Christmas Cruise - Day 5

Another bright and mild morning, and we had a cooked breakfast just to use up things from the fridge.  We set off at 9am, with the sun low behind the trees of All Oaks Wood.

It was a lovely day for cruising, but we had just two miles to do before the marina entrance bridge appeared on the right.

For once, the marina was dead calm; it can be windy here even when nowhere else is.  It meant I had an easy job turning the boat and reversing onto the service wharf so the pump out point was on the correct side.

Our pump out token didn't seem to want to start the machine, but then Adrian tried the pause button and it worked.  Whoever last used the machine hadn't needed all the time; there was enough time left for use to pump out the loo tank and rinse it through a couple of times.

That job completed, we crossed the marina to our pontoon, and started packing up.  While I did that, Adrian made a quick trip into Rugby to get a new fuse for the radio, which means it's now working again.  Having prepared the boat for what will probably be a fairly lengthy absence by our standards, we headed home.  We routed via Stoke Bruerne, and had lunch at The Navigation.

2 miles, 0 locks,  (31 miles, 6 locks)

Christmas Cruise - Day 4

I had to go to work today, so I was up at 5am and shortly afterwards walked down the dark towpath to the car park at All Oaks Corner.  I'd moved the car there from the marina yesterday.  While I was in London, Adrian turned Briar Rose around in the entrance to the old Brinklow Arm, and moored back in almost the same place (but facing the other way).

I got back to the boat at around 3.30, having left the car at the marina and walked along the towpath.  A little while later, there was a knock on the boat from the owner of one of the fibreglass boats moored behind.  He wanted to know if we'd seen any patrol officers, as the other boat had a patrol notice on it.  He said he was new to boating, and that he was still trying to work out where the water from his sink went.  He seemed amazed when I suggested it probably went straight into the canal!

1 mile, 0 locks.  (29 miles, 6 locks)

Christmas Cruise - Day 3

This morning dawned a lot brighter than the forecast had suggested.  We had a cooked breakfast with bucks fizz (well, it is Christmas!) and set off just after 9.30.  At Hillmorton, the pound below the top lock was very short of water so we ran some down, then went down the lock.  All three were against us.

After the locks, we saw our first moving boat of the day, Bisous.  Shortly afterwards we passed two canoeists, then the only other moving boat, Snipe, which used to be part of a hotel pair; not sure if it's still a hotel boat.  The tow path was quite busy, though, with plenty of cheerful dog walkers.  We had some mulled wine, and were soon heading past Brinklow Marina, heading for All Oaks Wood.

We moored up just after 1pm, and were surprised at how few boats are here.  In the summer, it's often difficult to get a space.  We started cooking our turkey, and ate our meal at around half past three, washed down with champagne.  We've also spoken to our families, and all seem to be having a good day.  Currently, a Christmas pudding is steaming in a pan on top of the stove.  By the time it's done, we might just be ready for something else to eat.  As far as presents go, one that Adrian got me was the biggest tin of Brasso you've ever seen -- a whole litre!

9 miles, 3 locks.  (28 miles, 6 locks)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Cruise - Day 2

Last night's mooring was very quiet and very dark, just the type we like.  You'd never know there was a 700-man jail just over the towpath hedge!  Also a great success was Adrian's meat loaf, which turned out very well and was delicious.

This morning was cold and clear, although there was no frost.  We had porridge and set off at 8.40, heading for Braunston.  The countryside round here looks very medieval, thanks to the ridge and furrow fields coming down to the water.  It looked particularly atmospheric with the rising sun low in the sky.

After around an hour, we passed Braunston turn, and spotted Hadar moored up.  We carried on and moored just beyond the marina entrance, and walked up the hill to the village where we picked up our pre-ordered rolled turkey breast from the butcher and got a few odds and ends from the general store.  The turkey is huge -- 3kg -- so we've cut it into three sections and put two in the freezer.

Back at the boat, we walked down to Hadar taking some of the mince pies I made yesterday.  We spent well over an hour in Hadar's cosy saloon chatting to Jo and Keith over tea and mince pies.  It was nice because, although we've met and spoken to them several times before, we've never really had time to speak to them at any great length.

We returned to Briar Rose at around midday, and Adrian reversed off the mooring and did an excellent spin in the marina entrance.  We headed back the way we'd come, and with the sun out it was a very pleasant (in cold) afternoon.

Less than two hours later we moored up on the short stretch of piling by Bridge 75, which we used twice on our last weekend out.  We had a late lunch and have been pottering about ever since.  I've turned the leftover pastry into a few more mince pies, as they go down rather well.

We passed just a couple of boats while we were travelling today, and a couple more have gone along since we stopped.  Two of them were hire boats, neither of which appeared to have a solid fuel stove, which I think really is a necessity at this time of year.  It'll be interesting to see how many boats we see moving tomorrow.

9 miles, 0 locks.  (19 miles, 3 locks)

Christmas Cruise - Day 1

We came up to the Briar Rose yesterday, many hours apart.  Adrian set off from home very early, shopped at Tesco in Rugby on the way, and spent the day working from the boat.  In between calls and emails, he unpacked, got the fire going, and changed a gas bottle.  I had to go to work and was on a late shift, so I drove up once that was over, arriving about 12.45am.  Adrian was somewhat alarmed that I manged to get on board, zip up the cratch cover, and stumble my way down the boat to the bathroom before he even realised I was there!

It was very breezy last night, but seemed a bit calmer this morning.  We were both tired, so didn't get up until gone 8am.  After breakfast we readied the boat and set off at 9.20, Adrian steering and me being the lookout as we came out of the marina.  Then I stayed inside to make cups of tea, and knock together a batch of orange pastry.  It wasn't raining on the Brinklow side of Newbold Tunnel, but it was on the Rugby side -- and had been ever since.  We worked up the locks at Hillmorton in the wet, but at least all the locks were in our favour.

There were two boats coming down the top lock, so we were able to leave the middle one open, and the second boat left the gates of the top one open for us.

The intensity of the rain fluctuated, so sometimes it almost stopped, while at other times it was harder.  By 1pm, I was cold as well as wet as the wind had got up again, so we stopped after Bridge 80.  This stretch is very popular in the summer, and there's often no room here at all; today we joined just three other boats.  The spot by the bird table, that Hadar used the other day, was taken, so we're further along, just before Bridge 81.  We were glad we stopped when we did, as the rain has been lashing it down ever since.  Just one boat was gone by, the helmsman looking rather unimpressed.

The boat is looking reasonably Christmassy inside: we brought our cards with us, which have filled up the shelves.

I've also turned the pastry into a dozen mince pies.  I'd bought a tin and a rolling pin for the boat, but forgot pastry cutters, so I had to improvise with a couple of different sized glasses.

Adrian is now trying his hand at making a meat loaf.  It's always been one of his favourites, but making it is a first.

10 miles, 3 locks.

Post script

On my way home from Briar Rose on Monday, I stopped briefly at Newbold to see the flowers laid by the bridge for the man whose body we discovered on Friday.  His name, Richard Clish, has now been released.  There are reports on the websites of the Rugby Advertiser and the Rugby and Lutterworth Observer.