So. Changed our internet connection 'cause I don't have the patience to fiddle about with the very intermittment connection we've been struggling with - hence my silence. My friend's BBQ at kirtlington quarry found some rare sunshine & lots of fun & booze-although the horse we met coming down, as we (both dogs & Daisy) went up to mark the path from the nearest road point with armfuls of balloons, nearly had a heart attack-but the lass stayed on-superglue required.
So much has happened that senior moments have eradicated whilst experiencing extreme techno difficulties that I beg your understanding whilst I recall random memories. It was such a joy to turn off onto pastures new at Napton and be confronted by our first experience of BIG canals. Paddles are hydraulic (&look like pot bellied stoves) & you can go in side by side. This means that driver of boat has someone to yack to whilst stuck in the dungeons & isn't isolated from lock side banter. Immediately started locking down with Brian & Leona, daughters & grandsons - long & lovely day in sunshine & friendship moored up together in the evening & let them move on yesterday with more than a little sadness for saying goodbye-we'd had some heavy & very wet locking days & I needed a day of rest yesterday-I'd intended to paint but was just too tired.
Set off early today having recovered from the Stockton flight Saturday & continued on downwards through the double locks by ourselves with not another soul in sight. Moored up late & shattered just before tomorrow's endurance test of Hatton's 21 locks from Warwick. Wandered up a little to check out potentially safer moorings for cats (always difficult inbuilt up areas) & found, to our delight, Brian's gang moored a little further up. So -hangovers permitting-we'll set off tomorrow at about 9am & do the 21 together-let's hope we are all still friends at the end of the day!!!!!
Monday, 15 September 2008
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Stranded Hire Boats
We have been loitering around the top of the South Oxford for a couple of weeks, did the Cropredy festival thing and have just had my 9 year old grandson aboard for a week. Bless him he was a brilliant crew member, fetching and carrying, steering and not a murmer about being bored, well only a little one, not surprising being cooped up with two old fogies like us.
Still the weather has been interesting, we were approaching the bend south of bridge 127 yesterday when we spotted a Black Prince boat stranded on the bend, he had approached too fast and failed to make the turn, BANG straight into the Armco, we were half way round when and Oxford Hire boat came too fast the other way and ,Yes, BANG, he bounced off the Black Prince and the straight into the Armco too. We continued on with a wry smile.
This is the 1st night we have been able to add to this blog due to lack of signal and weather, hopefully we shall sprout a little more as the signal improves.
Saturday we are picking up my son's in-laws for a days cruising, they want to learn the ropes as they are off with friends for a week on a hire boat, there friends have hired narrowboats before, they want to be able to impress, saying they have never been afloat before and how easy it is to learn locking and boating!
Has anyone else noticed the hike in Pub food prices recently? We were at the Folly at Napton bottom lock earlier this week, Ham Egg and Chips £7.95, side order of chips £3.20 (and were not talking gourmet food). Is this all over the country or just locally on the cut to hit the summer traffic?
Still the weather has been interesting, we were approaching the bend south of bridge 127 yesterday when we spotted a Black Prince boat stranded on the bend, he had approached too fast and failed to make the turn, BANG straight into the Armco, we were half way round when and Oxford Hire boat came too fast the other way and ,Yes, BANG, he bounced off the Black Prince and the straight into the Armco too. We continued on with a wry smile.
This is the 1st night we have been able to add to this blog due to lack of signal and weather, hopefully we shall sprout a little more as the signal improves.
Saturday we are picking up my son's in-laws for a days cruising, they want to learn the ropes as they are off with friends for a week on a hire boat, there friends have hired narrowboats before, they want to be able to impress, saying they have never been afloat before and how easy it is to learn locking and boating!
Has anyone else noticed the hike in Pub food prices recently? We were at the Folly at Napton bottom lock earlier this week, Ham Egg and Chips £7.95, side order of chips £3.20 (and were not talking gourmet food). Is this all over the country or just locally on the cut to hit the summer traffic?
Monday, 4 August 2008
Are we back?
It was one of my Grandchildren's second birthday yesterday, and bless her but the day for her started of with a visit to A+E at 4.30am, she had been out all day yesterday with her cousins to Legoland, Windsor, and probably had too much sun. Still the adults enjoyed the water pistol fight whilst she was having an afternoon snooze, DID I SAY ADULTS?
Well I had better update what has been happening on 'MR', we have spent the last two weeks meandering up and down the south Oxford, firstly to be around for the party yesterday, secondly, to go to the Cropredy Festival, which is where we are at now, although the festival doesn't start 'til Thursday moorings here are at a premium and come Thursday it'll be single file through here, and lastly our friend, Wendy who lives on her boat at Enslow is having a party for her staff at the end of the month and has asked us to babysit a barrel of Real Ale for her whilst it settles......Maybe.
The South Oxford at this time of year is really a most beautiful Canal, the colours and sights are amazing, last night we sat and watched the sun go down and saw the most wonderfully Pink sky I have ever seen, this morning watching the Sun rise into a crystal clear sky framed the night very well.......yuck
Jill made a decision last night, We are going to the Macclesfield in September, I love it when she's forceful. We made some friends on our and their inaugural cruise in May. Linda and David were taking their boat home to the Macclesfield when they bumped into us, not quite literally but almost and that was how we met. They are an amazing Couple, David had been diagnosed with Parkinsons, he is in his late fifties and decided the decease was not going to beat him, so he went out and bought a 62ft narra, amazing!.
I just maybe able to persuade Jill to put some thoughts together and give you her side of our recent past, I'm sure that if she does it will be a little more readable than my untidy mutterings.
Well I had better update what has been happening on 'MR', we have spent the last two weeks meandering up and down the south Oxford, firstly to be around for the party yesterday, secondly, to go to the Cropredy Festival, which is where we are at now, although the festival doesn't start 'til Thursday moorings here are at a premium and come Thursday it'll be single file through here, and lastly our friend, Wendy who lives on her boat at Enslow is having a party for her staff at the end of the month and has asked us to babysit a barrel of Real Ale for her whilst it settles......Maybe.
The South Oxford at this time of year is really a most beautiful Canal, the colours and sights are amazing, last night we sat and watched the sun go down and saw the most wonderfully Pink sky I have ever seen, this morning watching the Sun rise into a crystal clear sky framed the night very well.......yuck
Jill made a decision last night, We are going to the Macclesfield in September, I love it when she's forceful. We made some friends on our and their inaugural cruise in May. Linda and David were taking their boat home to the Macclesfield when they bumped into us, not quite literally but almost and that was how we met. They are an amazing Couple, David had been diagnosed with Parkinsons, he is in his late fifties and decided the decease was not going to beat him, so he went out and bought a 62ft narra, amazing!.
I just maybe able to persuade Jill to put some thoughts together and give you her side of our recent past, I'm sure that if she does it will be a little more readable than my untidy mutterings.
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