Down the Lapworth with NB Beefur

We moved on a short distance on Monday and Dave and Sue (NB Beefur) caught up with us later at the Bluebell Cider House.
Fortunately, this boat reached us just by the winding hole - there is precious little passing room at the moment along here due to shallows and overgrown vegetation

Out passed the Disney Set Dickens Heath - still looking pretty much deserted; such a strange place

The building edge (right below) is the end of the building (left above). That's it - straight back into open countryside.

Another Shetland

I wouldn't fancy staying the night here - a bit drafty!

A quick stop at the bakers/deli/greengrocers off of bridge 20. They offer a good selection of fresh produce and amazing patisserie, but very little is priced and you can get a nasty surprise if you get carried away.

We set off slightly ahead of Beefur Tuesday morning in glorious sunshine

Muttley snatched something dead and disgusting and then shot off with it back the way we had come, the little b****r. I had no choice but to wait for him to finish it as, every time I approached him, he ran further in the opposite direction.

We pulled over at the pretty Hockley Heath where G had some mail to collect from the Post Office

I love these carved picnic tables that can be found at intervals down the canal

The last one is actually on the Kingswood link

Beefur passed us whilst we were at Hockley and went on so as Sue could lift the first bridge

 I lifted the second, but didn't find Neil's (NB Herbie) windlass

 Sue's flowers are still looking good

No matter what time of year you pass this cottage, the garden is always a fabulous contrast of colours and textures. BW person said that the cottage  had just changed hands. I hope the newbies keep the garden up.

A time share boat had gone down the first three locks before us; leaving open a 'full house' of paddles and gates. We shut some and the BW person went and found them to explain how it should be done. We passed them a little way on where they had pulled over to do a spot of fishing.

Starting on the main flight proper, I was unlucky enough to encounter a boat coming up out of lock 8 whilst I was trying to get out of lock 7, round the bend and into 8. If you have a 66ft boat, you run out of pound before you can get the back clear and start turning; then the waiting boat is there as well - plus I got a bit of the bike embedded in the wall. It wasn't elegant!

I love this canal and it's beautiful locks - and what a day for it

Although we were intending to turn left to the Grand Union, we took the right lock option as we wanted the services

G does a quick pas de deux  in the basin

and reverses up passed the barrel cottage onto the service point

and I run round with the dogs over the first of the South Stratford locks before continuing through the Kingswood link and turning onto the Grand Union and waiting in the rain for MR to catch us up to moor at Turner's Green just before the newly re-opened Tom o'the Wood pub on the opposite bank