WHAT A SHOW !!!!!

 

Sunset in Little Venice

As you can imagine this blog won’t be that boaty as we stayed in London for 6 days and didn’t have to move. This was down to great planning by the Captain, we had enough water in our tank and the toilet didn’t need to be emptied until we were due to leave, so happy days.

Unfortunately everything didn’t quite go to plan as the Captain hurt his leg, not sure how or what he did, but for a few days it made walking very painful.

We did venture out on the day we arrived and headed down to Leicester Square to check on the ticket office there (we wanted to catch a show whilst in London). Only to find it was shut for refurbishment and would have to go on the website instead.

So of course we headed off to The Chandos, a Sam Smith’s pub nearby, we always make for theses pubs as in the past the have been the cheapest, even cheaper than Wetherspoons, and they always have a stout on for the Captain. But not any more, the Captain got the shock of his life when 2 pints came to £15.50, so only the one in there. I checked the Wetherspoons app, and found that not only they were a lot cheaper, but at the Ice Factory in Camden they had Broadside on, one of the Captains favourites, so that’s were we headed. Camden was buzzing and the pub was busy but we found a table and ordered on the app.

We had a quiet day Sunday and only headed out for a couple of pints at pubs near the boat, the Captain didn’t really feel like walking far.

Monday and we went nowhere, but at teatime we went to meet my cousin Gary who works in London a couple days in the week. This turned into a bit of a session at the Warwick Castle.

https://www.warwickcastlemaidavale.com/

Tuesday, and although we set off to visit the Victoria and Albert museum we didn’t get far at all, the Captain couldn’t walk due to the pain in his leg, so back we went and booked to see Starlight Express a couple of days later.

After resting his leg for the rest of the day he felt up to heading out to Covent Garden and a pint or 2 in the Harp, I would say the best real ale pub in London, and still cheaper the Sam Smiths.

The Harp

https://www.harpcoventgarden.com/

We did make it to the V&A next day and really enjoyed what we managed to see, there is so much stuff in there it would take at least a week to see everything.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum

As we were seeing Starlight Express later we decided to stay out for tea and tried Wahaca’s, a Mexican chain of restaurants with various locations in London, we tried the one in Paddington. I had always wanted to visit one of these, as the founder Thomasina Miers had been the first winner of Masterchef and I had followed her career ever since. The food was to die for, and very reasonably priced.

What a meal at Wahaca'a

https://www.wahaca.co.uk/location/paddington/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomasina_Miers

Then off to the show and words cannot describe how good was, it was AMAZING.

https://www.starlightexpresslondon.com/

After a long day it was good to get back to the boat. We decided to leave next morning, getting a pump out and water at the services in Little Venice, but not before the Captain executed a very good exit from our moorings. We still had Water Witch at the side of us, so it was not just the case of setting off, we had to untie us both, let their nose drift out and whilst I held on to their centre line the Captain steered the good ship Avalon Two out and into the main channel of the canal, we then pulled Water Witch back in and tied her securely back up.

Unfortunately when we got to the services there was a queue, so the Captain decided we would cruise down to the next services on our way out of London, and that’s what we did. On the way we had to stop and retie 2 boats which had come a drift and were blocking the canal. The first a large wide beam we pushed back to the bank using our boat, and a very nice gentleman got the rope and secured it. The next one, a narrowboat this time, was right across the canal, there was a boat coming towards us who nudged it just so he could get by, we pulled over and while I held our boat the Captain went off to secure this one, unfortunately the nudge given by the on coming boat wasn’t quite enough to move it to the banking and boat didn’t stop to help, and it was down to my Captain and the very nice gentleman from earlier on to sort it out.

We got our pump out and water after a short time brested up to the 2 boats already on the service point, we had a lovely chat with their Captain and crew whilst we waited.

After shopping (Tesco and Lidl), at Bulls Bridge junction we rejoined the Grand Union canal and headed for the Hanley flight, 10 locks which took us into Brentford ready for our trip onto the Thames on Wednesday. We had help which was nice, a couple of Vol Lockees, one of whom was training helped us down most of the flight, there were also quite a few Gongoozlers who wanted to chat, and kids who wanted to help made doing the locks fun, and the time passed quickly.

These locks are not in the best of repair, but I had no problems until we reached the very last and I was helping a boat lock up. Even thought there were 4 of us trying to open the top gate it would not move, eventually we had to use the boat to gently push the gate open, not something I would recommend but on this occasion needs must.

We found moorings, but the Captain decided to walk forward and see if there were any better ones closer to the town, there was, which meant to save him walking back I had to take the boat and steer it into the space, I managed it and was very proud of myself, the Captain keeps telling me I can, I just have to have a little more confidence in myself.

After mooring up we headed to the pub, The Black Dog, and great real ale pub were the Captain was spoiled for choice, and was really happy with a chocolate oatmeal stout, and cheaper than what we had been paying in London. The food menu looked really interesting, and the food that we saw come out looked lovely.

https://www.blackdogbeerhouse.co.uk/

So now we are sat in Brentford for a couple of days, the Captains leg is a lot better, and I am looking forward to be on the Thames once again.

Wildlife, just one thing, I have seen the cutest goslings ever, the young of Egyptian geese are soooo pretty and its the first time we have seen them, hope we see some more soon.

The Egyptian Goose and gosslings

18 miles, 10 locks, 2 canals (Regents and Grand Union) and 1 river, (the river Brent).

WILDLIFE AND ANGRY BEES

A Leaky Lock

I usually talked about all the different wildlife (well mainly birds) we have seen as we cruise serenely along, but I haven’t really had the chance up to now. So here I go, along with the usual mallards we have seen quite a few mandarin ducks and even a pochard. Geese, we have seen Canada, Greylag and a few Egyptian geese. Herons have dotted the bank and wood pigeons fill the air with their cooing. A Little Egret was fishing by one of the overflow weirs. We have spotted noisy parakeets and beautiful Jays. Robins, Wren and Blackbirds fill the hedgerows. Gulls, Terns and Cormorant fill the sky above us with the ever present Rooks, Crows and Magpies. The magnificent Red Kites have been with us on every step of the cruise, soaring above the boat with their distinctive forked tail. Swans with their signets, Ducks and ducklings, Geese and goslings, the pretty Moorhen with its not so pretty chicks, and Coots with their I have to say ugly chicks, have all swam by the boat.

A Pochard Duck

The Captain inadvertently snapped a picture of the elusive Kingfisher, but never actually saw the bird itself, only by zooming right in did he notice the familiar shape sat deep in the shadows.

The Captain also spotted a Deer running through a field, and I caught sight of a Water Vole and Terrapin on one of my walks.

But the funniest encounter was with a very small and very angry black and orange bee. This is the story, at the first lock of the day on Monday (we spent Sunday moored in Berkhamsted, but more on that later) I went off to set the lock in as usual. The towpath paddle had something written on it but I paid no attention to it until it was too late. I wacked the paddle up and walked away, suddenly there was the sound of loud angry buzzing in my ear, I brushed away the offending insect but it didn’t stop, I must have looked so silly trying to get away from the annoyed bee. When I eventually got away I read the note on the paddle ‘beware bee’s nest in paddle’ Oop’s. Problem now is I still have to lower the paddle when the boat is in the lock. I left it right until the last and then did at arms length and walked away thinking I had got away with, it but oh no!, the bee came after me once more, this time with more determination and managed to fly up my nose, and I felt what seemed like something sting the side of my nose I swatted it away again, then the bee decided it had defended its family well enough and returned to its nest in the paddle, and I felt very sorry for myself. I have to be careful with insect bites and stings as I have at times, have a bad reaction to them, so I got straight back on the boat and took an anti histamine tablet. The Captain did inform CRT as other boaters may not have been so lucky, and you know some people can die from a bee sting.

Right back to our cruise, as I have already said we stayed in Berkhamsted Sunday and had a quiet day, only going out to try a couple of pubs before tea. The Rising Sun first, a great real ale pub right on a lock, a happy Captain with a choice of 2 darks on. Then, just because we haven’t been in for a long time the Crystal Palace, well what a transformation, from a quite run down back street pub to a thriving gastro pub, but no real ales so a lager in there.

https://www.facebook.com/@risingsunpubberkhamsted/?locale=en_GB

https://www.crystalpalace-pub.com/

Monday and the locks started coming thick and fast. A boat set off just before us, but lucky for us they stopped at the water point before the next lock and we managed to buddy up with them, and do the remaining 9 locks together. NB BOB (Both On Board) with Geoff and Sue and Ned the dog, we had a lovely day travelling with them. We moored just above Fisheries lock, and more fool me I suggested we wash and polish one side of the boat, after 10 locks it wasn’t the best idea, and I was truly knackered by the end. So no pub for us.

Berkhamsted Lock

Tuesday and we managed to buddy up with Geoff and Sue again, well at least for part of the way as they moored up after 5 locks to visit Sue’s dad who was in a nursing home nearby. We continued on and did another 7 locks before a quiet night in the MONW.

The next day and the aim was to get to Rickmansworth and hopefully get moorings there for the night. This is a very popular place for boaters as there is a Tesco right beside the canal, and it has a good range of shops, pubs and restaurants. But we lived in hope.

7 locks later, and after being told we would struggle to find moorings, we did in fact find a very good mooring spot and took a walk into the town. We tried 3 pubs, The Western, a sports bar with an interesting food menu but no darks, the Coach and Horses, a more traditional pub but still no darks, and eventually the Pennsylvanian a Wetherspoons and still no darks, so the Captain wasn’t very lucky that night.

After shopping we set off and managed to buddy up once again, this time with NB Tilly, not the most talkative of Captain and Crew so never got their names.

We could tell we were getting closer into London as the lines of moored boats were getting longer and longer. After 7 locks I really had had enough and fancied a pint or 3, but we were struggling to find a mooring spot near a pub. Just past Dolphin Bridge which has 2 pubs nearby we managed to stop, and after a little rest we set off and tried The General Elliot first, a quaint country type pub and very nice. We had a bit of a chat with one of the locals before moving on to The Dolphin, more of a sports bar, but we were made to feel very welcome. The Captain, still not finding any darks has resorted to drinking Guinness Zero which has a very nice flavour and its quite close to the original Guinness.

https://www.generaleliottuxbridge.co.uk/index

https://www.thedolphinuxbridgepub.co.uk/

The end of the all the locks into London was in sight as I only had one left to do, and then a run of about 4 miles to Bulls Bridge were we joined the Regents Canal, but not before shopping at Tesco which is right on the canal side, and topping up with water.

We did 5 miles on the Regents canal before stopping for the night and heading to The Railway, a bit of a walk from the canal but well worth it, the Captain treated me to tea and it was a very good meal at a great price.

https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/middlesex/railway-hotel

The end of our journey was in sight, and on Saturday we left early and headed for Little Venice, not knowing what we would find in the way of moorings, but we fell very lucky and found a spot on the 14 days moorings. A couple of hours later we were joined by Water Witch who brested up against us, this is pretty normal for Little Venice and we didn’t mind at all. TBH there was more moorings available than we expected, but once we settled there was no point in moving.

One thing I will mention is that CRT have in the past couple of years turned parts of Little Venice and all of Paddington basin into bookable moorings which cost £25per night, and these were practically empty, so I just cant see the point, if they haven’t not been booked you should be able to use them rather than leaving them empty when boats are struggling to find places to moor, but that’s just my opinion. 

39 miles, 38 locks and 1 moveable bridge.

ORCHARDS AND APPLE BLOSSOM

 

Apple Blossom

Our next port of call was Milton Keynes, and we were stopping here for a couple of night to catch up with the Captains sister Ann and her husband Chris, and to celebrate the Captains birthday with them.

We have always been pleasantly surprise with Milton Keynes, the route the canal follows is lovely with open green spaces and well kept towpaths. It is a real green corridor in a city of 264,000 people. Milton Keynes was built in the 1960’s when the government decided a further generation of new towns was required, it attained city status 1n 2022 as part of the late Queen’s platinum jubilee celebration. Covering 22,000 acres it’s roads are based on a grid system similar to the America’s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Keynes

We arrived on Sunday in glorious sunshine, and after lunch decided to try a new pub called Ye Olde Swan, the walk to it took us through the community orchard, it was beautiful as the apple tree’s were in full bloom, there was even an information board (with no graffiti) showing all the types of apples and where they were planted in the orchard. It made for a very pleasant walk and the pub at the end wasn’t bad as well, we sat in the beer garden and had a couple of pints. The food menu looked good too.

https://www.chefandbrewer.com/pubs/buckinghamshire/ye-olde-swan

As arranged we met up with Ann and Chris for the Captains birthday and went for a meal at the Peartree Bridge, its a Stonehouse so the menu was a carvery, pizza and burgers. We had a nice meal and then they came back to the boat for a slice of celebration black forest gateaux.

The Birthday Boy

Next day just 2 locks, the first at Fenny Stratford has a moveable bridge in its centre, this has to be opened before the boat enters the lock and closed when you leave, last time we were here the locking mechanism on the bridge had been damaged and we reported in to CRT. On this occasion I did not have to move the bridge because as we approached there was a boat already in the lock and as we left the lock another boat turned up so we left it to them. We stopped at the water point and also dropped some rubbish off at the bins there. The next lock was at Stoke Hammond and we moored just after it for a quiet night, as we knew the next port of call would be Leighton Buzzard and another of our favourite pubs, The Black Lion.

The Back Lion

3 locks to get there. At Soulbury another great pub called not very original but the Three Locks. As we set off, quite early (for us), the pub was closed and the volunteer lockee’s were only just turning up to start their shift. The first lockee spotted us and came to give us a hand. It made easy work of the locks, and meant we got to Leighton Buzzard just before lunch. We had hoped to moor near Tesco but unfortunately there was no space, so through the bridge and round the corner and we tagged on the end of the moorings there. After a good shop at Aldi, which is next to Tesco and very accessible from the towpath, we walked into the town looking around the shops, picking up a few bits here and there. Then to the pub, The Bald Buzzard a micropub at the top of the town, of course they had a stout on for the Captain and I tried a lager, not really to my taste but ok. Then onto the Black Lion, never disappointed in here, they have a range of real ales on, and more importantly Sam Smith’s stout a real favourite of the Captains, plenty of choice for me too. We went and sat in the beer garden where a Thai street food vendor was setting up, we had to try something so 3 spring rolls were ordered, and at £5 they were a real bargain and very tasty too. Before we left we took a look in the Gin bar, were they have over 200 gins on offer. A great pub and just to mention its the only place I have seen Bedfordshire clangers on sale, for those who don’t know, these look like a large sausage roll, but at one end is a savoury filling and the other is a sweet one. Didn’t try one but maybe next time.

https://www.facebook.com/theblacklionleightonbuzzard/?locale=en_GB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedfordshire_clanger

After the indulgence at the Black Lion we decide to spent the next night in the middle of nowhere. So after 2 locks we moored behind a wide beam, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake as later in the night they let their dog roam the towpath and it barked and barked at our boat. It sounded very aggressive, and the Captain was concerned as we had our side hatch open with only a fly screen to stop it jumping in. Eventually someone came out and it went quiet, but we closed the side hatch just in case. Not a nice experience.

9 locks next day and we definitely need to get to Marsworth to use the pump out machine there, as our toilet was full. Luckily after the 2^nd lock we met up with another boat, Cut Loose from Yelvertoft with it’s Captain Gordon and crew Jackie. It was really nice to share the double locks with someone as we cant believe how quiet the canal has been, we have seen hardly any boats moving. I enjoyed chatting and doing the locks with Gordon, and my Captain had a good time chatting to Jackie. After the last lock we parted company as they were stopping as soon as they could find a spot, and we still needed to get to the services which are at the bottom of the Marsworth flight and on the junction of the Aylesbury arm. After a much needed pump out and the water tank filled we found good moorings just before the first lock and then headed to the pub of course. Firstly The Red Lion in Marsworth village, a proper village pub with a good selection of real ales, but no darks of course, so a lager. Then on to the Anglers Retreat which was closed the last time we were here, but after a refurbishment it has reopened and was very pleasant, so a couple in here.

I wished later that I had asked Gordon if they wanted to join us in doing the Marsworth flight, but we ended up doing it on our own, we had waited for awhile to see if they came, but had to go in the end. There are 7 locks close together, so I walked. Between the first 2 locks there was a RCT floating market on for the weekend, I recognised the very last boat NB Wobbley, we had shared locks with it in the past, so I stopped and had a short chat with its Captain.

We only met 2 boats coming down the flight, the first was a little stand offish and its crew didn’t approach the lock until we had exited and I walked away from the gates, the second was a couple doing a helmsman course, so they took a bit of time, but hey ho we weren’t in any rush. The top of the locks is Bulbourne Junction and the turning on to the Wendover arm of the GU.

In the Lock

7 more locks to get us to Berkhamsted were we were stopping for a couple of nights. Again we didn’t see many boats at all, it is so quiet.

We found good moorings and headed to the pub (again), the Highway Man and the first one we have not tried before, no real ales but a lovely pub which serves food on a lower level and then onto the Mad Squirrel micro pub, very good beer but pricey.

25 miles 31 locks and 2 moveable bridges

WHAT DAY IS IT ???

 

And that’s what I woke up this morning thinking, I couldn’t remember if it was Thursday or Friday. This is what happens when you drift along at 2mph, the days just merge together. As it turned out it was Saturday, where has this week gone?

We started on Tuesday moored below the first lock of the Long Buckby flight, with 6 more locks to do. As we prepared to set off NB Teal passed us, as did a group of volunteer lockee’s. Great, thought I someone to go down the locks with, and helpers to boot.

I walked to the first lock and made polite conversation with the lockee’s. Teal had a large crew on board, so once both boats were in the lock and its crew were happy to lock both boats down I walked down to set the next lock. This made easy work of the remaining 6 locks.

Our aim was to get to Weedon Bec and to the pub (of course), there are2 pubs, The Heart of England which is right by the canal, and the Wheat Sheaf a short walk away. We tried the Heart first, no darks on but we weren’t surprised, its a Marston’s pub and has an extensive food menu with different offers on every night. We have eaten here before and the food was good but we were not eating out tonight. The Captain had to make do with lager. Then we walked down to the Wheat Sheaf, and although there was a Camden stout on the bar the Captain was still out of luck as they had run out so lager again. The pub is a little scruffy and could do with some tlc but the beer was good. After a quick shop at the Tesco express opposite we headed back to the boat and a quiet evening.

It rained heavily during the night, I love the sound of the rain on the boat, its quite soothing. The rain was meant to clear by mid morning next day but it really didn’t and after only 6 miles the Captain had had enough and we moored up just before Gayton Junction and the Northampton arm of the GU. We have been down this arm in the past and there are 16 narrow locks which take you down to Northampton itself. From here you can drop down onto the River Nene and do what is known as the Mid Levels, a trip we still have to do.

There are boater services at the junction and we stopped to drop some rubbish off, a wide beam was on the water point but it wasn’t until I returned from the bins that I realised it was an old friends boat, Steve Jay. We haven’t seen him for ages so we had a long chat and got caught up on all the gossip.

Eventually we said our goodbyes and headed for the village of Blisworth and the Blisworth Tunnel, its the 3rd longest tunnel on the system at 3075yrds and extremely wet in places. It opened in 1805 after the second attempt to build it, the 1st attempt in 1800 failed and a tramway was built over Blisworth Hill. The goods were unloaded and transported by horse and cart over the hill to boats waiting at the other side to continue their journey to London.

It was very wet, not surprisingly after all the rain we had had, and we followed a hire boat through which meant it took us a little longer than usual.

Our day wasn’t done yet, as just after the tunnel is Stoke Bruerne, considered to be the spiritual home of boater’s, it has a canal museum, 2 pubs and an Indian restaurant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canal_Museum

Its most famous resident was Sister Mary Ward, she dedicated her life offering free medical care to the boat people and was awarded on BEM in 1951 and appeared on This is Your Life in 1959.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoke_Bruerne#History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ward_(nurse)

The 2 pubs are the Boat which sits above the first lock, and the Navigation which is just below the lock. But we weren’t stopping to try either so set off down the 7 locks. We had help at the first 2 but then we were on our own, not a problem for a pair of old pros like us. At the last but one lock I got chatting to 2 lovely ladies walking a dog, and with the Captains permission I offered them a ride down the lock, one accepted gladly but the other stayed with the dog.

We decided to moor up not far after the last lock and had another peaceful night.

We had an almost lock free stretch before us. The weather had improved and we cruised the 5miles to Cosgrove next day. The aim was to go to the pub, The Barley Mow. We found lovely moorings opposite the pub and after a late lunch we headed out to sample the beer. To get to the pub we had to use the horse tunnel that takes you under the canal. It was very low and narrow and the Captain had to be careful not to bump his head, I even ducked, even though I had plenty of room. The pub was lovely and had a selection of real ales but unfortunately, as usual, nothing dark to suit the Captain, so for a change he had Guinness zero, which I must admit is very palatable and I had Madri. The food menu looked good to.

The Horse Tunnel

A single lock next day and I thought I would get rid of some rubbish at the boaters services, but what a sight met my eyes, the large industrial bins were overflowing and there was bags of rubbish all over the floor, I decided my rubbish could wait as I didn’t want to add to the mess. The Captain emailed CRT (Canal and River Trust) informing them of the issue, so hopefully they will get it sorted sooner rather than late. They really need to keep on top of these things, but also boaters need to report issues when they occur, its a 2 way street.

We stopped at Wolverton to do some shopping, there is an Asda, Tesco and Lidl all within walking distance of the canal, however it does included a number of steps so maybe not so good for disabled boaters. The moorings in Wolverton are ok but very hemmed in by buildings, so after shopping we decided to find somewhere a bit nicer and of course we ended up at a pub, The Black Horse. We moored right outside the pub and gave it a try. Once again no darks on for the Captain so we had Prahva instead, it was lovely sat outside in the sun watching the world go by.

During the last couple of days of the cruise we had people running past the boat at all hours of the day and night, it turned out these brave (or stupid) people were taking part in an ultra race, which meant they had 100hrs to run 250miles, which was a circular route taking in the Thames, Grand Union canal and the Oxford canal. Absolutely mad in my opinion but each to their own. Out of the 39 runners who started 9 actually finished including 1 woman. The overall winner was Colin Crowhurst who completed it in 74 ½ hours, and then went on to run the London Marathon 2 days later in 4hrs 13min. MAD, that’s all I am saying

The Route

https://challenge-running.com/thames-ring-250/

Thats all Folks, for now.

27miles, 13locks, 1tunnel 3057yrds long.

THE FIRST LOCK OF THE YEAR

Happy Times

The blog is back.

Yes we have set off for our summer cruise, but first I will update you on the winter months.

Most of you will know I don’t write a blog in the winter as we don’t move, so there is not a lot I can talk about, apart from work, what’s going on around the wharf, visitors and our visits to family. None of which are really cruising related.

I will say, work has been a joy this year, and I was very sorry to leave, which I did at the end of March, a little early this year as we took a trip to Budapest, the capital of Hungary for 4 nights. It is an amazing city, with beautiful architecture, stunning parks and amazing memorials. We found great food, and of course beer whilst we were there. We also took a busman's holiday by doing a night time cruise down the Danube, really the only way to see the city at night, with many of the landmarks lit up and looking stunning from the boat.

The Parliament Building

On our return we took a couple of shake down cruises, firstly with my cousins Gary and Toni down to Hawkesbury Junction, were after a couple of pints in the Greyhound we had a lovely (if I say so myself) Sunday lunch on the boat. Then a trip down to Coventry basin with the Captains daughter and grand-kid's and lunch in Playwrights also in the basin, which I would highly recommend.

https://www.facebook.com/PlaywrightsCafe/

Now onto our plans for this years cruise which is going to be split in half, as we will be returning to our home mooring in Coventry at end of June to head off for a big ship, and a cruise round the Adriatic and Mediterranean. We did the Caribbean last year for the Captains birthday and decided since we enjoyed the experience so much we would do another.

So the first half of our cruise is to London, were we will stay for about a week and hopefully take in a west end show. On our return from the Med we are heading north, probably Lincoln and Boston before our annual cruise up the Erewash in time for family birthdays. We have to be back at Swan Lane wharf by the end of September for our dear friends Col and Mags wedding, where the Captain is the best man.

Our cruise to London will take us down the Coventry to Hawkesbury Junction before we go through the stop lock (hence the title of this episode) and onto the North Oxford, through Rugby, the 3 locks at Hillmorton and Braunston where we will turn onto the main line of the Grand Union canal to London.

As I have already said, we have already set off, our first, night was spent in Coventry basin and we met up for a pint or 6 with Col and Mags, it was a great night and we ended up in the Windmill, a great pub for real ale in Coventry.

Col and |Mags

Next day we travelled down to Hawkesbury and through the stop lock. As we put in water I walked round to the lock, and with the help of a very nice volunteer lock keeper set it for us, but we were pipped at the post as NB Cariad got there first, its Captain was most apologetic for stealing our lock, but it wasn’t a problem, we met him again when we moored at Rugby and he reiterated that he hadn’t meant to nick it, but I assured him again it wasn’t a problem. We moored for the night just past the lock and for the second night went for farewell drinks, this time with Keith and Andrew.

Next day and our journey began in earnest. But it wasn’t long before disaster struck. I decided after my morning walk I would bake some breakfast muffins. I put them in the oven only to find out the gas bottle was empty, I wasn’t bothered by this as it was due to run out. The Captain pulled over and swapped onto what we thought was a full bottle and I tried again. Still no gas. Bugger. We soon worked out that he had forgotten to swap the empty bottle with the full bottle which was in the coal store back at the wharf. So no muffins for us or really any tea, as I was planning to cook chicken fajitas. I knew I could use my air fryer and we could get by but it put my plans for meals in disarray. We made it to Rugby by late afternoon and luckily we knew there was a pub there, the Bell and Barge, which turned out to be a Harvester so we went out for tea.

Unfortunately with it being a bank holiday weekend we didn’t know if any of the boatyards on our route would be open, the first one we tried, Clifton Cruisers wasn’t, and the second, Braunston Marina didn’t answer the phone which didn’t bode well.

Next day as I walked to Hillmorton locks I decided to give the second boatyard another ring, and luckily this time very very nice lady answered, and I was pleased to find out they were open until 4 and also 10 til 4 the next day, and yes they had gas. Yippee.

I reported back to the Captain and he decided that we could last until the next day, which meant we could moor just before Braunston rather than trying to find moorings in this very popular spot.

But before this we had Hillmorton locks to do. These are 3 single side by side locks and claim to be the busiest on the system.

https://www.hillmortonlocks.co.uk/

And it did seem they were busy as we approached the bottom lock. I jumped off early with my trusty windlass and walkie talkie to go and see what was occurring. There was a boat in one coming down and a boat in front of us waiting to go into the other lock. Me being my helpful self I went to see what I could do. However as I started to help the boat coming down I was told very sharply not to as they were showing their friend how to do the locks, the boat coming up was the same but not quite so rude about it. So I stood back and let them get on with it. It didn’t take us to long to do the 3 locks and we were on our way to Braunston, it was a lovely afternoon for cruising and we spotted a Red Kite being harassed by a couple of crows.

We picked up a bottle of gas next day, the price nearly gave the Captain a heart attack £60!! but need must and maybe next time we will remember to check them before we set off.

https://braunstonmarina.co.uk/

And onto the 6 Braunston locks, these are double locks and we were lucky enough to share them with a hire boat with crew on board. It worked well as it meant I could go ahead and set the next lock, whilst their crew looked after the one the boats were in. It mizzled (fine rain) the whole time so we got a bit wet, but not too bad.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/places-to-visit/braunston

After the 6 locks is Brauston tunnel, 2042yrds long and 2 way working, it was the second tunnel of the cruise, the first being Newbold tunnel which is actually more like a long bridge at only 250yrds. The Captain hates meeting other boats in tunnels because its always in the worst place but on this occasion it was fine and we glided past without any problems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunston_Tunnel

We moored up for the night after the first lock on the Buckby flight and headed to the pub, the New Inn which unfortunately was closed, should have remembered this pub does close on a Monday.

33 miles, 11 locks, 2292yrds in 2 tunnels

FAQ

 

On to the Tidal Trent

This years journey has covered 722miles, 348 locks and 105 swing or lift bridges. We have travelled on 16 different canals and 3 rivers including the tidal River Trent.

But now our adventures for this year are over, and we return to the peace and quiet of the wharf for the winter. So I thought I would write a blog about all the questions we get asked about living on a boat.

I will start with the most frequent;

Doesn’t it get cold in the winter​?

Well it does but so do houses, its a matter on managing the fire and keeping the core temperature of the boat up. We keep our fire in 24/7 during the colder months, burning mainly coal rather than wood. We also layer up, although at times we have to strip off if the fire is blazing. We have a stove fan which circulates the warm air through out the boat. We have a winter duvet and an electric blanket to take off the evening chill. Also as the lower part of the boat is below the waterline and the water is actually warmer than the air above we keep toasty. To answer the question is the boat cold in the winter, no its not.

Post?

Another frequent question is about our post. There are a number of solutions boaters use to access their post, we use my sisters address for ours. Others use PO boxes or organise to collect mail from a local post office or sorting office. There is always a solution.

Doctors and medicine?

Same with accessing a doctor or getting a prescription. The Captain has a regular prescription, and whilst we are out he can order it from a local pharmacist on line and pick it up. If we need to see a doctor (hopefully never) we can visit a walk in centre, or just go to a local surgery and sign on as an emergency patient.

Internet?

When we first had the boat mobile wifi was in its infancy and we could only get 20gb. Things have changed a lot in 11yrs, and now we have unlimited internet, and we are able to stream TV, use the laptop and phones. Sometimes if the signal is not very good because of the area we are in, we use the Captains phone as a hot spot, as he is on a different network from our main WiFi. It is handy to have 2 networks to choose from for this reason.

TV?

As I have explained in the paragraph above, we have enough internet now to stream, but we also have a satellite dish, which the Captain has set up at the right angle for the signal, and the dish is fitted so it can be turned to find the right satellite, and hey presto we have digital TV. The digibox can also record programmes, and we also have an aerial which means we can pick up normal TV. So all bases are covered. Again there are other solutions used by boaters but this works for us.

Power?

A very important part of boating, and again it has come on leaps and bounds in the last 11yrs. Our set up originally was 2* 250W solar panels and 4 leisure batteries and a starter battery (all lead acid). It was OK and meant we could run our 12v fridge 24/7 (some boaters turn theirs off at night to conserve power) but things like an electric kettle, air fryer and freezer were a no go. All our lights and pumps are 12v, but the TV and chargers are 240v. To use these we needed to run our inverter which converts 12v to 240v, but uses power to do it. We always turned our inverter off at night. But with our new set up of 3*410W solar panels, 2*200Ah lithium batteries and a starter battery, we can run all the above, and leave the inverter on all the time. I won’t try to explain how they work differently to lead acid batteries, but they basically hold charge better, can be discharged more, charge quicker and last a lot longer, a very simple explanation. The engine also charges the batteries, so moving every day keeps them topped up nicely. If power gets a little low and we are not moving that day, we will simply run the engine to top them up.

Shopping?

After so long travelling the canals we have an encyclopedic knowledge of the shops in most areas, and know were I can do a big shop or just were to pick up a few bits. It does help that I keep a lot of spares in, so extra tins of things I use a lot. Spare jars of pickles and sauces. Plenty of pasta, rice and noodles. And nowhaving the freezer means I can now keep a selection of meat, fish and bread. Before the freezer I just had the little ice box in the fridge, but you would be amazed how much stuff I could get in there. I also find that by cooking meat it will last longer. Fresh fruit and veg are a little more challenging, and I sometimes find I have things to use up rather than throw away. But there is always a recipe for that.

Onto a favourite topic of boaters, toilets​?

There are up to 4 types of toilets on boats. The 2 most popular being the cassette toilet, like you find in a caravan, or a pump out toilet, which is what we have. The cassette toilets have to be emptied at elsans which are dotted a round the system and maintained by CRT, these are free. Most boaters who travel a lot tend to have 2 or 3 cassettes so they always have a spare. A pump out or drop through toilet requires, as the name suggests a pump to empty it. The waste is held in a tank below the toilet and is pumped through a pipe usually accessed on the roof or side of the boat. This we have to pay for, there are CRT machines or we go into a marina and pay them to do it. Average cost is £20. Our tank isn’t very big and needs pumping out every 14/16 days.

Water?

Our water is held in a tank at the front of the boat and needs filling up every 5/6 days. There are water points all over the system. A diaphragm pump is used to pump the water around the boat, and the system is kept pressurised by using an accumulator. So if, when you are on our boat you hear a pump going off, its just the accumulator pressurising the system.

The dirty water goes into the canal. We have a full sized shower and this is emptied by using a gulper pump, as the shower sits lower than the drain hole in the side of the boat.

Rubbish​

Again this is one of the services CRT provides along the canals, which we pay for with our license. Unfortunately there is a lack of recycling, and even though I keep packaging and the like separate from food waste, they usually end up in the same bin. There is at some compounds a bottle bin for glass and I use this when it is available.

Safety​?

Boats are inherently less safe than being in a house. But in 10yrs we have never had a problem with anyone trying to break in or damage the boat. However we would never leave the boat empty overnight on the side of the canal, we would put it in a marina for peace of mind. We have a good padlock on the back doors, the side hatch is always secured, and we close the curtains to stop people from looking in and seeing the boat is empty. As a sign of the time we fitted a lock to our fuel tank last year. There is also the danger of sinking, we don’t like to think about this but it does happen.

That’s it for now but if there are any other questions you would like answering, then ask away.

SUCH LOVELY PEOPLE

 

Our Home

There are some really lovely people on the canals, and this year, as with every year we have met lots of them.

After saying goodbye to Phillipa at Fradley Junction, we headed off down the Coventry and decided to stop at Huddlesford, a place we have stopped before, and try the Plough which is right by the canal. No darks on for the Captain so he made do with lager once again (he is becoming a bit of a lager lout like me). A nice pub with outside seating and a good menu. The food looked and smelt lovely, but we didn’t partake as we were saving ourselves for Fazeley chippy.

https://www.theploughhuddlesford.com/

The weather was still cool as we cruised to Fazeley, and after a warming lunch we headed out. The pubs in Fazeley are nothing to write home about tbh (it could do with a decent micropub). We did, however have a pint in the 3 Tuns, which is right by the canal, and a second pint in the Three Horseshoes, it was in here we met some of those lovely people I was talking about. I didn’t get their names, but their boat was called Liberty and had an old ‘put put’ engine, better known as a 2 pot engine but ‘put put’ describes the noise it makes. Our conversation turned to cats and we had a lot in common. For those of you new to my blog we did, up until 2019, have 2 boat cats, Sam and Bubbles. They also had boat cats so we had lots of stories to swap, and opinions on which are the best type of cat. It was really enjoyable, and made me realise how much I still miss them.

Sam

Bubbles

After a pint we headed to the chippy. The Captain got his fish chips and curry sauce, whilst I indulged in one of my guilty pleasures a kebab. All I can say is mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

First locks for a while next day with the 2 Glascote locks, I got my exercise in walking to them, so arrived quite a bit before the Captain and boat. There were boats waiting to use the locks so I pitched in and helped. Some seemed more thankful than others, but hey ho that just folks for you.

Then on to Polesworth, I haven’t actual been in the village for a while, we have stopped there but not left the boat. Last time we did, we visited The Spread Eagle which had only recently reopened after refurbishment, we met up with the Captain of NB Mr Blue Sky and had a great afternoon. Apparently he still goes in the pub and was well known to the barmaid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polesworth

https://www.facebook.com/thespreadeaglepolesworth/?locale=en_GB

On this occasion we had a similar experience and met the Captain and crew, Andy and Jane off NB Rosalan. They even admitted to reading my blog, which was lovely to hear, and we had a great time chatting. Later another gentleman at the bar joined the conversation, as he knew our good friend Keith and his steamboat Hasty. All in all it was a fantastic afternoon.

A busy day for me next day as we had the 11 locks in 2 miles of the Atherstone flight to ascend. At first it didn’t seem very busy, and we saw no one ahead or behind us, but then the boats coming down the locks just came and came and came. All saying how busy it had been with boats going up the flight, this did not bode well for finding moorings at the top of the flight. As usual the volunteer lock keepers were only helping boats through the top lock, and none of them ventured down the flight to help out. I will keep my opinions to myself on this.

But we made it to the top, and our fears were realised as there were no moorings to be had on our favourite stretch. But there was very little git gapping to see either which was good. We did find mooring further out, and it meant a longer walk into the town, but hey ho the pull of the pub was strong so off we set, plus I needed some shopping.

Our favourite pub in Atherstone is the Angel Ale House, so that was our first port of call, they had Poseidon Porter on by Brentwood Brewery, but it was a little on the wishy washy side. So only the one in there.

https://www.brentwoodbrewing.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/theangelinnrealalehouseatherstone/?locale=en_GB

The Market Tavern, a pub we have never been in, as it has had mixed reviews over the years (and people smoking outside the front door, a big no no for me) had recently changed hands and we decided to give it a try, and I must say we were impressed.

A great selection of cast and keg ales on including 2 stouts. The Captain tried Forged Stout from Dublin first, very nice. Then he tried Positive Grindset from Shiney, an espresso martini stout, which was lovely and rich, but with just the right amount of coffee flavour.

I had Pure Pilsner by Purity, a very nice pint. They are planning to do food in the future as well.

https://www.shinybrewing.com/about/

https://puritybrewing.com

I think it will give the Angel a run for its money from now on.

After walking into town next morning, getting a couple of their world famous faggots from Bates butchers for Sunday lunch we set off. Initially our plan was to get to the telegraph pole, a favourite mooring spot of ours between Atherstone and Hawkesbury Junction, but the weather was lovely and quite warm for a change so we just kept going. As usual we met all the boats coming towards us at the worst possible places, on blind bends, just before bridges and passing moored boats. The Captain certainly had his work cut out. We even met one boat over taking another on a blind bend, the boater who was overtaking apologised, told us the boat in front had waved him through, but then not indicated to him that we were there, the first boat didn’t even acknowledge us at all. Again nowt as strange as folk.

Of course we had to go and have a pint in the Greyhound, another real favourite of ours.

We stayed put next day, the rain came down and down. However we did make it to the pub again in between the downpours. Never underestimate the pull of a good pint of Theakston’s mild.

The rain didn’t really abate next day, but we decided we needed to move and head down to Coventry basin for a couple of nights. We kept the pram cover up for most of the journey, only dropping it at low bridges. We waved at the wharf as we passed by, and managed to catch up with Fliss off NB Emancipation and one of our neighbours at Swan Lane. She filled us in with the comings and goings at the Wharf.

The Coventry basin was busy with boats, which we always like to see busy, but we managed to find a reasonable spot for the night and headed to the Hops d’Amour, our favourite pub in Coventry. On more upsetting news, Selmina’s Mexican restaurant is closed due to some planning argument with the council, hope they get it sorted and reopen soon.

https://www.facebook.com/hopsdamourcoventry/?locale=en_GB

https://selminas.co.uk/

We also had a pint in the Old Windmill.

We stayed in the basin next day and the Captain took the opportunity to to touch up the blacking above the gunnels. We headed into town after lunch for a bit of shopping and another pint.

38 miles, 13 locks and 1 canal.