To Rugeley and back

28th & 29th September

We wanted to make an early start to do our shopping in Rugeley at lunchtime, but both needed to be on deck for the lock just round the corner at Woodend. We got away at 8, and, after queuing for Armitage Tunnel in a tricky cross wind, arrived at Rugeley at 11. Elanor’s chimney looks quite complete, though it won’t be in commission for a while, since there’s a lot to do at ground level yet.



As always, I was pleased to see the gothic splendour of Spode House and Hawkesyard Priory. A remnant of my love affair as a student with the books of Michael Moorcock makes me think of it as Hawksmoor Priory, and the fact that there’s a boat on an end-of-garden mooring in Rugeley called Stormbringer only adds to this nominal confusion in my ageing brain.

We concentrated on shopping in Wilkinson’s and WH Smith before lunch, then raided Morrison’s afterwards.

Then it was a case of onward out of the town. I winded Sanity at the old rail transhipment arm beyond Bridge 68, itself just beyond the new by-pass bridge, and we moored between the by-pass and the Brindley Bank Aqueduct. We had a bit of bother finding a length of piling where the water was deep enough to get in, but succeeded after taking some soundings with the shaft.

In the evening we saw mostly dog walkers and joggers on our side of the canal, but a rather noisy bunch of young men wandered past on the opposite side at one point. We had some anxiety about them, but in the event they went off back into town on their side without giving any bother at all.

Today we made a more relaxed start, to give time for Morrison’s to open so I could get a paper and fresh bread. In fact we got back to the shopping mooring at Bridge 66 just before 9. Morrison’s didn’t have an Independent, so I went on to Smiths for one just as they opened at 9.

As we arrived at the mooring, one of the alternator drive belts had started squeaking furiously, so I took a bit of time to try and stop it. It was the 90 amp alternator belt. The alternator looks to be very very slightly out of alignment with its pulley on the crankshaft, and one edge of its belt had frayed. I managed to move it over one notch on the pulley (it’s a poly-vee belt), but the squeaking continued for most of the morning, gradually reducing as the fraying wore away.

We stopped on the water point just by the Spode House moorings, and then had an exciting run through the narrow and windy bit of canal between there and Handsacre. There were a lot of boats coming the other way, a mixture of hirers and privateers enjoying the bright autumnal weather.

We’ve moored for the night just by King’s Bromley marina. First job of the afternoon was adjusting the water gauge reading. It has been reading low, so that the tank appeared to empty very quickly to 80% and then more slowly. When we got to KB, it was just on 80%, so I’ve adjusted the gauge to read 100%, and we’ll see how that goes.

I also had a go at reviving the Ecofan, which has been getting more and more reluctant to run, and now seems to have given up altogether. This wasn’t successful, so it looks as if it will have to go back to the importers to be rejuvenated.

Pottering around Alrewas and environs

26th & 27th September

We had a few medical things we needed to get sorted, so at 8.20 I phoned the surgery and after only about five redials got through and made appointments to see our favourite GP. These were for 9.10 and 9.30, so were soon dealt with. It’ll mean some follow up stuff, but nothing that’s likely to keep us here longer than anticipated anyway. The doctors are very good at coping with our lifestyle, and at getting prompt appointments for us (see why we like Alrewas?).

It was a fine morning afterwards, so we went for a stroll along the river section of the canal, just to stretch legs and get rid of the stiffness from Tuesday’s exertions. This took us past Rebel’s field, and we were sorry but not surprised to read a farewell poem pinned to his fence. Rebel, it seems, has finally passed on to the great green pasture in the sky.

On the way back, we stopped to chat to a couple at Alrewas lock. It turned out that they were on their first trip on a Shakespeare Classic Line boat. They were finding it hard going they said, particularly in the stiff breeze we’ve been having. They’d also succumbed to the biggest danger for a first timer, that of trying to do too much, and becoming exhausted.

We did our best to reassure them, but I’m not sure that they were likely to come back. Hopefully the rest of their week will be better for them.

Yet again we gave way to the temptation to buy pasties for lunch, and whilst eating them gave some thought to how we are going to fill the time between now and the next appointment on Monday. We’ve decided to take a run up to Rugeley to shop and see how Elanor’s chimney is getting on. We can refuel and get a pump out at Fradley as we go past.

In the rest of the afternoon we acknowledged the fact that Autumn is with us by swapping the clothes over. We got the big sports bag and stuff sacks out from under the bed, and changed shorts and tee shirts for long sleeved shirts and jumpers. A few items failed the two summers test (have I worn this at any time in the last two summers?) and were put out to go to the recycling bin.

First thing to do this morning was to reverse through the bridge to the winding hole. It’s Sheila’s turn to steer today, and she said that she wanted to get this bit over with before the cut got busy. Accordingly, we made an early start, and she backed us past four moored boats, round the bend and under the bridge, and then winded and moved onto the lock mooring.

I then nipped into the village to drop the clothes off in the recycle bin and buy a paper whilst she single handed up Bagnall Lock.

Once I was back, we had a straight run through to the water point by the BW office in Fradley. It was running slowly as usual, and we had to wait for another boat, Blue Buzzard, to finish before we got onto it. About half an hour later we’d filled up and run most of a wash load. Then it was up Junction Lock, and wait to get onto the service mooring, which at Fradley is an old BW work flat.

We took 157 litres of diesel, so not before time, but this time at 54 pence per litre, rather than the 59p we’d paid in Ely. The pump out at Fradley is average. The rinse you get is one flush down the pump out hole, rather than using the rinse out hole that flushes the length of the tank. None of the marinas round here do a specially good job, and the only service point approved for self pump out is the one at Horninglow Basin in Burton. This effort, though done in a friendly way, didn't manage to get the green 'empty' light on on the tank guage. Good job it only cost £10 (without blue)

All done and paid for, we set off to go up the next two locks, but had to wait for those as well. Queuing is rather the way of life at Fradley when it’s busy. We found a space on the visitor moorings above Shade House lock, and stopped for the day.

Elanor’s coming to see us again this evening, so will have a bit of a walk when she gets here. The nearest car park is at the bottom of the flight.

This afternoon’s highlight was my second attempt to cut Sheila’s hair. It went better than the first, but there’s still room for improvement.

Later in the afternoon, Braidbar 61, Shiraz, went by, but we were too slow to realise, and didn’t have a chance to chat.

Back in Alrewas again

24th and 25th September

It had been a wild and wet night, and we weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere, so we made a lazy start. After breakfast I wandered round to the boatyard, but there was no sign of diesel being delivered. Knowing the way things work on the cut, we could be there all day. Back at the boat I dipped the tank, and found that we still had a third of a tank.

As a result we decided to go down to Alrewas anyway, and come back for fuel later in the week. This would mean that we could be sure of doing the Willy Walk tomorrow. For new readers, this is the weekly walk from the William IV pub in Alrewas every Tuesday morning, started by Will Chapman and Jane Howarth, but now self sustaining.

Accordingly, we watered on the Coventry arm, then set off down the flight. It was pretty busy, but we got to Alrewas just after 12, and had no trouble finding a mooring. Walking into the village to get a paper, whom should I meet but Jane Howarth. They are themselves just back from their annual three month cruise on Quidditch. They provide us with our official NHS address, so that we can use the excellent Alrewas surgery, and she had a couple of bits of post for me.

One of these proved to be the appointment for my diabetic review, a week on Tuesday. Since I have to get a blood test a week before, there was just time to set that up, which I did by going round to the surgery after lunch.

On my way back to the boat, I was hailed by Eileen Shone, owner of New Dawn, Braidbar 45. We had a chat, never having met before – Eileen had been in the surgery and heard me give my name to the receptionist when I booked my blood test.

Relaxing back on the boat, we were visited by Jane, who had been clearing stuff out of Quidditch, moored on the towpath behind us here. They moor Quidditch in Wychnor, but it’s easier to unload her here in Alrewas before putting her back on the mooring. We were able to introduce Jane to the joys of red bush (roibos) tea whilst she regaled us with tales of their trip.

After she’d gone, Sheila cut my hair. It was quite windy sitting on a stool out on the towpath for this operation, but at least it meant that the cut bits blew away.

Today it was a case of popping down to the surgery at 9 for the blood test, then meeting up at the William IV at 10.45 for the walk. It was quite a long one, and took two hours, so we were well ready for a couple of pints and a pub lunch on our return.

Elanor popped in to see us on her way back from work in Rugeley to home in Burton, then we had a sandwich meal (having eaten a cooked meal at lunchtime for once) and I did this blog.

A great weekend at Lichfield CC

More about phone connectors:

First off, to carry on from last time on the subject of mobile phone connectors: I emailed Boaters Phone Company with the text of what I said about the Velcro connector, and this is the reply I got this morning:

I don't think we are recommending this as an ' Optimum Buy' its just that it is the only one available for phones without an antenna socket unless one of our Cradle adapters fits.

Regarding signal strength, we have found that customers are assuming that the indicator on their handset is accurate, it is not, especially with inductive adapters. The only true test is to let the phone go out of range, turn it off, connect the antenna adapter ( of whatever sort) and then turn the phone back on, if you can make and receive calls, then the adapter works.

Regarding the Velcro, we will look into that and see if we can source a better quality, we do supply replacement patches Free of Charge. Perhaps you would include my reply on your next entry.

if you want a refund send the adapter back, of the few that have been returned, none have been faulty when we have tested them, its just that they don't work as dramatically as plug in adapters, how about you contacting Nokia, we have been trying for years to get them to listen to our feedback.

Regards

Mark

This is fair enough. I’ve replied to say that we don’t want a refund, but a better bit of Velcro would be good. It’s apparent that the induction coil systems don’t work as well as the plug in connectors, so it’s a great pity that fewer and fewer phones have an aerial socket. I’ll have a go at Nokia about this and the short backlight time (10s), but I’m not holding my breath for the sort of prompt and courteous reply I’ve had from BPC.

22nd & 23rd September

We woke to a misty morning yesterday, and after breakfast went and wandered round the show field. It was just 10 o’clock, so things were still being organised, but it soon came together. Like the Lichfield Cruising Club itself, there was a pleasant mix of informality and organisation that made you feel very welcome. We bought some more paperbacks (we’ve just about finished the ones we bought at the National, and passed them on to Elanor), and were just about to wander back to the boat when Graham and Beryl off Priscilla turned up. That gave us an excuse to go round again and check out the stalls that hadn’t quite been ready last time.

By the time we’d done all that, it was lunchtime, so we popped into the clubhouse for a quick one before getting a burger from the barbeque. Des and Gill from Farne joined us, so we had another quick one, and suddenly it was two o’clock.

There was, however, still quite a queue at the barbie – they hadn’t got a lot of fire going, despite it being a good big brick built job, and a rush of customers seemed to have caught them on the hop.

No matter, whilst waiting, Sheila went off to talk to Barbara of Braunston Pickle, the folk group scheduled to entertain that night. We know Barbara from working with her at Nationals and the Little Venice Canalway Cavalcade; her partner Malcolm is also a long standing volunteer with WRG. Whilst this was going on and the queue was edging its way forward, Elanor and Stuart rocked up. They went off to check out the show field whilst Sheila and I ate our finally obtained burgers and sausages.

After mooching round with them for a bit, we fell back on the boat for a cup of tea and family chat.

Elanor and Stuart went off for an evening on their own, and Sheila and I got ready for the night’s festivities. These consisted of a baked potato and choice of filling, followed by gateau. Then we all went into the marquee and were entertained for about three and a half hours by Braunston Pickle (folk with bits of other stuff) and Bernie Howdle (country and other stuff).

Both were very good. If I wanted to be picky at all, I would have liked more canal folksongs from BP – we were in a cruising club after all, and the two they did were excellent. Bernie was better in his second set than his first, when he did less bubblegum country, and more oldies and humorous stuff. Throughout he was a bit loud for my ageing ears, too.

We finally got back to the boat a bit before midnight, after a good evening with good friends.

This morning we made a leisurely start, and went to the clubhouse at about half eight for breakfast at nine. This was a great communal meal, thirty of us at the table for the first sitting.

After, it was time to leave. We had asked about getting diesel at the club, or rather Des had said he’d ask for us, but it seems the Revenue rules mean that they can only sell to club members, and being a member of an AWCC affiliated club won’t do. No matter, we said, we’ll just have to pay Streethay prices. When we got to Streethay, though, despite their nice new services mooring, it was very hard to see how they expected a visiting boat to get in. They’d got a part fitted boat tied on half the services mooring, a trot of four on our approach to it, and another boat just off the far end. All this on a tight bend and in a fresh cross wind. Added to this, they only show the price per gallon (is this legal these days?) and it’s pretty steep, at 57.2 pence per litre.

We decided that they could do without our custom, and we would either fuel at Fradley if Geoff’s got his diesel supply sorted, or else go down to Barton Turns tomorrow. Andrew Denny always has a good word for Streethay, but to us they seem that bit too interested in getting your money off you rather than providing a good service. Scarweather has just left there to go to a cheaper mooring at Weedon, which considering that’s a good bit nearer London makes you think a bit.

On arrival at Fradley, we moored near the water point on the end of the Coventry. It seems that the diesel supply is sorted here, but they ran out on Friday. There’s a fresh delivery due tomorrow, so we’ll probably sit tight here until it comes.

A nice club, and phone connectors

20th & 21st September

We woke to weather that had resumed the classic warm wet westerly pattern, so no need for the stove. After trolling off to the shops to get a paper, a copy of this month’s Waterways World and a few bits and bobs, we set off for Whittington.

On the way we passed Scarweather, Braidbar number 54. She was moored at Streethay, but they are relocating to Weedon.

We tied in the centre of Whittington by lunchtime, and used a bit of time in the drier afternoon to rinse down the starboard side again, and to polish the portholes on that side. Despite washing her at Hartshill, the side had got very dusty again, whether from the limestone BW now uses for towpath surfacing, or from the bonemeal factory nearby, we’re not sure.

In the evening we had a meal with Des and Gill Barnard, who live in Whittington and moor Farne, Braidbar number 82, at Lichfield Cruising Club, Huddlesford, where we are going for the Boat Gathering this weekend.

An excellent evening was had, with good fod, pleasant wine and chat ranging over a lot of shared interests.

Today we had all of half an hours boating to do, so had a very lazy start, eventually chugging round to Huddlesford at 9.30 or so. After tying, we went round to the club. Last night we’d said how nice it would be to be just punters visiting a boating event, but when we got there, there were a couple of marquees to put up, and it was very windy, and they needed all the help they could get...

LCC proves to be a very friendly club, with a lot of moorings on the stump of the Lichfield canal (focus of restoration by the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Trust), a clubhouse in the old toll cottages that they rent from BW, and that great atmosphere of a club that relies on its members’ work to maintain itself.

They’ve got plans for a mooring basin when the L&H is restored, and have already bought a field to use for the purpose. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow's event.

Phone Connectors

The other month I said we were trying out a new type of connector from our mobile to the Boaters Phone Company aerial. It’s attached by a Velcro pad to the back of the phone, and works by induction between the connector and the phone’s internal aerial.

I have to say that it’s been a disappointment on our Nokia 6234. The Velcro is very feeble, and falls off at the least excuse, and the gain in signal is poor, much worse than the plug in connectors we use on the old Nokia 6310i (now well past its prime) and the Sony Ericsson K700i (still functional but not such a nice phone as either Nokia).

We’ve gone back to using the Sony as the main boat phone, as the 6234 was just too feeble in poor signal strength areas, so that I had to keep swapping the SIM card out of it into one of the others. It’s a pity, but I don’t think I would recommend the Velcro type connector, and at £20 it’s not cheap.

Probably better would be to buy a phone cradle of the type meant for in-car installations, if you can find one for your phone which takes the FME connector on the downlead from the aerial.

On to Fazeley, wanted boats and shut marinas

18th & 19th September

It was a fine but very cold morning, so I lit the stove again when we got up, and we were glad of it for the rest of the day.

Stopping at the foot of Atherstone to water, we then went on through Alvecote and Amington, arriving at the top of Glascote just after 11. On the way we had a bit of excitement – there’s been an appeal amongst the online boating community for sightings of a guy who’s skipped bail in Gloucestershire by going off on his boat, and we passed a boat answering the description between Polesworth and Alvecote. I duly rang the poilice number supplied and reported it. Whether we ever hear the final outcome is another matter.

We’d heard that there continued to be a problem with the bottom lock of the Glascote two, and this was confirmed when we arrived. It seems BW have had three goes at fixing a leaking bottom cill, and now the situation is made worse by the fact that the top ground paddle culverts, never quick at the best of times, are partially blocked.

The upshot was that the lock was taking anything from 15 to 20 minutes to fill each time. Given the amount of traffic around at the moment, this meant that queues were building up, leading to people having to wait for up to two hours to pass the pair of locks. The worst of it had been during the Bank Holiday weekend, when waits had reached 6 hours, i.e. most of a day’s cruising time.

Part of the trick, we were told, was not to empty the top lock until the bottom one was full, thus reducing the head of water above the failing lock, so that it “made” (ie reached a level inside and out) more easily.

In the event, we got through just before 12, having waited about 50 minutes.

We moored just the Glascote side of Fazeley Junction. Dipping the fuel tank showed that it was about a third full, enough for another week or so if we pushed it, but it would be more sensible tomorrow to go down to Fazeley Mill marina, on the Birmingham and Fazeley canal, rather than tanking at Streethay next week, Streethay being rather expensive.

We used the afternoon to clean the inside of the boat, and had a lazy evening, including a fish and chip supper.

This morning we went round to the Mill Marina, only to find that it isn’t open on Wednesdays. It would be really helpful if they’d put that sort of info on the signs at the junction, so saving folks from going down there and having to do a tricky winding in the marina mouth to come back. Apart from anything else, if we’d known yesterday, we could have gone down there then and given them the business. As it is, we’ll have to hope that one of the working boats at the Huddlesford Gathering this weekend will have diesel for sale, or it’ll have to be Streethay after all.

We’ve come round to our shopping mooring by Sutton Road bridge (as I’ve said before, this bit of the Coventry was built by the Birmingham and Fazeley company, so the bridges are named, not numbered).

We did two lots of shopping – some Christmas present stuff and things in the morning, then food at Sainsbury’s after lunch.

Through Atherstone, and the power of blogs

16th & 17th September

Since we weren’t going anywhere today, we could make a lazy start. This was particularly welcome, as I was feeling the effects of a cold coming on, and very happy to sit around doing bits and pieces like sorting through more of the huge wedge of post Elanor brought with her when she visited us at St Ives, and which has been lurking in heaps on the side berth ever since.

We were also glad not to be moving as the weather had become very breezy, and a certain amount of uninnocent pleasure was to be had watching people strive to cope with it past the moorings and into the bridge holes by the BW yard.

Elanor duly turned up just after lunch, bringing more post, and a boot load of logs, courtesy of Stuart’s family. We lugged this to the boat, rather than taking the boat nearer her car, in view of the weather. Sanity now has a pile of bags of Pureheat and various piles of logs on her roof, so you can tell it must be Autumn.

This was more of a trek than it needed to be, as a great chunk of the towpath between us and the bridge is reserved for disabled anglers. Now I’ve nothing at all against those less able than myself, and not much against anglers, even, but there are these facts

1) I’ve only ever seen two disabled anglers in 30 years’ boating
2) Local moorers tell me that they’ve only ever seen one (non-disabled) angler using this facility
3) This is not surprising, as it’s right opposite a line of offside mooring, and so not a good place to catch fish in the first place.

During the afternoon, Braidbar number 67, Hyperion, went by, but we didn’t make contact with them beyond an exchange of waves and smiles. Last time we met her, she was on her way to Streethay for a prepurchase survey, so hopefully that was the new owners we saw. If we catch up with them tomorrow, we’ll tell them about the Braidbar Owners email group.

Elanor stayed for dinner, then went off to feed the cats and prepare herself for the rigours of another working week (work, work? ... oh yes, I remember {shudders}).

This morning was another cool morning, but not so breezy at first. I steered to Atherstone, and we set off down the flight. Last time we were here, I commented on the contradictory signs on the sanitary station, but today the ‘suitable for pump out machines’ one had gone. Maybe somebody in BW West Mids reads this blog!

There was a fair bit of traffic on the flight, but we got down the first five locks in reasonable time, and stopped to moor by the big road bridge and go shopping. After a cup of coffee we set off again, still with loads of boats coming up, including Braidbar number 73, Langley. This meant I found myself well ahead of Sheila who was lockwheeling, as she stopped for a quick natter, but it didn’t matter as I had to wait for the next lock anyway.

We got to our favourite mooring two locks up from the bottom of the flight just in nice time for lunch, and spent the afternoon here, again with the fire lit against the effect of the northerly wind which had sprung up once more.

Another dozy afternoon, then (good for colds, you know). I did the blog, and removed the AdSense ads from the template – in six months, they’ve earned me about $10, and since they don’t pay you until you’ve earned $100, it could be five years before I see any money. Meantime, I don’t think they improved the look of the blog, so off they came.

Sheila had finished the jumper she’s knitted for Daniel, with press studs we bought in Atherstone, so we can post that in Fazeley tomorrow. Just as well – the rate he’s growing, much longer and he’d have outgrown it before he’d got it.

Boating in the morning mist

14th & 15th September

After I’d posted the previous entry, we settled down for the evening, but had it disturbed by some kids riding minibikes along the towpath. That’s one thing I have no doubts about – it’s a seriously bad idea, quite apart from being illegal, but there’s a limit to what you can do about it as a boater tied to the towpath. Phoning the police is unlikely to produce any kind of rapid response, so logging it and notifying BW with one of their report forms is about as far as you can go.

Yesterday we made a short trip down the cut to the All Oaks Wood mooring, from where you can walk to Brinklow village if you are so minded. Brinklow has a seriously impressive motte and bailey type mound with three concentric ditches around it. This time, we were content to stop on a surprisingly empty mooring, which then filled up as the day went on, until by the end of the day it was very full. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of traffic – it’s clear that the recent spell of decent weather has brought a lot of private boats out, and the hire yards round here are doing good business.

Having said that, the weather was in fact quite cool, and actually produced some rain at one stage. We lit the Squirrel stove to cheer the boat up, and were glad of it as soon as we’d done so. It’s one of those odd things, like putting a warmer jumper on as the evening cools down. At first you wrestle with indolence until the discomfort is just too great, then having made the effort you’re immediately glad you did so.

This time, one consequence was that we both dozed off for a bit, but it was still worth while. (Note we have a carbon monoxide alarm, so the doziness was down to warmth after getting a bit cool, not anything more sinister!)

Today we made one of our ‘crack of dawn’ starts. Sheila got up at seven, at the same time as I went to make the tea, threw some clothes on and set off boating while I got washed and dressed and had breakfast. Then I took over steering while she fed herself. In this way we get at least an extra hour’s boating without waking up any earlier than usual.

It was a glorious autumn morning, with a bright sun but mist lying on the water and curling round the bow as Sanity slipped along the cut. After two hours of this we arrived at Hawkesbury Junction. Velocity Owl was managing to occupy all the double mooring for the water points on the Oxford Canal side of the stop lock, so we went through onto the Coventry Canal, waited briefly for a Canaltime to finish using one of the water points there and then filled up.

Pleasingly, the rubbish point at Sutton’s now has recycling bins, so we were able to offload our accumulated cans, plastic, glass and paper as well. On we went then through the wilds of Nuneaton, lunching on the move and arriving at Hartshill at 1.15, having boated for just under six hours, plus the time taken to fill the water tank.

From Hartshill, you can walk down a rather busy road to Dobbies Garden Centre. We explored this emporium for possible Christmas presents, having been very successful there last year, but didn’t do so well this time. I did, however, find that the Julian Greaves dried foods concession was having a half price sale, so restocked on dried fruit for making breakfasts.

After getting back to the boat and collapsing with a cup of tea, some boat washing was done – we’ve got the starboard side to the bank here, so Sanity is really beginning to look quite respectable again.

Finally, a comment about mooring technique. Andrew Denny in his Granny Buttons blog today comments on the desirability of using a spring, that is, a rope going back from the bow mooring, or forward from the stern mooring, thus forming a triangle between the boat and the bank. In busy situations like this we always do, from the stern rather than the bow as he shows it. It makes a huge difference to the extent to which the boat moves as another one passes by, and greatly reduces the tendency to rush out shouting at boats which may or may not have slowed down in passing.

Moral Dilemmas in the sun

12th & 13th September

A straightforward run yesterday, from our mooring just North of Braunston to the top of Hillmorton Locks. When we came this way in the Spring, there were very few boats tied on the various bits of Armco piling on the way, but now there were a good number. Some of these were holiday boats that had chosen to stop for the night in the country and were making a leisurely start, but a lot looked like boats that used to moor on the other side of Braunston, on the puddle banks and beyond. Looks as if some moving on has been done.

This issue of towpath squatters continues to exercise me – on the one hand, it makes it difficult to do a decent bit of cruising if you can’t get more than five minutes at a time before you have to ease back to tick over for moored boats. On the other, one of the joys of the cut is the variety of boats and people you meet, and as long as people are paying their dues in the form of licence fees, why shouldn’t they drift about in a confined area?

As I say, it’s a difficult one to come to a firm conclusion on, especially for us see-both-sides-of-the-argument Librans.

Arriving at Hillmorton in good time for lunch, we spent the afternoon washing the roof and port side of the boat. It was hard work in pleasant sunshine that quickly made the metal too hot to touch or kneel on.

Today we made an early start and followed a small Ashby and a large Valley Cruisers hire boat down the paired Hillmorton Locks. Both sets of hirers were taking their time, but we were happy just to poddle along behind. At the bottom of the three locks, the Ashby boat set off along the pound, but the Valley cruiser stopped to water. There are two taps and enough mooring for two boats, so we pulled in behind them and filled up as well, taking the opportunity to run a wash load at the same time.

The taps here are not fast, and the washing machine was half way through the rinse cycle before we got away. It was another glorious day for boating as we chugged round to the Tesco mooring. It’s been a while since the last serious supermarket, Morrison’s in Northampton, so the shopping list was pretty long.

This is another quandary. I’m all for the concept of supporting local shops, and do my best to do so, but it’s really hard these days to find good fruit and veg (and I don’t mean fancy stuff – we’re talking onions and tomatoes, mushrooms and cabbage here) in small shops. Hillmorton is typical – there is a newsagent and “convenience” store, but it’s only good for milk, basic bread and a bottle of wine – no fresh stuff at all.

Any way, we got everything I needed to restock the galley, including loads of veg, sandwich fillings and a wine box, in one trip, filling both daysacks, four reusable bags and one carrier bag. Good job it’s a short stagger to the moorings.

Then it was a case of throw everything into the boat, and Sheila steered round to Newbold while I put it all away.

We got to Newbold just in time for lunch (again), and spent this afternoon cleaning brass and then coating the mushrooms, portholes, and the tunnel light with three coats of Incralac lacquer, so less polishing in future, hopefully.

Tomorrow All Oaks Wood, the mooring for Brinklow, and then a long day on through Ansty, Hawkesbury and Nuneaton to Hartshill, where Elanor is coming to see us on Sunday.

Through Braunston

10th and 11th September

We made a good start on Monday, though not as early as Sheila had planned – lying in was just too attractive. We worked up Buckby Top, and who should we see loading up by the water point but Mike on his working boat Jubilee. When we’d passed him on the way up from Weedon, he’d got a practically empty boat, but now he had a supply of Pureheat, and we bought our first five bags of the season from him. £6.90 for 25 kg, which was less than I’d been expecting to pay.

Filled up with water, we went through Braunston Tunnel and straight down the locks. There were a couple of boats ahead of us, and we knew that no one was close behind, so no point waiting at the top for a partner. The flight was pretty busy already, mostly with boats coming up, but we didn’t actually have to queue until we got to the last lock.

It being still just mid morning, there was plenty of choice for moorings, and we settled on the towpath between the marina entrance and Butcher’s Bridge. I slogged up the hill to get a paper and bits and bobs from the shop, and we were set for lunch. Brass polishing in the afternoon – we are starting to get Sanity back to a respectable appearance – we want to have her shining again by the weekend after next, at the Huddlesford Boat Gathering.

Today has been a lazy start, with shopping and bits of correspondence, and I went into the marina to buy a bottle of gas. After lunch we moved onto the mooring by the sluice to do a quick pump out. The tank was nowhere near full, but it’s handy here, and using the self pump out kit doesn’t cost anything.

We had a bit of a struggle – isn’t it always the way when you expect something to be straight forward? The pump just would not pump, and in the end I had to strip it, only to find half a mussel shell stuck in the output valve. It must have got there when I was pumping a bit of canal water the other day, checking a repair I’d made to the output hose connection. Once removed, everything went quickly, and we were in a position to move on.

All the moorings on the North Oxford Canal were taken, so we’ve come a little way up the cut to a towpath mooring just outside Braunston. We’ve now got some idea of our plans for the immediate future, so I’ll amend the panel alongside this post when I put this up. I've also changed the photo of Daniel on his page.

It's me! I'm back! Hurrah!

1 to 9 September

We're finally back on the canals, and with enough time and energy to start blogging again. I know I said the National was going to be hard work, but that was ridiculous. St Ives would make a great venue on a dry summer, just as the Nene is a great cruising river ditto. Shame that this summer was the wettest for several hundred years.

Having said that, the locals at St Ives were incredibly welcoming. We seem to have been the biggest thing to happen to them since the last World War. According to early figures, we actually had more people through the gates on each day than last year at Beale Park, which if true is amazing. The Saturday, in particular was very difficult for the visitors, with huge amounts of mud everywhere. By the Sunday we’d got some walkways sorted, and in any event the site was beginning to dry out. There are some pictures of us grafting away on the WRG site – click the link for National Photos.

We remained at St Ives until Wednesday 29th, then went down the Old West River for the night of the 30th and on to Denver Sluice on the 31st. We were booked to cross the next day, but on the lockie’s recommendation, we crossed to Salter’s Lode that afternoon, and ended up overnight at Upwell. We had a meal at the Five Bells – it was not expensive, and very good, which was nice as it was our belated (from 21st July!) wedding anniversary. Apart from that, for the first few days we spent a lot of time asleep when not boating.

Despite a good weather forecast, our aim was to get up the Nene and back onto the canals as soon as possible, and finally reached Gayton Junction last Friday. The last burst was in company with Frank and Mary on Joka, which enabled us to do Irthlingborough to Gayton in two days. For the record, we stopped at:

1st Whittlesey
2nd Ferry Meadow
3rd Ashton
4th Denford
5th Irthlingborough
6th Northampton Washlands
7th Gayton
8th Weedon.

Today we are at the top of Buckby, and plan to go on to Braunston tomorrow. We shared up the Buckby flight with Ann and David on an Alvechurch boat, Pechora Pipit. Their first trip – it’s really good to see newcomers to the canals.

The GU is really busy here – it’ll be good to get further North, away from endless linear moorings and people in very shiny boats chugging by with grim expressions on their faces. We plan to join the Huddlesford Boat Gathering on 22/23rd of this month, so that gives us our next target.