A week nearer London

Daylight at last, coming out of Blisworth tunnel 3057 yds long

Another lock in the Stoke Bruerne flight

No by-wash on this canal any excess water comes straight over the top of the gates

Both the girls waiting for the lock to empty.

It's been a funny few days this week, we started ok on Mon, then due to the torrential rain on Tues we didn't move that day. Weds & Thurs we made progress, then on Fri, Martin and our lovely grandsons Ethan & Ptolemy came to see us, we had a great day and they left in the evening after a very nice meal in the local pub. Sat was a rest day and we started again on Sun. Firstly we filled with diesel at 86.3 ppl, we passed one yard selling at 93.2 ppl but left it in the pump, did Blisworth tunnel, 7 locks, filled up with water after the locks and then did a couple of miles, now moored up in the country with the satelite on watching the Canadian grand prix. It's a hard life on the cut !!!

Photo's from Sunday and Monday

Braunston Church

Both boats from the church

Monday

First wide lock

First mate waiting for lock to level

Shush emerging from Braunston tunnel

Last day on the narrow canals

This weekend we are at Braunston Turn where the Oxford and Grand Union canals meet, we arrived on Friday and managed to find room to stay on the 14 day moorings, just before the turn onto the GU. The village is very pretty, with a church that is visible for miles due to it being on a hill. I'm having trouble with my internet signal and can't upload the photo's at the moment, I will try tomorrow

We bought diesel this week at 84.2 ppl, it's going up at quite a rate of knots at the moment. The weather has been very kind this w/end, we walked on Sat pm for a couple of hours and had a pint in one of the local pubs. Saw nb Dover in the marina here that's the boat that was rebuilt on the tv series, she has a new owner.

Tomorrow we start down the Grand Union canal, 6 locks first then Braunston tunnel 2042 yds long, because this is a wide canal all the locks from here to London take 2 boats side by side, so it makes locking through a bit quicker for us. From here we have 103 miles and 90 locks to go.

Family weekend

Megan & Ffion with Mamgu

Ffion the supervisor

Megan the butterfly

NB's Bendigedig & Shush

During the last week we cruised up the Ashby canal to the end at Snarestone, turned and went back as far as Shackerstone on Friday pm. Our daughter Lisa and our two lovely granddaughter's, Megan and Ffion came later on Friday, to stay till Sunday pm. All the girls went to the zoo at Twycross on Sat morn, I stayed behind to look after Morgan, Lisa's dog. In the afternoon they did some shopping with Elsie from Bendigedig our travelling companions. Sun was a quiet day after all the excitement of yesterday. After Lisa and the girls left on Sun afternoon we pulled the pins and cruised 6 miles down to fill with water and empty the rubbish and loos. We have to be off the Ashby and a few miles further on by Tues morn to have some pre-booked servicing done. Thanks for a lovely weekend Lisa, great to see you all.

Change in the weather

Next in line for the lock

Following nb Bendigedig

The week started so well with sunshine, and ending in rain, what's new?. We turned on to the Coventry canal this week, the weather seemed to have brought out a lot of boaters, as we found ourselves queueing at quite a few of the locks. We have seen a few sights this week, the woman standing in the bow of her shiny boat with a pair of hedge clippers cutting anything green that came within 2 feet of her. The hire boat that waited until Eric was nearly alongside and then pulled out in front of him, causing us both to back peddle in a hurry, and to rub salt in the wound he then cruised along in the middle of the cut so slowly we had to keep taking our props out of gear. In the end we gave up and moored for the night.

The girls had a little exercise Thurs & Fri 11 locks and a shop at the Coop just to keep their skills up to date. Elsie put Bendigedig into a couple of the locks, well done Elsie, I'm still working on Eiddwen, but it will happen. This weekend we are moored near Hartshill.

Bank to bank sunshine

Sunday in the country

Well what a glorious week of sunshine. We left Great Heywood on Thurs pm after Elsie returned from a quick dash home to Newport. The weather was starting to get better as we left and it has just continued to improve, we moored in the country on Thurs eve and then went down to Rugeley on Fri morn, did a big shop at Morrisons as they are by the canal, carried on and moored for the weekend in the country half a mile from Fradley Junction, where we will turn on to the Coventry canal.

Had a bbq last night first of the year and very good it was too, It's now Sunday 11.00 and the temp is climbing through 23c. I have the engine running for an hour just to top up the batteries, We run twice a day when we are moored up just to keep them fully charged for the telly etc, the other must, is a clear view to the South East for the satellite signal.

Have borrowed a pic from Elsie for this week, must replace our camera soon as we get to a town as it's a pain without one. Thats all folks see you next week. Hi Bethan received your email thanks.

Out in the country

We are not far from Cannock Chase, and have been all week. It has given us time to do some servicing and touch a bit of the paint work up between showers. Narrow boats tend to get scratched a bit along the sides going in and out of locks, there are strips of metal called rubbing strips which run along the length of the boat to protect the sides and these take most of the scrapings, so it's nice to put a drop of paint back on them now and again.

This place is very quiet and teeming with wild life. Swans and Geese have nests just a few yards from where we are moored, the heron comes each morning for a feed of fish, he seems to do very well.

We plan to move on Thursday all being well