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.