June weekend: Day 5

Lovely and sunny yet again.  Before breakfast, while Adrian was in the shower, I popped across the field next to our mooring to have a closer look at the ruined church.

We set off at about 9, covering very familiar territory.  The sun was strong, and the back of my steering arm which got a bit burned yesterday, was taking the brunt again.  At Cosgrove Lock, a Gayton hire boat was just coming down, so we could then go in.

Not sure what happened next, but we were up the lock by the time they got their boat onto the water point on the lock landing.  I’ve never seen the Cosgrove village moorings so empty — just one boat in the whole length.  When we got to our marina, we went straight past.  We were heading for Baxter’s boat yard for a top up of diesel, and a new gas bottle to replace one which ran out when we were on our way up to Crick.  Once all that was done, we turned around, headed back to the marina, and were secure in our berth at about 12.45.  We had lunch, packed up the car, and got on the road about 1.45 — for a slowish journey home.

9 miles, 1 lock.  (49 miles, 14 locks)

June weekend: Day 4

Sunny again this morning.  We were forced to have another cooked breakfast, to use up the rest of the bacon etc from yesterday.  But we were up and about quite early, and set off at 8.45.  

At the Soulbury Locks, there was a boat going down the middle lock, so we had to turn the top one.

Then there was a boat coming up, so we waited and swapped with them.  The same happened with the middle lock, we swapped with a boat coming up the bottom one.

At Stoke Hammon Lock, we’ve always liked the converted pump house alongside.  They sometimes have tomatoes or beans for sale, but nothing today.

At Fenny Stratford, there was a WRG work party, which included Martin from Canal Boat.  At the lock, a boat which had turned around was just ahead so we went through with them.  All through Milton Keynes there seemed to be a lot of herons, intent on fishing.

There were also new ducklings, presumably at least the second clutch, and tiny moorhen chicks.

It had clouded over somewhat, but the sun came out again by the time we moored at about 2.30 just through Bridge 75, near the Stanton Low park.  We washed the side of the boat, and then did the Bullet colour restorer.  This is the worst side of the boat, so I think the difference is more pronounced; Adrian isn’t so convinced.  Either way, we’ve earned a G&T this evening.

12 miles, 5 locks.  (40 miles, 13 locks)

June weekend: Day 3

There was rain forecast overnight, but we didn’t hear any until about 7am, and even then it wasn’t much.  It was much more cloudy though.  We had a cooked breakfast, then set to using some Bullet Colour Restorer on the towpath side of the boat.  The cooler and cloudier conditions were ideal.  The side (which is the better one anyway) does look better, but the product wasn’t the miracle cure it makes out to be.  It was about 10.45 when we set off; Adrian brought the boat while I walked the mile or so to the locks.

I had the bottom lock ready and open when Adrian came round the corner, and there were a couple of volunteer lock keepers on duty so we made rapid progress.  We hadn’t seen any moving boats all morning, and the lockies said they’d had two up before us, but nothing going down.

At the top of the locks, we started meeting boats, first a widebeam, then a whole load of narrowboats; we probably saw more boats in this pound than the rest of the weekend put together!  We went through Old Linslade and past the Globe pub, and got to Leighton Lock.  There was a boat to come down, so Adrian went up to help.  The lady said there was no room on the shopping moorings by Tesco.  Then a second boat came along and joined them in the lock, and they said they’d just come from those moorings, so we would find a space.  Once they were down it was our turn to go up.

When we got to the 2 hour shopping moorings (where there’s space for up to four boats) the whole length was free.  We moored up, had lunch, and then walked into town, where the Saturday market was in the main street.  The weather had also begun to cheer up, and was now much better than forecast.

Adrian has been really suffering with his hayfever, and our surgery said he should get something stronger over the counter from a pharmacist.  We did that in Boot’s in town, then came back via Tesco.  Then we went and turned around just through the bridge and started re-tracing our steps.  It takes a while to get to the lock, because there are permanent moorings, then the Wyvern Shipping hire base.

Only one lot of holiday makers were being shown a boat, as far as we could see, but there appeared to be a family having Buck’s Fizz on the terrace of the holiday cottage.  Wyvern appears to be reducing the size of the fleet, as two boats are up for sale, at what I thought was quite an ambitious £38,000 each. After our visit of a few hours to Bedfordshire, we crossed back into Bucks, aiming for a spot before Bridge 109 that we like.  There are only three or four spots here, and this morning three of them were taken — but now one was vacant so we pulled in.  

It’s probably the third best as it’s on a bit of a curve; the plan had been to tackle the other side of the boat, but with most of the length a good foot from the bank, we thought the possibility of a mishap was too high so it’s not getting done!  We have a couple more days!

8 miles, 5 locks.  (28 miles, 8 locks)

June weekend: Day 2

Another lovely sunny and warm day.  We’d moved Adrian’s car to the marina last night, so we didn’t have to do it this morning.  We set off at about 8.45, and were soon going across the Wolverton Aqueduct.  In Robbie Cumming’s latest series, he said the view was the best he’d seen from an aqueduct — but it later transpired he hasn’t done the Llangollen Canal so hasn’t been over the Ponty!  But the view is still pretty good.

This was the third time in two days I’d done this stretch, so any of the moored boaters who were paying attention must have wondered what we were up to.  But this time we carried on past the winding hole at New Bradwell, heading for Milton Keynes.

Our first target was the water point at Giffard Park.  There was someone on it, but there was also room for us to pull in and wait, and I made a visit to the Tesco Express to get the things I forgot yesterday.  I also got a 9v battery for the smoke alarm, which for some time now has been beeping intermittently, but only at night.  If it does it again tonight, its days are numbered.  Eventually we could water up, but the tap didn’t seem the fastest.  Earlier we passed a huge crèche of goslings, and the whole group came by while we were moored.  We then passed them again when we set off, and this is probably the best photo of them all.  We reckoned there were probably 30 in all.

We plodded on through Milton Keynes, spending quite a lot of time on tickover because of all the moored boats.  As we approached Fenny Stratford Lock, a little Sea Otter moored up if we were going up, and could they join us?  We were, and they could.

It turned out they moored at Taverners, just through the bridge from our marina, which explained why we recognised each other.  They stopped for the Elsan and rubbish, but caught us up again at Stoke Hammond lock, which needed turning.

There was a rubber glove in the water in the lock, which looked quite macabre at times.

We moored just round the corner in a spot with a nice outlook.  It’s a bit of a favourite spot round here, although it seems to have been nearly four years since we were down this way.  There’s a wide towpath, so the Cobb barbecue will be coming out this evening.

14 miles, 2 locks.  (20 miles, 3 locks)

June weekend: Day 1

I came up to the boat after a night shift.  I dozed off on the train, so the journey seemed quick, and I got to Wolverton at 8.12.  I set off walking along the towpath to the marina, which took just under an hour; it was already sunny and very warm.  After doing a few jobs around the boat, I set off just after 9.30.  The fuel boats, which I’d walked past at Cosgrove, were servicing some of the boats on the outside of the marina.  I considered stopping to change a gas bottle, but thought it might be a bit complicated.

It was a beautiful morning to be boating.  When I got to Cosgrove Lock, it was almost empty so needed filling.

By the time I was going into the lock, a boat had arrived below, so they helped and I didn’t need to shut the gate.  I carried on to Wolverton, arriving almost three hours after I’d walked through there.  Now I had hot water, I had a shower and a change of clothes, then went to Tesco to get food for the next few days.

Back at the boat I had lunch, then about 12.30 set off again, heading for the winding hole at New Bradwell.  I turned around and re-traced my steps.  After about 45 minutes I was going through Wolverton again.  When I got back to Cosgrove Lock I turned around again.  I’d been planning to top up with water, but realised I didn’t have a BW key with me; we have at least three, but because I travelled light they’re all at home!  I moored up in the first spot below the lock — Adrian is on his way here, so I wanted to be as near to car access as possible.

I’m only a mile from the marina, but I’ve done six miles to get here!

6 miles, 1 lock.

Potter on test, and the Electrika Show

The July Canal Boat is out, and includes my boat test on Potter by Kingsground Boats — which is a total refit of an old boat.  There’s also my three page report on the Electrika Show.