Connection at last

On previous visits to Braunston I have never been able to get a 3g signal for my lap top so spent ages while we were at Hilmorton catching up on emails etc. But blow me down (or words to that effect) since we arrived here I havent had a problem getting a signal, ok sometimes it is only a weak signal and everything is slow but at least I can get out.

We are well into catching the bus now as we paid Daventry a visit, it's only 10 mins from the marina here so we are going again tomorrow to go to Tesco to top up, only a small shop for now as our friends are joining us here on the 12th so I will have to shop again for when they arrive. Daventry is a nice place with everything you need we even found a nice cafe where Paul got a breakfast for £3. I got a bus timetable from Braunston P.O.

While here we met up again with John and Paula on Taurean (first met them in Rugby) spent a nice evening with them last night in the Wheatsheaf having a chinese and listening to the live group. Transpires they had a pub in Faversham which is about 5 miles from our home village of Lower Halstow. They have just passed us as they are off to Warwick needless to say it is lashing it down so their journey will be a wet one.

On the day we arrived here we got to the place where we usually moor at the start of the Oxford was just mooring up and getting the board out when a guy on a boat up the way proceeded to empty his cassette down the grass bank we couldnt believe what we were seeing, he wasnt even being a bit discreet about what he was doing and there were loads of boats going past but he didnt seem to care. Just too idle to walk to the disposal point. What was so amazing was he had gone past the sanitary station to get moored up. What is it with some people, needless to say after about 10 mins he was off again on his travels.

Tea for Two

For my birthday in February you know the one where us girls get a pittance from the state, can travel on buses for nothing and get cheap rail fares. (Paul has to wait a while to get his perks!!!!) l my daughter gave me a voucher for "Tea for two at the Ritz" up until now I have kept putting off booking it (you cant just turn up) so while we have been here at Hilmorton and I have a signal on the laptop I thought I would go for it

I had decided on a date in October so into the web site I went putting in all the relevant information and bugger me if they were fully booked for that date at all times during the day I tried a couple of alternatives and these too were full. In the end I settled for the first Monday in October at 5.30. Paul is staying on the boat (not his scene) so I am going to spend the weekend with Jess and she is going to partake of tea with me. We will have a good day in London and I CANT WAIT.

Hireboaters!!!

coming back from the chandlery at Hilmorton this afternoon and there was a hireboat coming out of the middle lock. Dad on the tiller son doing the locks well son couldnt be arsed to walk round to shut both gates so just left them open. Paul was livid we shut the gates with Paul hurling abuse at the two of them did, they care did they b******s. Why dont the hireboat companies explain why the locks should be left with the gates shut. Perhaps they do and these people just dont give a toss I dont know ,it just makes me so mad.

haircut

We are now at Hilmorton will spend a few days here, until after the bank holiday at least. I have been desperate to get my hairdone for I dont know how long so once we got here I was going to find a hairdressers. I looked on the internet and I found 2 so hopefully I would be able to get an appointment. I set off on the walk to the village which if I remembered rightly was all up hill, so after half an hour and nothing seemed familiar I knew I had gone wrong somewhere. So I decided to take the next turning on the left which lo and behold took me onto the road I was looking for I even found an Aldi walking through the village there was a pub The Red Lion which does Sunday lunches for £4.95 not bad I thought will mention it to Paul when I get back. Also found the Post Office and the Co-Op and yipee a hairdressers made an appointment and returned to the boat the correct way so it only took me 20 mins not the 45 on the way out.

Got to the hairdressers with time to spare it suddenly dawned on me they hadnt asked for a name when I made the appointment still Im sure they couldnt forget the wind swept women from the day before. I was really looking forward to having my hair done nice cut and blow dry. how wrong can you be. I should have realised when I walked in the shop every customer had a blue rinse and has rollers in and they were all of a certain age, alright so I am 60 but I definaetly dont have a blue rinse and I cant remember when I last went to the hairdressers and had rollers put in and then sat under the dryer. I wasnt afforded even that luxury I was gowned up sat down asked what I wanted then my hair was duly cut. No wash no blow dry no nothing. Now dont get me wrong the lady was very nice and she chatted all the time she was cutting my hair and the place was clean and I suppose the best bit was it only cost me £6.50, but my morning of being pampered just didnt materialise obviously they do thing differently in this neck of the woods. On my way back to the boat by yet another route I came upon another pub that has a steak night on a Thursday 2 sirloin or rump for £20 with wine or 2 fillet £25 wine. So on my return to the boat suggested Sunday lunch but cant do that as the Grand Prix is on!!!!!!!!! What about a steak? can't remember the excuse for that one so it looks like egg and chips tonight.
Still onceI had washed my hair it looked ok so all is not lost. Weather is crap again but who cares.

Busy Busy Busy

We made it to Rugby Thursday and seem to have been busy ever since. We have done the shop at Tesco, Paul went to Wickes and bought himself a new drill and sander. Friday we caught a bus to Rugby havent been on a bus for years, went to Argos got some more bookshelves (thats a job for later).

Paul came up with the idea of making a box for the top of the boat so off he went with tape, paper and pen did his drawing then it was off (again) to wickes for the bits to make said box. Paul doesnt hang about when he has an idea. 2 hours after returning with woods & screws etc box was made ready to be undercoated. Good job the tow path here is wide, box was given 2 coats of under coat, then off he went again this time to Homebase to get cover for top of box. When he came back it was to inform me that I had to get out the sewing machine as there were a couple of alterations to be made to the cover. Couple of alterations involved taking the thing apart then re making it. Today the box has so far had one top coat another one after Moto GP (if first coat is dry of course). Just have to buy eyelets for the cover then thats that job done. And we might even get a red and a cream stripe on the box so it matches paint work on the boat watch this space.

Had a chat with Lawrence and Pat from Lady Rose about time we caught up with them, as every time we have seen the boat they have not been aboard. Its nice to catch up with people you know to find out what they have been up to.

Have planned to stay here till Wednesday then head onto Hillmorton, I desperately need a visit to the hairdressers have looked on the internet and there are a couple in Hillmorton so will have to get the barnet sorted.

Are we mad!!!!

Today we left Hawkesbury in relatively calm weather wetties on just in case. Through the stop lock and onto the Oxford weather still ok so wetties off, wrong move, 5 minutes later I was running around like a headless chicken putting wetties back on getting the dogs off the back into the boat (nothing smells worse than a damp dog, well Pauls socks come a close second). The rain was really hammering down, there were 4 boats in a line and endless boats coming the other way and as each boat passes you smile and say "Hello" as if it is the most normal thing in the world to be on the back of a boat in the pouring rain. I can understand hire boaters having to be back at a certain time but us, we could have just pulled over and moored up are we mad or what. We eventually threw in the towel at 2pm moored up just past bridge 34. It is a good job we have putting the canopy up down to a fine art we just about managed it before the heavens opened again and there was thunder and lightening, quite exciting really.

Will get to Rugby tomorrow Paul has a list of bits to buy so he will be busy for a few days. He is fishing again but he cant be that lucky to catch something 2 days on the trot, it is normally more like one every 2 weeks. Is he doing something wrong I ask myself.

Wot a little beauty

After writing yesterday blow me if this morning while it was lashing down Paul saw some fish movement so fishing gear was set up. It was 8.30 in the morning and luckily because of the weather there were no boats about. Once the bait (just bread) had been taken it took Paul about 15 mins to reel the fish in. As you can imagine Paul was over the moon he was all for staying put but the weather improved and we are now moored up at Hawkesbury have been to The Greyhound for lunch no doubt he will be dangling his rod again this evening.

10th August

Have spent the last 4 days on the Ashby and are moored up for the night by bridge 13 on our journey back to Hawesbury Junction. Must admit have been a little dissapointed with the Ashby but did enjoy the peace and quiet. We now have to spend about 4 weeks going here and there before our friends Steve and Angelique arrive on 12th Sept to spend a week with us. Will be lovely to see them again as they are real good mates. Paul and Steve both had Goldwings, we took ours to Spain Steve sold his and is now a BMW bike owner. I think while we are killing time we may pop up to Warwick but nothing is set in stone as no sooner have I made plans we decide to do something different. We will be stopping in Rugby so looks like a big shop at Tesco and a visit to Homebase is on the cards.

Paul has had no luck with the fishing while being on the Ashby so has been a bit disheartened but I'm sure once we are back on the Oxford his luck will change. At least we have had one whole day without rain. Since we have been moored up we have been invaded by wasps dont know if we have a nest somewhere. The dogs think the wasps are fair game and should be chased not a good idea. Paul has looked in all the obvious places with no joy will just have to see if any more appear. Failing that I will just have to get the dogs off the boat and spray that way I will hopefully kill the little blighters.

Now it's raining

On our journey from Alvecote we moored up near Bonehill Road bridge tramped through a footpath to a large retail park where there was a huge Asda so we were able to get supplies to keep us going for a few days then it was on to Hopwas where we would spend the weekend. We were lucky enough to get a nice mooring just 5 mins walk from the pub and as usual this would be our weekend stop over. Went to the pub (The Tame Otter) for our evening meal the food was good. As the pub is right on the canal and has a large garden it is very popular with families, and because the weather was lovely as well the place was heaving. We decided to eat inside as there were more empty tables. On the other side of the canal is Th Red Lion which has more facilties for children (climbing Frame etc.) We met some new people over the weekend nb Georgeana and nb Pereleka. Paul managed to take advantage of the good weather and painted the scratches yet again. On Monday we planned to call into Streathay to enquire about having the boat stretched but the guy we needed to speak to wasnt available so we decided to go onto Fradley Junction to turn round. There was about 5 of us in a line going up to the junction most boats Iv'e seen together for a long time. We turned the boat round filled up with water then found ourselves a mooring for the night then it was off to the pub for a swift mid afternoon half. Tuesday it was back to Streathay the guy was very helpful explaining how the stretch would take place (we just wanted and extra 4foot in the cratch to give us and the dogs more outside space) what we assumed would be a failrly simply process turns out to be a complex one. The inside of the boat for about 8 foot would be disrupted with the fire being taken out along with the fixed cupboards and wall panelling. Yes we know the boat yard will do a good job as we have seen their work but did we really want all that upheaval. Straight answer to that is no, so we wont be having her stretched. The inside of this boat is fine we may make a few minor alterations like adding another bookcase and we would like to change the pulman dinette to an L shaped one but these are jobs for the winter.
So now it was back down the Coventry, we had a couple of nights at Alvecote as the weather changed then on Friday we continued to Polesworth where we did a top up shop then on to a nice mooring near bridge 50 where we stayed for the weekend. Paul was fishing as usual and had been Friday and Saturday evening with nothing to show for it (now theres a surprise). However he decided to give it one last try on Sunday evening while he was waiting for something to take his bait he was farting about in the engine bay. All of a sudden the rod sprung into life fell off the side and hit him on the back of the head, by this time the rod was like cupids bow. He is shouting for me to come up the back of the boat and help with the net. This fish was taking the line so quickly Paul said "what the hell have I got on here" or words that effect. After playing the fish for about 5 or 6 minutes he seemed to be making some sort of headway. The fish surfaced about 30 yards away it was then we saw the size of this fish it was like a dustbin lid (fishermans term!!!!) with that it gave a flip of its tail snapped the line and escaped in to the murky waters of the Coventry canal and dissapeared into the sunset. By this time his brand new float was making its own way down the canal with Paul in hot pursuit with the net trying to retrieve it which he did. As you can imagine he was not a happy bunny and sulked all evening.
Monday morning we had to face 11 locks we had planned just to do the first 2 moor up then carry on the next day but we thought lets go for it and we were so lucky as at every lock we met someone coming out so it made so much easier. Last but one lock hire boat was coming down as we left our lock they could see us so I left the gate open for them and they closed the gates for me "Bless" I was going to have a word explaining the etiquette of locking but as I got closer to them thought that it wouldnt be a good idea how they got all their kids on a small hire boat I dont know. Paul encounterd them as they decided to squeeze through a narrow opening that you could just about get one boat through, was quite impressed as he gave them a bit of friendly advise as they slammed the boat into reverse and hit the bank.
We moored up for the night not far from bridge 33, got an email from nb Librtybelle and they are at the marina at bridge 27 so will give them a wave as we go past it wont be today though as it is lashing it down so we will stay put till the morning when come hell or high water we will move onto get up the Ashby. At least I have a signal on my mobile modem so can catch up with emails.