Left Braunston again to meet up with Gosty Hill

Woke on Tuesday morning to ice on the cut (that makes a change) and quite thick fog, but the sun soon burnt through and we winded in the marina entrance and tied up for a quick planning meeting with Lesley before heading off out of Braunston to make sure we met up with Gosty Hill for coal and diesel. Ian and Ali were as good natured and entertaining as ever. We couldn't work out when we'd last seen them - it's been ages since we were last on their patch.
Again, it was the sort of weather that you just had to be out in with camera in hand.


Wednesday not such a good day, weather wise, but turned out rather special as G took on my routine duties so that I could, finally, get my paints out. That, of course, was not as simple as it sounds as we spent at least 2 hours pulling the boat to bits looking for various component parts. Still haven't found what we were looking for but we did find the 2 o/s peak district maps that we couldn't find when we were up there last August (and a hell of a lot of stuff we don't need - we really must do some off loading). Anyway, I knocked off the first full picture since we moved on board and jolly nice it was too - not the picture, but the doing of it.

'Anonymous' has chosen my blog now

Anonymous has just posted the following comment,

"Live and let live and I bet we of said shanty town have been on the cut a lot longer than you snobs".

So, having condemned no-one, merely put a description under a captured photograph, I decided to refer to the dictionary.

In alphabetical order:

Anonymous; of unknown identity, having no individual or unusual features.

Shanty; small, crudely built shack (perhaps anon would like to take another look at the photo).

Snob; a person who has exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth and who looks down on those regarded as socially inferior.

Not a lot of opportunity for either high social position or wealth when you live on the cut. Who do I consider socially inferior? Just those that don't pay their licence fees. If that makes me a snob then mia culpa.

Eventful day in Braunston. Caxton is swimming

Set off bright and early, in stunning weather, for Braunston - the dogs and I on the towpath and G whistling away at the birds (mainly the feathered variety), at the risk of getting him shipped off to the funny farm, he can mimic various species so well that they often return his calls.
Through the shanty town (there is room to get one boat past) and the church tower comes into sight.
Always a beautiful junction, in weather like this it is simply stunning.

We serviced the boat and headed off for moorings in search of Lesley and Joe and to watch Caxton being returned to the water after her stretch. Lesley and the dogs spotted us first and gave us a rapturous welcome - even Lesley cracked a smile! Floyd and Muttley immediately set about doing what they do best; wrestling and kicking each other and then ripping each other's heads off.

Now onto more serious matters; Caxton's return to her natural habitat. I naively thought that the crane would just deal with Caxton, but one boat was lifted off here into the workshop after Caxton was lifted onto the lorry and then the guys put new plating onto the stands ready for
the crane to lift another job onto here for re-plating. It was fascinating and loads of people came to watch, including bloggers and blog readers and we all introduced ourselves and formed a small, but reasonably orderly, audience in the sunshine.
Now here is Caxton's part of the drama.



Caxton looks fabulous but it was very scary and I could hardly bare to watch.

You can't see it from this photograph, but she has been put into a very congested part of the marina which will call for some very clever manouevering with their extra 5 foot - I wonder WHY they put him in back to front.

We were measured up for our new cover, tidied ourselves up a bit and all toddled of with Brian from NB Kyle for a bite and a pint. Absolutely exhausting this gongoozling.