing club lake on the left and on the right is the river and in the distance Islip Church.

Think I might go on a long hike tomorrow if we stay here, there are some nice walks, by the look of it, west of where we are through some woodlands..

Thrapston demands correct lines and oh what a dump..

Denford to Thrapston, River Nene, 2 miles 2 locks

Ha, back to our normal speed then!

Pulled the pins fairly early this morning to beat the rain that was forecast.. our mooring of the last couple of days has been on the bank behind where you can see that narrowboat.  This gave us the whole of the meadow to ourselves.. Meg and Lucy the K9s, were in their element there…

Normally we moor by the bank in the foreground, but you can see why I like this place so much, total peace and quiet..

On through Denford lock then…

Perfect weather.. well it was then, but no sooner we had got through the lock the rain came down.  I didn’t mind really, and Lucy and Meg got themselves under the folded down back canopy to escape the worst of it.  I was pleased about that!  They get under my feet on the cruiser stern deck of No Problem.. they compete for ‘sides’ of the boat to look out to see what is going on, then I can’t get off in a hurry with ropes etc!

It was a bit hairy today through the broken bridge just before Thrapston, right on the bend with the river running, but a bit of extra throttle helped,. and on through the packet bridge at Thrapston itself it seemed ages for the 67ft to pass through, all the time the river trying to take the boat sideways into the walls of the bridge… phew, no contact!!

It rained steadily but we put the pins in at the new Environment Agency mooring at the Sailing Club.. well not exactly putting the pins in, but having to breast up with Moore2Life as there was only one space available.

This evening the rain did not abate, but the girls had not had a walk all day so it was on with the waterproofs after tea and a good stretch over the countryside.. I enjoyed very much.

Having done the decorating what do you do with the paint pots?.. Here is an idea…

Pop them in the boot of the car, oh along with the overalls that you used, and drive to a Nature Reserve, like Titchmarsh Nature Reserve and lay them out artistically for everyone to admire!

I have informed the Environment Agency, and hopefully they will clear this little lot.  I really don’t have anything else to say about it!

Dunno about tomorrow, we might cruise a bit or we might stay a bit..

Very friendly Postmistress at Ringstead

Moored Denford, River Nene

It wasn’t far across the meadows to Ringstead, so Vic joined me and we strolled over there to the Post Office to collect some mail.  A really lovely Postmistress greeted me, she even remembered me calling back in 2006, and came outside to say hello to Lucy and Vic who she also remembered..

Most of the fields around here are of oil seed rape with bright yellow flowers, but today we walked through a couple of corn fields where we saw some wild flowers, and here a cluster of bluebells..

There was a red admiral butterfly on the flowers, but by the time I had got the phone into camera mode he flew off!  But I decided to take a pic anyway!

We popped into the handy supermarket for some milk before returning to No Problem for lunch.  I opened a new loaf of bread only to find it totally mouldy!  Grrrrrrr and it is nearly a mile and half back to Ringstead, so I made Vic a sandwich with the only two slices in the old packet and made myself a tuna salad..

Anyway…… On that plate is about 60 calories.. 2 slices of bread are 120 calories plus whatever goes in them, so I was better off having the salad, and it was yummy too!

Oh yes, and if anyone is passing, the pub here in Denford has closed for now.  There is a sign outside “Pub to Let”..

Spring in my step once again at Denford..

Moored Denford, River Nene

New Year's Resolution - To Lose 2 stone by 31/7

Jan 1st - 11st 7lbs /Jan 27th - 10st 10lb
Feb 17th - 10st 3lbs/Mar 9th - 9st 13lbs
Mar 30th - 9st 12lbs/Apr 13th - 9st 8lbs
Apr 20th - 9st 8lbs/Apr 27th - 9st 6lbs

** New Year's Resolution Achieved!! **
                 

Many thanks to you all for the encouragement you have given me, I sure do feel good tonight… now where is that fish and chip shop!!

Here is our mooring at Denford, one of my most favourite stopping places on the Nene..

Long day to Denford, what a pleasure that is..

Doddington to Denford, River Nene, 14 miles 9 locks

Look at that distance then!

All done on just over tickover speed.. let the river do the work and sit back and enjoy that’s what I say.. and it took us a working 9 to 5 plus a bit of overtime to do it.  Mind you we did stop at Tesco for fresh fruit and veg at Wellingborough.  Vic put some water in the tank while I nipped up the road to the supermarket.

But earlier we pulled the pins from our lovely mooring at Doddington where young Meg, my 10 month old collie, decided to offload Ann’s rubbish from Moore2Life and deposit it in the middle of the field that we were moored at..

I think she is in trouble here, but it looks like she already knows that!!

But a lovely day for cruising today, enjoyed I am sure by all boaters in the southern half of England.  I bet there were a lot of boats out on the canals today.. not here on the Nene though.. just the one narrowboat went past in the other direction this morning..

So the story of the day then..

A mixture of lock types which makes the Nene unique.. water pouring over the upstream gates as the guillotine is raised..

That odd looking house that gives me the creeps everytime we pass it..

Built in the 15^th century, at the centre of a medieval village called Chester-on-the-Water,  I always like to look at it but try not to, it looks, well haunted! .. It’s one of those places that is really scarey..

Onward then, the unusual lock at Ditchfield has this curved, radial guillotine gate..

A stop after that at the Rushden and Diamonds Football Club moorings to use the services.  I hooked up the water again as I had done three loads of washing today, and refilled the tank to the brim while Vic used the pump-out on the loo tank.. this pump-out is much better than the one in Northampton, but we won’t moan about that.. they are all free after all!

A cup of coffee to die for was produced by Dot as we had caught up with the Two Ds and Gypsy Rover, and we present a ‘make do’ gang plank that we got from a very friendly farmer at the amazing Woolaston Lock our first lock of today.  I knew Dot and Derek’s travelling companions had no gang plank so asked this riverside ‘got everything’ farmer for a plank..  nice guy..

We leap frogged Gypsy Rover and continued downstream in the warm sunshine.. the number of swans and geese consuming crops must be a big problem for farmers..

We have seen colonies of them feeding off the land.  I know the last time we were moored in this area near Ringstead Lock the farmer used to drive his 4X over the fields to disperse them, but no sooner had he gone over the horizon than they came back flying in just like one I caught today on camera..

We would normally have stopped just above Ringstead Upper Lock, but Chas on NB Moore2Life, our travelling companions, will need diesel from Oundle in a week or so, so we passed that delightful mooring and cruised on to Denford.. a mooring not to be missed.  Not a sound here tonight, I love putting the pins in here..

Rain tomorrow for us, but I don’t care.. ‘Tis F1 Grand Prix to enjoy and time to enjoy the peace and quiet of this most rural of moorings..

A walk day today around Great Doddington and Earls Barton

Moored Great Doddington, River Nene

Firstly it was goodbye for now to the Two Ds with NB Gypsy Rover and their friends Derek and Christina with their narrowboat Kilimera (hope that is right you two!) as they left on their way to the Rushden and Diamonds moorings down the river.. See you soon you all

I had a bit of paperwork to do, then it was a packed lunch to make as I planned a long walk today around this lovely area.  In the ruck sack went my waterproofs just in case, but the weather was good enough just for a fleece today.

I heard the cuckoo within a few minutes of setting out, I am sure all the locals will be pleased that it is back in this area, and only a couple of days late too!  So first cuckoo heard this year on 25^th April.

Wild flowers abound around the lakes in this area, here clusters of cowslips..

Picnic lunch today watching some anglers at one of the lakes.  They had their tents set out, looks like they are there for the weekend, then onward returning to No Problem via the Nene Valley Way passing Doddington Mill on the opposite side to the view we had when passing by on the river..

You can see the guillotine lock to the right of the building.  I looked at the pic I took of this in May 2006 when it was covered in scaffolding .. hey a good job done on renovating this one, it looks a treat.

We leave this wonderful mooring tomorrow, I sure have enjoyed it here.  So have the girls.. Lucy and Meg have been able to run around their garden of some 20 acres in complete safety.  We will be back on the return in late summer. 

Rainbows, Thunder, Sunshine and the Two Ds at Great Doddington

Moored Great Doddington, River Nene

Early morning squally showers kept me inside doing some paper work this morning.  It wasn’t too long though ‘till the blue skies cheered the day and I took the opportunity to exercise the girls across the meadow to the lakes to have a look at the wildlife.. plenty of it too.

Strolling back to No Problem I spied two narrowboats making their way along the River.. A huge smile then as I noticed the maroon cratch cover of Gypsy Rover and the Two Ds, Dot and Derek.

They are travelling the fens this spring and early summer with their companions Derek and Christina, and Vic and I welcomed them all aboard No Problem along with Chas and Ann of NB Moore2Life, our travelling companions for coffee before lunch.

What a boat full!.. not only the six of us but three K9s vying for space..

Dot and Derek told me of a diary that was in the box that has the push buttons to open the lock and how it invited people to put an entry in as boats passed the lock.  I didn’t know about that.. well being the person on the tiller I wouldn’t!  Vic said he noticed the diary but hadn’t looked.. Dot said “I am nosy so I looked!!”  “It tells of a water point available nearby” says Dot.  Now that would be very interesting to know where that is.. water is always important on the Nene if you want to travel slowly and stop a lot.

I went out after dinner tonight to take a look at this diary and walked back to Doddington Lock armed with a key to open the control box.. A day of mixed weather with thunder and lightening at one point, then as I walked, this rainbow across the meadows..

The diary was great reading.. “Boaters, Please help yourself to water from the tap nearby, and if there is any help we can give you please call in at the mill house”  It was a very friendly message typical of what we have found while travelling along this river.. Here is the tap pointed out.. there are two hose pipes there also for boaters to use.  Moor either in the lock or on the lock landing pontoon on the downstream side of the lock to get the water..

Nice one!

I have only just got back from an evening of total chat chat chat with Dot and Derek on Gypsy Rover talking about the fens, this blog is a bit late tonight!.. It is nice to know they are really loving ‘doing The Nene’ just like I do.

Vic uses his favourite bit of Nene kit at Earls Barton

White Mills to Great Doddington, River Nene, 2.5 miles 3 locks

It was raining when I peeped through the curtains this morning, so I lay back and took another half hour horizontal and got totally spoilt with a cuppa from Vic.  The girls (K9s Lucy and Meg), also wanted a share of my laziness, so I spread a blanket out and they both leapt on the bed for cuddles and TLC!

But we pulled the pins after lunch from White Mills to wander down the Nene again to Great Doddington.  The nice thing about having ‘done The Nene’ before is that we have found moorings that we love and that we know we can get into.

But before that..

Our first DIY lock on the Nene is Earls Barton.. That wheel has to be turned over 60 times to lower the guillotine.. but look, Vic has something up his sleeve in his hand..

He is fixing it to the wheel..

Ah ha!  Now we have a handy handle to turn the wheel and open and close the guillotine!  A much easier way to do it!

Much of the Nene in this area passes through gravel workings of some sort or other, but the holes that are made are turned into vast lakes where there is an abundance of wildlife, some very close to the river as you see here near Earls Barton, a great expanse of water on the left..

The Environment Agency are certainly not generous with their lock landing pontoons!  No Problem only just manages to get her front one third on this one at Doddington..

Not easy to get this one smack on today. very little space to stop in and the wind as you can see was blowing me away from the side.. But on through this one and we arrived at our chosen mooring for this evening at Great Doddington..

Superb views on the far side up the hill is Great Doddington itself with it’s small shop for groceries.  Unfortunately the Post Office has very recently closed although I do believe the villagers fought hard to keep it open.  I think I read somewhere that there were 600 plus signatures to try to get it to stay open..

On this side of the river you can see once again we have a huge back garden, and further behind me is Summerleys Nature Reserve, another expanse of lakes.  I walked along the disused railway line with the girls this evening and the lakes are full of all sorts of wild fowl.  We are staying here for a couple of days, so it will be out with the binoculars tomorrow between the showers me thinks to see what is out there.

Oh and one of the locals asked if we had heard the cuckoo yet.. apparently the local one who comes every year is a few days late!

Ambling with the flow to White Mills

Cogenhoe to West Mills, River Nene, 2 miles 2 locks

Our usual speed along this river – 2 miles and 2 locks.. that will do!

Here is a pic as promised of our mooring at the weekend at Cogenhoe on the meadows..

We managed to get a tankful of water before going through the lock which was very handy indeed, and gives us another week on the river without having to find more of it.  We don’t have an itinerary as such, although I do need to be somewhere handy to pop down south at the beginning of May to my youngest daughter’s 30th birthday bash.

I got a nice couple of pics of the girls this morning you might like.. here is Lucy..

And a nice one, well I think so, of Meg..

Cheeky looking isn’t she?

Through Cogenhoe lock then with the water pouring in over the back gates as usual as we drop down the river..

What a beautiful day today, you can see there is hardly a ripple on the water, at last that cold wind has dropped and the sun broke through.  Leaving this lock I hardly opened the throttle today as I let No Problem amble along with what flow there was through Whiston Lock and onward to the lovely moorings at White Mills Lock…

It was about lunch time, so sandwiches for the first time this summer out on the back deck, and to celebrate the better weather we cracked a bottle of plonk to go with them.

Mr Tesco brought some supplies during the afternoon, there is a handy pull in at the bridge right by the lock.  The drivers are always amazed at delivering to No Problem they wonder how on earth I manage to do it.. “I do anything not to do that thing called ‘carry’” I normally say!

This afternoon I got the chairs out and relaxed in the warm sunshine.  We have a whole field to ourselves at the moment..

No cows even!  The girls are enjoying all the open space instead of being hemmed in by towpath hedges.  Any more days like this and I will be getting the BBQ out for sure!

And on to Cogenhoe

Weekend Weston Favell to Cogenhoe, River Nene, 2.5 miles 3 locks

It has been very windy, but we were determined on Saturday to move on down the river to Cogenhoe, pronounced Cook-No oddly enough.. before leaving I noticed a chalk mark on the floating pontoon uprights.. Hey look at this..

When the river rises the pontoon that Vic is standing on will travel up the black uprights. WOW now that is scarey.. but I doubt if it was a boater who did the handy chalk mark, probably one of the youths that regularly use this area at the weekends for bike trailing..

But it does show how much a river can rise and the problems of last year’s floods started way back in March as per the mark..

Windy it was, but I didn’t have a care about that, I was enjoying so much. At one point No Problem was almost broadside across the Nene waiting for a lock to fill, but I had hold of the stern rope, and it took more help from Vic to pull her across on the centre rope eventually putting her in tickover to pull her into the side with the rope tied to the pontoon. But I was still smiling, somehow this river fails to ever make me cross!!

Through Clifton Hill Lock then and out into the area of the Billing Aquadrome.. it seems to me more like a prison camp with lines and lines of large caravans set up for holiday homes!!…

Blimey, not for me I am afraid.. but this place is busy, and there was a bit of an American Car Convention on when we passed and people were struggling trying to put up tents, or chasing after them across the parkland.. Nah, gimme No Problem any day!!

Not far to Cogenhoe, and we share our mooring with the cows on the meadow well before the lock. Meg learnt very quickly that there was zero tolerance on cow chasing, so the crows were the alternative to round up!

The girls have enjoyed the space here, a huge meadow to run around in, and they have been happy to lay outside the last couple of days although the weather has yet to warm up.. just wish the wind would drop a bit.

Been doing a lot of walking over the weekend. This time of year is delightful with all the spring buds, plants and wildlife about..

My camera is not always with me, so my phone’s camera catches these images around Cogenhoe well..

We were disappointed that the waterpoint we found when we were here last has gone. It was just across the little road from the lock landing. The next water is at Wellingborough. We are not to miss out stopping at one of our favourite moorings before that at Doddington though because one of the boaters who has a mooring here on the little backwater will allow us to go alongside him to collect water from the tap beside him there.. We will be able to back out of there OK.

There is a rubbish disposal though, and we were on the way to that when we were stopped by one of my blog readers “Hello Sue and hello Vic”.. I was totally surprised to hear someone say that.. Martin.. Martin I think your name is.. you know who you are.. I am dreadful for remembering names, but it was lovely to meet you for a chat..

There is a little shop in the caravan park close to the lock which is open most days for essential supplies, and also the bar is open for a pint during the weekend evenings as well as Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes which is handy..

I must take a pic of this mooring too before we leave tomorrow..

An empty start, but we reach the River Nene and its great..

Gayton to Weston Favell, GU Northampton Branch Canal and River Nene, 7.75 miles 20 locks

I was looking forward to today and woke early.. a knock at the door from British Waterways “There is no water in a couple of the pounds (stretch of water between two locks), we are filling them up but it won’t be too long”..

A boater came up last night and left all the top gates open.. That is what caused the huge exit of water as it leaked through the bottom gates of the first three locks!  Annie of NB Moore2Life said to me while we were walking the K9s that we should go back and close all the gates he left open.. I thought “Nah be OK” Wrong!

But it wasn’t too long ‘till we were on our way down the flight.  Having gone down two of them who should be walking along the towpath but Paul Balmer of Waterway Routes..

It was great to see him, I knew he had been very busy this week and would probably not be able to make it today.. but a special visit from him.. and we sure did appreciate his help down the lock flight.  Paul has helped us down this flight each time we have done it, it’s like a tradition now.. thanks Paul

It was very windy today, and I got caught a couple of times, giving No Problem a hefty bump into one of the locks, it reminded me to take a lot of care in the high wind with this long boat.  But what scenery along this stretch, it really is a lovely flight..

Noisy though as the main A43 runs alongside, and at one point Junction 15a of the M1 literally straddles the tiny canal as it dives for cover underneath it in a tunnel like structure.. but our first view of the River Nene for this year as we come round the corner after exiting the last lock of the flight of 17..

A stop at Morrisons at Town Quay was needed to replenish the veg and meat stores.  First time out for our ‘wheels’ to keep No Problem away from the high concrete wall ..

I like shopping in Morrisons here, you can bring the trolly right alongside the boats at the quay, very handy..

Then it was off through the first lock on the Nene to the FREE pump out station!!

Here Vic pumping out our loo courtesy of the Environment Agency who do not charge for this service.  British Waterways charge for the use of DIY pump outs.. not sure of the rate, is it £10, £12 or £15?  And that is for a timed pump out.. our tank is so big it would take more than one timed session I think.  The boatyards charge between £15 and £17.. so at least this summer we will be able to save a bit as it will be free if we can find enough EA ones.

Onward, making for our intended mooring at Weston Favell, but firstly with wind in our hair we opened the throttle and No Problem flew with hardly any flow on the river..

We have noticed a lot of improvements to lock pontoons already.. probably due to the National Waterways Festival that was held at St Ives last year.. lots of narrowboats had to go down the Nene to get to it and EA made improvements because of that.. here at Rush Mills lock there are new landing places for tying up while working the lock..

Whacked out tonight, always a long day the first day from Gayton Junction, but well worth it.. I am in my element back in a place a really love, back in a place where already I have seen swallows skimming the river, crested grebe, oyster catchers, tufted ducks and nesting swans and greylags.. hey and this is only day one!

No recycling at Gayton and we arrive at the Rothersthorpe Flight

Today Moored Gayton
Yesterday Bugbrooke to Gayton, Grand Union Canal, 4.5 miles 0 locks

It seemed easier to walk the four dogs along the towpath from Bugbrooke to Gayton Junction yesterday morning that trip over them on the back deck.  We had arranged to meet daughter Wendie and the family at Gayton Junction after their two hectic days at Alton Towers.

Just after 10am she phoned to say she was on the way, so we pulled the pins and Vic cruised No Problem while I walked.  I don’t normally like walking much along the towpaths, well they are like pavements to me.. I live by them all the time.  I prefer to disappear off into the countryside along footpaths and bridleways.  But I did enjoy stepping out yesterday, and at one point all the dogs rushed into a field of oil seed rape and started barking like fury at a scarecrow dressed in a white shirt and trousers!

Just as I went over the turn over bridge about 200 yards short of Gayton Junction, Wendie phoned to say she had arrived..

Now then, she left at the same time as us.. we arrived more or less at the same time at Gayton..  No Problem’s trip was just under 4 miles, Wendie’s was 79 miles!

I was annoyed to see that there were no recycling bins at Gayton.  I had saved up recycling all week in bags as I knew, or thought I knew, that there are bins at Gayton for cans etc.  One of the very few places on the cut where boaters can actually do something ‘green’.

I asked a local boater if he knew why they had been taken away, and was very surprised to hear him say that British Waterways wanted to charge the guy who puts the recycling bins at there.  For sure they were not in the way, and were not large.  Just an oil drum for each different type item.. I think there were about four of them.  I am very disappointed in BW for wanting to charge for that.  It is not that it was costing them anything to have them there and to be emptied.  Anyone know why BW wanted to charge the guy?

Picked up some water and turned onto the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal, and moored close to the top lock of the Rothersthorpe Flight of 17 locks.  In the evening we popped down to Arm Farm for fresh eggs, just across the road from the BW service area..

Here Wendie and granddaughter Kiera and, of course, the K9s.  The eggs are always superb from here, and at just £1.30 a doz must be the cheapest in the country.. mind the geese though if you go get some, they will chase you if they see you!

An over night stay last night, and after a hearty breakfast this morning it was goodbye for now to them, and two hours later they were home.

Tomorrow then we are off down to the Nene.. 21 locks, I think, to do tomorrow before settling at Weston Favell sometime tomorrow afternoon..  

Not much room aboard No Problem.. more visitors at Bugbrooke

Weekend Moored Nether Heyford, GU
Yesterday, Nether Heyford to Bugbrooke, GU, 1 mile 0 locks
Today Moored Bugbrooke

Daughter Wendie, her hub Danny and the grandchildren Kiera and Niamh came up to visit on Saturday.. a stop over before going for fun Alton Tower’s new Water Park, and today I think they were going to the actual park itself.  They will be coming back aboard NP tomorrow for a stop over before travelling back ‘dan saff’ on Thursday. 

Look who they left with me!

It’s a good job this is a larger narrowboat!.  Top left is Lucy, with Meg lower left, you can see just her head, and our visitors, Buddy is top right and Tilly the choc lab.  It has been raining a lot, and it is impossible to keep them out of the water.. Here we go on a walk..

At least they are all well behaved with me, and they enjoy each others company too, so makes walking them a breeze… but trying to dry them is impossible.  I am glad I have no carpets!!

Major clean up time inside, me thinks, when they have all gone!  I just wish they wouldn’t shake once inside.. it is splattering mud all over the place!!!

We all had a great night on Saturday, burning the candles until quite late as per normal when we all get together.. no doubt another good evening coming up tomorrow when they return from Alton Towers!

Today I went off to Northampton to purchase some new clothes.. well the ones I have make me look like I am wearing a tent!.. came back with 2 new pairs of jeans, a new coat and 3 new blouses and an empty purse!  Just one more pound to go to get to my target of 9st 7lb set as a new year’s resolution.  I was 11^st 7 lbs then, and my aim was to lose 2 stone by July 31^st.  Now I am 9st 8 lbs!  I have promised myself a fish and chip supper once I reach that magic weight!

It won’t be long ‘till we get onto the River Nene now, and I am getting excited at the prospect.  I simply love that river.. my very favorite stretch of waterway having been along it in 2005 and 2006.

Canal rage at Buckby Locks but spring shows itself

Norton Junction to Nether Heyford, Grand Union Canal, 7.25 miles 7 locks

Pulled the pins fairly early today and moved towards the waterpoint at the far end of the wharf.. but before I could get there a narrowboat had exited the lock ahead of me and pulled right in there.. Hey, hey, it was fellow blogger Steve, and I Spy NB Albert!!

Nice to meet you Steve, lovely boat is Albert. 

After a short chat to Steve and dumping the rubbish, we didn’t bother to wait until Albert’s tank was full so continued down the flight of locks knowing that we could fill our own tank a little further along the canal at Weedon.  I moored by, and popped into the little shop at the side of the canal close to one of the locks while Vic got the lock ready.  When I came out of the shop NB Moore2Life was already in the lock, and I boarded No Problem to take her in.  There was a boat coming and I called over to the crew that I was just about to go into the lock..

“Thought you were moored” says one.. “No just popped into the shop”  With that he took his narrowboat straight into the open lock..

He had only got half way in when all those around the lock told him to back off and let me through as the lock had been set by my own crew… Then this bloke arrived out of nowhere along the towpath and started his abuse at me.. “You could do with a Helmsman Course”.. “Yep, I have always fancied one of those” says I.. Actually I thought he was joking, because the wind was high and the boat that had gone in the lock came flying out right into my path and stopped, making it very difficult to get by him and get into the lock..

More abuse followed from this chap.. in fact I have never heard such abuse towards a steerer before.. it didn’t phase me, but it did upset the others I think.  I told the guy that until he stopped shouting at me I would not be shutting the gate to drop our boats down the lock.. More abuse..

“Well if you don’t hurry up then this boat behind will overtake you before the next lock and take it off you”… I tried hard not to smile.. very hard, the next lock was about 100 yards away.. “Well you will have to get by me first won’t you.. sorry but I will be in the next lock you will have to wait!”

Huff Puff off he went, and we never saw him again.. dunno where he came from, dunno where he went.  He didn’t even have a windlass and wasn’t crewing the boat behind!

Much more peaceful now dropping down the 5 remaining locks, and mooring at the bottom we nipped over to the Chandlers for a couple of bolts that were needed and to go to Bedazzled to see about some LED lights.. but unfortunately they were shut today.. pity.  I will have to make sure that we return here on a weekday.

Pulling the pins at the lunchtime mooring we made our way to Weedon to fill the water tank.  I had just been thinking how green everything is looking all of a sudden, when coming into view was a family of ducks..

These are the first ducklings we have seen this year.. but I remember seeing duckings in March when going through Reading a few years ago, so they are not that early this spring..

I saw a very interesting errrrrr narrowboat today.  Some time ago British Waterways sold off a lot of their working boats, presumably including some of the small motors with open holds.. well this may well be one of those, but now it had a built in steel structure.. it is very tall too..

We have put the pins in near Nether Heyford tonight, a lovely village this is, one of my favourites along this part of the Grand Union.. anyway, it is nice and peaceful here..  Teehee!

No Problem through Braunston Tunnel and onward to Norton Junction

Today – Moored Norton Junction
Yesterday Braunston to Norton Junction, Grand Union Canal, 4.25 miles 6 locks

I enjoyed yesterday.. yes even going through the 2000 odd yard Braunston Tunnel.. for me to enjoy going through a tunnel is odd.  I normally find going underground very stressful.  It is the first time I have taken this narrowboat through a tunnel too, although had been through many tunnels with our first boat.

I don’t normally go through tunnels unless I am in the right mood you see, but I am sure it was due to the fact that we were meeting Mr Tesco at Norton Junction later in the day, so I had no choice but to go through the tunnel.

Braunston locks were extremely busy yesterday, the pic above was taken the night before as I walked the girls Lucy and Meg, but as we pulled the pins and entered the bottom lock with Moore2Life, I noticed another four boats following. 

There were quite a few boats coming down the flight as well, and in one pound (stretch of water between locks) there were 6 narrowboats waiting. 

Through the tunnel then and on to the junction with the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal at Norton Junction.  There were not many spaces to be had, and No Problem had to raft up (side by side) with Moore2Life for a while until a space became available.  British Waterways have an awful lot of boats moored here.  Dredgers and working boats seem all over the place.. Then Mr Tesco..

For sure this is one of the best places for a delivery, there is a little lane all the way along this stretch of moorings.  Just about the handiest delivery we will ever get!

Today I have been doing a rough plan of our next month or so.  I am going ‘dan saff’ in the early part of May to my daughters 30th birthday party and will need to get somewhere handy to Peterborough where I have bought my train tickets from. 

Also popped into Daventry to the market this morning catching the bus from Long Buckby Wharf into the town.  Had a good wander round and fetched back some bits and bobs.  Vic has made a fantastic shelf to take our huge Francis Headlamp.  We have that back now after it was de-chromed back to brass in Gosport earlier in the year.  Can’t wait to put that on the front of No Problem!

Out walking this evening I came upon some very nosey sheep…

This gave me a super opportunity to do some close control of young Meg, now nearly to 10 months old.. I think those eyes of hers are asking me to allow her to round them up though!!

Down the lock flight here tomorrow morning stopping at Bedazzled at the bottom of the flight to go have a look at some LED lighting. 

Marston Doles to Braunston is a busy time..

Yesterday – Flecknoe to Braunston, 3.5 miles 0 locks. Today – Moored Braunston, GU Canal

Computer was on the blink last night so no blog.. all seems well with it at the moment though

The weekend was busy for us, Saturday we filled with diesel from Ian and Ally on NB Gosty Hill, and they timed their arrival just right as I was taking some baked scones out of the oven.. they enjoyed one of those each!

Tele went on then to watch Portsmouth win at Wembley to book a place in the FA Cup Final.. so tense it was at the end I was stood up very excited and screaming at the ref to blow the whistle forgetting completely that I had a sponge cake in the oven!!!!.. Thank goodness he blew the whistle.. the cake was saved.. just!!

Jennie, Phil and the grandchildren Jessica and Molly arrived in the evening, and good friend John also arrived to escort Phil back to Wigrams Marina to park the car before bringing Phil back to No Problem.. we all had a great evening together, the young ones enjoying their bunks in the back cabin and watching DVDs..

Sunday we woke to the snow.. Everyone was very excited, yes even the grown ups..

We had planned to leave about 10.30am to go down the Napton flight, but with a snowman to build and fun to be had in the field nearby there was no chance of getting away much before noon..  Gawd looking at that pic, I must get myself another lightweight coat, that one looks like a bloomin’ tent on me now, such is the weight I have lost!

But I did enjoy a cooked breakfast too, and the extension to the table that Vic made worked well as you can see, using two tall stools in the gangway.  It was thumbs up from Jessica on the far side for grandma’s breakfast!…

Ha weighing myself this morning I am still 9st 12 lbs, so all that indulgence over the weekend has made no difference!

So it was Sunday down the flight to the Folly..

And Monday after a very lazy morning, and yet another cooked breakie, going on to Wigrams to drop them all off.  The weather had been fantastic to us over the weekend with clear skies and plenty of sun.

It is always sad to say goodbye to the family when they leave, this time we seemed to have had so much fun, for sure those grandchildren will always remember this particular weekend, I wonder if they will ever see so much snow again.. the weekend of the snow on grandma’s boat.

Going out of the marina to continue towards Braunston the heavens opened.  We had to smile, no sooner had they gone the weather changed!

Gillian had left a comment that she would be in the area, so we hoped that NB Per Angusta would be moored near bridge 103, our intended mooring on Monday evening.  Sure enough just one boat moored.. and yes it must be because out popped Gillian from her narrowboat to greet the girls, Lucy and Meg.  The two collies welcomed the pats!

Gillian and Ian very kindly made us a cup of tea and showed us their beautiful boat.  I remember reading of the build of this particular boat some 4 years ago and had been following it’s progress, so it was a real thrill to actually meet after all this time.. Here they go making their way in the opposite direction the next day..

Lovely to meet you both at last…

Onward to Braunston yesterday then, and we are still there today probably going to move towards the tunnel tomorrow.. and no doubt through it too!

WOW What a weekend - Brilliant around Napton..

Marston Doles to Flecknoe, Oxford Canal 6 miles 9 locks

That was the weekend that was.. just so much has happened I am not going to write about it now.. I will later,  but not tonight ‘tis late and I am tired.  I have been uploading the pics and sorting the albums, so have a look at these click here for the April Album.  I uploaded 35 pics of this special weekend… here is one to wet your appetite

 You will enjoy them all.

I’ll write in the week.  This weekend has been rather special, spent with Jennie, Phil and the grandchildren, Molly and Jessica..

Painting all finished and a trip to Stockton

Moored Marston Doles, Oxford Canal

Just a quicky blog tonight.. only just got back from the Blue Lias pub at Stockton.  Good friend John visited this evening and treated us to a lovely meal at the pub on the Grand Union.. one of his favourite pubs.. Diet for sure out the window as I enjoyed a seafood platter with some chips (not a lot!  ) and also.. very naughty I know, but John and I shared an apple and blackberry crumble and custard.. I will need to walk for miles next week to melt all those calories me thinks! 

Alex managed to visit this morning, and I was delighted that he came.. he also came bearing gifts, a nice bottle of red wine and a dozen eggs from his own chickens.. yum.. lovely to see you again Alex, see you again in the autumn.. xx

And today we managed to finish all the painting on No Problem, we are well pleased with the way that turned out too.. so all in all, a pretty good day!

Back to Marston Doles and the paint pot comes out again

Fenny Compton to Marston Doles, Oxford Canal, 7 miles 0 locks

We had to go to Fenny to wind (turn) as there were no other winding holes so we could end up at the very top of Napton Locks so Jenny and the family could work their way down them at the weekend.

I did think about perhaps meeting them at Fenny, giving them a longer run, but the weather forecast for Sunday says it may be cold with snow, hail and freezing rain…. what a shame for the two days they will be here. Never mind.. Anyway after Mr T dropped off a bit of shopping we pulled the pins.. Oh here is the winding hole with the narrowboat moored in it..

That boat has a permanent mooring by the way.  We were coming from the other direction, and you can see what I mean about trying to turn.  I needed to have the bow of the boat right in the corner by the end of the house, but no chance the bow went alongside the boat!

Took two and half hours to reach Marston Doles, this time with no mishap thank goodness, and we tied up at the top of the locks on a nice bit of hard edge on the 14 day mooring.  The dredger was working hard at the top of the lock…

That barge once full will show just a foot out of the water!  In fact the driver who was using the dredger told me that yesterday he filled it too much and it got stuck on the bottom as it went down the locks to the big field where they are dumping the silt!  I had to smile “But you have dredged that bit!”… he just smiled!

I asked one of the contractors how they knew how far down to dredge.. they dip the depth with sticks “But the driver has the feel of a midwife”… Apparently it’s like riding a horse he said, you just get a feel for it with your hands how far down to go..

The sun came out in the afternoon and so did the paint pot..

Hey look, I even have my very own sign with my cuppa on the top.. but Lucy and Meg are watching my progress as I put on the black bitumen below the rubbing strip.. hoping I would finish quickly I think.. heh, I wonder why!!..

Sorry to hear that I missed seeing Lisa and Pete yesterday when they were in Napton with NB Pickles.. catch you probably in the autumn now you two, and also sorry to miss my good friend Alexander of Cropredy and of Ratchet Windlass fame.. apparently Alex first tried Fenny Compton today, then guessing we might be at Marston Doles came here..

Alex spoke to one of the contractors who said that we had passed through yesterday going to Napton.. Alex either came before we arrived here or didn’t see us tucked round the corner at the top of the locks.. Anyway, silly contractor, yeah sure he saw us yesterday, but we were going in the other direction AWAY from Napton!!!

Eventful trip to Fenny Compton

Napton to Fenny Compton, Oxford Canal, 9 miles 9 locks

I saw the postie at The Folly Pub as we filled up with water so went off to the Post Office to collect the mail, which really should have arrived yesterday.. “No the postman hasn’t come yet”  I told the post office that I had seen him at The Folly, but it seems he might have gone “Round the other way, and no I have no idea what time he will get here”.. That was a pain as we wanted to go to Fenny Compton to turn today.

I waited half hour and Mr Postie turned up with the package and we decided that we did have time for our planned cruise today, so we set off up the Napton Flight at 11.30 this morning.

Here the cottage I was talking about yesterday being done up, it is going to look great when it is all finished. 

I took the back canopy down today, it was overcast, but calm after the gales of yesterday.  The first time this year that it has gone down too.  It was just a smidge over two hours when we exited the top lock at Marston Doles, finding it very difficult to get No Problem round the sharp right hand bend after the lock.. I wish I had a bow thruster sometimes!

A narrowboat was patiently waiting for me to jiggle No Problem round the corner… And hey hey, I spy Debdale ….

The blogging Ownership narrowboat, although Adam is not aboard at the moment the chap at the helm expertly used his bow thruster to pop Debdale into the lock very neatly indeed.. corrrrr wish I had one!

We stopped briefly for lunch at the wharf there, then onward round and round the hills on this very remote part of the canal.  We nearly had a head on with a hire boat coming through one of the blind bridges, they guy just could not get his boat to turn on exiting the bridge, and both of us had to slam on the brakes.  I was well pleased with the way No Problem stopped beings she is a big boat.  The guy ended up across the canal in front of me, but being in no hurry I waited patiently while he sorted himself out..

Not so lucky at another bridge though, and this time the boat coming through for whatever reasons he had decided to slow down to snails pace as he came through the bridge putting me in a bit of bother I had anticipated his speed, but he slowed drastically at the last minute… NP this time did not respond as I went round him to go through the bridge I could not get the front to come back straight and scraped the chimney on the top… cruuuuuuuunchhhh!

All sorted now though, it didn’t come off just scraped the top and bent it a bit.. but the worst today was trying to turn here at Fenny Compton.  There is a boat with a mooring in the winding hole.  There was just not enough room to get round with the bow into the winding hole, and NP was broadside across the canal with bows touching the boat and stern touching the bank.. not half way round!!

Tried again this time putting the stern in the winding hole.. eventually with Vic pulling the bow round on the towpath and me pulling the stern on the winding hole side we managed to turn.  Trouble is the angle coming from the direction we did.  The winding hole is directly by the bridge so there is no chance to turn until going through the bridge.. I’ll take a pic tomorrow so you can see what I mean.

Getting a tiny Tesco delivery tomorrow, some bits and bobs in readiness for a family visit at the weekend.

I learn about Napton Lock Cottage and it's too windy to paint

Moored Napton, Oxford Canal

I got a surprise when I went to the butchers in Southam this morning, it was market day!..

The bus was full of those with shiny new bus passes, everyone was showing everyone else their own one.. I found that quite odd because they were all the same looking ones!  Vic didn’t get his yet, our main address is in Hampshire, well Winchester City Council look after our affairs of bus passes and the like, and they have made a cock up mistake with the timing and they won’t be sent out until the weekend… Of course, I don’t have one yet!!

Smashing fishmonger there too and it was smoked haddock steamed with leaks and mushrooms and lemon with a mustard/parsley sour cream sauce to go with it.. yummy, and not too many calories either..

Got what I needed from the butchers and waited at the bus stop for the return bus to Napton.  Got talking there, as you do, to a lady.. I do believe she is called Mavis, I know that because this evening I spoke to the new owner of the lock cottage at Napton who is having it renovated back to the same as it was originally… Anyway… Mavis was telling me that her father went off to fight in the war, and she was sent to live in that cottage with her Aunt and “Uncle Ginger who was the lock keeper”.. she told me all sorts of interesting facts about the locks, and also recalled how, when she was trying to sleep in her bedroom,  she used to hear the horses hooves on the stone floor in the stables which were located underneath the house!

But then the bus came, see you never know who you are going to meet and where..

I got back well ladened about lunch time, and noticed Hadar moored just up from where we were, and when I got on the back deck there were two pairs of unfamiliar boots… Jo and Keith were aboard No Problem sipping coffee with Vic.. Lovely to see them again, and I joined in the banter for a while before lunch.

I got No Problem ready for painting, firstly I thought I would do the black, but the waves…. yes waves were so bad they were crashing against the hull…

There was no way that I could put the black on, so I decided to do the blue.  By the time I had made ready, the wind got up even more… no chance.  I think if I had even tried to paint today then there would have probably been more paint on the boats behind me than on No Problem.. Heh, I envisaged some cartoon with the brush taken out of the paint pot and all the paint fly off…. gone in the wind!

So dogs went out instead.. much better way to spend an afternoon anyway.. and later after tea we collected a bag of coal from Hadar..

Oh the dogs got on well by the way, although Jo’s Paddy was a little wary of Meg’s playful lunges… she has got big now and towered Paddy.  He soon got used to her though..

This is interesting.. Earlier when this narrowboat passed.. there was a rope in the water at the stern, and now it is moored I can see it is attached to the rudder….

Keith thought it was to stop the rudder from banging from side to side when the waves hit the back of the boat, but I am not sure.. it doesn’t seem tight enough.  It is wrapped very neatly around the tiller arm you can see… be interested if anyone else uses this while cruising along, or maybe some clever person knows why?