Tuesday 4th December 2018



We went up to Braunston village first thing, to stock up on shopping and to visit the butchers for our frozen meat order. People are getting to know us, were disappointed to hear we were leaving and wished us well. We have come to feel quite at home here.

It had been a very cold morning. The area surrounding the canal was all white with a hard frost and mist rising from the water. The canal is downhill from the village in a dip. From the village, the hills opposite were in clear sunshine and yet there was a blanket of mist in the dip in between along the canal. A lovely scene.

I called in to see Karen at Tradline, showed off my Turks Head knots and bought more rope. I was chuffed with her reaction, very enthusiastic and she has been a real help.

The ropes were completely frozen to the roof when we came to leave, they had to be prized off and were like iron bars using them. After watering up and emptying the loo, we called into Midland Chandlers for tiles for the roof to rest bags of coal on, and then left Braunston.

It was nice to be moving again. I was worried in case I had forgotten how to steer a boat it seems so long.

We covered old ground up the North Oxford Canal towards Hawkesbury Junction. We intend to go onto the Ashby Canal and get to Market Bosworth for Friday, meeting up with Martin and Shelley on Saturday. Market Bosworth is about 40 miles from Braunston by canal. At 3mph it will take 3 days and we have been looking forward to doing some steaming.

We moored in Rugby ready to visit a DIY shop for some bits and pieces tomorrow morning. First impressions of Rugby, a busy road beside us and a lot of boy racers.



Weather: a hard frost this morning. A very cold, clear day. No wind.



Day Total: 3 locks; 9 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 10.3 

                           (including running for hot water and manoeuvring in and out of Braunston marina)                                                                               

Overall Total: 322 locks; 588 miles; 25 tunnels; 4 Swing Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 366.2

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