Full Circle

We arrived back at Fenny Compton Marina this afternoon after a very slow and rather tiresome final 9 locks. It seemed every hire boat in and around the Oxford Canal wanted to ascend the Napton flight!

Napton Bottom Lock

We received a lovely welcome from Pat, the marina manager and we are back on our same mooring for August.

Now the promised boring stats:
We have passed through 262 locks
We have done 339 engine hours
We have been on board for 87 days
We have visited 3 different marinas(for our trips back home)
We have sampled 45 pubs, which only goes to show that we don't end up in a pub every night, as some followers might think!
Not sure how many different beers we have tasted (hic!) but can safely say most have been excellent!
We have met loads of lovely people and enjoyed some fabulous weather.
Off for a final beer at the Wharf now!
Oops! Sorry!
That is 46 pubs!!- before heading home tomorrow.

Back on board in September to continue our travels during the autumn.  We are thinking of Warwick and Stratford on Avon!

Watch this space!  Coming soon on Jenny and Sid's blog.............

Thanks for following our adventures.

Sunset over the Oxford Canal

Braunston

Nearly at this journey's end! Only 9 more locks and a couple of days and we will have completed the Thames Ring.

We might bore you with statistics in our next blog but at the moment we can say that we have gained a load of experience from the two rookies that started their narrowboating life just over a year ago.

It has proved a bit of an emotional visit to Braunston with both of us in very reflective mood. It was just last summer, the end of June, whilst we were moored in Braunston that we received the news of Paul's illness. A phone call that changed our lives!

Tooth Fixed

At last Sid has shiney new crown!

Jenny did lots of domestic duties (and some retail therapy) while Sid was at the dentist on Thursday.

We have now arrived at Bugbrooke and hope to be in Braunston Saturday/Sunday. After Jenny driving over the Iron Trunk Aqueduct and Sid driving through the third longest tunnel on the system and meeting yet more lovely people we are enjoying a well earned pint at The Wharf.

Still hot and sunny! Rain forecast tomorrow.  Boo Hoo!!

Entering Blisworth Tunnel

A Little cooler in Wolverton

Phew! At last it is just a tad less humid and a jot cooler - still hot and sunny.  We did have just one thunderstorm yesterday with some wonderful lightening and RAIN.  It was lovely!!!!

Since Berkhamsted, we have been through loads more locks, met a lovely couple of girls on Little Gem, one French and one German, who we shared many locks with and some good humoured banter!

The canal has got very busy now with lots and lots of hire boats with lots and lots of noise on board and at moorings and not just the noisy kids but adults who want everyone to hear their music and foul language. Couple of snobs, aren't we?!

Our other gripe is dog poo.  We have been plagued by it on the towpath of late.  There is really nothing worse than trying to moor and picking your way through piles of sh....t!!!!  Sid and Jenny are not amused!  We found one nice clear spot only to wake in the morning to two fresh piles by our mooring ropes - not at all nice, and we don't blame the dogs!

Since our last blog we spent a lovely evening with Rosie and Steve.  they texted on Sunday to ask where we might be later in the day, we told them and although they had a ghastly journey we spent the eve of Rosie's birthday on board sharing Pimms, wine, beer and a sort of picnic come barbeque.  Great fun!

The Tring summit was so beautiful and we travelled through some stunning countryside.  It was also a relief to start going downhill.  Jenny finds descending locks much easier but we think we star climbing again on Friday.

We have now arrived at Wolverton so that Sid can catch a train tomorrow to get his tooth finally fixed.  Jenny is being left in charge, again!

We have been surprised at the canal in Milton Keynes.  It passes through some lovely parkland and is not nearly as urbanised as we expected.  Leighton Buzzard was interesting and Cosgrove, just down the canal from here is very pretty.  We went for a lovely walk this afternoon and crossed the aqueduct, which Jenny has been informed she will be driving over on Friday when we head towards Blisworth and the third longest tunnel on the canal system!

'Iron Trunk' Aqueduct, Cosgrove

'Iron Trunk' Aqueduct over the River Ouse

Cooler in Berkhamstead

Much better day today for tackling 15 locks.  We shared them with a lovely couple, Stuart and Louise and their children Rebecca and Oliver who although only 10 and 6 were great at helping with the locks and they enjoyed operating the swing bridge at Winkwell.

We should reach the summit tomorrow and go downhill from thereon!!!!

Apologies for hastily written blogs of late but my battery keeps going flat- the laptop is fine though!

The Rising Sun, Berkhampsted

Still Very Hot, hot, hot

At last we are enjoying a beer!

 Since Tuesday we have: travelled to Teddington, motored down the tidal Thames to Brentford (all OK), entered Thames Lock and the Guaging lock at Brentford on the Grand Union, climbed the Hanwell flight (pictures for Jenny's mum attached), Jenny has suffered from the heat, moored at Tescos between Southall and Hayes, spent Thursday ascending the Grand Union in company with 'Esprise' with Richard and Vanessa on board (they were heading for the IWA Festival at Watford), and today we have just done 15 locks and an 8 hour day. This means we have done 35 locks in 3 days so we thought we deserved a beer.

Any ideas as to how to stay cool on a steel narrowboat? We did come across one odd chap who kept diving into the canal. If you could see how dirty the water is you will understand it is not for us.

Onward uphill tomorrow!

Lock on the Hanwell flight

Not sure what happened to these last two photos!!  Will try and redo at some time.

Still hot, hot, hot!

We are not complaining but it is SO hot.

 We returned to Shepperton Marina yesterday and must thank Steve for, yet again helping us out by lending us his car. Little did we know,however, that we were going to be joined by Glorianna, the Queen's barge in an adjoining berth. What a magnificent vessel,94 feet long,10 ton and powered by two electric engines. Sadly, she was not rowed in by 18 oarsmen! Loads of photos and will put them on the blog when we update next time with the laptop.

Jenny's brother and sister-in-law, Graeme and Annette, came to visit us on Monday evening.  We enjoyed a lovely picnic by the water and watched the sun go down with a few drinks.  It is so nice to have balmy evenings like these - most unususl for this country.

Glorianna and Hunters Moon at Shepperton Marina

Jenny, Graeme, Annette and Sid enjoying a summer evening picnic.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Nothing quite like the English summer! One day raincoats and jumpers and the next we are all sweltering - not that we are complaining! Having spent a lovely weekend moored at Hampton Court we are now at Walton and have had a very pleasant afternoon with Sid's sister, Karen. She has just returned from Greece and as have other friends so we thank them for bringing the sun back with them!

 The river takes on such a different atmosphere in the sunshine with craft of all shapes and sizes taking to the water. The downside is that everywhere gets so busy - you even have to queue for ice cream!!

Sunset over Hampton Court Bridge

Home tomorrow!

Hampton Court

The sun is shining the Thames looks beautiful and we are enjoying a very pleasant evening with Rosie and Steve at Pizza Express. Had a lovely day at Hampton Court Palace where we found some cool shady places to while away the day. Summer has arrived at last!

Which one is the dummy?

The Elegant New Walton Bridge

He allowed us to look round his splendid pad!

Return to the Thames

Farewell River Wey and The Thames beckons

We left the beautiful River Wey on Tuesday with a little sadness.  We had enjoyed such a good three weeks cruise and shared some special time with so many family and friends .  The Wey is so tranquil and meanders through some truly  lovely countryside.  We also left behind the disappointment of the Basingstoke Canal but we will most likely return some time in the future.

Moored back on the Thames at Weybridge we eventually found the station so that Sid could return to Chi to get his crown sorted.  A five hour round trip bought him back with just the repair he had done, because the dentist could not remove the crown - it was so well stuck - and was worried she might break it.  He is however, returning on our next visit home to get it done properly!!!!