Braunston.

Suffice to say we are back at Braunston again, we left Napton this morning after Gosty had filled us up with diesel. We were the first to leave, Tranquilty and Oakfields crews waving us off with response from Paul of the two fingered kind as they had been winding him up all morning, can't think why!!!!!!!
We were hoping to get on THE spot at the puddlebanks but there was a boat winding so they were in front of us and believe it or not they were making for the same spot we were. Guess what there was a Roses hire boat on that one spot and it was Little Gem which must be the smallest boat in their fleet, there it was moored up tight to the bank. The other boat moored in front of Little Gem and we pulled in behind, both of us have our planks out and are now waiting for this hire boat to move in the morning so we can both ease ourselves nearer the bank. Tranquility passed us on the way to the marina to pump out they are now moored in front of us yet again. Oakfield will be down tomorrow.
We have to take this laptop back to the shop as we still have a problem with it blue screening so that will be a job for tomorrow.
We have been away from here for 40 odd days our trip down the Oxford was very enjoyable made all the more so by our lovely friends. After the weekend Oakfield and Tranquilty will be heading up to Market Harborough and we will be going in the opposite direction no doubt we will all meet up again at some point in time and hopefully by then our stretch will be completed.

Jobs nearly done.

Since arriving here at bridge 130 on Thursday we have been busy bees. Friday Paul decided to give the gas locker a coat of bitumen ( couldn't let Graham get one over him). So every thing was deposited on the tow path and he set to. I took the dogs for a wander and I returned just in time to hear rather a lot of swearing and Paul retrieving his slipper from the tin of bitumen, well I just had to turn round as I was laughing so much, it would appear that as he had inched himself off the boat he had put his foot in the tin so now the slippers are in the bin. Anne and Kieth turned up just as all this was taking place I advised them not to mention slippers but of course the temptation was just too much Paul's remarks are unprintable.

By late afternoon with the 4 of us in our chairs with drinks in hand this lovely spot was full again, the sun was shining although there was a breeze and our faces were glowing through the sun and wind I hasten to add not the drink.

Saturday morning dawned bright and breezy yet again and this was the day we were determined to get the boat washed and polished. All the junk, sorry essentials were taken off the roof and Paul set too. armed with scrubbing brush, broom and bucket on a rope to enable him to use the canal water.

I did taken the precaution of giving him the cord to make sure his glasses didn't end up in the canal like they did the last time he tackled the roof. Well this job took us all day, once the roof was scrubbed Paul washed the canal side while I did the tow path side I was a good girl and leathered my side down but Paul just left his now what can I say about that. Of course we had to have a few coffee breaks along he way and Kieth even got the paint pot out to touch up his very few scratches. We were kept amused by a helicopter which appeared to be giving trips from the farm house it would take off fly round then land in a field take off again then land in the farm yard obviously had townie guests, later in the day they were clay pigeon shooting and driving round in a dune buggy oh how the other half live.

Any way the boat is now squeaky clean having been T cutted (is there such a word?) and polished within an inch of its life. Everything is back on the roof although some of the junk has been destined for the bin, if any one would like to buy a large life ring complete with rope we have one for sale.

Anne and I took the dogs for a walk and approaching us was a boater who had such a large bow wave I thought he had a water ski-er behind him but no just someone in a hurry. Anne had the cheek to watch the boat pass and was told in no uncertain terms "to mind her own business" and she hadn't even uttered a word, guilty conscience or what.

This morning after it had the cheek to RAIN on our nice clean boat Paul is supposed to be touching up the paintwork but some how or another has got caught up with the guy next door talking about solar panels yawn yawn. I am determined to have a BBQ this evening so come rain or shine Paul is going to be cooking our tea on the tow path. I have a couple of bananas in the fruit bowl they will go nicely on the BBQ wrapped in foil with a drop of rum and brown sugar, so that's pudding sorted pity I don't have any cream to go with them.

Fenny Compton.

Yesterday was naff internet day so no blog. We travelled from bridge 170 stopping for a quick shop at Morrison's. As we went through Banbury we were able to say hello to Keith on Oakfield Anne we understand was shopping. We didn't plan to travel so long but ended up at Cropredy managed to get on the 24 hour moorings and by 4pm you couldn't have squeezed another boat in. I decided to take the dogs for a long walk aiming to do the circular route that I had done with John and Angela. It was such a lovely day, I left Paul snoozing in the chair which is no surprise.

I passed this lovely house not that I would want the up keep of the lawns. By the time I had been up hill and down dale I came to the conclusion that I wasn't on the same footpath at all in fact I don't think I was on a footpath, so I just turned round and retraced my steps, wasn't the walk that I planned but it was still a very enjoyable one and the dogs loved it.

This morning we set off, along with the world and his dog all travelling in the same direction as us. This made the locks hard work as I had to empty then refill, there was also at least 2 boats behind us so it was a struggle for them too. Saw Ian (Gosty Hill) on his home mooring just time for a quick hello to find out when he will be coming up as we need diesel. We decided to make for Fenny Compton as we just fancied a meal out tonight and as luck would have it there was a space on the 14 day moorings. So it will make a nice change for some one to cook for me.

Think we will move up to bridge 130 tomorrow and spend a few days there in the peace and quiet. Weather looks as if it is going to be warm so perhaps we can dust off the BBQ.

Bridge 170 again!!!!

The happy band spilt up this morning, Oakfield leaving first heading for Banbury, we left about an hour after them leaving Tranquilty behind with Graham hoping to get his locker finished as the weather was yet again sunny.
The first part of our journey was a bit on the nippy side but by the time I had walked the short stretch between Aynho lock and Nellie bridge lock I was shedding a few layers(and hopefully a few pounds.



At Kings Sutton Lock I was coat and body warmer free, Paul was minus his jacket.


























Just as we were preparing to leave the lock this lovely looking brand new tug came round the corner this is no exageration doing 85 mile an hour obviously it wasnt going to stop under its own steam so it SMASHED into the armco head on bounced off and then the stern took it on the broad side it took out with it 3 sheep, 2 cows, 4 massey fergason tractors, 2 lampposts and one jet ranger helicopter while all this was going on I was seeing Paul out of the lock and I could hear all the crockery pots and pans crashing about in the boat. It was at this point that Paul was hoping they werent going to try and get in the lock before Piston and Broke had left. What a way to treat a brand new boat. As we had gone past Paul was watching them go in the lock, the engine must have been doing 2000 revs, they hit both lock entrance walls and were trying to put the boat in the lock diagonally. Further on down the canal we spoke to a moored boater and asked if the tug had come past at a rate of knots, he said yes they had and they must be bloody mad. Just glad they were going in the opposite direction to us and we wont be seeing them again in the for seable future.

Also passed this sign it is the second one we have seen and of course we did as we were told passing very slowly.

It was lovely travelling in the sunshine with no wind, we managed to get on the mooring between lift bridges 171 and 170 the washing is on the line. We have good tv and the internet signal is excellent, shall we move on tomorrow, we may have to think about that.

Oh what fun we have had.

Friday we left our mooring nr lock 39, Betty and Graham had joined us and we had spent a pleasant Thursday evening aboard Tranquility having a laugh as Graham refused to put more than one log at a time on the fire then just as we were leaving he put 3 yes 3 nuggets of coal on just to make it a bit warmer.

Our journey was cold and windy and I wasn't looking forward to tackling lift bridge 193 after the problems I had had on the way down but it was a doddle and we moored up in the same place.

Saturday morning we woke to a heavy frost and mist over the canal Paul took these pictures as he was up at 6am to watch the qualifying.

The day certainly improved both weatherwise and neighbour wise. Around 12 Tranquility arrived which called for coffee on the tow path, Graham then decided that he was going to sort out his gas locker as it needed a scrape down and a coat of red oxide and then bitumen on the floor. As you would expect Paul was giving his usual advice. Not sure whether Graham wanted it but he got it all the same. When he emerged from the locker there appeared to be more red oxide on him than on the locker.

Around 3.30 Oakfield moored up so the happy band was together yet again. This time is was a little more than coffee that was called for.

We were all in a jovial mood Graham in his gas locker singing to us then Paul got the tin of bitumen as he thought Graham should get at least one coat on, well Graham donned his rubber gloves to some very ribald remarks then he lay across the bow to paint the floor of the locker, boats were going past giving us some very strange looks, mind you it did look a bit like a gypsy camp with gas bottles and all the contents of Grahams locker on the tow path and Betty's washing was out too.

Paul thought that he would add his 5 pennyworth and lay across Graham all this just as a hire boat went past we all shouted hello they took one look at Paul and Graham and opened the throttle and sped off this made us laugh all the more as you can see from Anne's face in the picture.

This is certainly what boating is all about spending you evenings in the sun with your friends having a laugh. At one point just as some people walked past on the tow path Graham emerged from the locker and said "help me I am being held a prisoner" the look on their faces said it all they didn't know whether to believe him or not so they hurried on with the sound of our laughter following behind. Oh happy days.

This morning again we have woken to a frost but now the sun is out the GP is finished well done Jenson and Lewis and no doubt Paul will be out there supervising the painting. He has come in and told me that Kieth is polishing and Paul has requested that he move away from us if he is going to show us up by doing such things on a Sunday morning. There is one vital job to be sorted and that is Paul's chair, it has collapsed and he is virtually sitting on the floor so there is a repair to be done there.( he accuses me of being overweight!!!) Looks like we will have to invest in some new ones at some point soon.
Tomorrow the plan is to get to bridge 170 lets hope the sun is shining on us.

Turned out nice.

What a cold start to the day, mind you it was 8.30 when we set off, waving goodbye to Mr Angry, not that he was around but it made us feel good. It was funny last night as Paul was fully expecting Mr Angry to come out shouting the odds that we were still there then Paul was going to take great delight in ignoring him but of course he never set foot outside his back door. He will be so pleased today when he gets home from work and finds us gone I just hope there is someone else in the space. Oh we are so childish. Paul did suggest that we got a load of boats together and had a weekend BBQ outside his house but I think that is taking it a tad to far.

Got to Thrupp where Keith very kindly did the bridge for us, waved to Betty as we went past she was still in her P,J's just how lazy is that! On the sanitary station we spent an hour filling up with water and we werent that low must be a nightmare if you are empty, mind you there was another boat filling up so that is what probably slowed everything down.

The journey to our current mooring was lovely especially as the sun came out, the Cherwell was like a pussy cat nice and calm with no run on the water at all.

Our Mooring

Onto the Cherwell

Mr Angry! This one is for you Maffi.

I was going to mention the guy who lives in this house about a week into our stay here but was told not to, since then the goal posts have changed so here is our little tale.

Here above Kidlington lock is a nice stretch of armco, it is quiet here the shops and buses are close by, like a lot of other people we like it here, it is nice to chill for a few days. While Oakfield and Tranquility were with us along with a few other boats that stopped over Mr Angry kept looking over his fence counting the boats making a note of names and numbers then he would get on his phone and walk down the garden muttering. We know that he has crossed swords with Maffi and Bones but had thought, wrongly I might add that he had mellowed. Yesterday evening Paul rang me (I was in Kent) to say that while he was sat on the back of the boat Mr Angry shouted over the fence "you'll be moving tomorrow" no says Paul. "Well your 14days are up then so you had better move or I will ring the bailiffs" excuse me, what do "the bailiffs" have to do with anything. Paul made no comment (which is very unusual) as he didn't want to bring himself down to Angry's level, but he did hear him say " I am fed up with you lot f*****g gawking in my garden" Now we don't do that and never have. I bet he is always on the phone to BW and they must get really p'd off with him. We will be leaving tomorrow, not because of him but yes our 14 days will be up and we need to use the services at Thrupp. Then make our way back to Braunston and beyond.

So be warned, if you moor for a few days by Kiddlington Green Lock watch out for Mr Angry peering over his fence like Chad.

Oh yes, we have seen a BW guy who took our number, so as far as we are concerned everything is above board.

My visit to the docs in Kent went off okay my cholesterol is high and so I have been given a diet sheet of foods to avoid, now why is it that everything on the list seems to be my favourite like chocolate, biscuits, p nut butter and bread. Also it looks like that the "boat cake" will have to be made with half the ingredients as that is banned too. Why is it that Paul eats all these things smokes doesn't do any excercise and is stick thin with a low cholesterol level it JUST ISN'T FAIR.