From buhund@clara.co.uk Tue Jul 6 10:53:11 1999 Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 23:00:16 +0100 From: Michael Cobb Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Subject: Trip report - A good weekend for boating - long [ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Mark, the teenage son of a friend from my University days, had been promised a trip on the boat. The weather forecast was bad so we were anticipating getting wet but he would still get his treat. In the end the weather was great with only a few spots of rain and a good time was had by all. We arrived at the marina shortly before 8 on Friday evening and were still unloading the car when our guests arrived. It had been a hot day and it was warm in the boat, there was also plenty of light left so we decided to leave the marina. After a quick discussion as to which way to go we headed south, through "Fenny Compton tunnel" and moored next to the feeder bridge where the vegetation on the towpath had been cut back right to the edge. I had been cooking whilst we travelled so we sat down to eat and had a drink from supplies on board. It was such a pleasant evening we sat on the aft deck until after it had got dark watching bats swooping over the water. Saturday We set off at about nine with Neil, Mark's father, having gone ahead to stand on the next bridge and film us coming along. As we approached I decided to give him a toot on the horn only to have a reply from a boat coming through the bridge that I had not been able to see! At the Claydon flight there were boats coming up and another following us down. Mark was having a go at the tiller and for a first timer was doing very well. At the bottom of the locks I left him to it whilst I went below to put the kettle on. Jacquie and Neil were walking to Elkingtons with two of the dogs. Between Varneys and Broadmoor there was a very colourful bank covered in various poppies. At the lock there was a display of plants on sale with a sign "ring the bell and enjoy giving it a good clang". We carried on down to Cropredy where we took the first mooring available above the lock. Having tied up for lunch we walked the dogs then put them back on the boat and went of to the Braesnose. We had a drink or two and Mark was enjoying playing pool. He and his father were challenged to a game of doubles by some other boaters in the pub and whilst they were playing Jacquie and I went back to walk the dogs. When we got back to Touch and Tell there were only seven dogs on board when there should have been eight! Our old black Buhund Thyme http://home.clara.net/buhund/knyts/ours/herbs/htm ) was missing. Thyme is allowed to wander on the towpath by himself as he will not stray. With his back legs withered away, due to a nerve wasting condition, he cannot go far! He must have been in the hedge or something so we did not see him when we left the boat. We spent a frantic time searching up and down the towpath, in the field through the hedge and around the village. He must have followed our scent but could not get through a gate into the churchyard so he ended up in the Red Lion where he was treated as a waif and stray. Neil met an RSPCA inspector who had been called to see him and went with her to collect him. She was very understanding about his medical condition, it must have been obvious from the other dogs that we do care for them! With the long stop in the pub and the delay we did not leave Cropredy until after 4. At Bourton lock there was a hire boat coming up, Mark and Neil stood by the paddles and wound them up as soon as the gates were shut. Unfortunately I had to tell them to wind the paddles straight down again as the hire crew had not dropped the bottom paddles! Banbury brought the usual smell of coffee but there was a lot of change since we were last there. No longer is there a stretch with boats moored on both sides as Morse Marine is closed. The yard is still there but looking a bit sad amongst all the building work that at the moment looks a real mess. The canal above the lock looks narrower than I remember but it must be an optical illusion caused by the fencing and high rise walls. There is no longer a water point or other facilities here but a new building providing them has been constructed below the lock. It first I could not see a water point but there is a tap labelled 'drinking water' inside the elsan disposal room. It was late when we got there so I went below to cook whilst the others took the boat to the winding hole. Having turned they moored up straight away rather than going back to the moorings by the lock that we usually use, I do not think Mark was impressed by the rowdy youngsters at the Mill Arts Centre. We spend the evening playing trivial pursuit. Sunday I leave the boat to go to Mass and return to find little change, Mark is still asleep. The dogs are fed and I walk them with Neil whilst Jacquie gets herself ready to face the day. Then the three of them have some breakfast whilst I take Touch and Tell to the lock. As I am arriving they appear on deck but we have to wait for a hire boat to come down. There are youngsters here who seem to be interested in the working of the lock, they had been sitting on the bridge arm holding it open when we arrived. I would never trust anyone who is not on a boat to hold the bridge up for me, even with my weight it still wobbles around a bit. As we leave there is another boat waiting to go down and this continues to be the case all the way to Cropredy although at Slat Mill their timing is bad so we have closed the gate and left the lock before they come round the corner! We take the first available mooring, down the steps from the shop, and head back to the Braesnose for a liquid lunch. Afterwards we carry on but stop before Broadmoor lock for a pasta lunch. When we set off again Neil clangs the bell to buy some of the plants. Again we seem to be meeting lots of boats coming down and we have to pull out of the lock to let one in before the transaction is completed. At the Claydon flight there are boats at all the locks except the top two which are nevertheless set for us. There are two hire boats moored here so we are not the only boats travelling north today. We pull in near the reservoir to walk the dogs before getting back to the Marina the latest I can ever remember but it has been a good weekend. Our visitors leave us to pack up with talk that we must do it again sometime. Michael Cobb nb Touch and Tell (on the web ring but not this trip!) --- The UK Waterways Network - http://www.ukwaterways.net/ * bringing the inland waterways community together * You are currently subscribed to canals as: george@adiva.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-canals-407N@ukwaterways.net