The last leg of our 2016 adventures

We have enjoyed another great year of boating despite a lot of tooing and froing.  We have explored new waterways, retraced many old routes, met a lot of lovely people and best of all renewed 'old' aquaintances.

Our trip down to Stourport - on - Severn was brilliant and one to be repeated not just to meet up with our very good friends Bridget and Dave again but also because we thoroughly enjoyed the Staffs and Worcs Canal. It was a shame we had to curtail our trip and hopefully next time we can complete the full circular route!

Our autumn trip when we set off to do one route and ended up travelling the Warwickshire Ring has been a delight. It has also been very busy on the water not just with boaters of a similar age and stage in their lives as us but also with hire boats. The weather has been beautiful so that has made a big difference. I say the weather has been good, well it had until this last leg of our journey when we have had our warm hats, gloves and coats on and thank goodness we bought a new chimney because we have also needed the fire alight most evenings!

We have been travelling the very short trip from Wigrams Turn Marina to Fenny Marina very, very slowly and in very short days, mainly because the cold northeasterly wind has been biting through us whilst travelling.  However, by stopping early each day it has given us a chance to pick loads of sloes for our sloe gin and also blackberries for crumbles and Jenny has also had a go at making some jam! Delicious!

And so we come to the end of our 2016 travels and Hunters Moon becomes our winter weekend floating cottage until next spring when we get itchy feet and want to be off travelling once again! Where shall we head in 2017? Maybe into Yorkshire and Lancashire! Who knows what is in store for us?

Our last back garden!

Looking towards Napton. 

Bye for now XX

Braunston to Wigrams Turn

'The redbreast whistles from a garden croft; and gathering swallows twitter in the skies.' 

We are leaving Hunters Moon at Wigrams Turn for for a week or so while we return home for Sid to have a heart monitor attached prior to his procedure.

Sunday dawned bright and breezy and we travelled the short distance into Braunston to visit the facilities and find a mooring before going to All Saints for the morning service. Once again we were made very welcome and Sid has been invited to visit the bell  tower and maybe have a go at ringing!

It was very, very busy on the water, the fine weather obviously bringing out boaters from all over the area.

After church and a quick lunch we left our mooring and headed along to yet another of our favourite moorings about an hour out of Braunston.  However, banks were full of moored boats but we managed to find a space and all afternoon boats were to tooing and froing ! Amazing when we remember how few boats we had encountered until we arrived at Fazeley Junction and from then on.

The evenings have really drawn in now and are getting steadily cooler but we were lucky enough to enjoy a lovely sunny evening on Sunday.

It must be Monday because yet again it is raining when we woke. It was about an hours journey to Wigrams Turn on this rather cool and damp morning .

When we return after the 5th October we will slowly make our way back to Fenny Marina where we will over winter as usual.

Hawkesbury Junction to Braunston

'And full grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; hedge crickets sing;'

Our journey from Hawkesbury Junction started very slowly with the pressure of water from the water point was little more than a dribble! It seemed to take ages but eventually the tank was sufficiently full yo last us for a few days at least.

Mystery of the demolished building 

by the stop lock at Hawkesbury 

With the sun shining we passed through the stop lock which takes us onto the Oxford Canal . Unfortunately we found ourselves behind two boats the first of them travelling very, very slowly. So, it was a rather tedious journey to Rugby. However, we found a mooring easily and Sid was able to purchase his 'Curerust' from Halfords,  apparently an essential part of his boat painting preparation!

We were also able to get a good TV signal which was most important as Strictly was due to start and since Jenny missed Bake Off on Wednesday due to not being able to get a signal Sid didn't want to disappoint this time.

Approaching Hillmorton middle lock

Saturday bought very strong winds so conditions were challenging on the water but we arrived safely at another of our favourite moorings,  just outside Braunston.

We enjoyed a pleasant stroll along the towpath and across the fields of sheep into the village during the afternoon . This incorporated a visit to Midland Chandlery where some yacht primer and a new chimney were purchased only to return to Hunters Moon to find out that the chimney was too small! Back to Midland Chandlery tomorrow! ! Hopefully we won't be needing the chimney just yet!

Polesworth to Hawkesbury Junction

'Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn among the river sallows,  borne aloft or sinking as the light wind lives and dies;'


Our ascent of the eleven locks into Atherstone was much smoother than the previous occasion, in fact it was quite sociable with boats coming down at convenient intervals and CRT volunteers helping to wards the top of the flight.

Sid's main aim of the day was to get the Springwood Haven Marina to visit their very well stocked Chandlery and to also about hiring their covered area for painting boats.  This is something that he has had in mind for a while and he would very much like to paint Hunters Moon himself. Enquiries made and some thinking to do so we found another lovely mooring a short way from the marina.

A day of no locks followed and the sun came through so we enjoyed a tranquil, easy journey to Hawkesbury Junction.

Nearing the top of the Atherstone flight

Busy, busy, busy!

'Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, while barred clouds bloom the soft dying day and touch the stubble- plains with rosy hue;'

It has come as a bit of a shock to be back on a very, very busy canal. We encountered a queue at the Glascote locks and travelled in a convoy for much of the morning. The boats travelling in the other direction were equally plentiful, msny if them being old working boats. A lunch stop to hopefully clear the line of boats was taken but no sooner did we set off again did we end up in another line!.

Still, the sun was shining today and we just plodded on!  Our aim was to get to a mooring that we had stayed at during the summer, where we knew it was quiet with just fields surrounding us, just outside Polesworth.

We arrived at said mooring and it was not long until we were joined by more boats and other boats continued to pass us in both directions until quite late.

Jenny's pretty frilly pansy!

Atherstone locks tomorrow and beyond.

Rain, rain, rain!,

'To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells with a sweet kernel; to set budding more, and still more, later flowers for the bees,  until they think warm days will never cease;'


Back in our waterproofs we worked our way through the 11 Cudworth locks in a miserable drizzle. After seeing so few boats on the past few days it was good to encounter more canal folk today, despite the inclement weather. The journey went well with most locks in our favour until we arrived at Lock 9. Here we were joined by a very excited black and white sherpdog. He seemed to just appear from nowhere!  He obviously had an issue with lock gates. He barked and danced about around the beam and made it very difficult to operate. He seemed totally crazy and no owner seemed to be about. Jenny eventually managed to open the top gate and Sid gingerly drove Hunters Moon into the lock.  We were both conceded for the dogs safety on the lock side. Boat in lock and now the struggle to close the top gate with  the barking, dancing, crazy dog making it rather a challenge!  Where was the owner of this irritating dog who obviously knew the lock procedure because he immediately ran down to the lower gate and started the same performance around that beam. Jenny was getting a bit fed up with this unhelpful dog.

As soon as the bottom gate was opened he ran down the towpath and waited for us to head his way before he made his way to the next lock and the same antics started all over again until Jenny spied another dog viewing the proceedings from the corner of the bridge, across the opposite side of the lock. It was dark brown and black and had the look of a rottweiler.  Jenny, who for those who don't know is not a dog lover,  in fact she is a little bit afraid of unknown dogs! This situation was not to her liking so she made her way slowly back towards Hunters Moon as she slowly approached the lock. As the new dog started to run towards the sheepdog, and Jenny, Jenny started to panic and was rather frightened by the situation and attempted to get on the boat  and out of harms way, which she did once Sid got the boat near the bank. In hindsight the the dogs just wanted to play but due to her fear of dogs reason went out of the window.  At least we were able to make our way through lock 10 without any further trouble as both dogs had disappeared along the towpath.

The rest of our rather damp journey was uneventful and we arrived at a very busy Fazeley Junction and managed to find a mooring amid the long line of moored boats.  So, this is where they have all been hiding!!

Cold, cold, cold!

'Conspiring with him how to load and bless with fruit the vines that round the thatch- eaves run;'


What a change of temperature! Today we have shivered in a very brisk northerly wind as we travelled from a beautiful, peaceful overnight mooring overlooking Rowington to Catherine De Barnes,  locally known as 'Catney', which lies just a couple of miles from Birmingham Airport.

We enjoyed some stunning if rather overcast views from the top of the 5 Knowle Locks.

Knowle Top Lock

Tomorrow will take us through the outskirts of Birmingham,  through Sparkbrook and Small Heath and on to Salford Junction, (under Spaghetti Junction), which takes us onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

Stockton

'Close - bosom friend of the maturing sun'

Should we, shouldn't we! That is the question!
We had taken the decision yesterday that we would have a rest day and a bimble through Warwick on Friday.  The day dawned wet, wet, wet and watched Sue and Richard depart for their ascent of the Hatton flight, remembering our first time up the 21 locks in the rain 3 years ago, and we're relieved that we had decided against it.

However, after a lazy morning, a visit to the office and a walk into to Warwick the sun started to come through so after several should we, shouldn't we conversations we decided to follow Beatrice up the Hatton flight after  we had had lunch.
So, the sun was shining and despite a very brisk breeze  we set out and two and three quarter hours  later ( sorry can't find the fractions on the tablet), we reached the top and treated ourselves to an ice cream!  No beer!

Stairway to heaven

The Hatton Flight

Nearly at the top!

We have still to decide whether to continue on the Warwickshire Ring or to turn round and return the way we have come!! The jury's out!

The edge of Birmingham

'To bend with apples the moss'd cottage trees, and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;'

Having left behind the rubbish filled waters of of the Birmingham canals we are moored this evening, in beautiful countryside, where our 'view from the kitchen' is just an expanse of harvested fields! We are near Curdworth on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Our journey today has proved fairly uneventful and we have encountered  just three boats! The single locks of Camp Hill and The Garrison are such a relief after those  big locks and heavy gates on the Grand Union. The first couple of hours from Catherine de Barnes was rather cold but the sun broke through in the late morning and we were soon enjoying a beautuful, sunny, Sunday afternoon.

The canals that pass through big cities seem to attract so much rubbish but we have never seen an armchair floating mid channel before! Quite a hazard!  And, much like railway cuttings and bridges the Canals seem to attract so much graffiti, some of it quite artistic and some just a mess. We encountered lots of it today especially through the Garrison Locks. These take us out of the centre of Birmingham to Salford Junction where the Grand Union meets  the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal right under Spaghetti Junction. An amazing piece of engineering and as cars and lorries speed overhead on the M6 this sleepy canal weaves it's  way,  hidden from the motorists beneath tons of concrete road and pillars.

M6 over the Grand Union over the River Tame

Which lane shall get in?

Rather soggy armchair!

Season of mist

'Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness' ( John Keats)

September was always one of Jenny's mum's favourite months and the 'Ode to Autumn' one of her favourite poems.

Waking to a very misty morning we were rather slow to get going!  However,  we were in need of disposing of a growing amount of rubbish on board, having enjoyed bbqs for the past few evenings, ( why is everything in such large packaging?), whilst we relaxed on the towpath, with a glass or two, watching the sun go down! Which is sadly happening earlier and earlier each day so we have been determined to make the most of it. It does get to feel quite damp just after the sun sets however!
We also needed to take on water and empty the toilet cassette so we had to move.

Much to our delight, as we approached the water point a boat was just departing and said they would wait for us at the Bascote staircase lock. Hooray, some company at last!
It was so good to share the locks with Richard and Sue on nb.'Beatrice'. A lovely name for a boat and one that brought back fond memories of our Nimbus days with good friends David and Janet.

We gradually descended the ten locks together, some of which looked amazing with the wonderful spider's webs festooned all around and doarkling with the morning dew, to Leamington Spa where we parted company, for us to visit Morrisons for a much needed top up of provisions and then a little further along to Lidl to top Sid up with some beers! Those long, languid evenings sitting on the bank had made a big hole in the reserves!

The sun didn't break through the mist until well after 12 o'clock and when it did it was very, very warm and rather humid.
Shopping done we decided to continue through Leamington Spa towards Warwick and hopefully find a mooring on the Saltisford Arm, where we have moored on previous ocassions.  Which we did, although a little unauthodox,  but were told it would be okay to moor in the winding hole!

Another pleasant bbq in the lovely surroundings in this little arm run by the Saltisford Canal Trust. And, another lovely sunset!

Hot, hot, hot!

We woke to a lovely misty, moisty, September morning with the sun breaking through the hazy cloud. By the time we left our mooring the sun was getting hot and as we travelled from the Oxford Canal onto the Grand Union the temperature was beginning to rise.

We were joined in the three Calcutt locks by a chap who used to moor in Fenny Marina, in the time of Pat! He now moors in Calcutt Marina so we soon parted company. Then we became 'Billy no mates'. Hoping to have some company through the Stockton Locks proved futile! We didn't see another boat until the last lock! Where had everyone gone from the past couple of days.?!

However, we got to the bottom lock in good time considering the heat and are now rewarding ourselves with a much deserved beer in the Two Boats at Long Itchington.  A beautiful glass of Youngs!

Calcutt Locks

Autumn cruise

Back on board

September finds us back on board for an autumn cruise although having just heard the weather forecast it looks like we might be heading back into summer for a few days.

Since our last post which found us back in Fenny Marina in July amid some lovely summer warmth and sunshine we have spent an emotional August and early September at home where the summer continued hot and dry, as I predicted having seen all the signs in nature during the spring!

We are heading towards Birmingham this time but really are just so happy to be on the water so won't be hurrying anywhere.
We had a day cruise yesterday in the sunshine with Rachel and Lee and were able to enjoy a rather long and lazy bbq lunch on the towpath. The day ended up in the Wharf Inn, Fenny Compton, where Rachel and Lee tried to tackle a 'Cookie Monster' for dessert. It beat them even with a bit of help from us. This was their first, brief introduction to life on board a narrowboat and we think they enjoyed it. We certainly enjoyed having them on board as we do when anyone comes to find us on our travels.

Lee lock wheeling

Rachel enjoying the sunshine 

Lee and Rachel relaxing with some bubbly

Sunny Tuesday.

The forecast was right and we woke to a brilliant, sunny, hot morning. Most unusual for this time of year. Ahead of us was the Napton flight, a pleasant breeze was blowing keeping the temperature just right. No queue at Top Lock which was surprising because the Oxford Canal is extremely busy, especially with hire boats at the moment. Our usually quiet mooring on Monday night was full up by the time evening drew in.

Having thought we would be down the 9 locks in good time for a lunch stop it was with dismay that we were caught behind a hire bought with four ladies on board, all pensioners, as I was to find out, and all with 'ailments', I was too polite to ask what kind of ailments. The problem was they were very, very slow going into locks, working the locks and departing the lock. No great problem,  we were not in a hurry BUT they left gates open and  left paddles up and after a while this can get wearisome. At one lock we caught up with them and Jenny had a chat with the helmswoman, which is how we found out about the 'ailments'! She also discovered that they were not really enjoying their experience and we're heading home early. They had not realised what hard work it was going to be, they thought 66ft was too big for them, they got soaked last Saturday. What a tale of woe?!
I didn't like to say that we too were pensioners and manage all the locks with just the two of us! Well, horses for courses and thank goodness we don't all like the same things!

Sheep on the towpath! 

Anyway, it took us two and a half hours to get through the locks which normally take  about an hour less! Heigh ho, that's boating for you.

We are now moored at yet another of our favourite places along this stretch of water, where once again it is very busy.

Another hot day forecast for tomorrow and the large Grand Union Locks await us! Let's hope we have some company to share the work.

Wildlife and animals along the way

Grey squirrel 

Baby rabbit

Alpaca

Sleeping sheep

Hillside horses

How did he get there?!

Home Again

We seem to be coming home rather a lot thus year! However,  we had a good last few days on board with the sun coming through and warming things up a bit although the persistent wind was still a nuisance.

All Saints Church in the sunshine

We arrived just outside Braunston on Saturday and we're therefore able to go to All Saints on Sunday morning and received the normal warm welcome.  Our good friends Sue and Pete were going to meet us for lunch in The Old Plough, which is just along the road from the church.  It was so good to catch uo with them and we enjoyed an excellent roast lunch followed by a stroll in the warm sunshine back to Hunters Moon.

Sue and Pete feeding the ducks from Hunters Moon

It was so lovely that we decided to move the boat into Braunston together with Sue and Pete so they only had a short walk back to their car. A pleasant little journey .

After saying cheerio to our friends we then had a beautiful evening cruise to another of our favourite moorings where we watched a stunning sunset on a warm, still evening. Summer at last??!!

We moved into Wigwams Turn Marina on Monday morning where we had arranged to moor Hunters Moon for a couple of weeks whilst we settle Jenny's mum into her nursing home, sort out her house and get it fit for putting on the market and also for Sid to get to the dentist, having lost part of a tooth, and investigate further treatment to sort his heart out.

We are not sure  how the rest of our summer will pan out yet so thus may be our last post for a while but we will resume when our travels resume.

Moving into 'high summer'!

Well, as June moves into July we are still wearing our fleeces, the skies are full of rain threatening clouds, the wind is chilly and gusty and for a couple of evenings recently we have had the stove fired up to dry us out and warm us up. I suppose we are past the longest day and soon we will notice the nights drawing in!

Wild Orchids at Hilmorton Locks 

The fields of yellow during May have turned green and some are sprinkled with bright red poppies. Some fields have been taken over by poppies and create a breathtaking  and moving sight.
The blossom, so beautiful and abundant last month, has almost disappeared from the hedgerows now with the exception of the blackberries. elderflowers and wild roses. We should be in for a bumper crop of berries and hips this year.  The green canal side look as though they are waiting to be brushed with summer colour.

                        
                               Double Rainbow over the Oxford Canal

After all the recent heavy rain the towpaths are very, very muddy especially where they are shaded from the small glimpses of sunshine on offer.

Atherstone Flight

Not one of our best journeys!  We climbed the flight in the pouring rain, all the way up the 11 locks behind two single handers. One of these, the one at the front, was very, very slow , nothing wrong with that but in the rain it just gets wearing!  The other chap was poetry in motion the way he stepped off his moving boat whilst entering locks and the way he moved about the lock and stepped back onto his boat as he left each lock. Jenny felt positively slow and plodding in comparison.

However, at one lock the board on the top gate, used for crossing the gate, was missing, which could have caused a bit of a problem for Jenny , her legs are too little to step across the bottom gates when opening them, but Super Sid came to the rescue by stepping from Hunters Moon whilst she was moving into the lock, so he could close one of the lower gates. That too was poetry in motion but we should not be surprised because he has been known to be nimble on his feet in the past!

The flight, which normally takes a couple of hours, took us 4 hours! The final three locks wee manned by volunteers. They were a very welcome sight!

Stopped for lunch, fed up and wet and cold. Flaming June!! Not here!

Decided to call it a day, find a pub and get back in touch with the world!

Rain across Atherstone flight. 

Jenny's Predictions

Whatever happened to the good summer Jenny forecast earlier in our trip. All the signs pointed towards it but so far  it was as useless as the Met Office forecasts!

The past couple of days have bought challenging, cold northwesterly winds with rain threatening.. However, we have managed to stay dry with rain coming in the evening and overnight.

We are pressing on with our return journey having now reached Fazeley Junction, near Tamworth.

We had an unnerving incident with a hire boat yesterday when the helmsman lost control and smashed into us! The lady on board apologised, the bloke steering said he couldn't control the boat and the third person on board said it was all our fault!  When the crash happened Jenny was inside making tea. The jolt sent a shudder right through the boat and the noise was startling.  Plates rattled, glasses chinned and Jenny wondered what on earth was happening! We were both okay as we're the folk on the hire boat which was the most important thing. Then we went on are way shaken but not stirred!

Tuesday 28 June
We left  our mooring at Fazeley early to visit the facilities to dispose of rubbish, empty, cassettes and fill with water. We then managed to get to near the bottom lock at Atherstone before the heavens opened and decided to call it a day.

Back on Board

Saturday morning

We have had an eventful and emotional week back in Chichester and have now returned to Great Haywood Marina to complete are rather curtailed travels by retracing our outward journey.
Whilst back in Chichester we managed to catch up with children and grandchildren, visit the nursing home that we hope Jenny's mum can move into, Sid had his Consultant appointment, which was a little worrying but enabled him to acquire yet another gadget, (recommended by his consultant), and we had a meeting with the manager of the Kings Lodge Nursing Home to assess Jenny's mum's needs when she moves there. Quite emotional!

 Then to end the week the result of the referendum, which stunned everyone but we are lucky enough to live in a democtratic country and it is what it is and I am sure  after a period of challenging adjustment the UK will emerge changed but still a 'Great' country.

We left Great Haywood this morning in bright sunshine and soon found a queue at  the first lock. This was soon worked through by the four women who had gathered there from boats travelling up and down through the lock whilst setting the world and our respective travelling companions to rights!

We have found a pleasant mooring for lunch just outside  of Rugeley and feeling rather jaded still and with rain threatening we have decided to stay put!

As we moored Sid made another friend, Roy, who introduced himself after congratulating Sid on his 'boatman's hitch'. " Your the only other person, apart from me, who I've ever seen doing that". Once again, what can I say?

What's this in the water?

A Good Samaritan had tied this huge tree trunk to the side of the canal to keep it out of fellow boaters way! Too heavy to  pull out of the water!

Tixall Wide

Today we have passed the results of the enormous amount of rain that the Midlands has experienced recently.  Flooded fields after field where it is difficult to distinguish the river amongst all the water!

After a long day, to make up for lost time with trees across the canal etc we arrived at Tixall wide.

View from our Tixall Wide mooring 

This is a remarkable stretch of canal where the water is as wide as the Thames and the surrounding countryside is stunning. We had noted it on our way through earlier in our journey  and thought what a beautiful mooring, away from the motorways and railway, on the edge of the Shugborough estate. But, sadly, although it would have been the perfect place to spread out onto the towpath to enjoy a bbq in long June evening, it is absolutely hammering down with rain and our solar light has illuminated at 4.30 in the afternoon!

So much for the good summer Jenny forecast!

Hunters Moon is going into Great Haywood Marina for a rest whilst we return to Chi.