Weedon to Stoke Bruerne

As we left Weedon on Friday, the Sun was shining beautifully but away to the north a large black cumulonimbus cloud was ominously increasing in stature and that became the pattern of weather for the day as we were continuously slammed by heavy hail showers that bounced off the canal as well as my umbrella, which was preciously guarding the otherwise vulnerable cabin hatch opening in which I was huddled.

 

 

Bombarded by heavy hail

 

‘Roots and Wings’ emerging round the corner

 

We travelled that day as far as the moorings at Wright’s Bridge (45), close to Gayton Junction, which is the entrance to the Northampton Arm and decided that we had had enough for the day. But later the sky cleared sufficiently for myself and the two ladies to walk across, via the small picturesque village of Rothersthorpe, to Lock 2 on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union.

The brown stone thatched village was looking wonderful under its mantle of Spring flowers. Multi coloured Tulips were fully in bloom and the soil around here is obviously very suitable for Magnolia as plenty of trees showed great strength of blossom.

 

The ancient church at Rothersthorpe

 

Magnolia in the churchyard

 

We were unable to view the inside of the ancient church as it was locked, so we made our way by footpath across to the canal and as we ambled back to the ships along the towpaths it was a pleasant change to see once more narrow locks that lead down to Northampton, visible not too far away in the distance. At the junction we passed ‘Moonshadow’ and my old friends Reg, Sandra and Jack their large dog. It was great to see them again and so far our paths seem to have crossed every year without actually planning it.

During our passage yesterday, the weather was unchanged though we managed to miss most of the squalls as they passed by. They were obviously heavy as they swept swiftly across the landscape; visibility was blotted out completely beneath the heavy cloud.

Briefly we were pleased at the protection from the showers that the Blisworth Tunnel could afford until we passed under the first of the open air shafts above us, when we were deluged by a mini waterfall that couldn’t be dodged. It had been a good idea to have the umbrella handy as I entered the darkness and it was up consequently for most of the tunnel’s one and three quarter miles. It had been wetter inside than out for the sunshine was warm and dry as well as bright to my eyes as we came out at the southern end of the tunnel and entered Stoke Bruerne.

 

The scales at Stoke Bruerne Top Lock

 

As we arrived at one thirty on this Saturday afternoon lots of visitors were milling around the area here with its old canal pub and waterway museum, while the trip boat was very busy taking sightseers the short distance up to the tunnel entrance and back again.

At this early time of day too there were plenty of free moorings above the lock which we took advantage of, settling quietly down for the rest of the day.

Up the Oxford Canal to the Grand Union

The South Oxford Canal and north of Fenny Compton in particular, is always peaceful and idyllic. As the course of the canal becomes more meandering and the hairpin bends more torturous, in spite of the careful concentration needed in order to keep on the track, a certain peace and tranquillity descends upon me.

 

Sharon’s photo of ‘Futurest’ on the Oxford Canal

 

It is due to the fact that there is not a trace of another human being to be found for mile after mile that allows me in these parts to commune with Nature much more quietly and relaxedly and on her terms, so that I can appreciate and respect all the other forms of life busily going on around me and especially at this time of year with young life abounding everywhere.

 

Skipper Janis exiting Marston Doles Lock

 

Lambs frolic and gambol in the sunshine on lush green meadows dotted liberally with fresh new yellow Dandelion and Lesser Celandine while the evolving green bloom of Spring in the hedgerows and trees begins to hide the cold sticks of Winter that seem to have tormented us for so long.

So it was this time on the way from Fenny Compton to Napton.

As we came down to our preferred mooring just above the bottom lock at the latter, the Sun was shining (as is always usual here) and with a warmth that we are not used to this early in the year.

 

A ewe and her lambs on the towpath at Napton

 

Napton Windmill at Sunset

 

The girls and I took a walk to the top of the steep hill via the church and were amazed by the amounts of wild Spring flowers in bloom, from white Snowdrops in great abundance and Primroses and Daffodils. All of them may be later than usual but I don’t remember there being such a prolific display ever.

 

Bob, Janis and I on the side of Napton Hill

 

Near the windmill we met Bob the farmer who looks after the rare cattle and sheep breeds that graze on the slopes and he was pleased to show us them in close-up. The viewpoints across the plains that he showed us and his vast knowledge of the area were amazing.

The following day we arrived at bustling Braunston Turn, where the village on the hill keeps itself quite separate from the village of boats in the huge Marina on the canal, though it is the latter community that keeps the numerous small shops on top of the valley, as well as the pubs, in good business. The rural walks in this part of the country though are beautiful and the tiny villages of Northamptonshire with their ancient rich brown stone and thatch cottages are a delight on the eye.

 

Janis and Sharon on a walk through pretty Flecknoe

 

A Spring display at Flecknoe

 

Finally the journey from Braunston to Weedon, where we arrived last night, was pleasant though more physical as we descended first up then down through thirteen double locks in two days and through the one and a quarter miles of black darkness that is the Braunston Tunnel. ‘Roots and Wings’ hung doggedly close to ‘Futurest’ while we were inside and above the engines I could hear the delighted chatter and laughter of busy Kiwi accents echoing along the tunnel as Janis and Sharon happily navigated the different challenges in the darkness.

As a reward for our numerous exertions of the voyage so far (Oh it’s such a hard life you know) and also as a birthday treat for me, on arrival at Weedon last night we three crew members went ashore to ‘The Plume of Feathers’ and enjoyed a well deserved meal and a pint.

The weather was fine and it was very warm.

On the Move Again

We left Banbury finally on Monday last at around midday, pleased to be on our way after the various engineering jobs we had required from Tooleys having been completed. I’m sure ‘Futurest’ felt pleased to be quietly moving through the water again, as she answered the helm and engine movements so easily and beautifully to the rhythmic solid thump of the freshly serviced Russell Newberry.

However as always after a leisurely extended stay in a certain place a great deal happened in the last weekend just prior to our leaving.

On Friday morning Janis’ sister Sharon arrived after a long journey from hot Queensland and she plans to stay for a while crewing for Janis as well as being able to see the country that we travel through. I had not met Sharon before but she is obviously from the same mould of adventurers as her younger sister and I’m sure we shall get along well together.

At about the same time my youngest son Alex arrived having visited his dentist in Banbury and after a cup of coffee and a chat to the girls, he and I took off in his car for his home at Cricklade in Wiltshire where I had been invited to stay the night prior to the christening on Saturday of his baby daughter Penny. On the way we collected my elder son Rupert from Swindon Railway Station and we all had a great evening together with Alex’s wife Catherine and of course Penny.

The christening the following day was in the beautiful little chapel of Prior Park Preparatory School. Many guests were there, members and friends of both Catherine’s family as well as our own and it turned out to be a great occasion for renewing acquaintances that I hadn’t seen for a number of years. As well as Rupert, it was a particular pleasure to see Millie and my granddaughter Delilah-Rose who had travelled all the way from Brighton for the occasion. It was a lovely day and Penny behaved impeccably throughout, even during the numerous photo shoots that went on during the ceremony and all through the day.

 

My Son Alex and two granddaughters Delilah-Rose and Penny

 

When it was all over Alex gave Rupert and I a lift to Swindon Station to catch our respective trains home and at around nine in the evening I arrived back in Banbury and was soon enjoying the company of the two girls again.

On Sunday evening Janis, Sharon and I went to the Mill Theatre to see the Vienna Festival Ballet present Tchaikovsky’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Considering that the stage area available was so small and that there was no room for an accompanying orchestra so the music was recorded, the company did remarkably well in performing the ballet very artistically and with great feeling. As always I was moved tremendously by the sensitive dancing as well as the music, so colourful and passionate that it brought the usual and familiar lump to my throat and wetness to the eye.

As already mentioned, on Monday we set forth northwards towards Cropredy where we were happy to tie up quietly for the night. At the ballet the day before we had met Ann, an old friend of Miranda’s as well as mine who lives at Cropredy and whilst chatting in the interval she invited us to tea after we arrived on Monday afternoon. She lives near to the canal so we didn’t have far to walk and it was nice to be able to talk of old times again as well as discuss the ballet together

 

Janis, Sharon and Ann at Cropredy Lock Bridge

 

We stayed at Cropredy a second night as I had a late appointment on Tuesday evening with my GP. I was relieved when he gave me the ‘all clear’ for another year after my earlier MOT.

Then on Wednesday morning we said goodbye to the village and set off northwards through nine locks and moored with relative ease even though it was in a howling gusty gale, which luckily blew us right onto the towpath at the top of Claydon Locks. The wind was so fierce that it was difficult to push the ship off far enough to insert fenders in between her and the shore. It continued to be a wild and blustery night and sleep was difficult with all the creaks, groans and rattles going on outside.

 

Approaching Claydon Top Lock

 

 

A healthy ewe and her lambs

 

I was happy to see the Sun early the following morning reflecting off the water, through my bedroom porthole flickering silently on the bulkhead and later, managing to get away from the towpath side with great difficulty against the continuing breeze, we tied up last night at the Radio Aerial mooring just to the north of Fenny Compton Wharf. By the time we arrived the breeze had disappeared and though we had had the occasional heavy April shower during the day the sky cleared as we moored and we were treated to the most wonderful of sunsets.

These always make a happy day complete.

 

 

The Sun going down quietly after a passionate day

 

Preparations at Banbury

The weather seems to be improving at last and over the weekend the breeze, though still from the same cold easterly quarter, died away almost to nothing and the sunshine from an unblemished blue sky, as well as fully charging the batteries on board, improved my disposition enormously. How much more comfortable life is with this improvement in temperature.

We are still in the process of preparing ourselves for the summer voyage down south. My Russell Newberry main engine has had a partial service but is still awaiting the arrival and fitting of a fuel filter while leaks in the gearbox have yet to be put right.

John the engineer has in the meantime fitted the twelve volt ring circuit in ‘Roots and Wings’ removing the 240 volt fridge which has eased a tremendous and continuous drain from the batteries. With the new 12 volt fridge working well, Janis’ solar panel, like mine keeps the batteries well topped up now.

On a bitterly cold Monday morning, a week ago today, Janis and I took ‘Futurest’ back up north through three locks to Cropredy. Though the Sun was shining bravely the whole time the fresh easterly breeze ripped through our bones, freezing toes and causing fingers to turn white. We arrived in the afternoon and in the evening went ashore to the Red Lion for a beer and a meal. It was all very pleasant and after a good night’s sleep, the following morning we walked to the Surgery for my fasting blood test and it was here that I managed to introduce Janis to Doctor Barry my GP.

 

Janis at the helm

 

Entering Hardwick Lock

 

Returning to Banbury later on that same day, though the wind direction and speed had not changed one little bit, the travelling was much more pleasant with the breeze following behind us. We arrived and were tied up just ahead of ‘Roots and Wings’ by three thirty in the afternoon.

Janis has been in Newark during the last few days on business and seeing old friends but she is due back this afternoon to await the arrival of her sister Sharon who is due to join us here on Friday from Australia. She plans to stay for sometime I believe, so I hope she enjoys the life while she’s here.

I’ve met a number past friends this time in Banbury at different times. John and Maggie have called in whilst they were on a shopping expedition, as has radio ham John, who called for coffee on his way past one morning. He's about my own age and I was pleased to hear that he has retired finally (or nearly anyway) from his professional calling as a heating engineer. It was good to see John again.

Yesterday I was invited to Sunday dinner at the home of Rodney and Jenny. It was a wonderful day, they entertained me almost royally and I felt very honoured to be there. Rod collected me in the morning and on the way back to the ship he took me to his paddock near the village of Hempton where he keeps a tribe of sheep. As it is now well into the lambing season I helped him bottle feed the three newest additions to the family. Feeding one of the hungry little lambs was new for me and quite an experience. He took his milk so quickly through the rubber teat on the end of a ‘Hooky Ale’ beer bottle that I thought he was going to swallow the bottle too.

So we are nearly there; almost on our way and the weather appears to be improving each day. We hope to travel back up north to Napton before venturing down the Grand Union Canal towards London. Hopefully we shall get across the capital and up onto the River Lee eventually but I know we shall most certainly be ‘playing it all by ear’.

Banbury

We are here at Banbury; we arrived eventually last Wednesday afternoon.

Banbury is rather special to me since it will always be my home town and though I have no roots or family here any longer, I continue to enjoy a feeling of warmth every time I arrive. The fact that I was born and bred here, my parents, wife, aunts, grandparents and a young son all in my lifetime, have been buried here, the feeling of belonging I find difficult to shake off.

And each time I arrive the place doesn’t change very much either. As I approach on the  Oxford Canal from the north, through the last lock at Hardwick, by the noisy motorway, and enter the town, the well restored waterfront by the Museum and Castle Quay Shopping Centre is always welcoming. In the height of Summer the moorings may be busy but in early spring before Easter, when I usually visit, there are plenty of spaces available where we can tie up comfortably.

And the shops are beautiful too, even though they are so similar to other branches at similar shopping malls throughout the country and even though the rest of the shops in the once thriving High Street and Market Place have been forced to close down, empty gaping shop fronts have been avoided through their use by charities and estate agents. Hence the place tends to avoid looking too run down.

 

The Turnover Bridge at the start of ‘Fenny Compton Tunnel’

 

Trees and Rooks on a dull but expressive day

 

The first of the Oxford Lift Bridges

We were delayed on our way from Warwick by inclement weather conditions,  for most of the time having to put up with fierce cold winds and Arctic blizzards, which made fingers and toes freeze while standing at the tiller in the stern of the boat. We felt better for the exercise when we had to operate the forty four locks on the way and so long as we had plenty of locks in the day we managed to keep reasonably warm.

After Napton we made good progress to one of my favourite moorings near the radio aerial just to the north of the village of Fenny Compton and it was here that my good friend Maffi on ‘Millie M’ caught us up and moored just ahead. It was good to meet up again and we spent a lovely evening catching up whilst ‘swinging the lantern’. After that the three little ships moved in close contact, first of all to the empty moorings at the top of Claydon Locks and then at Cropredy before arriving within hours of each other at Banbury.

 

A lonely Crocus

 

Little Bourton Lock

 

‘Futurest’ and I are here to have the Russell Newbery serviced by Tooley’s while Janis, to improve the efficiency of her leisure batteries, is having a twelve volt ring circuit fitted in ‘Roots and Wings’. So we should be here for a few days to explore the town and its delights.

 

Snow at Banbury

 

As a matter of coincidence there is quite a gathering of old friends here now, since yesterday friend Bones arrived in her ship of the same name and mutual friend Kate on her boat ‘Morning Mist’. The latter has been performing a good Samaritan act by towing to Banbury, through all the fowl weather, a neighbouring boat from their moorings down south, to Banbury in order to have a new engine fitted.  It proved to be quite an adventurous trip I am told.

Entertainment-wise there appears to be quite a bit going on in the way of concerts etc. and last night Janis and I went to the Banbury Blues Festival at the Mill Arts Centre and though my ears were singing when we left, due to a continuous barrage of heavy amplified guitars and drums, I found the show thoroughly enjoyable and in particular a band of three young rock musicians calling themselves The Laurence Jones Band. Though they were very young, they showed great promise. So much so that Janis decided to buy their CD and had the lead guitarist sign the copy. She’s becoming a real ‘roadie’.

Though it continued to snow lightly as it had all day, it was a lovely night, though we didn’t arrive back at the ships, only a hundred yards from the Mill, till midnight.

The day after we arrived in town, on Thursday afternoon, Janis’ good friend Tina from Newark visited. She’d very bravely come through the snow and was happy to stay till Saturday morning. She had never been here before so enjoyed the personal tour of the place that I inflicted upon the girls on Friday. I had met Tina before and it was good to see her again.

Earlier in the morning, before Tina arrived, John the engineer from Tooleys had arrived to assess our separate jobs and then about five or ten minutes later my brother David arrived with his friend Patricia from Stratford-upon-Avon. I took them for lunch and conducted my first tour of the town for Patricia’s benefit. They left just as Tina arrived so Thursday became a day that we had to time to the minute almost. We were very busy.

So now we wait for our work to be done next week. Though it’s lovely to be here in Banbury I hope the jobs won’t take too long.

The Radio Aerial Mooring

We seem to be back in our old ways once more and some would say we are even dawdling again. I am sure the little fleet is now famous for this. We left Warwick over a week ago and we are still only halfway to Banbury, while many boats would have covered that journey in half this time.

And though we had initially intended to travel to Banbury as soon as possible a mixture of events, situations and weather has precluded this. But neither Janis nor I are unhappy about it. Rushing about has never been our forté.

 

A cold walk at Napton

 

Sunset at Napton

 

We arrived at Napton and just … had to remain here for two days since in between showers and the cold breeze the Sun was shining so beautifully, enhancing the splendour of the little village and thus it was inviting us to stay. Also the mooring sign said we could stay here for that length of time, so it would have been churlish had we not have done.

But on the third morning, after a freezing night, a layer of ice covered the canal and the blizzard had returned with very squally conditions and we decided to remain stationary for a further day.

So we went for another walk, back along the towpath and then, via the footpath across the derelict brickyard among the ghosts of its former glory, we climbed the steep hill alongside a thorn hedge, thick with buds and scraps of sheep’s wool but still looking bare in its winter hibernation.

The tall yew hedge surrounding the private property at the summit that now contained the restored windmill, had been recently clipped as we walked on the path alongside it and soon afterwards we descended down the steep footpath on the other side of the hill, past the ancient church and, at the bottom, the Crown Inn. The pub was open and though the lights were lit in the bar, not a soul was to be seen inside.

At this stage ‘Futurest’ was running short of coal and stocks would run out well before we arrived at Banbury. The Post Office/shop in the village didn’t have any but I knew the little shop next to the ‘Folly’ Pub had some, so I would be able to replenish our stock from there. However much to my dismay, when we arrived, the shop was unexpectedly closed and a notice in the window announced that this was due to a bereavement. Furthermore it would not reopen till Saturday.

So I went into the pub to enquire whether there was a coal merchant nearby who would deliver a few bags to the mooring and luckily inside having lunch, was a lady and gent,  who lived on a narrowboat called ‘Susan’ at nearby Wigram’s Turn Marina. Susan, also the name of the lady, bless her, offered to take me to the marina in her car where she knew they had plenty of coal.

With two bags of coal in her already overcrowded boot, we returned triumphantly to ‘Futurest’ where I was very thankfully able to load it aboard. We would not go cold for the next few days.

The following morning we were blessed with a cloudless sky and plenty of Sunshine and though there was a thin covering of ice on the canal, it was broken early on by another boat coming down through the locks and our two ships were able to leave at a reasonable time for us to cover the seven miles and eight locks, up to within three miles of Fenny Compton, at the Radio Mast Mooring.

 

Ice patterns on the canal

 

 

Ice on the gate

 

We would be alright for dinner

 

This stretch of the South Oxford is so beautiful and though the land is flat and featureless except for Napton Hill, especially at this drab and barren time of the year, it is so wonderfully rural and almost untouched by Man for centuries. The odd distant farmhouse with smoking chimney and, now and again, the rusting remains of ancient farm machinery, scattered untidily and seemingly at random, is the only evidence that He has ever existed around here.

 

‘Roots and Wings’ emerging

 

For four hours we meandered quietly around sharp bends in the waterway, first this way and then that with our final destination, the tall and distinctive tower, swinging from one side of the boat to the other and on one or two occasions our destination was even right astern of us. It was a wonderful ride, accompanied only by unconcerned sheep in the adjacent meadows, a pair of colourful Jays and at one point I spotted a Green Woodpecker foraging in the grass of the adjacent field close to the water.

It remains in my consciousness a quiet and wonderful mooring here, within the proximity of the derelict radio mast and where Napton-on-the-Hill can still plainly be seen about two miles away straight across the plain. It is good too that we can remain here for fourteen days if necessary.

 

The mooring

 

However currently the weather is holding us up again. It is pouring with rain so that visibility is reduced to a few hundred yards and a strong south westerly breeze is pushing more still in our direction apparently.

But the fires are on and we are very snug and warm.

 

A Start

We are at Napton-on-the-Hill in Warwickshire. The little fleet arrived late on Sunday afternoon in a gusting Antarctic-like blizzard and moored in the pound just above the Bottom Lock.

The crews were bitterly cold by this time having struggled for about seven hours against the strong biting northerly breeze and showers of sharp snowflakes flying in their numbed faces, to journey from Long Itchington up through the thirteen double locks at Stockton and Calcutt.

Napton was the goal come what may, the Nirvana, for the Sun always shines for me at Napton-on-the-Hill.

Previously, having topped up our fresh water tanks for the last time, on Friday we disconnected the 240 volts shore power and left Kate Boats on a dull but rain free morning, finally to begin our 2013 adventure.

We cruised gently along the Grand Union Canal in the direction of Leamington-Spa feeling elated to be away and with everything going well, until we arrived off the Lidl Supermarket, only a mile from our start. Here Janis discovered that her alternators were not charging her batteries.

So we stopped and checked for loose wires etc. in the engine bay and control cupboard but everything seemed to be okay. We were moored temporarily on an illegal mooring and a lady came out from her house very quickly after our arrival to let us know this fact and yet didn’t appear to have the slightest sympathy for our obvious predicament.

Janis has an engineering friend and decided to phone him to see  whether he could offer any advice. However she had to leave a message and while we waited for his answer and noting that the house curtains were continuously twitching, we decided that in the meantime ‘Futurest’ would tow ‘Roots and Wings’ the three quarters of a mile to the moorings at Leamington, where we could wait more leisurely. We would be able to remain there the whole night if necessary.

The problem turned out to be nothing very serious. Roger told Janis to start her engine and then rev it up until the red warning light clicked off. The alternator needed a certain revolution rate in order to kick in. The little fleet so far had been dawdling down the Canal at just about tick over, which hadn’t been very helpful to the machinery.

At this point there were sighs of gratitude all round but we had decided to remain at Leamington for the night anyway and went ashore for the rest of the day to indulge in the delights of this delightful Victorian spa town with its good shops and splendid architecture.

On Saturday, the following day, we motored for five hours, through the bleak countryside of early Spring, up through the ten locks at Radford and Bascote, finally tying up in the country near Bascote Bridge, just short of the lock at Long Itchington.

And now we are at Napton with the breeze not quite as bleak this morning but in glorious sunshine, which bathes the hill behind me and highlights the little sandstone church at the top of the hill and the brown thatched cottages that hug the steep slope below. From the mooring here the base of the windmill is hidden beyond the church and behind the crest of the hill but the wooden, white freshly painted sail frames, poke provocatively from behind the hill and glisten in the Sun.

It never fails, whatever the weather, the Sun always shines for me when I am in Napton.