Sunday 2nd - We went to Quo and loaded her for travel, made the bed, filled the fridge and slept our first night aboard this year in Quo's wonderfully warm and cosy bedroom.
Monday 3rd we awoke full of anticipation to a beautiful sunny morning, washed, dressed and breakfasted by 8.30 we set off for Foxton and within 30 minutes we were signed in to climb the locks, with an estimated wait of an hour, most of which was passed chatting to an American couple, who after six years of spending the summers on their narrowboat in Britain were finally throwing in the towel, and taking their boat "Rhapsody in Blue" to ABNB in Crick for sale ... sad.
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| Near the top of Foxton Flight |
Lizzie wheeled us up the locks in what seemed like no time at all, and we moored on the water point to flush out and refill the water tank, enjoying a couple of English breakfasts and ice creams to stoke the boilers.
We cruised very slowly, enjoying the glorious weather and the superb views, including the spectacle of a Buzzard being harried by Crows, so close that I could hear their wings clattering together in the clinches.
Husbands Bosworth tunnel was easily negotiated and on exiting we were rewarded by our first Kingfisher, that just sat and watched us potter by.
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| There really is a Kingfisher in this picture - honest! |
Past North Kilworth Marine a couple of Herons gave us a show and I saw a Great Crested Grebe fly over heading for Stanford reservoir. At the junction, we headed south past the Welford Arm to reached our overnight mooring between bridges 40 & 41 at about 4.30 .
It was an amazing day, that seemed to go on for ever ... In the best way possible.
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| Our front garden for the night |
Tuesday 4th saw us underway by 9.30 to beautiful sunshine, but a playful wind to keep your tiller hand busy. On the wildlife front we saw Sparrow Hawks zooming down the towpath, Reed Buntings, Reed Warbler, Bull Finch, Kestrel, Muntjak, and Hare.
Stopped at Yelvertoft to clear rubbish and top up the water, then moored up for lunch just around the corner, before the Marina ...beautiful sunshine but still very windy.
After lunch and a rest we broke new water as we headed south for Crick, neither of us have done this before ... Although I did bring Quo north through here just after we bought her ... But that was in January 2011 . All went smoothly, right up to being able to moor just short of the road bridge past Crick Marina ... perfect.
A quick stroll up to the village Post Office allowed us to stock up on bread, milk and more importantly, chocolate. Chicken lasagna for tea .... Shower and bed ....should sleep well ... Excess of fresh air and exercise .... another magic day.
Crick tunnel first thing tomorrow though.
Wednesday 5th, Cold grey mizzly morning followed an excellent nights sleep, refreshing shower then up to Crick Post Office to pick up ingredients for spaghetti bolognese, then loins girded for Crick tunnel.
Slightly unnervingly, as we entered the tunnel, with all lights blazing, we couldn't see the other end only once we reached about half way, 764 yards, could we make out the dim image of the exit arch. With the engine at 1800 revs, we sped through without meeting an oncoming boat ... phew! On exiting, you could see why the end was not visible, a bridge and overhanging trees made it quite dark.
Next stop was out in the countryside for and early lunch of sandwiches and pork pie, then straight off to Watford Locks where we waited for four boats to come up and one boat in front to descend .... By 'Eck it is noisy there by the M1
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| Waiting under the M1 to lock down through Watford Locks |
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| The top staircase is just like Foxton - apart from the noise! |
All went smoothly and as soon as we were clear of the racket from the M1, A5 and railway we stopped and I made Lizzie a well earned coffee. Energy recharged, we reached Norton junction and turned right out on to the Grand Union Main Line .... a very different type of canal to the Leicester section, much wider and reed-free we tried to cruise slowly, but a boat with a big old noisy engine was catching us fast. Luckily, we came to a long line of moored boats, so had to slow down, then before we knew it ....Braunston tunnel !!!!
By now our tunnel routine was well practiced after Bosworth and Crick, so all the lights were on, engine up to 1800 revs, coats and hats on and in we went.
Liz helped enormously by using her view down the right side of the boat to keep me on track, we even passed an on coming boat with just the merest kiss of the tunnel wall, the main scare from that encounter was their dog suddenly barking out of the darkness!
The tunnel is far from dead straight and we slalomed our way to the far end 2042 yards away, the longest tunnel so far in Quo ( I have steered a day boat both ways through Blisworth tunnel 3057 yards).
We briefly moored at the top of Braunston Locks, waiting for oncoming boats, then paired with the boat behind (Panther) to help us down to below the Nelson pub where we paused briefly for a cuppa and a quick trip to the nick-nack shop, then seeing a boat just exiting the lock by the shop, we nipped back to Quo and set off into the empty lock, completing the last locks on our own.
Well fed and watered, we cast off to search for a suitable overnight
mooring, turning left through the beautiful iron arched bridges at
Braunston turn, then along the puddle banks past Wolfhampcote, finding a
nice mooring just short of the old railway line past bridge 100.
Weather now back to blue sky and sunshine .... roll on tomorrow and
Napton.Thursday 6th - Awoke , not to the forecast sunshine, but cold greyness and then discovered that the milk bought from Crick Post Office, although within date, and unopened, was sour, both single pints .... so much for support your local farmer.
No matter, after a toast-based breakfast, we set off clad in the big coats heading for Napton junction , and before too long, the weather brightened and the coats came off.
The canal here is wide and deep and Quo chugged along nicely, although, very strangely, there were a couple of sections where we both felt as though the canal was going up hill.
We arrived at Napton by about 11am, passing the marina that used to house Gordon's Pleasure Cruises from whom we hired the little Dartline boat Kennet Navigator back in 1976 ( we passed a similar boat now called Jenny Wren moored near bridge 108).
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| June 1976, Lizzie posing on "Kennet Navigator" |
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| Jenny Wren |
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| Was this once painted blue and white? |
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| Napton Marina & hireboat centre |
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| Napton hill topped with it's distinctive Windmill |
By 11.30 we had rounded the hill and moored up just past the winding hole, immediately noticing a pair of green woodpeckers collecting ants from the numerous anthills in the hill opposite, and a Jay squabbling with a Magpie further up the field.
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| Moored just past the winding hole below Napton locks |
Unsure if we wanted to go any further south, with Cropredy as a target, we decided to walk up the locks to try and identify one in a photo from our 1976 trip.
After a good half mile or so, we thought we had found the lock, no.14, but on our return home, after further investigation, we realised that we should have walked up a bit further, because it was actually no.15 ... doh!
The return walk was lovely, past a field full of Buffalo, looking eerily out of place, and we had passed enough time to find The Folly pub now open. It took about half a second to talk Liz into having a fillet steak along with me, and after a pleasant wait, an absolute banquet arrived at the table .... utterly delicious.
45 minutes later, we lurched from the pub into the shop to get some fresh milk, then back to Quo, where we decided that this was as far south as we wanted to go, and as it was still lunchtime with no boats about, I decided to reverse back the 20 yards or so, past a moored boat, to the winding hole and turn. The wind contrived to embarrass me, and I ended up clouting the Armco quite hard with the bow, but the turn was made, and off we went.
The weather was now unbroken sunshine, but windy, making cruising quite hard work, with no break in concentration, so when we arrived back to where we had started this morning, we decided to moor there again as it was a good spot. Here, I flaked out on the sofa for a couple of hours sleep, then slept through from 10pm to 6am, the longest I've slept in years!
Friday 7th - Morning saw us up and away by 8am, heading back to Braunston to get rid of our rubbish and refill with water. The sunshine was lovely as we turned right into Braunston, and we dropped straight on to the water point, I took the rubbish up to the Stop House bins while Liz filled the water tank, our slightly broken folding chair was bagsied by a live-aboard boater moored nearby, saving us wondering what to do with it.
It was still windy as I waited for 3 boats to pass before going up to the marina entrance to turn .... this time all went well, and we were soon off back to the junction where we turned right, through some amazingly torturous turns and bridges, then out onto the wonderful open meadows of the North Oxford canal.
I can't put into words how absolutely wonderful this section is, we both loved every minute of it, cruising through England's beauty in unbroken sunshine, with enough breeze to keep us pleasantly cool.
Not everyone was just here for fun though.
A brief stop for tea and sandwiches, then past the new, but still far from finished marina at Barby
Lizzie did all the hard work once again, but I was amazed how quickly the locks emptied, and we were through in no time.
We then plodded up to just short of bridge 68, by
the golf course where we moored up, cooked our Harborough Farm Shop
Indian meal ... delicious ... watched an episode of Green Wing on the DVD, then
Gardener's World and IOM TT on satellite TV and so to sleep :o)Saturday 8th Saw a 7.35 start and we were soon able to moor just past the water point by Masters Bridge (58). We topped up our drinking water bottles then set off for Tesco to buy some basics and lose a bag of rubbish in their bins. Four (4!) bags of basics later, off we headed for Hawkesbury junction.
Compared to our superb cruise yesterday, today was a bit of a slog, it was cold and windy, but slowly improving. We lingered by the swing-bridge at Stretton Stop whilst Lizzie procured some ketchup from the shop, then off again without stopping the engine. The wind was still up, but patchy sunshine made the cruise through All Oaks Wood absolutely magical, so much so that we did most of it on tick-over
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| The wonderful "All Oaks Wood" |
The canal here is relatively busy with moored boats reducing our speed, and the M6, M69 and West Coast Mainline railway make it a noisy cruise. We ate lunch on the move, but stopped for a break on one of the very few Armco sections just past Bridge 26 (we don't like mooring on pins for historic reasons).
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| Coventry Cruising Club entrance. |
Just short of Hawkesbury junction, we took the decision to turn back in the entrance to the Coventry Cruising Club just as a novice boater (listen to me!) was preparing to come out. The wind was very strong, and we ended up turned and moored up, just to the south of the entrance (actually Quo was blown into the side, but it looked just like I did it every day) . At this point, the cruiser emerged from the Club, so we held on and let him go, thinking he would be faster than us, but we soon found that this was probably his first venture out, and he was so slow I had to keep dropping out of gear. No matter, we resigned to our fate and just pootled along behind him before his nerve failed after passing an oncoming boat, then bouncing off both sides of a bridge, he pulled over and we passed.
Having seen the weather forecast saying that the warm spell would end on Wednesday, we had given up on the idea of a trip up the Ashby, or getting home via the Leicester Ring, hence the turn for home, so it was now down to mileage and we churned along non-stop until we got back to the Armco by bridge 26 and moored for the night. We dined royally on Farm shop meals, watched a couple of episodes of Green Wing, then after much fiddling, I managed to get the satellite dish pointed properly in time to watch the Senior TT. Tomorrow will be back through Rugby to get as close to Braunston as possible, ready to take on the locks, and tunnel to get us back to the Leicester section.
Sunday 9th - Although I mostly have lost any idea of what day or time it is, we must still have known that is was Sunday today, because we had a lay in then had the laziest start yet, not firing up the engine until 9.30, setting of south for home under grey skies and harried by a cold wind. The sun was trying to show a bit by the time we reached the lovely All Oaks Wood and we soon made it to Newbold and back through the Tunnel, with its interesting Diwali lighting.
althoughit was difficult, I managed to persuade Liz to have their Sunday roast, which was delicious .... a real first for me, after a large breakfast, I was unable to eat it all .... I am humbled.
Liz did eat all her dinner, knowing that she would soon be lock wheeling at Hillmorton, as we set off straight after lunch.
We cleared the locks
in double quick time, then just ran slowly south looking for an Armco
mooring, which was found in a beautiful spot just off Bridge 78, to the
west of Barby.While Liz sorted out our picnic tea, I sorted out the greaser, and fitted a Jubilee clip to the drive shaft so that we can experiment in an attempt to remove the resonant coupling that occurs up to 1100 revs and is quite annoying, I will be able to move it around to see if anything changes .... got to be worth a try.
Satellite was soon found, tea eaten, then we watched the Canadian GP ... Could it be better?
Monday 10th - Morning dawned cold and grey, not very inviting, but we were breakfasted, showered and away by 9am. It very quickly became apparent, after 2 or 3 adjustments, that the Jubilee clip experiment was a failure, so I removed it ... ho hum.
Once properly underway, we deliberately cruised slowly as this was a pretty section, chugging into Braunston about eleven, with Old Peculiar from the next mooring in Debdale just behind us. We moored at the Stop House for water and to throw away some rubbish, then moved along to just before the first Marina entrance. Too early for lunch, we walked to the shop for a couple of new canal plaques, then over to the chandlers for some of their special diaphanous loo paper. Back at the boat, Lizzie knocked up the sarnies for lunch, knocked back whilst watching episode 1 of the second series of Green Wing ... Brilliant.
Without too much time for digestion, we girded the loins and cast off for the bottom lock, which was open, passing this beauty being built in a shed beside the canal.
We waited for a few minutes for a hire boat to join us at the behest of the manager, but they were too slow, and instead we were joined by a lovely couple on a share boat.
We navigated the flight with them, taking it in turns to go in first, having to pause between 3 and 4 as the pound was nearly empty, the lockies having to let down water. The 2 boats on the offside moorings were flat on the bottom, you could have blacked them.
We were OK though loitering in the centre channel waiting about half an hour before we could go into the lock, which took ages to empty. The guy on the other boat knew just what was needed at this point, and handed out the Mars bars :o) . Exiting the top lock we said our goodbyes, as they were stopping there for the night we also moored up just short of the tunnel for a much needed cuppa, a rest and to prepare for the tunnel. Thankfully, long and bendy as it is, Braunston Tunnel seemed tamer second time around, with Lizzie keeping me on course and warning of the twists and turns and we were soon back in the daylight, such as it was, then chugged slowly on to Norton Junction where we turned left then moored.
A short walk and we were at the New Inn for 5.15, hungrily devouring steak and ale pie for our main meal of the day, but we didn't linger, straight back to Quo and cast off to find an overnight mooring. Unfortunately, the banks along this section are not good for mooring, and we gradually crept closer and closer to Watford Locks without finding anything suitable, ending up, you guessed it, on the lock landing.
Although I knew it was too late I walked up to see the lockie ... all the way to the top to be told "yep ... It is too late " but at least he said we were OK to stay on the lock landing overnight. It is a bit noisy, but at least we can get satellite reception and the sun has come out. Early start tomorrow as we must report to the lockie at 7.30 !
Tuesday 11th - After a motorway-noise interrupted nights sleep, I was up before the alarm to make our cuppa before we splashed and dashed to book in with the lockie at 7.30. At 7.50, we were in the bottom lock, and in no time we were waiting in the passing pound for some Americans to descend the staircase ... Poor devils had had to spend the night at the top next to the M1. Turns out I was at school with the lockie, and we shared a few remembrances, especially of some of the teachers.
Weather still not up to much, but at least it wasn't too cold as we just pootled along, only speeding up to clear Crick Tunnel, passing just one boat without incident just after we entered. Once through, we moored up opposite ABNB, then walked around to The Moorings just as they opened at 10am for the full English breakfast which went down a treat.
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| A distant Quo, viewed through The Moorings windows. |
After a post-brunch stroll around ABNB to ogle their boats, we struck out in search of a pump-out, diesel and gas. We thought this would be simple at Crick marina, but their signage is sadly lacking, they have three entrances, the first one advertises all the services, but as best we could see, they were not available inside, and in the windy conditions, I wasn't about to take a fifty foot, sixteen ton boat inside to look around on the off chance. The next two entrances had no signs and the same applied, so they missed out on selling £100+ of diesel, a pump out and a bottle of gas. Ho hum we thought, we will get it all from Yelertoft Marina and headed there only to find, after fighting the wind to moor up on their service dock that they are closed on Tuesdays ... Grrrrrr. The guy there was very helpful though with good advise on how to get back out of the wind-raked marina.
In fairness, as we exited, it did say on the sign that they closed Tuesdays, we just didn't read it properly.
As we like almost all of this section, we just cruised slowly until we found an overnight mooring by bridge 25. Unfortunately, I failed to find the satellite, so the Green Wing boxed set came to the rescue again, as we ate a simple meal of spaghetti, grated cheese and tomato sauce, we were glad to see the sky clearing to allow a fine sunset.
Wednesday 12th June - Great nights sleep, followed by toast and Bovril, tea and a refreshing shower, then off we went. The weather, despite being cloudy and windy was surprisingly warm, by about 9.30 the sun was breaking through as we slowly cruised the prettiest bit of canal I know, between Yelvertoft and North Kilworth. We stopped briefly for lunch on the aquaduct by the Welford junction in glorious sunshine but by the time we set off, the sun looked as though it was gone for good. Inadvertently, we had pulled out in front of a boat that seemed to be jet propelled, and he pushed us all the way to North Kilworth Marine, where we gladly pulled over for diesel, a pump-out and a bottle of gas, all conducted at proper canal (leisurely) pace. We have no photos of this section of the trip, because we just enjoyed it, and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of trying to capture it in megapixels.
With Quo now sitting properly in the water, and my wallet a little lighter, we resumed our cruise in ever-darkening skies, Bosworth tunnel, which once I found extremely daunting was over and done with in just 15 minutes, and that included slowing to an almost stop to pass an oncoming boat.
The big waterproof coats were on now, but it did everything but rain as we cruised through the beauty of the Laughton Hills, eating picnic fashion on the move, arriving at the top of Foxton Locks just after 5pm, booking in to find one boat ahead of us, but we would have to wait for 2 boats to work right up first.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't understand why all five of the top locks were drained without a boat in them, the guy in front of us could have got half way down and waited easily, but no, the lockie just watched the 2 boats work up. It soon became apparent that only one boat would make it down before the locks closed, and the single-hander on Wendy May, sensing our urgency, kindly let us take his (the last) place.
Liz and I went down the flight armed with lock keys and assisted the 2 boats ascending in any way we could, with the result that we were in the top lock with time to spare, and aided by the lockie, who opened all the red paddles ahead of us, we were down the flight in 35 minutes, just as well, as it was now drizzling.
Foxton locks seemed somewhat surreal, as at that time it was almost completely deserted but for us and the lockie, who locked the bottom lock as I exited. Bizarrely, quiet as it was, just as I was pulling onto the lock landing to pick up Liz, Vagabond was seen speeding towards Rainbow Bridge, loaded with kids and parents. I quickly reversed back off the mooring and headed for the middle of the junction, to let Vagabond moor outside Bridge 61, then chugged slowly under Rainbow Bridge to let Liz back aboard.
Cruising back to Debdale, and easily reversing on to our mooring, I was aware that this trip has changed both Liz and I, and our bond with Quo has been sealed. We probably won't undertake a trip like this again for some time, despite it being a logistical success, as we both realise, that this is not what we want out of narrowboating. We will now happily go back to chugging slowly over short distances to moor up in a lovely quiet place and relax. Long weekends when the weather is nice, sleeping aboard, and outings with family and friends.
One day, we will do the Leicester Ring going anti-clockwise, having just done the bottom half of it, and having done the top half in 1977, we just need to join the dots (and buy an anchor).
Back home now, all four of us sat down to a celebratory Chinese take-away, glad to be home to see James and Jody, and catch up, but Wow ... what a trip, 10 nights aboard, 4 tunnels (twice) god knows how many locks & miles to Hawkesbury Junction (almost) and back with a diversion down to Napton.
Quo never missed a beat, and everything worked perfectly, we ate like royalty, kept clean with wonderful hot showers and slept really well on what is a superbly comfortable and cosy bed. The only change I need to make, is to fit the wall lights that I bought 2 years ago to improve the "after dark" ambiance, and I think I will replace all the florescent lamps in the overhead dome lights with Bedazzled's LED replacements.
Adjusting to normal will be a bit difficult, but I have a feeling that the new normal will be a bit different from the normal of 10 days ago.
