Back on board

We returned to Hunters Moon on Thursday, exhausted but very pleased to report that Emily is now well on the road to recovery!

Today has been a very strange day. Having decided to go north for a bit to explore the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal we returned down the Marsworth flight of seven locks which bought us to the junction by lunchtime. We didn't fancy doing all 16 locks of the Aylesbury Arm in one go so planned to moor between locks 8 and 9 then to do the rest on Saturday morning. Best laid plans and all that!

Well, when got through lock 8 we noticed the water was very, very low and some kindly walkers informed us that there was problem at lock 9 - a very bad leak! A notice on the lock said because of the leak, due to a damaged cill on the bottom hates the lock was locked and would be manned for opening at 9.00, 12.00 and 3.00pm. It was 2.50 so we decided to wait. Two burley chaps duely turned up! They proceeded to try to fill the lock but there was nearly as much water pouring from the lower gates as there was going in. When the water was inches from the top they heaved and heaved and pushed and pushed and nearly hurt themselves to get the top gate open. They managed to get it open! Hooray we thought! We then progressed down this lock and proceeded to the next.

Another CRT chap greeted us at the next lock with the news that because the damage was so bad and the leak so severe that it had been decided to close the whole of the Aylesbury Arm until lock 9 was repaired!

We are therefore trapped along with a few other boats at Aylesbury. However, we have Waitrose on our doorstep and are only a short walk from the town centre! There is water and refuse disposal and chemical toilet disposal facilities in the newly refurbished basin! At least we are not stuck in the middle of nowhere!

We are hoping to catch up with friends whilst in this area and to explore a bit so we don't mind being stuck for a while but hope it is not too long!!!

Watch this space!

Hunters Moon moored in the new Aylesbury Basin

Waterside Theatre, Waitrose and a Travelodge in the background.

Sid and Ronnie Barker in Aylesbury

Sunny Sunday

Home on Monday to look after a spotty granddaughter!

We spent a very wet Saturday on aA  couple of buses to take us from Bulbourne Junction to Milton Keynes via Aylesbury to pick up the car and then deposit it at Cowroast Marina ready for our return to Chi for a couple of days.

Proud family

Sid found a new car while waiting for a bus in Aylesbury!

Online Again at last!

Well, we are back on board but have not been anywhere with a signal so this is a brief update of where we hav been and wee will fill in greater detail later.

Back on board on Saturday on glorious, hot sunshine.
Sunday: once again moored at Campbell Park. Out for the day on bikes exploring Milton Keynes. We found it a fascinating place.
Monday: turned round and made our way to Fenny Stratford, the nearest mooring for Bletchley.
Tuesday: Cycled to Bletchley Park and had a brilliant and most informative day. An excellent place to visit. Highly recommended!
Phone call from Janice, Emily has chickenpox!
Wednesday: Continued our journey to Leighton Buzzard.
Thursday: Overcast and rain threatening so we had a look around the very pleasant market town, did a bit of window shopping and returned to boat just as it started raining. THEN the thunderstorms began! And what a storm it was, reminiscent of our French trip!

Now, in a very nice pub, the Grove Lock at Grove lock a little way out of Leighton Buzzard. We needed the walk!! A very nice drop of London Pride as well!!

Jenny at the Peace Pagoda, Milton Keynes

(Note the shorts got an airing)

Sid at the same place and he had his shorts on but we decided that was a sight you will have to wait for!

A Leighton Buzzard oddity, of which there are many!

Milton Keynes

The Stoke locks took an age thanks to two boats in front of us who decided that they would not close the bottom gates on the last five locks. This is very uncurteous and Jenny became a grumpy old woman who had definitely lost her sense of humour. We were delayed further at the bottom lock, where some CRT chaps were trying to pressure wash the gates. Unfortunately for them the full lock was overspilling. They asked us to go into the lock and then open one of the bottom paddles just  little, then to close it again. This allowed them to do the the outside of the closed bottom gates. When this was done, some 25 minutes later we were able to empty the whole lock and proceed. Sadly, for the boats behind us the CRT pressure washers then informed them that the would be 45 minutes to an hour doing the inside.

Whilst waiting Jenny was busy taking photos and watching the workers whilst Sid and boat sat in a three quarter filled lock. It was a strange sight which warranted some photos!  Jenny was asked, rather brusquely, by one of the chaps to stop taking photos. We wondered why this might be!!! What didn't they want on film??!!  We decided to insert one anyway!

CRT workers pressure hosing the lock gates

On to Cosgrove in warm sunshine, which was most welcome having started the day in rain! We took a short walk through the 'horse tunnel' which took us to the Barley Now where we just had to enter in order to ensure the quality of their ale was up to standard. It was! However, no wifi again!

Both ends of the Horse Tunnel at Cosgrove

It was a beautiful evening with sound of church bells ringing across the fields and at last a lovely sunset!

Next day we continued on our way towards Milton Keynes.  

Hunters Moon is now moored in Milton Keynes Marina while we have a very brief visit home.  We are looking after Emily on Friday and after tidying the garden, sorting the post, catching up with a few bits and pieces and visiting Jenny's mum we will return to MK on Saturday and resume our trip.  We hope to spend a few days in and around MK to explore and also to visit Bletchley Park so our next post may well be in code!

Sorry Matt and Wendy we almost forgot to say a big THANK YOU for collecting us at MK Marina and taking us to Fenny Compton to collect the car.  If these knights in shining armour had not offered us a lift it was going to take us nearly 5 hours to get to Fenny by public transport.  It was good to catch up with them after their honeymoon and share some time with them.

The next photo is especially for Pete and Sara:  This is the New Inn at New Bardswell which is the pub that has a parrot!  Sadly, we did not visit it to check!

Stoke Bruerne

Another very challenging few hours on the water bought us through Blisworth Tunnel (the third longest on the system) to Stoke Bruerne, a centre piece of canal history. The canal museum is full of interesting facts, figure and general can information and history.

Having come through here last summer when there were several CRT Volunteers helping with the locks it was a bit disappointing when the only volunteer we encountered was one who materialised from nowhere to take a photo of our boat and her details as we moored up to ensure we didn't over stay our welcome! Hey ho!

Picturesque and historic Stoke Bruerne

on a very windy day

A slow start on Saturday

Sid and Jenny woke to the sounds of the nearby railway and wind rushing through the trees! The very strong winds that halted us early yesterday had not abated so we were in two minds about venturing further, so we had very lazy, slow start.

We were both a bit low and down in the dumps when suddenly the mobile rang and on the other end was our little Emily. She can now speak into the phone and say hello Nana and hello Gandad, which is lovely. She has known for a while that we live inside the phone!!! She always says Nana and Gandad in there!! So, we had a chat and we also spoke to Janice!! We both got a lovely bye bye from Emily and felt much brighter.

This helped us to make the decision to move and see how we got on.  An hour down the cut and we gave up! The wind was dangerous and had not long moored up before a boat came along and was blown right into the back of us! We had obviously made the right decision!

Hence we find ourselves enjoying an afternoon drop of very fine ale in the convenient pub opposite our mooring in Bugbrooke.

Jenny has spent the early afternoon downloading some photos! Here are a few.

Jenny lock wheeling in the rain at Watford Locks

Sid wanted one this size at the top of Foxton Locks!

Made it to the top of Foxton in the sunshine

Sid in the sunshine!

Pete, the happy helmsman!

CRT Volunteers

We have once again received nothing but help and kindness from the friendly CRT Volunteers during our trip. These lovely people give a day (and sometimes more) of their time to aid and assist boaters along the cut, usually at flights and staircases of locks. We are always delighted to see them, always recognisable by their blue sweatshirts and life jackets, because an extra pair of competent hands is very welcome. They always show an interest in our travels and often impart useful information. Must are boat owners or used to be but some just have an interest in our amazing inland waterways systems.

Jenny and Andy at Foxton Locks

A rather wet John at Watford Locks!