Cosgrove, Stony Stratford and Monster Night!

Another busy weekend.  Arrived in Cosgrove on Thursday mid-day after travelling for 3 miles.  Susan and Pete set off walking across the Ouse Valley Parkland (1.5 miles) to Stony Stratford to meet friends June and Jan.

Ornate bridge - Cosgrove

Cosgrove mooring

Geese - Cosgrove

Susan and June went to Milton Keynes shopping (a large one-mile long precinct) followed by a hunt for the gold postbox erected to celebrate Greg Rutherford's win, Olympic gold medallist. Thanks to June for spending ages driving around searching for them.........

Gold Postboxes

Pete (after searching for a solid padlock to replace the broken one) and Jan spent the afternoon drinking in various pubs in Stony Stratford - what's new!!!!

Friday: Pete went to London for a retirement party whilst Susan and Mazey stayed on board and cleaned me on the inside....... then they left me and went for a walk along the canal.  They also found that the Caravan Park shop, a short distance away, was open and got a few basic provisions.  Sadly, it will close on Thursday for the winter!!

Saturday:  Susan walked across the parkland again to Stony Stratford and went to the hairdressers.  On the way she saw a greyhound bouncing around and having great fun - amazingly it had only 3 legs!!  Friends, John and Barbara, visited us for the first time in Cosgrove and stayed with Jan and June for the night.  Everyone met up for a few drinks following retail therapy for the girls in Stony Stratford.  Photo taken in The Cock, Stony Stratford.  Susan says "Thanks guys.  It was so lovely to see you again."



It was Monster night in Stony Stratford where locals get dressed up and party the night away in the many pubs.  Jan said "It was a great night.  The best he has had in Stony since moving here".   Enjoy the photos and get ready for HALLOWEEN.......

Yardley Gobion

The farmer was on his quad-bike chasing the geese and ducks from his field opposite where we were moored this morning.  Then he visited the field beside us and herded the sheep and rams from one field to another.  He was escorted by 3 happy dogs (2 Collies and a Jack Russell).  Not sure if he knew we were watching him BUT we all enjoyed the excitement of it at breakfast.....  Mazey was growling and barking as she watched out of the window.

The sky this morning was grey and devoid of any character forming a blank canvas of nothingness
(yep, Susan confesses to reading an e-book on her kindle about how to write....  Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg - great book).

I have dripping oil in my engine.....  Not a major problem says Pete......  Susan is not so sure and I confess neither  am I.  Pete says he will keep an eye on it - as it is just like a little bit of sick coming up when you burp!!!!

We are now moored at Yardley Gobion opposite the Kingfisher Marina after getting pumped-out and filled-up with water again at Baxter's Boatyard.

Pete, Susan and Mazey walked into Yardley Gobion to have a look at the pretty village.  They commented that it has some old beautiful houses and manage to get a few provisions in the local Cost Cutters.

After lunch they all fall asleep in front of the TV whilst watching Loose Women.  "The first time" Pete says since they set off in June.  Susan manages to do the laundry and the inside of me has now been turned into a "Chinese laundry".  Pete keeps stocking up the stove - whilst Mazey pants and Susan strips off.......  Two swans visit and tap on the window for food... then peck the side of me to remove the algae....  An owl hoots 'Goodnight' in the distance....  I like it here.....

Total achievement 1 mile and 0 locks

Grafton Regis

Set off this morning in the misty drizzle!!  After filling-me up with water, we said goodbye to Stoke Bruerne and had the honour of a swan flypast to Susan's excitement!!!!!  Amazing 'Whooping" vibration..... as they went overhead.

It took ages to get through the Stoke (7) locks due to excess water which made it almost impossible to open the gates due to water pressure.  Pete and the lock-keeper were very busy releasing water down the locks and then sorting them out.  Susan cruised alone for the first 3 locks and then was joined by another boat from Rugby on their way to Milton Keynes to fill-up with fuel.

Bottom Lock - Stock locks

Our new mooring is near a village known as Grafton Regis.  Lots of sheep in the field where we have moored for the night.  In the field next to us there must have been about 100 sheep filing past.  Some of the poor sheep were limping.  Susan cuddled Mazey as they looked through the window to watch the sheep go past.  Susan also saw her first 3 rams ever.  They had harnesses on and they were bigger than the other sheep.....

View from mooring at Grafton Regis

Pete decided that, as we are in the middle of nowhere, he would be able to use his chainsaw to cut up the spare wood on the top of the boat.  Poor Pete - it took him ages to get it going and then it kept cutting out!!!  Susan kept laughing and then went out to help.  Eventually, job done and lots of wood now the right size for the stove.

Time for a chill-out and rest.

Total achievement: 7 Locks, 2.5 miles

Pete's Birthday Weekend

Great weekend....  Met some old friends and made some new ones...... Thanks to Jan and June for coming to see us.  The Boat at Stoke Bruerne is a good place to meet new people - especially locals and boaters.

Boys and Mazey having a drink

On Saturday night, we met Louise and Katie - who both have boats in Stoke Bruerne.  Katie has been a boater for the past 20 years.....  Louise and Dave are fairly new to it like us.....

Katie and Jess

Louise and Dave - Darling Buds of May

At one point in The Boat there had to be at least 20 people and 10 dogs all crammed into the small tap room canal side....  Everyone was very friendly.  Pete got a takeaway curry from the Indian restaurant opposite The Boat.

Sunday morning we had breakfast in the Navigation at Stoke Bruerne and could not believe that they have their Christmas decorations up already......  Followed by a late lunch in The Boat!!!!

Christmas - already!!!!

Stoke Bruerne for the The weekend

Weedon Bec is a nice place to moor overnight except for the noise from the train line which runs really close to the canal and is frequent too!!!

View from my window this morning

View from Dreamer -
Weedon Bec mooring

As we leave, Pete and Mazey take me to the water point to fill me up.  I am thirsty.....  There is another boat at the watering tap - "who have been here all night" Pete tells Susan - who is still in jim jams as feeling poorly with a stuffed up nose, achy head and throat that she says feels like she has swallowed stinging nettles!!!  The man suggests to Pete that he will stop filling-up so that Pete can do his. Pete (who is wise to this action) says "No problem, as we are not in a hurry.  We will wait for you to finish".  We have a stand-off!!!  Eventually the couple decide to finish off pretending to get water....... and move off.  I bet they go to the next winding hole, turn around, and then come back to this same spot.

On this temporary visitor mooring stretch there is also another boater who has been here for a long time.  He has erected feeding stations for the birds on the towpath........  So not planning on going anywhere soon.....  he even has christmas lights on the front of his boat which light up at night......  although very pretty they must drain his batteries!!!

Great excitement as we pass a Kingfisher sitting on a tree branch - who watches us go by.....

Once through Blisworth Tunnel, we moor in Stoke Bruerne as it starts to rain again!!!!  Pete plans on celebrating his birthday this weekend in the Indian restaurant as well as having a beer or two in The Boat Inn (has been in the same family since 1877)  ......

The Boat

Achievement 9 miles - no locks, and 1 long tunnel (3057 yards - 3rd longest canal in Britain)

Napton, Braunston and Weeden Bec

Today, we ventured from Braunston to Weeden Bec.  It rained heavily in the night again but is a bright and breezy sunny morning.

Susan and Mazey prepare the 6 locks in Braunston heading towards the tunnel.  Again, Susan wades through the water on the towpath as Mazey splashes through it.

Braunston Marina entrance

Norton Junction

Once the tunnel has been negotiated they begin the Buckby flight of seven locks but the 'big' bottom gates are so heavy Pete and Susan swap over.  Even Pete comments on how heavy they are.......

Buckby Flight of locks

One reason to make sure all windows are locked....  leaky locks.......

3 miles later we all arrive safely in Weeden Bec.

Total Achievement Miles = 8, Locks = 13



Wednesday, 17 October 2012

We've been busy and moved from Napton to Braunston.

Morning view from boat

Windmill from canal

Lovely blue skies in the morning.  Mazey and Susan set off and wadded through canal water at times where the bank had been breached....  Whilst walking they nearly collide with a lady running with her three springer spaniels who are attached to her waist belt.  Susan has to pick up Mazey to make room for them to pass on the narrow waterlogged towpath.  Susan has met this lady before at the Tardebigge locks - miles away.  Susan asks her how far she is running today.  She stops and says "13 miles".  She then tells Susan that she does on average 80 miles a week.  WOW!!!!  Susan skulks off walking gingerly with Mazey and reflects that today she'll be lucky if she walks 5 miles.....

Once on the Grand Union the towpath widens although very muddy in places not nearly as bad as on the Oxford canal.  Susan meets two fisherman.  One says to her "Alright me duck" she replies "Yes, thank you.  Is that your skull placed on the top of the rushes"?  He replies "Yep".  At which point Susan walks very quickly past them...... and is thankful it's not dark.......

Braunston Junction - Right or left????

We manage to moor up outside "The Boathouse" pub and restaurant where they do 2 for 1 meal offers. After shopping in the various chandlers, this is where Susan and Pete spend the afternoon.  It rains heavily.......

Achievement 7 Miles 0 Locks.

FED UP

Just spent 40 minutes updating our journey for the past 2 days and have lost it all due to signal.

Will try again tomorrow.

We are now in Weeden Bec.  All well.

Stockton to Napton Folly and lock out!!

"Good morning World - It's a brand new day".  Today it is very windy but the sun is tying to shine on us.  A few boats pass by and the pasture opposite is now full of grazing sheep.  Susan and Pete decide to stay put for today due to the strong winds.

There is something alluring about the Oxford canal.  Pete and Susan think it is due to the winding canal route that ploughs through the hilly countryside reminding them both of the Lake District.  Full of its own charm, it is a narrow canal and there are narrow locks again.

View from Napton Bridge

They both go for a walk to the canal shop and get instructions on how to walk up to the windmill at the top of the hill, the church and post office in Napton.

The views up on the hills are amazing across the countryside.  There is a seat and tree planted in memory of the look-out men who, in the Second World War, sat here and watched for the approaching enemy airplanes during the Coventry blitz.  A place to sit and remember and be thankful for our freedom.

View from Napton

Remembrance look out seat and tree

Napton Windmill

The Folly Pub and Restaurant - Napton

Susan, Pete and Mazey, pop back into The folly for lunch - which was just as good as their meal last night.  Mark, the proprietor, is cooking a chicken curry - Pete says he would like to come back tonight!!!!

Monday, 15 October 2012

A grey showery morning where the shower droplets cause ripples on the green water of the canal. All else is still and quiet.  Susan and Mazey set off in the rain to walk 2 miles to Calcutt Locks where we will meet them.  Walking along the towpath Susan says there are lots of fallen crab apples which crunch and squelch under foot.

Approaching Calcutt Locks

At Calcutt Locks, "Waltzing Weasel" joins me in the double locks.  There are 3 locks in total to do here.  They have two very large German Shepherd dogs - Kaiser and Diesel.  Mazey seemed a bit worried but after a few bottom sniffing moments they all get on fine.

Once the 3 locks are completed, we head off to Wigrams Turn marina which is at Napton Junction.  Pete has real problems mooring me in the correct place due to the cross-wind - it takes a good 15 minutes.  Susan and Mazey stay inside 'giggling'........ as we go back and forward, back and forward a million times.  Once moored at the correct point Pete apologises to the marina man, "harbour master", and he helps me to get filled up with diesel, pump out and watered......  Feeling much better we then head off onto the Oxford Canal to Napton where we turn around in the winding hole - no problem doing this as 'no wind' Pete says........

Once moored, they decide to leave me to go to the Folly pub which they visited for the first time on one of their first boating holidays in 1994.  In Pete's excitement to get going and have a well-deserved pint, he locks the back hatch and then asks Susan if she has her keys on her......  "errr NO" she replies. "What a muppet" he says about himself, as he has left his keys on board too.  No keys - no getting back on me.......  They both stand there perplexed as to what to do next.  All of my windows are shut.  The front well-deck doors are bolted and locked too.   Susan suggests walking the one mile back to the marina to ask if they have bolt cutters....  At this point another boat passes and Pete asks them if they have a crowbar or bolt cutters.  Yes they have both......  Susan and Pete cheer.  They go to the winding hole and turnaround before coming alongside me.  Their boat is called "Lindalan" - they could not think of another name for their boat so they used their names: Linda and Alan.  They have a cute King Charles Spaniel tied on top of their boat - Bertie who watched the proceedings with interest to begin with and then boredom!! 

The cutters do not work.  Neither does the crowbar.  Then eventually Pete tries the crowbar and a club hammer.  After about 10 minutes of hard graft the padlock smashes apart.  Thankfully!!!  Pete and Susan thank them both.  Pete finds a spare padlock with two keys which is now in place.

To the rescue

After all this excitement they then head off to the Folly and have an amazing meal - best meals on the canal so far - homemade beef Tagine with dates, almonds and pistachios for Susan.  Pete has homemade beef pepper pot.  Mazey loved it too as lots of 'doggy' biscuits for her.  They came back in the pitch black, walking single-file, with head torches on their heads whilst slipping and squelching on the muddy towpath.

Total achievement today: 3 locks, 6 miles.

Sunday, 14 October 2012

A foggy morning  Pete up at 6:00 to watch the Korean Grand Prix.

By 11:00 it is a beautiful sunny morning.  Susan goes for a long walk into Long Itchington to get some extra food provisions.  On the way back she pops into the Two Boats for an orange juice as needs a water stop herself, thirsty from the 2.5 miles walk to the shop.  Then she walks past 'Kathryn' and has a chat with John and Kath.

The Boat Inn

Pete and Mazey walk down the locks to meet Susan and then they pop in to the Boat Inn at the top of the Stockton locks for a quick pint before heading back.

Long Itchington and Stockton Locks

At the water point opposite the Blue Lias Inn

We leave the Blue Lias Inn as it starts to rain.  This area is renowned for the local stone which is known as Blue Lias.  Large fossils have been found in the blue lias clay (jurassic period).  In fact there is a fossil in the fireplace at the Blue Lias Inn and the reason why it has a pre-historic dinosaur as its logo.   There is also, allegedly, a ghost in the pub; a young farmer's hand who was shot by the farmer for cavorting with his wife!!  This area has many pubs especially in the village of Long Itchington.  The Buck & Bell and The Two Boats Inn have both been visited by Susan and Pete.

After filling me up with water we approach the first of the Stockton Locks (8 in all).

Susan is steering whilst Pete and Mazey prepare the locks.

Stockton Locks

We are alone today - no boats to share the locks with.  This makes it harder for Susan to hold me in a straight line in the lock as they are all wide locks from now.  Pete helps by looping a long rope around a bollard and Susan holds on to the other end - tightly.

After 4 locks Susan and Pete swap over.  At this point there are boats coming down as we go up - which means the locks are in our favour and it makes it easier to do.......  The very last lock has two boats full of children (14 in all) from the scouts on a weekend trip.  They help with the last two locks.....


Once above the last lock I carry on for about half a mile and then moor up along a busy stretch of canal.  Many boats go past us in both directions and some are going really fast and do not slow down as they go past us moored boats.  I keep banging against the towpath!!! GRRRRRR.............

Pete sorts out the TV arial and watches the Grand Prix.  It keeps raining....

This will be my mooring until Monday when we head off again.  Catch up soon x

Leamington Spa to Long Itchington

Friday, 12 October 2012

A cold bright sunny morning greeted us.  Susan and Mazey walked alongside me as it was such a lovely day.

Mooring nr. Radford Road Bridge

The boat moored in front of us last night got to the lock first and waited - thankfully!!  The boat is named "Fandango" and is a privately hired holiday boat.  Fandango shares the locks (10 in all) before pulling over so that Martin and his wife can have some lunch.  They are hoping to buy their own boat next year....

Bascote Locks

Bascote staircase lock

On we go for another 2 locks which are shared with a hotel boat named "Takara".  This is their last trip of the season.  Their clients are two elderly ladies who are having a wonderful time.

The sky changes quickly from blue to dark grey and then all hell breaks loose - hailstones - they hurt..... great big ones.....

Itchington between Bottom and Top lock

Once through the last lock I moor up in a very pretty place - the Blue Lias pub.  Susan and Pete have dinner here later....

Total achievement today: 12 Locks and 5.5 miles.

Leamington Spa and beyond!

After a few days rest I have set off once again on my journey.

Pete and Susan said 'farewell' to John and Kath, whilst I said a fond farewell to Kathryn.  I hope we meet up again soon.

Susan prep'd the locks at Cape of Good Hope.  Only two to do.......  Mazey also tried to help Susan when she opened the top gate by pushing on her knees - I think she wanted a biscuit......

Susan and Mazey walked alongside me today until we reached Lydel's where Susan got more food shopping.  This was followed by a short trip to Leamington Spa where I was allowed to rest and Mazey fell asleep!!!  Susan commented on making sure that I did not run into the many shopping trolleys and metal objects in this part of the canal.  You can be sure that I was extra careful.

Susan and Pete came back laden with shopping goodies and then we set off again.  All aboard!!  After about an hour I was allowed to rest again in a pretty mooring which overlooks fields.  Both Susan and Pete said it was a good job we had stopped when we did as the heavens opened and it bucketed down for the rest of the night.  Oh well, at least I get a good wash.....

Today's achievement:  2 locks and 5 miles.

Staircase Locks in Droitwich Canal

Packwood House

Baddesley Clinton

Tunnel with walk through for horses on the right

Orbs in tunnel - Are we being followed?

Mazey watching me in a lock

Autumn is here....

Hatton Locks - Kathryn and Dreamer

Saltisford Arm, Warwick - Kathryn and Dreamer

Pete and John putting the world to rights this morning

Dreamer near Leamington Spa