nb Bridge Street

Tuesday 30 th October 2018 We were up at 5:40 ready for an early run into Coventry. We pulled the boat down and across the canal to the water point so as not to wake anybody. After watering, we set off for the 5 mile run. It turned out to be easy going and we only saw a handful of people. There are a few really tight bends and awkward bridge holes. The housing in quite a few areas would suggest it was sensible to have done an early run. Better safe than sorry. The original junction between the Oxford and Coventry Canals was at Longford, a mile further down the canal from the present junction at Hawkesbury. There was a dispute between the two canal companies over tolls. The two canals actually ran side by side until the junction was moved to Hawkesbury. The bed of the Oxford Canal can still be seen and, at Longford, the canal widens where the junction used to be.           ...

Monday 29 th October 2018 We stopped where we were at Hawkesbury Junction. The day started out with a very hard frost. The winter seems to have come suddenly. The fire had gone out overnight and it was very cold to start. Despite this, in the afternoon, I was painting outside in a t-shirt.                                          Hawkesbury Junction, Coventry Canal left, Oxford Canal right                                                                                                                                        ...

Sunday 28 th October 2018 After a leisurely breakfast we set off just before 10am to time our arrival at Hawkesbury Junction for about noon when boats that were going to move, would have done. After yesterday’s cold and rain, it was a lovely bright day. We quietly passed under the M6 just to the west of junction 2. Again, we had a main line railway line right next to us. It always amuses, that we quietly slip by when the trains fly past and the motorways are roaring away. Although there was an occasional train passing by, we cruised through some lovely countryside before coming upon Ansty and passing under the M69 motorway, which was very noisy. There are a couple of very tight bends in the canal around Ansty. Another mile brought the canal and the M6 right alongside each other for almost a mile, although the motorway was in a dip so was not too intrusive. Approaching the M6 with   the main-linerailway in the distance ...

Saturday 27 th October 2018 Just leaving Braunston yesterday, we passed onto the Oxford Canal and within a mile passed from Northamptonshire into Warwickshire. Last night was a lovely full moon, clear star-lit night. But this morning the roof and everything on it was full of frost and ice, including the ropes. It was very cold and the prospect of handling frozen ropes, not a nice one. We left at 8:30 and cruised over well-known ground. However, just beyond the M45 motorway we came across another new marina, another big one, at Barby. We then passed Hillmorton Marina where our Challenger boat was fitted out and based for her first 18 months. Then followed Hillmorton Locks. A set of three, paired locks. And narrow locks at last, they are so much easier all round. Easy to steer into, the gates and paddles are generally easier and passage through them is quicker.   Beyond Hillmorton i...

Friday 26 th October 2018 Today was a very busy day with a lot of short moves for one thing and another. I was awake early again. Took Harvey for a walk just as the dark was fading. We went along the towpath but, as he does, he wandered over the bridge towards the pub. The farmers’ wife stopped her jeep on the bridge ranting about him not being on a lead. Apparently the ewes in the field opposite were just about to lamb and she had already lost a number due to dogs worrying them. I serviced the engine. Oil and filter, gearbox oil, air filter and fuel filter. Then had another visit to the chandler but they had little of what I was looking for. We then moved down through the last two Braunston locks, moored beside the marina and walked into the village for shopping, including the excellent butcher. We then moved again, less than a hundred yards to the water point only to find a boat moored on the service point. After about 15 minutes the owner, a young girl travelling...

Thursday 25 th October 2018 I had wanted to do a few jobs before leaving for Braunston, one being to scrub the front of the roof. No sooner had I offloaded all the coal, logs and tools when a CRT guy turned up and asked us to leave as they were resurfacing the towpath. Everything was reloaded and we set off and soon came upon the tunnel. The boat gets a hell of a battering passing through these wide two way tunnels. We met three boats coming in the opposite direction. It is impossible not the touch the sidewalls and, once the other boat has passed, it is very difficult to get off the wall, suction takes over. It is also difficult to judge distances and to sometimes work out what is approaching or happening ahead. This was compounded when we met the third boat. We obviously had a boat ahead of us travelling in the same direction, but he suddenly seemed to be right across the tunnel. Then a weak, intermittent light kept shining towards us, but then going out. There was shou...

We are headed into Braunston again for a few days. There is no internet connection here so there will be no blogs until we leave en-route to Coventry.

Wednesday 24 th October 2018 I was awake very early and took Harvey out in the dark and posted some postcards. With almost 12 lock-free miles ahead of us, I left Brenda in bed and set off at 7:15 as soon as there was enough light. Retracing our steps back towards Braunston, passed Gayton Junction and all the moored boats, we made reasonable time. Brenda brought out bacon grill sandwiches just before Bugbrooke and we stopped at Stowehill for water. We passed through Weedon and again, came upon the massive, new bridge being constructed. Apparently, it is a by-pass for the A45 around the two small villages of Weedon and Flores which were suffering traffic congestion. Northamptonshire County Council were £3 million short of the project but went ahead anyway. And then went bust! We had the railway running close beside us for a number of miles but, at Brockhall, the M1 motorway comes alongside the canal oppo...

Tuesday 23 rd October 2018 Last night when we were in the Boat Inn having our dinner, Brenda suddenly started to get a lump on the right side of her neck that just got bigger, eventually sticking out further than her ear. It was really painful for her but disappeared as quickly as it appeared and was completely gone by the time we got back to the boat. While she is better today, she has felt grotty all day and hasn’t felt up to doing anything. It was a wake-up call though, as to how vulnerable we can be if one of us becomes sick. Brenda would be a lot more prepared for this than myself. She always googles for local surgeries wherever we are. We had reached the limit of our allowed stay in Stoke Breune so had to leave. I first went up to the locks and found Sister Mary’s gravestone. She is buried in nearby Roade churchyard but her gravestone was threatened with destruction when the site changed ownership and function. The new owners, recognising its significance, gifted...

Monday 22 nd October 2018 We had a bit of a lay-in. Thanks Harvey. After breakfast we walked to the tunnel entrance and carried on up the footpath towards Blisworth that the boat people would have followed when walking their horses over. Quite atmospheric when you think of all the kids, as young as 4 years, walking a horse over, on their own, in the middle of nowhere. It was a lovely day and we feel quite privileged to have so much different countryside to walk in every day. We found one of the tunnel ventilation shafts sitting in a field. A circular, brick built structure about 8 foot in diameter and 8-foot high.       We returned to the boat and Brenda cut my hair. She does it with me sitting on the coffee table on the rear deck with no shirt on. While I was sitting there waiting for Brenda to come out and start, a woman walked passed. Her face was a picture. Seen from her persp...