tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15737180907993987712024-02-08T05:44:05.141+00:00Narrowboat AylmerHusband Tony & I travel the British Waterways on our 57ft narrowboat AylmerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-31872800586677352162015-10-07T19:02:00.000+01:002015-10-10T16:12:43.597+01:00The Avon Ring. Stratford upon Avon to Pershore<span style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 3rd August </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxVMZRQzRJ5Myqz1J8mIk2izv6EHGra1aufQpze0cBD-R1Y-GgHR-2uPPfb3OrF1r3eivt8BLZm_M1kCQQOMNACxo6HQsOa2aqmpC4U6hyphenhyphenDzdFMzJVdsHr3esfOAh9RcQWspPcUvEnrs/s1600-h/20150803_141938%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="20150803_141938" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pvwVpS5gi9U/VhVbZUeSb9I/AAAAAAAABUY/fMgwhBjUjwg/20150803_141938_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="640" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20150803_141938" width="386" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was just a short trip into Stratford-upon-Avon from our overnight mooring. We found a good spot by the Red Lion pub, just outside the basin, a good place to explore from. We tried to get tickets for the RSC (pictured above) but they were fully booked for the two nights we were to be in town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rrE92muCo5g/VhVbam03o3I/AAAAAAAABUg/LkPpXtY9FVg/s1600-h/20150803_153211%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img alt="20150803_153211" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wrZDyH2ebqR5BwnY-dLwKNbIRDc-wErZoPntt49nMpZab29Gs-RSSQwbUKKK2wANl6raDvCLJgQIkQduX87bWydLaG3xGt5RJv9SKCVmFKhuH7liU3GBrkHbG5gdcNtJvnX_ccWYBxQ/?imgmax=800" height="385" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20150803_153211" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a wander around the very busy town, we hopped on an open topped bus for the tour, mainly centred around Shakespeare, naturally. We alighted at Anne Hathaway's cottage and stopped at the pretty tea rooms opposite for refreshments in the sunshine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following day Tony played Golf </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at The Warwickshire Golf Course </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with Richard (who drove over to pick him up), while I went shopping and stopped at Hooray’s for Gellato. Very nice!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning we walked round to the basin & bought our license for the River Avon before setting off. The first lock out of the basin is very awkward with nowhere to moor up & very dodgy gates. Not a good start! It was plain sailing to the next lock, Trinity, then disaster struck! As we were gliding into the lock the throttle cable snapped, leaving us with no reverse to stop. Tony just managed to throw a rope over a bollard on the lock side, and get a couple of turns on it, two of the three strands braking with the strain, before the boat stopped about 2” from the lock gates. Phwew!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNUQGMDwg35AsRr3WaZJVXEpeRCOUfv5AIH-a1mT3zBZGht9UkqFLYU1oZlgG0BBOrAu04WJIEAaZk06NOe_S-xWpEa8SzYgpZk58njgyYbYEfqN3F8uzTx9cOUOLPs2qAiY1LVMS0cM/s1600-h/Pershore%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Pershore" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tpeUMK9RpK8/VhVbk0jTl0I/AAAAAAAABVo/xstnaQ3CZwA/Pershore_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="427" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Pershore" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having had to pull the boat backwards out of the lock manually we moored up on the lock landing to await an engineer. Three hours later we set off again all sorted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The river reminded me of the River Stort, wild and winding, although it did widen out in places like at Barton, a very pretty little village with a butchers & a bakers (didn’t find the candlestick maker though <img alt="Smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HoEVAcs5Sds/VhVbnbCrkTI/AAAAAAAABWA/VY8LnUY-cSw/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /> ).</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B0kCOb6CDFhJP-aAfDivXpPbIdXBnUbze0L5qYMEyR6vlHZrmFloc8ldY_ddVS1DGYsDNYbbVTKYgoATxVdKwaZOKx7ss7W_GPOX4quksZ77Qg-R4lwdEAz-M6altHKyViVb6AOLRDU/s1600-h/DSC04316%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="DSC04316" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lMg7qRqHbdI/VhVbp61FU1I/AAAAAAAABWQ/v6rLxnCp8qc/DSC04316_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="428" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC04316" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a disappointing stop over at Evesham - despite its wealth of history with it’s many medieval and Tudor buildings, a town in desperate need of a makeover - we set off along the Lower Avon with it's mainly high wooded banks but Fladbury Locks produced an ideal picture with it’s tumultuous weir and grand Mill House.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The village of Wyre Piddle caused a smile and I just couldn’t resist this sign for the local B&B ‘PIESSE of PIDDLE’ !</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDJNTiH_oqavSdB5QpL2LcQShHA9k84KLyYj-OwP6HoANLv5vHAv1TZEmDeXJxvP6QXLgJgy3AEYVBqVpFaaOGpQhD5Qer53tNSx3k00bRCs24EbjUbDeGTx4UD4loTpXfGXcU_4V4Yc/s1600-h/DSC04324%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="DSC04324" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TRfFooCVqi4/VhVbvO4h4HI/AAAAAAAABWs/CJ-39BbbVnc/DSC04324_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="428" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC04324" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On to Pershore, a much more pleasing town. A vibrant little town with lovely parkside moorings, good services, ASDA 100 yard away, an indoor market and a ’Plum Festival’! I never knew there were so many varieties of plum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orchards in this area produce tons of popular plums every year – Varieties such as Victoria, Majorie Seedling, Heron, Monarch, Pershore Purple, Pershore Yellow Egg Plum and Pershore Emblem are some of the most well known and sought after plums the Vale produces. Pershore and its association with the plum is not a new thing, the area has been famous for its fruit growing since medieval times. Early in the 19th century the Pershore Yellow Egg Plum was found growing wild in Tiddesley Wood and by 1870 records show that over 900 tons of the fruit were being sent to market during harvest time. - See more at: <a href="http://www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk/index.php/about/#sthash.QPkxjLsV.dpuf">http://www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk/index.php/about/#sthash.QPkxjLsV.dpuf</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>I just love to include a bit of local info now & then :) </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7th August 2015</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-13871882603212494422015-08-18T18:05:00.000+01:002015-08-18T18:05:13.455+01:00Summer 2015 Part Two - The Avon Ring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20th JUNE 2015</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following our trip home after Mum's Stroke, Tony enlisted the help of a friend, Dave, to help him move 'Aylmer' from it's temporary mooring at the Peterborough Yacht Club to her new permanent mooring at Crick in Northamptonshire.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dave at the helm on the River Nene</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their journey took them up the River Nene, stopping overnight at Woodford and Coggenhoe then through Northampton, joining the Grand Union Canal at Gayton Junction. They stayed overnight at Bugbrooke and arrived in Crick after 83 miles & 68 locks in 40.5 hours over 4 days. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Some going</b></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b> ! </b></i>Thanks to Dave & to Grace for loaning her husband. Great job guys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>25th July 2015</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 5 weeks at home Tony & I set off for Crick to arrive for the annual BBQ. Sunday was wet, so we stayed put and as Monday's forecast was for more of the same, we took the opportunity to visit old friends Lynne & Parker in Alrewas, only 45 mins away by car. They have a lovely little cottage right by the canal and took us to the local pub for lunch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We eventually set off on Tuesday 28th July having decided to change our route and do the Avon Ring. Turning left out of Crick Marina, onto the Grand Union Canal Leicester Section, we almost immediately had Crick Tunnel (1,528 yards) to negotiate. I have to admit to not liking the tunnels, although I do stay aboard now, all be it down below, with the curtains closed and the lights on. At one time I used to get off the boat and walk over the top of the tunnel! But I did brave it for this photo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather remained mixed for the next couple of days but brightened up by Thursday when we buddied up with Pete & Anne on nb. Molly Coddle. Pete was very patient with me as I stayed aboard doing most of the driving following a lock handle accident</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the previous day which thwacked me and my arm remained painful. We stopped at the Cape of Good Hope where I had the best Pimms & Pork Ribs ever. Worthy of a Tripadvisor revue. The following day we did the Hatton flight in 3 hours knocking an hour off last years time.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Hatton flight. 21 locks, 3.2 km, with a 45 metre rise</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday 1st August it was warm and sunny as we turned onto the Stratford-upon-Avon canal to start the Avon Ringl. A funny thing happened to me on the cut! We stopped at the Kingswood services and as I was topping up the water a young man appeared, with a towel wrapped around his middle, dripping wet & covered in soap bubbles. Apparently the tap I was usingto fill our tank was reducing the pressure of the water in the shower block and he was unable to rinse off. I wish I'd had a camera to hand.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kingswood Junction</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We stopped at the Fluer de Lys at Lowsonford, for lunch. They were holding the annual fete in the grounds and as we left the pub the heavens opened, I did feel sorry for them all. Nearby on the lockside was an Antony Gormley sculpture, one of five placed in beauty spots chosen by the artist to mark <span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> 50 years of UK building conservation charity Landmark Trust. see </span><span style="color: #404040;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32702277 .</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Antony Gormley sculpture at Lowsonford, Warwickshire</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #404040;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">The lock cottages on the Stratford-upon-Avon canal are unusual & rather sweet. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">The construction of the Stratford-upon-Avon canal began in 1793, during the heady days after the French Revolution. Its projecteers did not foresee the credit squeeze that followed the opening of hostilities against Napoleon, but fortunately, an astute local land agent called William James stepped into the breach to complete the southern stretch of the canal, which includes Lowsonford. Working with engineer William Whitmore, James cut costs dramatically. His engineers, more accustomed to building bridges than houses, simply adapted the techniques they knew best to house the men who worked on the canal, building them snug, barrel-roofed cottages next to the locks they supervised. The cottage at Lowsenford can be rented as a holiday let. see </span></span><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/lengthsmans-cottage-8857</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lock Cottage with barrel roof</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">The bridges are rather small and quite cute too.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bridge on the Stratford-on Avon canal</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">We moored at Wooten Warwen for the night and woke to a beautiful warm & sunny morning. After a short walk to the local farmshop for supplies and refueling at the nearby Anglo Welsh base we set off for the Wilmcote locks. This flight of 11 locks are situated a short distance from the village of Wilmcote which is where Mary Arden's house and farm is located - Mary Arden was William Shakespeare's mother. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top of the Wilmcote flight</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">From the top of the Wilmcote locks we could see Stratford-Upon-Avon laid out below, but it was a long tough journey to get there. However there was a nice mooring at the bottom of the locks and the sun was shining so out went the washing..............</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRalqruj6C0kkd6kingymvBwIcU3znDXNNLR3CwSRJ2xXtQmSl3SHiUmhsuJ8A-fQg4ORDMe8lj55IbeXyQVaVZMtM-S5t_nX3o2qv0X0l7pECgkSL4CPJxWTQHBoT1Iqk1Z0YVS4Ic8g/s1600/Bottom+of+Wilmcote+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRalqruj6C0kkd6kingymvBwIcU3znDXNNLR3CwSRJ2xXtQmSl3SHiUmhsuJ8A-fQg4ORDMe8lj55IbeXyQVaVZMtM-S5t_nX3o2qv0X0l7pECgkSL4CPJxWTQHBoT1Iqk1Z0YVS4Ic8g/s640/Bottom+of+Wilmcote+flight.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">and on went the BBQ. The first one on this trip, partly because of the weather & partly because when the weather was good enough, the towpath was too narrow! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;">This time there was a convenient gate to a pathway leading down to a little stream. Perfect ! Tomorrow Stratford-upon-Avon.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c;"><span style="font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 25.9200000762939px;"><b>Sunday 2nd August </b></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-89323913487479232362015-08-09T18:27:00.000+01:002015-08-09T18:27:29.206+01:00An eventful few days!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having rejoined Tony at Ely, we eagerly awaited the arrival of the Dolan's to celebrate Stan's 3rd birthday on Aylmer.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tony, Stan, Jasmine & Lily</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Birthday spread</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Stan's new bike</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Band played Happy Birthday to Stan</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stan has fun in the park</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrrQdjATjvAgPwgXhujvVh7D2uzshSIE2fAiutfbFKUXC29Y40uC20A4kBwhH1gwEZRKryv1QkasESQip-ETS9i2jVTCJJEGJemte3OwSxgBCeNvB98LLFxoP4g3nOq51OA77yAnBEPg/s1600/DSC04194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrrQdjATjvAgPwgXhujvVh7D2uzshSIE2fAiutfbFKUXC29Y40uC20A4kBwhH1gwEZRKryv1QkasESQip-ETS9i2jVTCJJEGJemte3OwSxgBCeNvB98LLFxoP4g3nOq51OA77yAnBEPg/s640/DSC04194.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jasmine learns to ride a two wheeler</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving Ely the next day we had a rather splendid view of the Cathedral from the river, but not much else except a wide expanse of river, high banks and lots of reeds.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4-uNsbZ4RwwkPOs2UL0cNCzniZfd8D7Ox26EMYNBPUzWSTsZqY3zFJjZEzdX83L71cD9YOAHJfAQii4IlUKpmvkFI-NXtLbOYua1aT9WfZrsSs5oumNjruu9E1HCsqYyn21jxSQnG3Q/s1600/DSC04220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4-uNsbZ4RwwkPOs2UL0cNCzniZfd8D7Ox26EMYNBPUzWSTsZqY3zFJjZEzdX83L71cD9YOAHJfAQii4IlUKpmvkFI-NXtLbOYua1aT9WfZrsSs5oumNjruu9E1HCsqYyn21jxSQnG3Q/s640/DSC04220.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ely Cathedral from the river</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took a short detour up the Little Ouse to a small marina for some fuel, at a bargain price of 75p a litre. This was a much prettier stretch of river with lots of small craft and crystal clear water</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xLpf7pYA6SIDQR4h_dWLerxVW4HTooFWNXxQVMim9GFp4zKKA-ybkdepgGSq_Qq_Lp9NT-Rxzx7jYGijWClY7w77wNR8M1H4kjQjYnGY6OxAlykd74fWkWduPPnBAWAHx2rkc-nRias/s1600/SAM_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xLpf7pYA6SIDQR4h_dWLerxVW4HTooFWNXxQVMim9GFp4zKKA-ybkdepgGSq_Qq_Lp9NT-Rxzx7jYGijWClY7w77wNR8M1H4kjQjYnGY6OxAlykd74fWkWduPPnBAWAHx2rkc-nRias/s640/SAM_0214.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crystal clear water of the Little Ouse</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RdznThypU4zguXqutWTcJUMy29mm3Wq1kG9QYUn1Q3bM7cOq7KSFZBsenjgFyH-8qR6r_rshupW7_wollTaRccMuHmNX_BThPBSU0K9wnyIgCHF-kUimGnNNtH48gULxTB4Ewy0PpVk/s1600/DSC04225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RdznThypU4zguXqutWTcJUMy29mm3Wq1kG9QYUn1Q3bM7cOq7KSFZBsenjgFyH-8qR6r_rshupW7_wollTaRccMuHmNX_BThPBSU0K9wnyIgCHF-kUimGnNNtH48gULxTB4Ewy0PpVk/s640/DSC04225.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Ouse Moorings</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Whilst Tony was refuelling, I wandered around with my camera and managed to get this lovely photo of a blue damselfly.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blue Damselfly</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The end of the journey (for now)</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of our journey along the Great Ouse, through the Middle Levels and onto the river Nene was fairly non eventful, until we reached Peterborough on the 17th June. We were just rafting up against Aria when I received a telephone call to tell me Mum had had a stroke & was in Southend Hospital. Yes, the very same place I had made a dash back to only one week before to see my brother, who was in a coma following a medical procedure. I needed to return. Quick! We couldn't leave the boat on Peterborough Riverside as they were having their Riverside Festival that weekend. Martin, friend on nb. Aria, quickly contacted a local boat club and secured us a temporary mooring, while Tony sorted a hire car to meet us there. The boat club was a bit up river and we had to go through a lock, which we had negotiated on our outward journey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Martin & Karen, once again, came to the rescue and kindly offered to accompany us to the lock to help speed us on our way. That would have worked had disaster not struck. On the approach to the lock was a shoal (poorly marked it has to be said) right in the middle of the river. Instead of taking the logical route to the lock Tony decided to follow his previous route to the left of the shoal. Only he miscalculated. As he was in a hurry he hit the shoal hard and wedged the boat on top of it. No amount of revving or reversing was going to move it and even the barge pole was having no effect. We were well & truly stuck! To make matters worse a large audience was beginning to collect, to watch while we were marooned in the middle of the widest section of the river. As I looked up at the crowd on the bridge I saw someone walking across it with a very long pole held aloft. It was Martin . Bless him, he waded out to us, water up to his chest, to board Aylmer, and between them, after 45 minutes of being stuck, they managed to free us. So so grateful to Martin who waded through stinging nettles mud & dirty water to help us. Unfortunately I was too much in shock to take any photos, but I think you can imagine my despair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We eventually made it to the boat club and moored up. They even provided us with electricity and offered we could stay there as long as we needed. The hire car took such a long time to get to us. Unbeknown to us the boat club was down a long, private, gated drive with a self operated railway crossing. The poor driver had had to wait for someone to come along who could unlock the gate and let him through. Then Tony had to return to the hire office in Peterborough to complete the paperwork before he could return to collect me. Unfortunately Mum passed away before we had even left Peterborough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>17th June 2015</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-53915269352174835932015-06-16T23:23:00.000+01:002015-06-16T23:23:50.253+01:00Meeting The Eel Catcher & a quick visit to hospital<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday 16th June</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next stop was Peterborough where the moorings are pleasant and plentiful and only a few minutes walk from the town centre. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Peterborough</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving Peterborough behind we made our way to Stanground Sluice, our gateway to the Fens. Here we had to go through a tidal sluice to enter Kings Dyke which is part of The Middle Levels that will eventually take us to the River Great Ouse.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Waiting to go through Stanground Sluice</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as we left Stanground Sluice the scenery changed. We were now travelling through a series of Dykes, Ditches and Drains which have been used to drain the Fens, to provide arable land, since before the Civil War (see http://visitely.eastcambs.gov.uk/history/draining-fens). These man-made waterways are shallow, narrow and in the main fairly straight and surrounded by vast swathes of arable land as far as the eye can see with only the odd church steeple or wind farm for interest. After all this is the land of Big Skies.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kings Dyke</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Well Creek we came across the Eel Catcher who told us it was a bad day for eels but the previous day had yielded many. Back in mediaeval times eels were part of the local staple diet as well as a valuable income. I have since read about Peter Carter, the only commercial Eel Catcher who still uses traditional methods to catch eels on Well Creek. (see http://www.visitely.org.uk/walking/ely-eel-trail). Maybe this is him!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Eel Catcher</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next mooring was in the little town of March, right next to the Fish & Chip shop. That's dinner sorted then.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mooring in March</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving March the vista really opened up, miles & miles of flat open land. Bleak and empty apart from the Wind Farm, and boy does the wind blow across the fens. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wind Farm on Well Creek</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Marmond Priory Lock a lovely lady called Maureen acts as a volunteer lock keeper & has done so for over 30 years. She was telling me the story of how as young newly weds her & her husband bought the redundant lock cottage after the creek had fallen into disrepair. Then in 1975 the route was revived, the lock repaired and boaters once again were let through. Since then, first Maureen's husband and then herself have acted as volunteer lock keepers. Now it really is a family affair with Maureen's daughter and now her 7 year old grandson helping boaters safely through the lock.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Maureen at Marmont Priory Lock</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stopped at Upwell on the Well Creek Trust mooring, which is very well kept. There is a beautifully tended garden on the bank, growing fruit & herbs, which we were encouraged to pick for a small donation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvx6lnzIYibU45f_oJY4INReeVcYebR7VEsYpZQyd8FfWj7ic2MVJlSeuGHVKsgRY5VB9FqX_j59CEaiWBKtBcaRKAmCJq-2wlGPqZ0gyGX3aUE0Y_q8g41FuaGqq70FFoPo_lkJBnQ9E/s1600/The+girls+at+Upwell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvx6lnzIYibU45f_oJY4INReeVcYebR7VEsYpZQyd8FfWj7ic2MVJlSeuGHVKsgRY5VB9FqX_j59CEaiWBKtBcaRKAmCJq-2wlGPqZ0gyGX3aUE0Y_q8g41FuaGqq70FFoPo_lkJBnQ9E/s640/The+girls+at+Upwell.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Teresa, Karen & Jan sitting in the herb garden.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a fresh, windy trip across the Fens to Salters Lode taking us onto a short tidal stretch before going through Denver Sluice and onto the Great Ouse. We had to wait for high</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> tide and got in the queue with three other boats. As we approached Denver Sluice we spotted Dave a very good friend, who lives nearby, up on the bridge to welcome us. We spent the afternoon on board catching up with Dave & Grace before retiring to the Jenyns Arms for dinner.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leaving Salters lode</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Wednesday dawned still windy and cold. We decided to take a trip on our own up the River Wissy. It was very pretty, opening up to lake-like proportions at one point.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>River Wissy</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The river was very pretty and tranquil but very remote, we only passed one small village and then this great monster appeared in front of us!.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sugar Beet Factory</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We travelled 10 miles down the Wissy to Stoke Ferry where we moored alongside a caravan park and watched the cute little ducklings .............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">..... until I received a phone call from my sister-in-law. My brother was on life support in Southend Hospital after complications set in when he was under anaesthetic for a dental procedure. At this point he had not recovered conciousness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tony quickly arranged car hire for me for the following day. Later that evening Gary regained conciousness but they were keeping him under sedation in Critical Care. I set off for Southend on Thursday while Tony set off on the long, lonely journey back down the Wissy and on to Ely on his own. I spent two days in Southend, stopping off at home on the way back to meet Tony in Ely. It had taken us <i><b>5 weeks</b></i> by boat to get to Ely but only <i><b>1 hour </b></i>by car for me to drive from Leavenheath to Ely!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gary is now recovering & hoping to return to hospital for his next chemo session soon. He's determined to beat the cancer which has invaded his body and is so positive about it all that I can only admire him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Friday 12th June</b></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-34928765553772647102015-06-08T18:37:00.001+01:002015-06-08T18:37:38.664+01:00Facing the Guillotine<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday 30th May </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we left Northampton behind and moved onto the River Nene, pronounced <i>Nen</i> hereabouts, the sun was shini</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ng, the river wide and the scenery beautiful.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leaving Northampton behind us.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The locks though were a different story. None of us had encountered Guillotine Locks before and to be honest were all a little scared of them. The name alone was enough to put us off even before we caught site of them.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Guillotine lock in the closed position.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were travelling down the locks and all guillotine locks had to be left in the UP position. That meant that at every lock we had to lower the guillotine, raise the paddles at the other end to fill the lock to the level of the river where the boat approached the locks (as in picture above), open the gates & drive the boats in, close the gates, lower the paddles and raise the guillotine, to let the water out so that the boats would then be the same, lower level , as the river the other side. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Open & all ready to drive out</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">really scary bit</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> where we had to drive the boat out under the raised guillotine! Most of the guillotines were electrically operated but we still had to hand wind the gates, with some taking 75-80 turns to open or close the paddles and we did 10 of these on the first day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next day, Sunday, started wet so we had a late departure and travelled on our own. We had earlier </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">read</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a blog by another boat, No Problem, who mentioned an old customer of ours at The Thatchers, Chop Wales, who we knew moored his boats (yes he has two) in these parts, so Tony sent him a message on fb and arranged to meet him at Ringstead where we had a cuppa with him in the Woodford Mill Tea Shop, and he told us of his involvement with 'Friends of the River Nene' and recommended a mooring for the night in Woodford.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chop & Tony in the Woodford Mill Tea Rooms</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chop & his unconventional mode of transport</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took Chop up on his recommendation & moored up at the FOTRN mooring at Woodford. We had trouble getting alongside the bank as it was very windy and blowing us across the river, however we eventually managed to get tied up. The bank was very uneven but it had all been mown, we had it all to ourselves & the views over the Northamptonshire countryside were picturesque.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Woodford mooring</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We followed the footpath from the mooring which took us through the very pretty village to the pub The Duke for a drink.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Woodford from the river</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 1st June dawned bright and sunny, a beautiful morning if a bit nippy. We only had a short journey to our next stop Thrapston where we were to meet up again with Aria & Teezy. The town moorings were located just before the Medieval 9 Arch Bridge and very tricky to see let alone negotiate. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thrapston Town mooring</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon Teezy & Aria joined us and we all moored up securely as the weather forecast was for 52 mph winds the following day! By the evening there were 5 boats rafted up, all battening down the hatches against the strong winds.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>All three in</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Later a friend of mine, Maureen, who lives nearby came by for lunch & we had a good catch up.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Maureen & Jan</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday we stayed put while the winds raged and went for a walk along part of the Nene Way taking us round Islip and Thrapston and dined at The Woolpack in the evening. The following day, having used up our 48hr stay at the Town moorings, we moved just a short way to a mooring just below Islip lock which .we had spotted on our walk. Here we had our first BBQ of the holiday, sitting on the bank in the sunshine & enjoyed the sunset.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tony G,Teresa, Jan, Tony A, Karen & Martin</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sunset at Islip</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday was a beautiful warm sunny day & we made our way to Fotheringhay, another picturesque village with a very imposing church overlooking the river. The farmer here allows mooring against his meadows for a very reasonable £4 a night which he collects in his old Treacle tin and assures us all goes to charity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There once was a castle nearby ( only the mound and earthworks remain) which was the final place of imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scotts who was tried and executed in the castle in 1587.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Moored at Fotheringhay</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday dawned dull & wet but it brightened up later and we made our way to Alwalton where we moored in a by-water, beside the lock, overnight ready for a final push into Peterborough on Saturday morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Friday 5th June</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Since starting this journey at Hallingbury Marina we have travelled 184 miles and done 167 locks. It has taken us 4 weeks and we could probably get home by car in about 2 hours!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-68925383749258377752015-06-01T22:13:00.000+01:002015-06-01T22:13:15.540+01:00Milton Keynes to Northampton<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday 23rd May 2015</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Aria & Teezy caught up with us while I was still at the workshop & set off again before I got back to the boat so we left immediately I returned. We had one lock then a very long stretch of lock free cruising. Who'd have thought it would be so attractive through Milton Keynes, there are so many parks & lakes it could even be called tranquil in places.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We met up with Aria & Teezy, all mooring together for the night between Wolverton & Cosgrove where many runners passed us. We discovered they were on a charity run from Birmingham to London, over 150 miles, and running through the night with torches strapped to their heads. Now that is dedication for you.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Milton Keynes - Who'd have thought it?</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A rather attractive mural in Milton Keynes</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stoke Bruerne was our next stop, a popular tourist attraction with a set of 7 locks, a pub, shops and a museum. It is always a very busy spot for boaters and we met up again with Paul & Margaret on Pussers Rum. It happened to be Martin's birthday so we all had a meal in The Boat (pub) to celebrate.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jan, Teresa, Margaret, Paul, Karen, Martin & Tony G at The Boat Stoke Bruerne</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we left on this journey we had a new Axium prop fitted to improve performance & stopping power. During our travels Tony had become increasingly worried because the nut kept working loose, so he had contacted a boat yard who agreed to have a look a it. We arrived at The Grand Union Boat Co. yard Monday evening and Stan & Beryl on nb Rosedale let us raft up next to them. Next morning the yard decided Aylmer needed to come out of the water.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Putting the straps on ready for the lift</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>16 Ton up and away!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>There she goes</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Our berth for the night</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having got her out of the water the engineer deemed the nut damaged. Apparently it was brass and the thread inside had stripped so a new one was needed and as they didn't have one of the right size it had to be ordered. It would be delivered by post. Nothing for it but we had to spend the night on her on dry land, the second time in her short life, see </span><br />
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<a href="http://narrowboataylmer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/delivery-of-aylmer-dec-2011.html" style="color: #66cc66; text-decoration: none;">DELIVERY OF AYLMER Dec 2011</a>.</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The problem NUT!</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Luckily the postman was kind to us and the new nut arrived the next morning. It took the yard no time at all to fix it & have us back in the water and on our way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were now on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">& had 17 locks to do in 5 miles! At the second lock we gave a ride to our own 'Rosie & Jim' in exchange for some help through the next couple of locks by the adults accompanying them.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Rosie & Jim' with Mum Jane<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This short stretch of canal links the Grand Union to the River Nene (pronounced Nen in these parts) and the beautiful, tranquil scenery makes the passage through these obstinate, heavy and difficult locks, all worthwhile.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufFD-_5Le_mOmqJJKBmWCRGorRYVX_s27bLLv3Vy2_FSHlF1f6u-eLln3DxLmKN8nabuxt3Fhbw2fQdzxQVcWp-ZgYmLzwRwhN1yIDNXLutwSvlejwXqX0tzx53grg0Y85Wz-AdG-HPA/s1600/Beautiful+views+from+the+Northampton+Arm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufFD-_5Le_mOmqJJKBmWCRGorRYVX_s27bLLv3Vy2_FSHlF1f6u-eLln3DxLmKN8nabuxt3Fhbw2fQdzxQVcWp-ZgYmLzwRwhN1yIDNXLutwSvlejwXqX0tzx53grg0Y85Wz-AdG-HPA/s640/Beautiful+views+from+the+Northampton+Arm.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Eventually the old Express Lifts testing tower comes into view heralding the town of Northampton our next destination.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPPvDlanVS-JnerY5d-Zm4pHJlJTkBV6Jc1HQ4YfcRGsM1_CMG4QJYlnSdjinkn24MbGDAjxWoXNaVt3-sdgUS5y1eSCslnzlvj2wUyjik40B-idM3qxK2EBIye8VxpiuSBTcNE2Z-Bc/s1600/Lift+tower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPPvDlanVS-JnerY5d-Zm4pHJlJTkBV6Jc1HQ4YfcRGsM1_CMG4QJYlnSdjinkn24MbGDAjxWoXNaVt3-sdgUS5y1eSCslnzlvj2wUyjik40B-idM3qxK2EBIye8VxpiuSBTcNE2Z-Bc/s640/Lift+tower.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The redundant Express Lifts testing tower</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Arriving at Becket's Park in Northampton we were welcomed in by Stan & Beryl on nb Rosedale who we'd last seen at the boat yard. The boys discovered a blues night at the local pub, the Malt Shovel, where I'm told they had great beers. We spent a couple of days in Northampton whilst the heavens opened, interspersed with a few sunny periods when we nipped into town for the shops, market and a bit of sightseeing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Tony Outside the Guildhall</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Friday 29th May</b></span></div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-7080121617747760372015-05-29T17:28:00.000+01:002015-05-29T17:28:15.582+01:00Wind, Rain, Sunshine & Excitement <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday 16th May</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We managed to get our favourite mooring opposite the 4th Green at The Grove with Aria & Teezy. Karen & I spent the afternoon sitting on the roof of Aria, with Pimms & Pringles, in the sunshine while the rest of them watched the golf.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aria, Aylmer & Teezy at The Grove</span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The following afternoon all six of us took a walk up to The Grove and after a walk round the extensive landscaped grounds, retired to the golf club terrace for drinks in the sunshine.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrwlLyh5GZB1Sfg6HTLFCo-0ypjv26bHYjtX5eHqOJo_I30lRmoxVgSzXTjQ8KSN_h8KJuTBQfojpVxsRmYmu5agusGSxgBoiR7MJHx9GgnlIaxQWaOYXr85jB8zuAupnFwq4B5ybnes/s1600/Drinks+on+the+terrace+at+the+Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrwlLyh5GZB1Sfg6HTLFCo-0ypjv26bHYjtX5eHqOJo_I30lRmoxVgSzXTjQ8KSN_h8KJuTBQfojpVxsRmYmu5agusGSxgBoiR7MJHx9GgnlIaxQWaOYXr85jB8zuAupnFwq4B5ybnes/s400/Drinks+on+the+terrace+at+the+Grove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teresa, Jan & Karen on the terrace</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following day Monday started off very wet so we had a late start travelling to Boxmoor where we ended up mooring on our own as too shallow & windy for us to get in with the others. We dined alone at the Seattle Steak House where we could see Aylmer across the cricket ground through the window. If you look carefully you can just see her to the right of the flash light. It was a lot clearer with the naked eye. Fabulous steaks!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4VVX9_8Qe3q8W_Ey7vdL5H5mZ-EdpS3iooIpzi-UNUV20tZwzIqfMZILOLfS34Buk4CTk11AucbIjBUFia76PX0lbuRKbtb9GWvtSFr0-l18oEjFMpAOtwJcMaCJ0Ql7d5o8L8-NcrQ/s1600/2015-05-18+20.14.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4VVX9_8Qe3q8W_Ey7vdL5H5mZ-EdpS3iooIpzi-UNUV20tZwzIqfMZILOLfS34Buk4CTk11AucbIjBUFia76PX0lbuRKbtb9GWvtSFr0-l18oEjFMpAOtwJcMaCJ0Ql7d5o8L8-NcrQ/s400/2015-05-18+20.14.35.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from the Seattle Steak House</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then had a couple of windy & rainy days travelling along the Grand Union and climbing to the Chilterns. We moored on our own, in a very isolated spot, between the Ivinghoe Locks, overlooking the beautiful Dunstable Downs, where we could clearly see the Chalk Lion, carved out of the escarpment in 1933 to advertise Whipsnade Zoo. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7mUz-w09IFhagjMwPRPD8RMsQPYcA9Uet8It4R9g2lY35gy-AHU6FPWXwpDKYkgr7-kJ1eubPiHYCwZZcIQ5o3JNg4v6YXfIjaksL4c-jsaJwoqysMG1OVTGvwHP2pBw785dLTY3yag/s1600/Whipsnade+Lion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7mUz-w09IFhagjMwPRPD8RMsQPYcA9Uet8It4R9g2lY35gy-AHU6FPWXwpDKYkgr7-kJ1eubPiHYCwZZcIQ5o3JNg4v6YXfIjaksL4c-jsaJwoqysMG1OVTGvwHP2pBw785dLTY3yag/s400/Whipsnade+Lion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The white splodge just right of centre is the Whipsnade Lion</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left the others behind as Tony was on a mission to get to Soulbury Three Locks, near Leighton Buzzard, where he had been promised a game of golf if he could get there for Thursday. On the way we shared locks with a party of nine Bell Ringers (ringing their way at many churches along the Grand Union) and Margaret & Paul on Pussers Rum out of our home marina at Hallingbury.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharing Grove lock with the Bell Ringers</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pussers Rum pulling out of the lock ahead of us.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made Soulbury Three locks in time for Tony to have an afternoon game of golf with Mark and the game was halved (a draw for the non golfers amongst you). Later we joined Mark & Malou for an enjoyable evening at the Three Locks pub. What a wonderful end to a lovely day.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jan, Malou & Mark at Three Locks pub.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We managed to stop the Fuel Barge before we left Soulbury & filled up with diesel at 72p a litre. They often travel like this, two barges roped together facing opposite ways. One is the fuel carrier the other the living quarters.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4_ngqMA9CaClVHvuwwikaHjKQZwxDf4xcfqF7YIsN5qKCXnFT38r5KsOYI_w1mhABSjSxcwOR4fkUYNdFjGIYbLluHgdGZ4ZVrSSx243Gl1HRZn2B23udnEzwzQFxbhi7P7Mg000-ZU/s1600/The+fuel+Barge+below+3locks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4_ngqMA9CaClVHvuwwikaHjKQZwxDf4xcfqF7YIsN5qKCXnFT38r5KsOYI_w1mhABSjSxcwOR4fkUYNdFjGIYbLluHgdGZ4ZVrSSx243Gl1HRZn2B23udnEzwzQFxbhi7P7Mg000-ZU/s400/The+fuel+Barge+below+3locks.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuel Barge.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next highlight, for me anyway, was Fenny Stratford. We had decided to stop here to wait for the other two boats to catch us up. We wandered up into the village & found a nice little pub, the Bull & Butcher, which did a great fish & chips for two for £9.95. Great value. Taking a different route back to the boat I spotted a Patchwork & Craft shop. Needless to say Tony opted to return to the boat leaving me to browse the treasures inside on my own. To my delight I found they were running a workshop the next morning on Free Motion stitching, something I have only recently started to learn, so I signed up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a brilliant workshop, taught by owner Sally, who has a very relaxed and informal style which suited my holiday mood perfectly. Sally started by telling us not to expect anything pretty at the end of it as we would only be doodling, but I'm quite proud of my doodles which I'm sure my crafting friends will be interested in. The best bit about this experience is that I discovered the new marina we will be mooring the boat at after our summer trip, is only 40 minutes from the shop (www.threadsandpatches.co.uk ), so I will be able to go back to this Aladdin's cave in the future :). So excited!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKSAtSwlht_kXLDU4IuJiyTBd-At8cHAEaCchHAFHrYVouHjyLIi3cQg77N2BeKT1626gh78qnmDTYzae3W15xIjB2jR-StiJHifiib9nBNdvgyTj8rXb3P8tE7RUaP5Mf-4aciIyngM/s1600/Doodle+at+Threads+%2526+Patches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKSAtSwlht_kXLDU4IuJiyTBd-At8cHAEaCchHAFHrYVouHjyLIi3cQg77N2BeKT1626gh78qnmDTYzae3W15xIjB2jR-StiJHifiib9nBNdvgyTj8rXb3P8tE7RUaP5Mf-4aciIyngM/s640/Doodle+at+Threads+%2526+Patches.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Free Motion Quilting doodles by Jan Adams</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Saturday 23rd May</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-29258800094649797972015-05-20T00:43:00.000+01:002015-05-20T00:43:57.721+01:002015 Summer Journey on the Waterways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday 9th May</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was with mixed feelings that we left Hallingbury Marina on Saturday. Excitement at setting off on this years summer jaunt and sadness at leaving the marina which has been home to Aylmer since we bought her back in 2011. After our summer journey we will be mooring her in the Midlands, giving us new cruising opportunities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We joined friends Tony & Teresa on nb Teezy and Martin & Karen on nb Aria who are to be our travelling companions for the summer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8-0xNcApqdCu9u2h3HUSqpwsYpXyasvA-nwrKn9RNvKm7FEsfBDaKymKzt2OwwoknlKsk2Pt40J6XSYJwMBvp2j1MypSiP8DHAiXI7fBnKWy7Pu1kTStNoSEloQjBX4GvXrIUCQd_Iw/s1600/Morning+coffee+at+LV+W+W+Centre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8-0xNcApqdCu9u2h3HUSqpwsYpXyasvA-nwrKn9RNvKm7FEsfBDaKymKzt2OwwoknlKsk2Pt40J6XSYJwMBvp2j1MypSiP8DHAiXI7fBnKWy7Pu1kTStNoSEloQjBX4GvXrIUCQd_Iw/s400/Morning+coffee+at+LV+W+W+Centre.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tony A, Teresa, Karen, Martin & Tony G</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Monday we took a short walk along the towpath, from our mooring at Waltham Common Lock, to the Lee Valley White Water Centre. We spent a pleasant hour or so sitting on the terrace with coffee & watching the German canoe team practising the slalom course.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Teresa,Karen, Jan.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We couldn't resist the podium!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiqLGsJz0ocLitDqGA1sj8qCryJNnpitY_wYH7l0IYTxXpAs99ZCLEInpOjEpua4kQddwQNv7HRTnva4DlNYmxvHRBFNToQjc-k3XLd65QYDF6k-kAKubcAFKWHyS5CEZM_YJfduAVyU/s1600/2015-05-12+21.23.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiqLGsJz0ocLitDqGA1sj8qCryJNnpitY_wYH7l0IYTxXpAs99ZCLEInpOjEpua4kQddwQNv7HRTnva4DlNYmxvHRBFNToQjc-k3XLd65QYDF6k-kAKubcAFKWHyS5CEZM_YJfduAVyU/s400/2015-05-12+21.23.51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b>Sav,
Martin, Tony G, Tony A, Jan, Teresa, Karen & Briony</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday afternoon we
arrived in Limehouse and that evening went to The Grapes, a lovely
old pub right on the river (literally, the waves lap against the
cellar when the tide is up!). Sadly it's illustrious owner was not
about. Briony, Martin & Karen's daughter, & her partner Sav
joined us for a very enjoyable evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
following morning Mitch & Sarah joined us for a very sunny day
through London on the Grand Union & Regents canals.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oy2pA3RHw2ps-jF-HpiLV477GweysaLJsho5P7_oUXB4CfaUJu2C3ycY6lGoImtOQ_KT8-5G9YpazwgV3AAam07m68Mv0G-M3foXmx6eAbh14H7aZsjraCDtie3KjXeEYC609D_hrLk/s1600/11111116_10152903662267005_3734854792739748312_n+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oy2pA3RHw2ps-jF-HpiLV477GweysaLJsho5P7_oUXB4CfaUJu2C3ycY6lGoImtOQ_KT8-5G9YpazwgV3AAam07m68Mv0G-M3foXmx6eAbh14H7aZsjraCDtie3KjXeEYC609D_hrLk/s400/11111116_10152903662267005_3734854792739748312_n+%25284%2529.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We made them work!</b></span><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkH3h87HPFyNbm_YoDL2A3kTjVBqSY1kEFdXOU6E8UatkM9tj-M5t6Xrn10sKaGp0Uc5JPB698NYCzH2pY3M_OVLCPG5sDrNRWG8tga6INRpytQX1dKo7YlDLLvggFDHd2F8x0wrb6B8/s1600/11266246_10152903664112005_2265107146959613946_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkH3h87HPFyNbm_YoDL2A3kTjVBqSY1kEFdXOU6E8UatkM9tj-M5t6Xrn10sKaGp0Uc5JPB698NYCzH2pY3M_OVLCPG5sDrNRWG8tga6INRpytQX1dKo7YlDLLvggFDHd2F8x0wrb6B8/s400/11266246_10152903664112005_2265107146959613946_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi!</span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">London can always be relied on for the weird, wonderful & simply BIZARRE!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqI0DtjHYfgubSwjoFd709n-kxzTozr3V_p1sKQek3k6CPwNjUET9qQpaCqYKsD31xkojtVp9U6Cg60rilmoMpTYi0EOlAcmHl9xOlnghQJ6sSd7rokPgi1GMdg44mQDsX_sUidOcCew/s1600/988556_10152903663687005_5354750062248663175_n+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqI0DtjHYfgubSwjoFd709n-kxzTozr3V_p1sKQek3k6CPwNjUET9qQpaCqYKsD31xkojtVp9U6Cg60rilmoMpTYi0EOlAcmHl9xOlnghQJ6sSd7rokPgi1GMdg44mQDsX_sUidOcCew/s400/988556_10152903663687005_5354750062248663175_n+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoyPf6_iuk-at3dT0A788sdVsLtyzgWhJQD-KK2Njyj__qeDkSOvDh4ISh0VSBYq7IDs4EdeRrgaZcw7RulNPu1ApIV0RLFps8T_c5GxJnTI3MHRCwzG0Pb1acZuXZsjVkcg07ps6XFw/s1600/11203008_10152903663912005_5743986069893314623_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoyPf6_iuk-at3dT0A788sdVsLtyzgWhJQD-KK2Njyj__qeDkSOvDh4ISh0VSBYq7IDs4EdeRrgaZcw7RulNPu1ApIV0RLFps8T_c5GxJnTI3MHRCwzG0Pb1acZuXZsjVkcg07ps6XFw/s400/11203008_10152903663912005_5743986069893314623_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After
leaving Mitch & Sarah at Paddington Basin we set off to meet Aria
& Teezy again on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgingP-a3OsMfOXKdUD3okSZ7iUwJCgx95SPzYlFMxS0l3ES4RU0imIVuyIDuXUEkgIXjdsXhFB1OCGHkvW-uzLFVhi2ADdL5c-E-AVMtM30rpQTupcV49Eh-Hb1XbXWpgw9knyGelxR48/s1600/Cormorant+awaiting+rescue.+Paddington+Arm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgingP-a3OsMfOXKdUD3okSZ7iUwJCgx95SPzYlFMxS0l3ES4RU0imIVuyIDuXUEkgIXjdsXhFB1OCGHkvW-uzLFVhi2ADdL5c-E-AVMtM30rpQTupcV49Eh-Hb1XbXWpgw9knyGelxR48/s400/Cormorant+awaiting+rescue.+Paddington+Arm.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These
poor cormorants were waiting to be rescued by CRT (Canal & River
Trust) after their feathers got clogged with oil. Apparently some
moron had emptied gallons of used cooking oil down a road surface
drain that fed into the canal. CRT had already spent two days
syphoning off the oil & rescuing birds.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31XE2ufkWg_6pXxWWlHFKoyqjL-fm467JPtiWpkUdyI1Nr8ZLHQGvxpPHwy2T7nhchyphenhyphen30vO7qHUCV1vxrgL25KvLjA-l-D8RZfXeZuy_5HkdDJuZ9TfgfGgOwEC3zebqDNbfTUZTmzK4/s1600/Mooring+up+at+Bulls+Bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31XE2ufkWg_6pXxWWlHFKoyqjL-fm467JPtiWpkUdyI1Nr8ZLHQGvxpPHwy2T7nhchyphenhyphen30vO7qHUCV1vxrgL25KvLjA-l-D8RZfXeZuy_5HkdDJuZ9TfgfGgOwEC3zebqDNbfTUZTmzK4/s400/Mooring+up+at+Bulls+Bridge.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aylmer & Aria at Bulls Bridge</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Thursday was a very
wet & windy day but because of the oil spill we decided to make a
move to the junction where the Paddington Arm meets the Grand Union
proper at Bulls Bridge. There is a very convenient Tesco here with
24 hour mooring where we were able to stock up with supplies.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwVahyphenhyphen7BzlfXHQT33KRqNjgU_Pn1IKyCHKilO-x1nsFo6idgkU1dbH_xmqSssCSSyQqyMmJci0PpBthUjMmmVsgsX3tBxCEeuDjNJKtd3PyMsMbrtxOJLCpb3F5J1NUmVtMZhI8L_R2o/s1600/Ricky+Festival.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwVahyphenhyphen7BzlfXHQT33KRqNjgU_Pn1IKyCHKilO-x1nsFo6idgkU1dbH_xmqSssCSSyQqyMmJci0PpBthUjMmmVsgsX3tBxCEeuDjNJKtd3PyMsMbrtxOJLCpb3F5J1NUmVtMZhI8L_R2o/s400/Ricky+Festival.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>The
'Ricky' (Rickmansworth) Festival</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday we set off
in mixed weather. Lovely when the sun was out but quite nippy when
it clouded over. We had a long slow journey through the 'Ricky'
Festival site. About 150 boats were already moored, some 3 & 4
abreast, ready for the festival which started on Saturday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We managed to find a
reasonable mooring just above Common Moor Lock where we were pleased
to stop after a very long day.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu-7yHf4jKVZDBJDN1pxrfoGtftSi-K6YzmzDTT8_we9pxvLXmAnyho_0BWyOkhJwh5qVR4bwZN-TBdqR6adhhEw3a5-viTvMlOdoHelH58NPpYJ0AauyMfuFmgtrwogui_gOXgP0Tao/s1600/Remember+this+from+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu-7yHf4jKVZDBJDN1pxrfoGtftSi-K6YzmzDTT8_we9pxvLXmAnyho_0BWyOkhJwh5qVR4bwZN-TBdqR6adhhEw3a5-viTvMlOdoHelH58NPpYJ0AauyMfuFmgtrwogui_gOXgP0Tao/s400/Remember+this+from+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We passed this boat
last year. At that time the car was just sitting on the back, how
strange we thought! It has now been welded on. Not sure it looks
any better or what the point of it is. Does the car steering wheel
steer the boat? Love to know WHY!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday 15th May</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-3355379735974603822015-05-07T21:17:00.000+01:002015-05-07T21:17:31.904+01:00The homeward journey<br />
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<b>Tuesday 9th September</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaDd3TxAgn_94WUFW0uR4i5Wa8e1PCiq4PGZBuJ9d7KkVTzH57rzgwuZ8gCza6cXL6Ckg-dJn_hiWSloJDMkEQlkEOeymhCyvLVxVrx-896yj9-SBjYXuMNWF8eFXT4l3cLOazSITnTY/s1600/DSC03662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaDd3TxAgn_94WUFW0uR4i5Wa8e1PCiq4PGZBuJ9d7KkVTzH57rzgwuZ8gCza6cXL6Ckg-dJn_hiWSloJDMkEQlkEOeymhCyvLVxVrx-896yj9-SBjYXuMNWF8eFXT4l3cLOazSITnTY/s640/DSC03662.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We soon turned onto the Paddington Arm & had an uneventful journey down to Little Venice where we turned into Paddington Basin & were lucky enough to find a good mooring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JBZKKne1K_lupV_AuiCJeFPGWNorIFZ3UUa7Gp2ZAxy4QvGMLCUS_-w-zJfe4SMJ8Ysjl_g7o96jWNJGzvl-lZMA9nyuR4JnkgQjEPrjstNyQu-J3Kxlb6-apMeZFD1LrXRstkKZAFs/s1600/DSC03665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JBZKKne1K_lupV_AuiCJeFPGWNorIFZ3UUa7Gp2ZAxy4QvGMLCUS_-w-zJfe4SMJ8Ysjl_g7o96jWNJGzvl-lZMA9nyuR4JnkgQjEPrjstNyQu-J3Kxlb6-apMeZFD1LrXRstkKZAFs/s640/DSC03665.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mooring in Paddington Basin<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We stayed a couple of days in Paddington & had a great time doing the touristy things and meeting up with Mitch & Sarah for a pub crawl around Soho. The last night we were rudely awakened at 3am to find the boat had been set adrift by some inconsiderate reveller & we had to haul it back to our mooring in our PJ,s!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We left Paddington and set off down the Regents Canal to Lime House. A quite depressing journey with miles & miles of double & triple moored, scruffy 'liveabourds', We spent a night in Limehouse and had a pleasant meal at the clubhouse setting off to Waltham Abbey. Martin & Karen, from nb Aria (our companions from the beginning of our journey) cycled out to meet us at Enfield Lock and helped lock us through to Waltham Abbey. We moored overnight and had a great evening with Martin & Karen at Spice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Next day Tony & Teresa, other friends from our marina, walked along the towpath to meet us at Fields Weir just before we turned onto the River Stort & travelled with us to Hunsden Mead where they had moored their boat. We all walked into Royden for a meal at The Crusader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The following morning was bright and sunny, if a bit breez,y for our last day on this jouney & we travelled in company with Tony & Teresa back to Little Hallingbury Mill. Nice to be home but what an incredible journey - 753 miles and 513 engine hours. Can't wait until next summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><b>Sunday 14th September 2014</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-24167912746235638922014-09-14T18:54:00.000+01:002014-09-14T18:54:03.637+01:00Left speechless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 1st September</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ-j-ptzZQKfyYsz3wma0zE1k5XqruAsfVz1WLyvjn-sQhO8IUlpI3Aipvxvxa7X0FtT5ef_weNCpBgNKnFzIj1nGfz1qa4KvFkMbp8myvKbHoZJLFd1q5brm0bCjwdM8doD08nhXhtY/s1600/DSC03622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ-j-ptzZQKfyYsz3wma0zE1k5XqruAsfVz1WLyvjn-sQhO8IUlpI3Aipvxvxa7X0FtT5ef_weNCpBgNKnFzIj1nGfz1qa4KvFkMbp8myvKbHoZJLFd1q5brm0bCjwdM8doD08nhXhtY/s1600/DSC03622.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Berkhamsted was a pleasant surprise. We managed to moor up opposite a park and only a couple of minutes walk from the High St. A high street full of independent shops, including a very good old fashioned hadware shop stocked from floor to ceiling (literally) with all sorts of nuts & bolts, hooks & handles, washers and widgets & tools, infact everything a DIY'er could possibly need. Tony was fascinated. In the evening we had a very nice meal in The Thai Cottage.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdpxZDtlqEY2ZwJ1O8JGV0GImYKhZeAjUE8eZDkG3yIGr_EVdkL6r0SmDM2J1uaB0iZfnlMW85e3jDd3UCARK3pC1Pi6FrR7HzSPrbYgWA-AtmoonqmdoG_96rc7fv_N0tm60XjDv8-M/s1600/DSC03625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdpxZDtlqEY2ZwJ1O8JGV0GImYKhZeAjUE8eZDkG3yIGr_EVdkL6r0SmDM2J1uaB0iZfnlMW85e3jDd3UCARK3pC1Pi6FrR7HzSPrbYgWA-AtmoonqmdoG_96rc7fv_N0tm60XjDv8-M/s1600/DSC03625.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You do see some strange sights on the canals. This one has left me speechless!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PrM7bm5Q50VohXvjN8bDAEIBTx0yUVq47pCjURaO8HQpryHFtMbR59ZxGpi-4SonUOYFHrYIN6tJkdZohQAZzTkEYRzEDUxm1YEZDRJ8AFj4GBKHCeJ-6qUUl_Q4aFSZ-lPsdV-fYq8/s1600/DSC03627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PrM7bm5Q50VohXvjN8bDAEIBTx0yUVq47pCjURaO8HQpryHFtMbR59ZxGpi-4SonUOYFHrYIN6tJkdZohQAZzTkEYRzEDUxm1YEZDRJ8AFj4GBKHCeJ-6qUUl_Q4aFSZ-lPsdV-fYq8/s1600/DSC03627.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Approaching Watford, just below Lady Capel's Lock is this cute little whitewashed turnover bridge where the towpath changes from one side of the canal to the other. Leading us to......</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk_oLTPX9ZeTjGeMq1lxYEvcp9rwLZRB_zMdSUvsnjfEsaUz3iH-b0gCz_p56Au4ZuPyZEIHu-E20IXHv7tq1eTZiSUoxYTtopv59-QoXzh8BrmgEi0zie8e-7OdAdYcckNk67MF-MHo/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk_oLTPX9ZeTjGeMq1lxYEvcp9rwLZRB_zMdSUvsnjfEsaUz3iH-b0gCz_p56Au4ZuPyZEIHu-E20IXHv7tq1eTZiSUoxYTtopv59-QoXzh8BrmgEi0zie8e-7OdAdYcckNk67MF-MHo/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">one of Tony's favourite spots, opposite the par3 at the Grove. He sat here for a whole day with a glass of wine (or two) and his fishing rod, watching the golfers. Bliss!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHifxw0-LUYMObOghIpVb12wi6-DTCBMDMu_59CdPSh6Kf-1fU0DT9xFga80ksHh-6QHg9ik_Qckv9K56AC-I9hGIhx7ti9-3aKeWXfpFL4QVkyBEJ09dC9xphKLb6xzAJ4kkmqc7xGo/s1600/DSC03631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHifxw0-LUYMObOghIpVb12wi6-DTCBMDMu_59CdPSh6Kf-1fU0DT9xFga80ksHh-6QHg9ik_Qckv9K56AC-I9hGIhx7ti9-3aKeWXfpFL4QVkyBEJ09dC9xphKLb6xzAJ4kkmqc7xGo/s1600/DSC03631.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And he did actually catch a fish.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r3REoFf0vyjHEqEeQhY9vuBYjnlaBf5fuFNGxcfBzGmlSt6PP2WTLzVsVXDZeFpBlpy5Lsln4U41Fcq3WmrbG8HZQueD2NT4clUW0lgVYJMPWTUnUbkWVN8yt_nIaYYkZ3haE3vlNgk/s1600/DSC03632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r3REoFf0vyjHEqEeQhY9vuBYjnlaBf5fuFNGxcfBzGmlSt6PP2WTLzVsVXDZeFpBlpy5Lsln4U41Fcq3WmrbG8HZQueD2NT4clUW0lgVYJMPWTUnUbkWVN8yt_nIaYYkZ3haE3vlNgk/s1600/DSC03632.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Having negotiated Iron Bridge Lock we moored up & had a walk through Cassiobury Park, collecting conkers to ward off the spiders.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwEafIMVuW07NRpEQeEjZvq38I86XdBwp7f-WD8FMVsPjKYBpvhDLQlUOPJmBUGXdd4SWO0GrhjbMghz3sJscIaEcAAx-kYuc-GHw_VJV9z9WQRwOklTa7wgg1e7CRnsfHi4Dpwo2AWk/s1600/DSC03634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwEafIMVuW07NRpEQeEjZvq38I86XdBwp7f-WD8FMVsPjKYBpvhDLQlUOPJmBUGXdd4SWO0GrhjbMghz3sJscIaEcAAx-kYuc-GHw_VJV9z9WQRwOklTa7wgg1e7CRnsfHi4Dpwo2AWk/s1600/DSC03634.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between Cassiobury Park and Croxley Green CRT are carrying out towpath improvements and at Common Moor Lock the numptys have used the lock mooring for their work boats, making it very difficult for boaters to access the locks! Speechless again!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmvNETxL-Qv-nAhFh2ETAXBCA6s485nMDzlQ-yvKHgE24nRQoWYlPBf_d1rJtho5Pzt7KFOLY7_v47nklbIfofF852dYdYP4Qum5TDi1YQShtHaBOvkL_A1UsYwhSz1Av1a8zA-LYKiQ/s1600/DSC03638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmvNETxL-Qv-nAhFh2ETAXBCA6s485nMDzlQ-yvKHgE24nRQoWYlPBf_d1rJtho5Pzt7KFOLY7_v47nklbIfofF852dYdYP4Qum5TDi1YQShtHaBOvkL_A1UsYwhSz1Av1a8zA-LYKiQ/s1600/DSC03638.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They say the waterways are like a linear village, you meet the same boats but in different places. We met up with Rambling Rose </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at Rickmansworth</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, who also moor at Hallingbury Mill, also on their way home.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X7tlXiNKZ52cEPPxOF_rNgakXXWIw4TXFb57zQ2mBxYaPEAQFqF-dcxZrCSKEScYaOVmkFyjwk2wz_U2OapO00Mj4D5uVD4-SnP4R5OKuWpk1iM5etPA2fdsQaopac9_j3Bi-DdAudE/s1600/DSC03641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X7tlXiNKZ52cEPPxOF_rNgakXXWIw4TXFb57zQ2mBxYaPEAQFqF-dcxZrCSKEScYaOVmkFyjwk2wz_U2OapO00Mj4D5uVD4-SnP4R5OKuWpk1iM5etPA2fdsQaopac9_j3Bi-DdAudE/s1600/DSC03641.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An odd but ingenious floating dry dock near Uxbridge. The barge is sunk & the back dropped down so the boat can float in, then the water is drained out so the whole thing floats & hey presto - a DRY DOCK!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan, Tony, Paul & Denise</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday 7th September Denise & Paul, friends from the Thatchers, met us for a day out on the boat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildyLAwsBZgOXQa1tihxqh1A3qsw3gQO8ZNfsPgYW1nH9MPpb3kPW2KeZ9RIYQxo8ROSO7hDiNkDqlQARFl2XBxCraBi05o3NNDnDi1rVJRP_rCBuGFq2BaIQmaDHtRcqzDoSMQGzZ0mk/s1600/DSC03643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildyLAwsBZgOXQa1tihxqh1A3qsw3gQO8ZNfsPgYW1nH9MPpb3kPW2KeZ9RIYQxo8ROSO7hDiNkDqlQARFl2XBxCraBi05o3NNDnDi1rVJRP_rCBuGFq2BaIQmaDHtRcqzDoSMQGzZ0mk/s1600/DSC03643.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paul turned out to be a great Helmsman and did the whole of the return journey bringing us safely back to our mooring in Uxbridge where we all retired to the Swan & Bottle for a late lunch. A great day guys, thank you. x</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday 7th September</span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-60850368575071991912014-09-03T10:05:00.000+01:002014-09-03T10:05:34.986+01:00Northants, Beds & Bucks<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We returned to the boat on Sunday 24th August after I had spent a week with Mum whilst she was recuperating from her hip op. Although it was a serious business helping her to manage with reduced mobility and sorting out the endless appointments & medication she needed, I have to say there were a few funny moments, Like when I attended Mum's lunch club & got told off for helping to clear away the plates as I might bump into somebody & cause an accident. I was the youngest by at least 20 years and am steady on my feet (well at least before I've had a tot). Also when Mum telephoned me when I'd gone to the local shop because she'd remembered what else she'd needed. " What's that Mum, I'm still in the shop" I said. "I've forgotten" said Mum. I laughed out loud, startling the poor lady in the shop. Luckily Mum saw the funny side too. Anyway I'm pleased to report that she is doing great and has progressed to a walking stick and is managing on her own with occasional visits from the family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday we reloaded the boat, filled her with water & fuel and generally sorted ourselves out. Monday it poured with rain so we stayed put at Crick & set off Tuesday morning along the Grand Union Leicester section.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting under the M1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we arrived at the Watford locks it appeared everybody had done the same and we joined a queue of 10 other boats! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watford Flight (Northamptonshire)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily there were some very helpful volunteers to speed up the process.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh0gmXC1_yg1UKTd8S4O1NAHTnlPj3QtDYHYnPnS5JO_FvP3YFEsW9kV_lg4yFPBkt595N6hgZeltZ7wLVchmUk3ZrrYwlpUJNzO6mO-kwMQIDgFpAuYcw3ceEiccY_7ektLW9fbuVLA/s1600/DSC03566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh0gmXC1_yg1UKTd8S4O1NAHTnlPj3QtDYHYnPnS5JO_FvP3YFEsW9kV_lg4yFPBkt595N6hgZeltZ7wLVchmUk3ZrrYwlpUJNzO6mO-kwMQIDgFpAuYcw3ceEiccY_7ektLW9fbuVLA/s1600/DSC03566.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon after turning off onto The Grand Union proper at Norton Junction, Blissworth Tunnel came into view. The third longest navigable tunnel in Britain, 3076 yards long and it takes 30 - 40 minutes to pass through. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Blissworth Tunnel (the plants in the foreground are on the front of our boat)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Very eerie, especially when you pass another boat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving the tunnel. It took 12 years to build, being opened in March 1805. No machinery to do the job in those days. Once opened the boats had to be 'legged' through and as there was no towpath through the tunnel for the horses, they had to be walked over the top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next stop Stoke Bruerne where we met up with Dave & Grace who had driven over from Ely to spend the day with us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a satisfying lunch in The Boat we retired to Aylmer for drinks in the sunshine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another interesting tunnel is to be found at Cosgrove, although this one runs <i>under</i> the canal. It was built 250 years ago to get the horses, which towed the boats, from the towpath side to the stables at the Barley Mow pub on the opposite bank. It's hard to believe horses managed to get through such a small space!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Iron Trunk Aqueduct, built in 1811 as the fourth attempt to carry the Grand Union Canal 35 feet above the river Ouse. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/directory/47/iron-trunk-aqueduct .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thought I'd seen it all. Complete with rabbit hutches!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Soulby Locks we met up with Mick, Val & Marley on nb Gorse and travelled together for a couple of days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Val, my locking partner, made it so much more fun.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marley pays a visit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stopped overnight at Slapton Locks, near to Cheddington where in 1963 the Great Train Robbery was carried out. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81nUp0j-tmqLB-sH0WpXx9NrHTtPvTPacCIigmTl1wY8uC21hR0O634NwAzknvaA02ZOaRvuzMVIbcRLuwYTJ0_Yi5F5hNWeRizJpPaEon1HRAuJHbGfqIgAC9Eu2JbPi-v1bNR7ZTm0/s1600/Buckingham+countryside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81nUp0j-tmqLB-sH0WpXx9NrHTtPvTPacCIigmTl1wY8uC21hR0O634NwAzknvaA02ZOaRvuzMVIbcRLuwYTJ0_Yi5F5hNWeRizJpPaEon1HRAuJHbGfqIgAC9Eu2JbPi-v1bNR7ZTm0/s1600/Buckingham+countryside.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We passed through some beautiful Buckingham countryside.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjT3Exuqz0AEB5zNjhiYVNRrbG-Ci9C47Z83nTMxvXrIhadpxUaep_vDi0lu0PgfFE4ldUqnzxM5neaucEKKyRKaOttMdAsoKpbah5lJJvEmvze7nASLlQ6vd9WuzimB8KqeG95SE70k/s1600/Rainbow+over+Bedfordshire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjT3Exuqz0AEB5zNjhiYVNRrbG-Ci9C47Z83nTMxvXrIhadpxUaep_vDi0lu0PgfFE4ldUqnzxM5neaucEKKyRKaOttMdAsoKpbah5lJJvEmvze7nASLlQ6vd9WuzimB8KqeG95SE70k/s1600/Rainbow+over+Bedfordshire.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And saw a rainbow over Bedfordshire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We said goodbye to Mick & Val at Cooks Wharf and continued on to Marsworth where we moored for the night and looked out at this glorious view from the rear deck. A beautiful end to another week in paradise :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday 31st August 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">679 miles - 441 locks</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-28143901082556419062014-08-15T11:16:00.001+01:002014-08-15T11:16:33.717+01:00A staircase, a living milestone & a moraine!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 11th August</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScnyo3n2giqSuh9BWuZ2ERidOzTljITem-LRSGXxe58nhg18cQw958mQd65jYavdl8kkxfGBOpZP0ZoHWuPuG9f4UCR3NoFMkR4Xtv949S8ikkfEGHzCn457pEGCJUbDfcgJGSRVBqrc/s1600/DSC03519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScnyo3n2giqSuh9BWuZ2ERidOzTljITem-LRSGXxe58nhg18cQw958mQd65jYavdl8kkxfGBOpZP0ZoHWuPuG9f4UCR3NoFMkR4Xtv949S8ikkfEGHzCn457pEGCJUbDfcgJGSRVBqrc/s1600/DSC03519.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our way back down the Harborough Arm we approached the Road Swing Bridge with trepidation after the traffic jam we caused on the way up. Luckily the Gods were with us & we managed it without a hitch.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOs-nvt1CyMwDW7Dhiub-jhHVguy31jA-YjRzjqCElFZFYQvjDi5JaNuJouXP1lIPK5OrcOwnfxuQXhrBFhKcXoBjesj2H6YNLW4BKZHAEZ4V_NXjiQdRTff76x3FbPYTU3PYzI7xO5c/s1600/DSC03526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOs-nvt1CyMwDW7Dhiub-jhHVguy31jA-YjRzjqCElFZFYQvjDi5JaNuJouXP1lIPK5OrcOwnfxuQXhrBFhKcXoBjesj2H6YNLW4BKZHAEZ4V_NXjiQdRTff76x3FbPYTU3PYzI7xO5c/s1600/DSC03526.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Foxton Flight</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Foxton Locks is the largest flight of staircase locks on the English canal system with two 'staircases' of five locks. http://www.goleicestershire.com/see-and-do/Foxton-Locks.aspx As you can imagine it is quite a tourist attraction and there is no lack of Gongoozlers. We had thought that by avoiding the weekend we would also avoid the queuing. No such luck. Each lock will only take one boat at a time & there is only one passing place in the middle pound. We had to wait 1.5 hours before we could start the ascent.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvPb_QMcdCWP-qGuE3BODd1hQnN6xs1jpBc607kMCxLnfdq3rLa9E7zLdIGbu3fm5PWu4Kx11qO07AycVgPN75PMqcbCDg91gET5PesPsNh4YlP1q2dDSMXxBi1Dp4W4A56D-TGRuLmA/s1600/20140812_104153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvPb_QMcdCWP-qGuE3BODd1hQnN6xs1jpBc607kMCxLnfdq3rLa9E7zLdIGbu3fm5PWu4Kx11qO07AycVgPN75PMqcbCDg91gET5PesPsNh4YlP1q2dDSMXxBi1Dp4W4A56D-TGRuLmA/s1600/20140812_104153.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was however plenty to look at while waiting, like this ambitious Roof Garden.......</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukb5av9UEX-U6IsbBqj_Bb4vqaZ5oA5hoHPNDw8DIRRaJaW-iMM3Hmjyz-ZKxJXzatyn6NLWRBB6DEiD5NZFGgu_obJN3P9QcafZG9tlu6XPxcnu3uLeknh4dZRPOBFUMTo6IfJWcJC4/s1600/20140812_103942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukb5av9UEX-U6IsbBqj_Bb4vqaZ5oA5hoHPNDw8DIRRaJaW-iMM3Hmjyz-ZKxJXzatyn6NLWRBB6DEiD5NZFGgu_obJN3P9QcafZG9tlu6XPxcnu3uLeknh4dZRPOBFUMTo6IfJWcJC4/s1600/20140812_103942.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and this rather colourful boat adorned with traditional canalware.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwq2PaOn0-_HAzMi2J0QDlTu2XPdXheDUt2tf0qsuRjzpR3LhGAHgttSkxicD1i8RTOLwR7xKBYTxRabwvNglpA4QZlSqD9PVr6238-rg5WYGpRXJrr7rH2OKsmB2jNnM4JR0DsFcTyQ/s1600/20140812_104045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwq2PaOn0-_HAzMi2J0QDlTu2XPdXheDUt2tf0qsuRjzpR3LhGAHgttSkxicD1i8RTOLwR7xKBYTxRabwvNglpA4QZlSqD9PVr6238-rg5WYGpRXJrr7rH2OKsmB2jNnM4JR0DsFcTyQ/s1600/20140812_104045.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking a moment to admire the fantastic views at the half way mark, on a bench dedicated to our friend Marion's parents who loved to visit Foxton Locks</span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRabsxk84b5qdXvM9LiLTSW5-CjyIAVXNwN895NMLLoZNeg4TTFNtqxMeCN5wscPzZhoSk23eLOmWeIjXHHdKEeVMakGdYhM02vLjqNioFm_Ilpoh5PJFFCbjny_KvTnf0wSZalf4f3M/s1600/20140812_105323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRabsxk84b5qdXvM9LiLTSW5-CjyIAVXNwN895NMLLoZNeg4TTFNtqxMeCN5wscPzZhoSk23eLOmWeIjXHHdKEeVMakGdYhM02vLjqNioFm_Ilpoh5PJFFCbjny_KvTnf0wSZalf4f3M/s1600/20140812_105323.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what an amazing view over the Leicestershire countryside. Unfortunately the photo doesn't really do it justice.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzijLWInhkbDAvldO3hVenbUDWHzkV0MXfNtFe4u-x58iyX8tsyipFbC4EFXnakWg9BGOX4Su66JV_1rzOC5zmZzgK5RD4Z8KLTW5PwlVX9f9lT3fE_AG62tlR-F1vDIzG-igVtHNttDY/s1600/DSC03530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzijLWInhkbDAvldO3hVenbUDWHzkV0MXfNtFe4u-x58iyX8tsyipFbC4EFXnakWg9BGOX4Su66JV_1rzOC5zmZzgK5RD4Z8KLTW5PwlVX9f9lT3fE_AG62tlR-F1vDIzG-igVtHNttDY/s1600/DSC03530.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Foxton the canal follows the contours of the hills, so that you find yourself looking up hill to the right....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6P_9ugpmBvipWaxyPFxRK7brz5MXd72La5DZTaqFfY5LK2yLRJTGp0jnTitOCFm2kmwjZmreYqMsiXmIz399dBKsGo2elF-LW9DIHd8A07gM8MDxWAgTW23JEbsdRVreT20V5ulYMkFQ/s1600/DSC03534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6P_9ugpmBvipWaxyPFxRK7brz5MXd72La5DZTaqFfY5LK2yLRJTGp0jnTitOCFm2kmwjZmreYqMsiXmIz399dBKsGo2elF-LW9DIHd8A07gM8MDxWAgTW23JEbsdRVreT20V5ulYMkFQ/s1600/DSC03534.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and downhill to the left. Both views are quite picturesque. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss4_YIVIulio9-k2XwTGKfHsVkYHltS6h0dGR9OrZ3DSCFlTpTWnfyVrtEiZbSXSAqtvvaEgy2Qa_ZHAIBxG5rFeAve6PDUtdO0kx070vPdeI2_kpbflPu1AF9cjQkdv3cvCMuD98ZE8/s1600/20140812_190601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss4_YIVIulio9-k2XwTGKfHsVkYHltS6h0dGR9OrZ3DSCFlTpTWnfyVrtEiZbSXSAqtvvaEgy2Qa_ZHAIBxG5rFeAve6PDUtdO0kx070vPdeI2_kpbflPu1AF9cjQkdv3cvCMuD98ZE8/s1600/20140812_190601.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon we were in Northamptonshire and a little further along we turned off onto the Welford arm, only 1.6 miles long, and moored in the basin. A pub & the pretty village of Welford are nearby, from where there are several interesting walks. This very short arm was built to supply the main canal & Foxton locks with water from the nearby reservoirs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRoDvfdGZWa44zv6tO2thaH7v7fMOFx93wdd7kTARLVDfqdSi7Lly9ihRx6IQKDr8s_n9RLNbyHDHePYLzeJY2nkbdzNLN3iXA-sTC2-rAzvlMjwrCaD4Uko_S4eA8fA9NdYO12dkmX0/s1600/DSC03549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRoDvfdGZWa44zv6tO2thaH7v7fMOFx93wdd7kTARLVDfqdSi7Lly9ihRx6IQKDr8s_n9RLNbyHDHePYLzeJY2nkbdzNLN3iXA-sTC2-rAzvlMjwrCaD4Uko_S4eA8fA9NdYO12dkmX0/s1600/DSC03549.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rejoining the main canal again it became very narrow in places as the vegetation spread out from the banks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME5TlhLVzUb4dXI3a48xcLFsLn4clszRk7ZwFU1TWhiv4ob6e-eZn3PwcxD1nFmTpGQLKbmSdq6aEMjNsNES51Akzf_3Ek8ZrWs7lKgU59tbaRGemoiADPsSuxXstDUmkmnjZUkorOGg/s1600/DSC03548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME5TlhLVzUb4dXI3a48xcLFsLn4clszRk7ZwFU1TWhiv4ob6e-eZn3PwcxD1nFmTpGQLKbmSdq6aEMjNsNES51Akzf_3Ek8ZrWs7lKgU59tbaRGemoiADPsSuxXstDUmkmnjZUkorOGg/s1600/DSC03548.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It made passing another boat very interesting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These metal signs denote the site of a living milestone. Most canals have milestone markers, usually wood, stone or metal but this stretch of canal has trees planted as mile markers, hence the 'living milestone'. I guess when first planted the trees stood out, but as the hedgerows grew more dense another form of marker was needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You come across some odd sights on the canals. This one left me wondering how on earth it got there! The very rounded hill in the background also seemed an oddity. It is called Cracks Hill and is a moraine. No I didn't know what that was either. see </span> http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/leisure/parks-and-countryside/cracks-hill/<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERp63u8Ob0snhTB54Ui1HLQqKVRY8LgtqlmHzoHLkn4cyEg7lBeIYlLG65ji8atexF9Onw_0u685B-GtLObP5tFeYJxgvCSkQtpuig40_ghQPURcwgn9imebb9AsE2jbEipSPuOEbHA4/s1600/20140813_161546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERp63u8Ob0snhTB54Ui1HLQqKVRY8LgtqlmHzoHLkn4cyEg7lBeIYlLG65ji8atexF9Onw_0u685B-GtLObP5tFeYJxgvCSkQtpuig40_ghQPURcwgn9imebb9AsE2jbEipSPuOEbHA4/s1600/20140813_161546.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We shortly arrived at Crick Marina where we were made to feel very welcome by the staff. Having filled up with fuel and availed ourselves of the services, we spent our last night aboard for a week or so. This morning, in torrential rain, we picked up our hire car from the nearby village & set off for home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14th August 2014 - 618 miles & 388 locks!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-33783707697997318682014-08-11T08:37:00.000+01:002014-08-11T08:37:51.999+01:00The Good, the Bad & the Ugly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 4th August</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqJcF4Iy-HYzSg5Td8yCfu3h866HMH8ajn69y0592JQyEvlJHVOza0fV2G4-jQJx8AedJk9B5nmKBsMA_H-Z4MvaKlPtRuD8yKQWdREipfzu8vo3tICbPWqxaM5nmFL78JUt4oOsmv_U/s1600/Holme+Pierrepont+Country+Park.+Home+of+the+National+Water+Sports+Centre.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqJcF4Iy-HYzSg5Td8yCfu3h866HMH8ajn69y0592JQyEvlJHVOza0fV2G4-jQJx8AedJk9B5nmKBsMA_H-Z4MvaKlPtRuD8yKQWdREipfzu8vo3tICbPWqxaM5nmFL78JUt4oOsmv_U/s1600/Holme+Pierrepont+Country+Park.+Home+of+the+National+Water+Sports+Centre.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way back to Nottingham we stopped for water at Holme lock. On the way down we knew we were in the vicinity of Holme Pierrepoint, the National Watersports Centre, but as we didn't get off the boat, had no idea that the White Water Slalom ran right next to the lock. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zmvw1F4abMHqvBu-WA2DhVtcDRHqg8tKCrBGPdiE3flsLXzi1HoN7AGE9VGT-KhcHBYLkhT-puTyQEMZILa-9C1knNXJHVoE88w47cbcgzcRnTLbuaefaAEQcxB6mok0Olrzfm8dAaM/s1600/Dream+boat+for+sale!.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zmvw1F4abMHqvBu-WA2DhVtcDRHqg8tKCrBGPdiE3flsLXzi1HoN7AGE9VGT-KhcHBYLkhT-puTyQEMZILa-9C1knNXJHVoE88w47cbcgzcRnTLbuaefaAEQcxB6mok0Olrzfm8dAaM/s1600/Dream+boat+for+sale!.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other side of the lock landing was this dream boat for sale. If only!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnpJpbndclsAcpNs7vC6rsXoJn1GVEV-LIW8n9ho5GPzEhIC5fXSKtQAEjVvC92NyhFF6lUSR6jHGjNvWpbw1PPSbecsIFbiRkYq7kNfeRgot_mqvyBvQH02561d389cxu3eptXxAhpo/s1600/Nottingham+Magistrates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnpJpbndclsAcpNs7vC6rsXoJn1GVEV-LIW8n9ho5GPzEhIC5fXSKtQAEjVvC92NyhFF6lUSR6jHGjNvWpbw1PPSbecsIFbiRkYq7kNfeRgot_mqvyBvQH02561d389cxu3eptXxAhpo/s1600/Nottingham+Magistrates.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once back in Nottingham we moored up outside the Magistrates Court, right in the middle of town for lunch, and then moved a mile or so for supplies at Sainsburys where we were able to wheel the trolley right back to the bo</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at. What a convenient city Nottingham is for boaters.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvhnngLhfK-s7V4dOM8B6GYNC6IwyqhX4MY2DM_80HDplXkwfyoWp-jxmgaLvw0iuwuhAFzC5r6y8-Kgb7cBwSZi_G-ExDPwXjcmzv6Q-YixEpeWzNaprZL_411Hy0x94kddGP-a0MpM/s1600/Pretty+river+Soar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvhnngLhfK-s7V4dOM8B6GYNC6IwyqhX4MY2DM_80HDplXkwfyoWp-jxmgaLvw0iuwuhAFzC5r6y8-Kgb7cBwSZi_G-ExDPwXjcmzv6Q-YixEpeWzNaprZL_411Hy0x94kddGP-a0MpM/s1600/Pretty+river+Soar.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 8 miles outside Nottingham we joined the Grand Union Canal Leicester section which is made up of part River Soar, part canal & below Leicester, the river Sence. The River Soar sections are very tranquil and very pretty. In parts it is so clear you can see the bottom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Mountsorrel there is this attractive housing development which on approach looked like renovated old buildings on a wharf, but on closer inspection proved to be a new housing development with moorings. Neat eh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This grand bridge at Mountsorrel carries the railway which has recently been renovated by a group of local volunteers. As early as 1860 there were eight and a half miles of track serving the local quarries of the Mountsorrel Granite Company, now owned by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafarge_(company)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lafarge (company)">Lafarge</a> Aggregates. The line ran from the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Central_Railway_(preserved)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Great Central Railway (preserved)">Great Central Railway</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swithland_Sidings" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Swithland Sidings">Swithland Sidings</a>, around the quarries, over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Union_Canal#The_Leicester_Line" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Grand Union Canal">Grand Union Canal</a> at Mountsorrel, to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_Main_Line" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Midland Main Line">Midland Main Line</a> at <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow-upon-Soar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Barrow-upon-Soar">Barrow-upon-Soar</a>. The line fell out of use in the 1950s, the track was taken up in the 1960s, and most of the route was abandoned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we approached Leicester the National Space Centre dominated the skyline. Unfortunately there was nowhere to moor in order to visit it! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSXrmJ4Ntoz4cnRRjJrGl38SyRYx8Be76zeq5rT6pF_vUAkCUequaZH-0C9SnoSaIHSVWNVOBRESGZ1j0ob4KNkEUlOVqk0SzhEmN6bs5oLyoYQUJmVKp2_NKReNk_BRsBSaxUENEAdc/s1600/Derelict++Factories+Leics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSXrmJ4Ntoz4cnRRjJrGl38SyRYx8Be76zeq5rT6pF_vUAkCUequaZH-0C9SnoSaIHSVWNVOBRESGZ1j0ob4KNkEUlOVqk0SzhEmN6bs5oLyoYQUJmVKp2_NKReNk_BRsBSaxUENEAdc/s1600/Derelict++Factories+Leics.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we entered Leicester City, all changed. The canal-side became very industrial, mostly dilapidated, the towpath was littered with rubbish, graffiti adorned the walls and where there were no buildings the tall hedgerows & trees shut out all the light giving a claustrophobic feel. The locks leaked and were in very bad repair and hard work. Pretty Ugly really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that is left of the old Wolsey Textile factory established 1744. The rest was demolished in 2009 to make way for a housing development. At one time Leicester was the centre of the hosiery trade. see http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66567</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had been warned that Leicester had only one safe mooring pontoon and it was definitely not advisable to moor anywhere else. It certainly wasn't worth writing home about so we continued on our way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Leicester has a lot to offer the visitor and should be ashamed of it's canal-side. It could certainly take a leaf out of Nottingham or Newark's books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the depressing journey through Leicester and it's outskirts it was a real pleasure to reach the countryside again. We were now in famiiar teritory as some 15 or so years ago we lived in nearby Market Harborough</span>.<br />
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We moored up near Wistow and took a walk to the Wistow Rural Centre accross the fields.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A glimpse of the beautiful Leicestershire countryside through the hedgerow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aylmer emerging from the Saddington Tunnel. The guide book said there were bats in the tunnel so I opted to walk the half a mile over the top while Tony drove through the tunnel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arriving at Foxton we opted to turn left towards Market Harborough & leave the famous Foxton Locks for another day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a small incident with a road swing bridge,( where we somehow locked the whole system up & held the traffic up for bout 10 minutes until some helpful boater came to our rescue) we approached the Union Wharf at Market Harborough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marion, a very good friend drove over from Corby to visit us. The expected rain held off, the sun came out & we sat on the back deck having a good ole chin wag!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We holed up in Market Harborough during the promised storms with a quick foray into the town between showers. On Monday morning, after stocking up with supplies, we set off to tackle Foxton Locks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mum, by the way, had a successful double hip operation and is now recuperating at home. We are making our way to Crick where we will leave the boat and hire a car so that I can get home & care for Mum while the rest of the family are away on holiday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday 11th August</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-21876246943505828302014-08-03T23:15:00.000+01:002014-08-03T23:15:48.567+01:00Newark & Lincoln<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">As soon as we left Nottingham & the Nottingham Canal we were on the River Trent and the scenery changed dramatically,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the locks got deeper, - This one, Holme lock, is 12ft deep. Luckily there are vertical guides to wrap the ropes around as the boat moves up or down in the locks, rather than having to throw them over the bollards at the top!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the waterway got wider, - At Radcliffe, the river is bordered by a steep, tree clad escarpment of cliffs which conceals the village above.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the bridges get bigger. - Radcliffe Viaduct opened in 1850 and carries the Nottingham to Grantham railway over the river. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectory_Junction_Viaduct</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gunthorpe Lock was having minor repairs so wasn't open until 12 o'clock, by which time there was quite a queue. The lock keeper managed to ram 8 boats in.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It made for quite a social occasion. As Gunthorpe is a popular tourist spot there were plenty of Gongoozlers about. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongoozler</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all moved down the river in a flotilla. It was the busiest we had, or would see the river Trent and must have been quite an unusual sight for any onlookers on this lazy stretch of the river.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The river and scenery is vast, mostly agricultural with the odd village or hamlet in the distance. Lots of fishermen on the banks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is also a very common sight. The farmers regularly pump from the river to water their crops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We moored up at Farndon Marina, just outside Newark where Doug picked us up & took us back to his house on the river bank, where Bev had prepared a sumptuous banquet. Before the floods, earlier in the year, we would have been able to moor at the bottom of Doug & Bev's garden but the storms ripped one of the pontoons away & carried it half a mile down the river!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bev & Doug in front of their lovely home</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a lovely afternoon & evening with Bev & Doug they came out to say goodbye as we sailed by next morning.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5-qdI4SHqRoVgTk0LLbRc37N2ks_1lr9vRKOBEj3ZHb5uEdligYUoX36w9h_UKdkddwnZgdXAhfhWB_WCMiQ1Ml1P-x5ZtS05abDdlhRACa7BXnUENIMd_DKTG4WWfEG6qVdICCgDU0/s1600/Newark+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5-qdI4SHqRoVgTk0LLbRc37N2ks_1lr9vRKOBEj3ZHb5uEdligYUoX36w9h_UKdkddwnZgdXAhfhWB_WCMiQ1Ml1P-x5ZtS05abDdlhRACa7BXnUENIMd_DKTG4WWfEG6qVdICCgDU0/s1600/Newark+Castle.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aproaching Newark Lock which has the fabulous backdrop of Newark Castle<br />
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We continued on this beautiful but very remote river to Cromwell Lock where we were to enter the Tidal Trent the following morning. However I received a phone call from my brother telling me Mum had had an accident on her mobility scooter & was in hospital with a broken hip. Ironically she was on her way to a hospital appointment! We decided that continuing to Lincoln along this remote tidal stretch where there were few, if any places to get ashore was maybe not sensible if I was needed back in Southend. We therefore returned to Newark next morning. I am happy to say Mum had a successful double hip operation and is recovering well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3atJTw8x_vuG-Qi6WkAYrC7DvLB2vMh8NJbkob44rCA-fwbPbV2I2Z9UGWUT7eDB0N68gj8rlnEz7SsRR2jX5igRx_txYOeqxjAL_dpiVQDQ1juodLG8GCA0E4GGJQqMAbb2l0BuIfw/s1600/returning+to+Newark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3atJTw8x_vuG-Qi6WkAYrC7DvLB2vMh8NJbkob44rCA-fwbPbV2I2Z9UGWUT7eDB0N68gj8rlnEz7SsRR2jX5igRx_txYOeqxjAL_dpiVQDQ1juodLG8GCA0E4GGJQqMAbb2l0BuIfw/s1600/returning+to+Newark.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We moored in Newark on the right of this photo so this was our view from the boat. Fabulous eh! It was less than a five minute walk into the town centre & equal distance to 3 supermarkets and the train station. I love Newark, the most convenient town we've stayed in & it has some fabulous buildings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitaTpIkONuFATH5ggrXZ2M9VTrmpj2tE-hFMjpPLXD_7QYXdIDKiix_-IYNKereW5tX453hLdqZD8fnjqOHtVBZ12t4UU-824JwDZJNp3tXz4-pkbZF6x0_N9BtbspK6oRvsj6nQ7MoU/s1600/Busy+in+Lincoln.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitaTpIkONuFATH5ggrXZ2M9VTrmpj2tE-hFMjpPLXD_7QYXdIDKiix_-IYNKereW5tX453hLdqZD8fnjqOHtVBZ12t4UU-824JwDZJNp3tXz4-pkbZF6x0_N9BtbspK6oRvsj6nQ7MoU/s1600/Busy+in+Lincoln.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday we decided to take the train. into Lincoln. This is the street leading up to the castle and the cathedral, a very popular tourist spot.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Piok4vVPggEncABaxvvb4nArsZm7QtifUYMYAkZj3wR-uoTr_BP0I6VQS0sFrbcHkb987StOxp9QSX9kT-VlYaPdziZxgwK009Ry_ORzExFHTzjeKUPhH36hct0GO0WDXgXWAV5hY3g/s1600/Steep+Hill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Piok4vVPggEncABaxvvb4nArsZm7QtifUYMYAkZj3wR-uoTr_BP0I6VQS0sFrbcHkb987StOxp9QSX9kT-VlYaPdziZxgwK009Ry_ORzExFHTzjeKUPhH36hct0GO0WDXgXWAV5hY3g/s1600/Steep+Hill.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very aptly named.....</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBRVvppMYG_qpxT9G3hdlJjLBXxLUVHUAi8pi12v1V3zm0f0XiVMr0l2-JocGnkzAkHuH7UQK25Z_urkXAWENjD6V8UdZFMIzMonlFcOG241zbmb-tCm6_y4EYj4g_DeOnV8-sUga6Bo/s1600/Steep+Hill+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBRVvppMYG_qpxT9G3hdlJjLBXxLUVHUAi8pi12v1V3zm0f0XiVMr0l2-JocGnkzAkHuH7UQK25Z_urkXAWENjD6V8UdZFMIzMonlFcOG241zbmb-tCm6_y4EYj4g_DeOnV8-sUga6Bo/s1600/Steep+Hill+2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steep Hill (probably a one in four cobbled street!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mCwhcRvPp-krnWMmuVjwfcdRuC693AKMHG1Sjab5LrXQsdZ1aEruheLH4dot72smJofc1zw4Kh5TgCRml-S22heIVzYK0yVtUxBM05yptVj67tDPVWeo44rhrS3a49GsydFas64E2q0/s1600/Cathedral+from+the+Ramparts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mCwhcRvPp-krnWMmuVjwfcdRuC693AKMHG1Sjab5LrXQsdZ1aEruheLH4dot72smJofc1zw4Kh5TgCRml-S22heIVzYK0yVtUxBM05yptVj67tDPVWeo44rhrS3a49GsydFas64E2q0/s1600/Cathedral+from+the+Ramparts.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cathedral from Castle Ramparts</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DHQRd944iQ3UjaKzTjiHzvh7vVyCe-Kz6zUO36VEml81ktmkuXcSv6I0FhyphenhyphenE0c9Klx1rKpI4_JCdeGIYHSLrpwdLl3p-8Xf6Z0YegOJAqxgjnqgfhrjSduGdkwrsBwYHnnZDYYqXJqM/s1600/Lincoln+Cathedal+1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DHQRd944iQ3UjaKzTjiHzvh7vVyCe-Kz6zUO36VEml81ktmkuXcSv6I0FhyphenhyphenE0c9Klx1rKpI4_JCdeGIYHSLrpwdLl3p-8Xf6Z0YegOJAqxgjnqgfhrjSduGdkwrsBwYHnnZDYYqXJqM/s1600/Lincoln+Cathedal+1072.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lincoln Cathedral. Dates from 1072</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QAwg6hvTFzbMEDIJ3qy_RLKI9ZN7XO1cKzJ5S6SZZlADxfbcyuGwnVVkkxBHB-iP42lM_487VJq-zZQYPhJOk-Yig-mmbw81GvIYAyRmpuIJ0lKCRhtgVMFMm_xHiEH86usRYiCnndg/s1600/20140802_142943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QAwg6hvTFzbMEDIJ3qy_RLKI9ZN7XO1cKzJ5S6SZZlADxfbcyuGwnVVkkxBHB-iP42lM_487VJq-zZQYPhJOk-Yig-mmbw81GvIYAyRmpuIJ0lKCRhtgVMFMm_xHiEH86usRYiCnndg/s1600/20140802_142943.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beautiful stained glass windows</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbeQA28Lam67_hGmTUpeWbuls6UwhkSagohZu5j7ROtD5c_eEifYaKG_IpGEN0I28hStyYj6VyOltWGkSQItIIKHVARAVD2e6HjC2OVfKCyjIDuyVG4IG720eFDMYokrvMYzusGZbCHI/s1600/Inside+Lincoln+Cathedral.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbeQA28Lam67_hGmTUpeWbuls6UwhkSagohZu5j7ROtD5c_eEifYaKG_IpGEN0I28hStyYj6VyOltWGkSQItIIKHVARAVD2e6HjC2OVfKCyjIDuyVG4IG720eFDMYokrvMYzusGZbCHI/s1600/Inside+Lincoln+Cathedral.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! What a ceiling. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to join the last guided tour of the day at the castle & were lucky enough to have the tour guide all to ourselves & so had a very informative personal tour.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTGMxLGU2zmYZth_dIrcU7FgRcq31Xr1iwlMJkBzADdU6RISHMzLiJPD-lb2f7TE1MI1_ouS4PjuXo9ag9F0314uhzfMkzEM-Bo211ys7yYBLKg9XR7dfOF5DwIlH_ZZaViPhvvraZ6o/s1600/Tony+with+our+personal+uide+at+the+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTGMxLGU2zmYZth_dIrcU7FgRcq31Xr1iwlMJkBzADdU6RISHMzLiJPD-lb2f7TE1MI1_ouS4PjuXo9ag9F0314uhzfMkzEM-Bo211ys7yYBLKg9XR7dfOF5DwIlH_ZZaViPhvvraZ6o/s1600/Tony+with+our+personal+uide+at+the+Castle.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Our Personal Tour Guide</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWeLX7X1sk_bdzXyTa3PmE-CysFkBMpGJSajlCoiX5irJ39Xx9XVZF7h4xnthA0uIuHwQZymWPgtAzH0MSPjR0pksGjZsv7MIA8eHUDt_eCP1aN6CHtTh70x0O3mTztBI_qM4oePyYgc/s1600/DSC03442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWeLX7X1sk_bdzXyTa3PmE-CysFkBMpGJSajlCoiX5irJ39Xx9XVZF7h4xnthA0uIuHwQZymWPgtAzH0MSPjR0pksGjZsv7MIA8eHUDt_eCP1aN6CHtTh70x0O3mTztBI_qM4oePyYgc/s1600/DSC03442.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medieval Festival</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik90cPGgcUaBBopfejh1HR6fRyU7Bj6mtnUyBoPWOXQV7LlYhay0yzjUfuQ_jOw3HkEc1ug0gG8SoXWkRJZzi-pjY7rLxBgDvDL4YtzWb_8yDF6bi_AMyVjo10iwpW22PGXycE09hWf7E/s1600/Medieval+Jousting+Tournament.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik90cPGgcUaBBopfejh1HR6fRyU7Bj6mtnUyBoPWOXQV7LlYhay0yzjUfuQ_jOw3HkEc1ug0gG8SoXWkRJZzi-pjY7rLxBgDvDL4YtzWb_8yDF6bi_AMyVjo10iwpW22PGXycE09hWf7E/s1600/Medieval+Jousting+Tournament.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jousting Tournament</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The castle has a full programme of events throughout the year and today's was a Medieval Festival exhibiting crafts & costumes of the day and included a very colourful Medieval Joust.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMUCoBwm8Yk5EABMPwLppHddGS7YexD5lYn1PQXlBKs47cOFgZb9RQfFcXsQZZVOFbG94h0Lo1eH-f7G9BE-JnxWVrJByIAw3Sr736HoNibDH9K2CeWBnyCWqPSA9X3OswUZAOnCW8bg/s1600/The+Glory+Hole,+Lincoln.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMUCoBwm8Yk5EABMPwLppHddGS7YexD5lYn1PQXlBKs47cOFgZb9RQfFcXsQZZVOFbG94h0Lo1eH-f7G9BE-JnxWVrJByIAw3Sr736HoNibDH9K2CeWBnyCWqPSA9X3OswUZAOnCW8bg/s1600/The+Glory+Hole,+Lincoln.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> High Bridge, in the centre of modern Lincoln, spans the River Witham and is one of the many interesting buildings in Lincoln. It is known locally as the 'Glory Hole'. The Shops on High Bridge date from the 16th century, but the history of the bridge itself goes back to the 12th century. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is one of only three bridges in England with shops on them, the others are Pulteney Bridge in Bath and Frome Bridge in Somerset.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After a very interesting day in Lincoln we returned to Newark where tomorrow (Sunday 3rd August) we will retrace our steps back to Nottingham.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-29162795807350708712014-07-27T21:54:00.002+01:002014-07-27T21:54:53.177+01:00A Wedding, a rescue and beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfldDHJhjXSkgv0_3pdu0xFI-TSj_PGlanl9niIJihHBWuvIF5eu2U-0NAXNCHRceLY9PEHcktp92czW7F6XzuI8XKLU7c_HZ1CmoWCukvtcJHg5hZixRibeSPteSP8qxAHtMgctBNVY/s1600/2014-07-16+16.22.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfldDHJhjXSkgv0_3pdu0xFI-TSj_PGlanl9niIJihHBWuvIF5eu2U-0NAXNCHRceLY9PEHcktp92czW7F6XzuI8XKLU7c_HZ1CmoWCukvtcJHg5hZixRibeSPteSP8qxAHtMgctBNVY/s1600/2014-07-16+16.22.06.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a lovely few days at home and managed to catch up with family & fiends as well as attending Jodie & Antonia's wedding. It was such a beautiful day in every sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rejoined the boat at Barton Turns before saying goodbye for now to Parker & Lynne who had very kindly looked after the boat whilst we went home and then accompanied us to the first lock. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we approached Burton-on-Trent we could smell the hops even before the Marstons bridge came into view. Unfortunately the Marstons Brewery is no longer open to the general public except on pre arranged tours. However the National Brewery Centre is nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We managed to spot a few of Tony's favourite brews at the NBC and even sampled some after a very interesting guided tour. Well recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was only a short trip to Willington, which turned out to be a popular stop. Even the pub was fully booked on a Tuesday evening!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to walk the 1.5 miles into Repton, famous for it's Public School, and crossed the River Trent which we would be joining later. The church, St Wystan's, which you can see in the photo, is built over a crypt constructed in the 8th century which is said to be one of the oldest and most important examples of Anglo-Saxon architecture to survive intact. http://www.reptonchurch.org.uk/Crypt.htm</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"> . </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Tony just happens to be reading a series of books by Bernard Cornwell in which the crypt is mentioned as the final resting place of Mercian Kings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back on board Tony caught his first fish in 6 weeks! He blames the fact that I won't let him have maggots on board. Well would you??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onto the River Trent and under the M!.Here the journey to Nottingham alternates between canal & river.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Approaching Sawley Flood Lock we were flagged down by a couple walking along the tow path who drew our attention to something in the water on the opposite bank. An elderly man had fallen into the canal & was literally up to his neck in the canal. We hastily moored the boat and Tony grabbed a rope. By the time we got back to the scene the other couple had hold of John (as we later learnt was his name) but were unable to pull him out because of the steep concrete bank. With the rope around his chest and the effort of the four of us we eventually got him out, cold; wet; shaken and semi conscious. Andrew rang the emergency services whilst we made him as comfortable as possible and wrapped him in a blanket. Poor John was very disoriented, confused, cold and had a nasty gash under his eye. It took the emergency service 45 minutes to send anybody to the scene, first a policeman, then a paramedic and finally the ambulance we requested and John was finally taken off to Derby hospital. Just another casualty of the NHS cuts?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The week ended on a much happier note when we moored in the Castle Marina, Nottingham and met up with daughter Kerry & granddaughter Lily. The ever enterprising Nottingham City Council have turned the old Market Square into a beach with sand, deckchairs, merry-go-rounds, pools, fountains & candyfloss. Brilliant!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kerry & Lily</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lily had a wonderful time while Nana & Pops sat in their deckchairs like a couple of old pensioners.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lily takes to the helm.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kerry & Lily</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cuddle for Nana & Pops</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rounded off the weekend with a visit from friends</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Stella & Alex. Drinks and nibbles on board, putting the world to rights and having a laugh.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-5921136678290848312014-07-17T19:56:00.001+01:002014-07-17T20:01:23.125+01:00444 miles 300 locks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Setting off on 3rd July we were once again in open countryside, although accompanied by the constant drone of the M6 Toll road which runs adjacent to the canal as we negotiated the Curdworth Locks. Now on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6QWa8qZ_7p5Rz_GnRvrUDCbcseMSExRYic1g1n5sb9ICroXpb3-2AY1TFNWFahkvPVAqzMdG7gwbT-G5ebZPxU3BWJ5whNZwXS3DhJIMNMh16hIQ738jPrFDy0iWaCOkghO82xLwgKM/s1600/Curdworth+Locks+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6QWa8qZ_7p5Rz_GnRvrUDCbcseMSExRYic1g1n5sb9ICroXpb3-2AY1TFNWFahkvPVAqzMdG7gwbT-G5ebZPxU3BWJ5whNZwXS3DhJIMNMh16hIQ738jPrFDy0iWaCOkghO82xLwgKM/s1600/Curdworth+Locks+2.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curdworth Locks</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Near to the entrance of Drayton Manor Park is the whimsical Drayton Footbridge, a gothic folly. A photo opportunity not to be missed.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drayton Footbridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_FzwGMmUHEBLzCfEalBQmnYsCHxpUZD0ZSBh6Va1nGgtrdDAK8fWIxvf2NQjrXeLZpKmay3tR2zT4AplN95PB4wsseREV36iAL20gpjTdTgdv7YV8NUEWowvJyNjqPdM7m2CE7_qg8I/s1600/Drayton+Footbridge+(Folly)+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_FzwGMmUHEBLzCfEalBQmnYsCHxpUZD0ZSBh6Va1nGgtrdDAK8fWIxvf2NQjrXeLZpKmay3tR2zT4AplN95PB4wsseREV36iAL20gpjTdTgdv7YV8NUEWowvJyNjqPdM7m2CE7_qg8I/s1600/Drayton+Footbridge+(Folly)+4.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs wind up the tower to the bridge across the canal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon after we joined the Trent & Mersey Canal at Fradeley Junction where they have these really cute little lock bridges.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were joined by friend Parker to help us to Barton Turns marina where he keeps his boat Alfran, sister boat to Aylmer out of the same boatyard in Liverpool.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parker & Tony</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barton Turns Marina</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All moored up. Decided to spend the weekend here exploring the marina - pub, shops, restaurants and cinema, what luxury!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6podSXYPLrgzB4nsAmdrqzMAr_30flaAVjlV_z2yoLlOzj140D7JRKRRd9R_htn6f3xyodIaeom_keY3kJzzD1BzWvYPMxk_Dg4YXMqS2QXP7qdkqUY5hECF0LPs7SifBE4KKbkKh3dQ/s1600/our+route+5-7-14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6podSXYPLrgzB4nsAmdrqzMAr_30flaAVjlV_z2yoLlOzj140D7JRKRRd9R_htn6f3xyodIaeom_keY3kJzzD1BzWvYPMxk_Dg4YXMqS2QXP7qdkqUY5hECF0LPs7SifBE4KKbkKh3dQ/s1600/our+route+5-7-14.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">The red line on the map shows where we have been so far</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After 444 miles, 10 different waterways and 300 locks we have left Aylmer in Parker's good hands while we catch the train home for my nieces wedding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Up to 7th July </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-65245140904496939602014-07-17T18:18:00.000+01:002014-07-17T18:18:27.678+01:00The Grand Union<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon after joining the Grand Union we came to the Stockton flight of locks. These are wide locks taking two boats side by side, unfortunately there were no other boats around to share with so we did the whole flight (13 locks) alone but as we were in no hurry we managed to get by just using one paddle & opening one gate.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9vcnUO6BsV14JVdFsyCBHmax8_nNB92_jBjFYids6UBU0lbRMjVWgShM-X2vyOgolfaGnT-EHDm9D8kNu8XRKkU_OAhmE1YBfneU6hZC_yMIkRpT6xRdT7hvlSpLNLIIdL_xcnFfOi4/s1600/Stockton+Locks+looking+down.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9vcnUO6BsV14JVdFsyCBHmax8_nNB92_jBjFYids6UBU0lbRMjVWgShM-X2vyOgolfaGnT-EHDm9D8kNu8XRKkU_OAhmE1YBfneU6hZC_yMIkRpT6xRdT7hvlSpLNLIIdL_xcnFfOi4/s1600/Stockton+Locks+looking+down.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the Stockton flight</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our next stop was Leamington Spa where we had a pleasant stroll through the town where the planners have managed to update the shopping area whilst still keeping the towns Regency Heritage in all it's splendor. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pump Room, Leamington Spa<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our next challenge was the Hatton Flight (21 Locks).</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMSneYx-cSezuwrprGfVlfBV6RDKA4drZ9I0ErXfnggKzTTTW3Sta7RCI8_J7ZNAe0lFLzwfcCJ3wGhHkMORJ4d0IkCEAzVXCYVvtaof9EYMG8vUFeDCHZRPk-EoMVFVufDtgwHezVng/s1600/Hatton+flight+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMSneYx-cSezuwrprGfVlfBV6RDKA4drZ9I0ErXfnggKzTTTW3Sta7RCI8_J7ZNAe0lFLzwfcCJ3wGhHkMORJ4d0IkCEAzVXCYVvtaof9EYMG8vUFeDCHZRPk-EoMVFVufDtgwHezVng/s1600/Hatton+flight+3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hard work but we managed to share the load by alternating driving & manning the locks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also had a little help from the Rogers family who were just out for some 'Gongoozling', but the boys were willing to help with a lock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shrewley Tunnel, built in 1799 is built below the village and has a separate tunnel for the towpath. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewley_Tunnel</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">link to Stratford canal<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just after the bridge to the Link to the Stratford Canal we picked up a couple of Hitchhikers who we rescued from a couple of angry swans who were nursing their cygnets on the towpath and wouldn't let anyone pass.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRLvm1Mmot9f3GUkH-EmW-RVOcczD3TGTkxfhxqJwz85upxQnddNOFF4OjcgefGfK-cMMXswKjXdZCLYeGrAfNSNv0vPAN3SyDCo2CbwIdX0k8OusYwmoQm7-__0plLB_4lkIc8TbQY/s1600/'Hitchhikers'+Sue+&+David.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRLvm1Mmot9f3GUkH-EmW-RVOcczD3TGTkxfhxqJwz85upxQnddNOFF4OjcgefGfK-cMMXswKjXdZCLYeGrAfNSNv0vPAN3SyDCo2CbwIdX0k8OusYwmoQm7-__0plLB_4lkIc8TbQY/s1600/'Hitchhikers'+Sue+&+David.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue & David from Birmingham</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We ran aground trying to pick them up & had to pole off the bottom, before giving Sue & David a ride to the next bridge hole. Good deed for the day :)</span><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUbkSGirKjhoMoMT5jSa1oxNkja97SaoTzxnqBYzPdDjEQ_pYf75Vs5T8T5LrKfnHX9rjUxbTr9HogQmQvV_U7otO2Jq4Z-OqzvPZZ8BochlzpNnJVUkhyphenhyphentraQqwyi4dvK3vsEWOsME/s1600/Bacon+Sarnies+before+the+Knowle+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUbkSGirKjhoMoMT5jSa1oxNkja97SaoTzxnqBYzPdDjEQ_pYf75Vs5T8T5LrKfnHX9rjUxbTr9HogQmQvV_U7otO2Jq4Z-OqzvPZZ8BochlzpNnJVUkhyphenhyphentraQqwyi4dvK3vsEWOsME/s1600/Bacon+Sarnies+before+the+Knowle+flight.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We met up with friends Richard & Yo at Knowle, who's garden backs onto the canal. We had a lovely evening with them, then Richard joined us in the morning for bacon sarnies </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiokJhXjvOXYRtiebfsm-grd12DHKNG3hLQmcdyo5NG1fENDa89tG4pIhfA1kBb1RUAzkpfpVvVAmgF9G0zqiIGO16EufwQ9cHMURcoDpHQZ3OlVvpMbuNAM6bLAOm4BfIXuuwyNpqCo/s1600/Richard+at+Knowle+Locks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiokJhXjvOXYRtiebfsm-grd12DHKNG3hLQmcdyo5NG1fENDa89tG4pIhfA1kBb1RUAzkpfpVvVAmgF9G0zqiIGO16EufwQ9cHMURcoDpHQZ3OlVvpMbuNAM6bLAOm4BfIXuuwyNpqCo/s1600/Richard+at+Knowle+Locks.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">before helping us up the Knowle flight. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We then had a short journey to Catherine de Barnes, which we were recommended was the last safe mooring place before setting off around Birmingham.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early next morning, 7am! we set off through a deep cutting, lined with trees and surrounded by all sorts of rubbish. GRIM! There was even a sunken boat no one had bothered to remove or even mark as a hazard. It was very shallow & we scraped the bottom a few times. Other parts were very industrial,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcb6RZsnBgJt40HofnRr0jDIt44QIg7twNab3d2H29JfWNAGvPRzvY1NHIW55VTV3Bn_5Jg4xlGlfTjzGa8QPE5Z3xM-NsNUW-7AfujMEfl_x8j2KJfty27JXziqCe6DShsr6e5YKxBE/s1600/sunken+boat+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcb6RZsnBgJt40HofnRr0jDIt44QIg7twNab3d2H29JfWNAGvPRzvY1NHIW55VTV3Bn_5Jg4xlGlfTjzGa8QPE5Z3xM-NsNUW-7AfujMEfl_x8j2KJfty27JXziqCe6DShsr6e5YKxBE/s1600/sunken+boat+2.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we even went under Spaghetti Junction. The only bright spot all day was that Tony saw a couple of Kingfishers. To quick for photos unfortunately.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgPC8aZshm3A7_iZhnVqDsRsYWZGC4BBTog1gtjklgBUjQYM7OUTcWpxSYBH23_6jR6N_J2wlsUxRPSBn8mUQefUyvCbtqmOSxe0wDqCTdP7jq7oZJh8qPxLT_0speeHutTlh5A2JT5Q/s1600/Spaghetti+Junction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgPC8aZshm3A7_iZhnVqDsRsYWZGC4BBTog1gtjklgBUjQYM7OUTcWpxSYBH23_6jR6N_J2wlsUxRPSBn8mUQefUyvCbtqmOSxe0wDqCTdP7jq7oZJh8qPxLT_0speeHutTlh5A2JT5Q/s1600/Spaghetti+Junction.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spaghetti Junction</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">At Minworth Top Lock we encountered our first boat in 7 hours and the vista opened up to corn fields. A welcome sight after all the grime of the day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Takes us up to 2nd July.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-48927642988312228932014-07-01T20:34:00.000+01:002014-07-01T20:34:07.603+01:00Up the Oxford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we turned off the Thames onto Dukes Cut, to join the Oxford Canal, we entered a different world. The canal is very narrow and bordered by trees & bushes giving a very closed in feeling. The locks are so narrow there are only a couple of inches to spare when taking the boat in.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvHGzmBk1RQUBMmzwR6OqKL8pIYzc2ic6_kD03jFS0KFShY6yivm8ll6ndt7wPJAM4GCVdjd1X9E39HxCTiCoW0fvO0EW2Bl4qcZJ13XpzTKDzd0TUBCS6Hksi6JbAcTciYBJG07CWNc/s1600/Narrow+locks+on+the+Oxford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvHGzmBk1RQUBMmzwR6OqKL8pIYzc2ic6_kD03jFS0KFShY6yivm8ll6ndt7wPJAM4GCVdjd1X9E39HxCTiCoW0fvO0EW2Bl4qcZJ13XpzTKDzd0TUBCS6Hksi6JbAcTciYBJG07CWNc/s1600/Narrow+locks+on+the+Oxford.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5L8aGJ4ZrzI71kQ8kNxlL60NcYh_0aIFvm0r6za_Nbr-1gtjy5klPoGONA3kSGHqXOpf1txjZ_dVILY98nwFWaieM3s95oGQeLFvjCSbb6EzZxodAjSgsKaJD0TBrHTFrPFWBCXSYIk/s1600/SAM_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5L8aGJ4ZrzI71kQ8kNxlL60NcYh_0aIFvm0r6za_Nbr-1gtjy5klPoGONA3kSGHqXOpf1txjZ_dVILY98nwFWaieM3s95oGQeLFvjCSbb6EzZxodAjSgsKaJD0TBrHTFrPFWBCXSYIk/s1600/SAM_0046.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stopped at Enslow Wharf for fuel and were enticed to moor for the night by the promise of internet connection. We duly paid our £10 mooring fee only to discover the connection was so slow it took 10 minutes to upload one photo!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFCLCanRJIdj2ysdDoJ916Yc6FZ09XvKy5rZBUPpLtseF-awGsADqTJkYoWEqDa7VfN19WxaEHYDYUZzhcfFyPvOTdCJMg2dqNxBEC4NFP-LDpF4XurpYhFD80msO5vSNKsvrPLty4DQ/s1600/1st+queue-Pigeon+Lock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFCLCanRJIdj2ysdDoJ916Yc6FZ09XvKy5rZBUPpLtseF-awGsADqTJkYoWEqDa7VfN19WxaEHYDYUZzhcfFyPvOTdCJMg2dqNxBEC4NFP-LDpF4XurpYhFD80msO5vSNKsvrPLty4DQ/s1600/1st+queue-Pigeon+Lock.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the lack of boats on the Thames we were surprised to arrive at Pigeon's Lock the following morning to find 5 boats queueing in front of us to pass through the locks. As these locks take only one boat at a time it tooks over an hour to get through! Obviously a slow day in the sunshine ahead, plenty of time to admire the scenery, which improved as we moved up the canal.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZRzHhMxOl3oagyOZ_WGDTLbo4rpDxGPado-6gm6NJ6zskVYeeHt1Ceo7XPSF8FkVRf8DA4U83qIZQKhqByXjobYHdqnlLaJzwoYLviD0mLUgfYOXN4PK_lo6P0oNZ2z8H_7vADy2HA0/s1600/Bridge+at+Northbrook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZRzHhMxOl3oagyOZ_WGDTLbo4rpDxGPado-6gm6NJ6zskVYeeHt1Ceo7XPSF8FkVRf8DA4U83qIZQKhqByXjobYHdqnlLaJzwoYLviD0mLUgfYOXN4PK_lo6P0oNZ2z8H_7vADy2HA0/s1600/Bridge+at+Northbrook.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bridge at Northbrook</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Swing Bridge, of which there are many on this narrow canal, mostly for use by the farmers so they were thankfully left open for us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSoptjrshClkFKJmvKOk9UuOdNh1_A3wfQPf-hKUBmyRLFl2fvzZdHBgEASTdwkzVEpWULQNQysbVJSRUFs0uHfOdD7GCO64pmXIgYlZfyhyphenhyphenvh2_VRV0eIfl-9AdP9-6IdMvkjhw3keU/s1600/Somerton+deep+lock+(12ft).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSoptjrshClkFKJmvKOk9UuOdNh1_A3wfQPf-hKUBmyRLFl2fvzZdHBgEASTdwkzVEpWULQNQysbVJSRUFs0uHfOdD7GCO64pmXIgYlZfyhyphenhyphenvh2_VRV0eIfl-9AdP9-6IdMvkjhw3keU/s1600/Somerton+deep+lock+(12ft).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sommerton Deep Lock</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Sommerton Lock (12ft deep) the vista opens up and becomes quite pretty.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRL6uMeByCcR_3dXhMtaslrPIwR9cCsC4b_u-OTYoBXoVKNZLCKXvU9HTpEhGfyvDQGALyqh7mL6_XI_3aKjGlN3j0ddmenoCKFzZcFRrK4yD8QtfIar6tdsw0-tWRzgEiWS9aiTSf1k/s1600/Open+countryside+above+Somerton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRL6uMeByCcR_3dXhMtaslrPIwR9cCsC4b_u-OTYoBXoVKNZLCKXvU9HTpEhGfyvDQGALyqh7mL6_XI_3aKjGlN3j0ddmenoCKFzZcFRrK4yD8QtfIar6tdsw0-tWRzgEiWS9aiTSf1k/s1600/Open+countryside+above+Somerton.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We found a lovely mooring at Aynho Wharf, and had lunch in the deceptively named Great Western Railway pub which had a wonderful courtyard garden.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SZXJkGUK-XhQnE4TDaUQ0hkIxCmPwU-QUIwDHXm3QyTc2gOTMOQ0gcZyofQMouuXUb2QrUB-UxTwDFx3LWI2qnXIpqoIV6b6G7iQVoogqLJeOmAmfgp8ZWtmZhZJfiUwpV0UBLKw9sg/s1600/Mooring+at+Aynho+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SZXJkGUK-XhQnE4TDaUQ0hkIxCmPwU-QUIwDHXm3QyTc2gOTMOQ0gcZyofQMouuXUb2QrUB-UxTwDFx3LWI2qnXIpqoIV6b6G7iQVoogqLJeOmAmfgp8ZWtmZhZJfiUwpV0UBLKw9sg/s1600/Mooring+at+Aynho+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Sunday 22nd June we were in Banbury where we were able to go shopping and top up the supplies. I also found not one but <i>two</i> fabric shops so was in my element! We stayed two days & met up with some old friends, Unni & Peter. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason I didn't take any photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day was overcast & a bit chilly as we set of for Fenny Compton. However the sun came out later & we met up with my dear friend Lee who lives in Warwick and although we will be going to Warwick later, Lee is off on a cruise before we get there. We moored at the Wharf, a great pub which has not only a shop with general provisions attached but a Spice Bar with an amazing array of herbs & spices.</span></div>
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Lee & Jan at the Wharf, Fenny Compton.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last section of the Oxford canal before we turned off onto the Grand Union, took us around Napton with it's windmill sitting above us, following us as we circumnavigated the hill. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIty8LTecTwJuujb_QbeCQW2t79_3eRJmeffPSSUrsnqfn8EOXwDLAGnRt5VyW-8PoM8D6Gv-9WySmhRu3DPcxjzOqU63yKRnI1uzi9t7Uf6o_b5Q_Qlg2DfqGiS298K9oRuPLy90vRYg/s1600/SAM_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIty8LTecTwJuujb_QbeCQW2t79_3eRJmeffPSSUrsnqfn8EOXwDLAGnRt5VyW-8PoM8D6Gv-9WySmhRu3DPcxjzOqU63yKRnI1uzi9t7Uf6o_b5Q_Qlg2DfqGiS298K9oRuPLy90vRYg/s1600/SAM_0049.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the locks on the Napton flight was in bad disrepair. Apparently the lock will need to be closed for some time for repair so they have propped it up & arranged a rota of volunteers to help the boats through until they can close it after the season in October.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXZ8RAR4fbFEfS-tkKimt14hFuZn-v4ABp8Pv_Fwjc-klOftX8T5-XHxrIj5PclOZ-9o1m7umxEIIp-N82QI6A69BIbW_3Lh5ByA7tlsv8EBREp8mJVUGXctrOgoisL_Cy7qH0DI4dUc/s1600/All+propped+up+Napton+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXZ8RAR4fbFEfS-tkKimt14hFuZn-v4ABp8Pv_Fwjc-klOftX8T5-XHxrIj5PclOZ-9o1m7umxEIIp-N82QI6A69BIbW_3Lh5ByA7tlsv8EBREp8mJVUGXctrOgoisL_Cy7qH0DI4dUc/s1600/All+propped+up+Napton+flight.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Q_JDlh5frzGdNAbMA6b4mhsnCbrMnbvRfrlhiFS5IxOVJEWkhCJwwKpJIpUi_iFqLOPbH-50Q-26_6WteB3r6Rskp2ft-wDqFu_AYd4zBthxJxS1vsqBGlvBu3zFdm09zf8SBt8KbF8/s1600/Damaged+lock+Napton+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Q_JDlh5frzGdNAbMA6b4mhsnCbrMnbvRfrlhiFS5IxOVJEWkhCJwwKpJIpUi_iFqLOPbH-50Q-26_6WteB3r6Rskp2ft-wDqFu_AYd4zBthxJxS1vsqBGlvBu3zFdm09zf8SBt8KbF8/s1600/Damaged+lock+Napton+flight.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stopped just after the damaged lock, for the night, right by the Folly pub. Another with a shop attached. Earlier in the day we had passed a field of Water Buffalo and in the shop they had Buffalo steaks & Buffalo milk ice cream for sale. We bought some of both & they were delicious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next day we continued skirting the Windmill on Napton Hill on our way to Napton Junction</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUm0ZAN3zLa1p66RB72BvX9vU5i06cg-uZXTaNcQYIhj0atGahNCwyhOjRo94x_ZBPdAB2KfmwFLAfwOAc8CdJ5YguzNM6sptah3rrRvZD2ROvAzcKlJzuyOggrVSF10ogS33hAbQn1A/s1600/Napton+Junction+Oxford+meets+Grand+Union.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUm0ZAN3zLa1p66RB72BvX9vU5i06cg-uZXTaNcQYIhj0atGahNCwyhOjRo94x_ZBPdAB2KfmwFLAfwOAc8CdJ5YguzNM6sptah3rrRvZD2ROvAzcKlJzuyOggrVSF10ogS33hAbQn1A/s1600/Napton+Junction+Oxford+meets+Grand+Union.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Napton Junction</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">where we turned off for the Grand Union.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4nrGK29b2uip4IJgKHBGmQ6U32QE4E1ZdzGT-3aP7thEwRa9jSvnjLLjvtzqWKSzBFPRWAliM_YqUoc29MEm4dvKVhFGKwGiWHifTzqssd5VhfAbVd9rneZwv8TyHqYP61T1zIQfH0s/s1600/turning+into+the+Grand+Union.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4nrGK29b2uip4IJgKHBGmQ6U32QE4E1ZdzGT-3aP7thEwRa9jSvnjLLjvtzqWKSzBFPRWAliM_YqUoc29MEm4dvKVhFGKwGiWHifTzqssd5VhfAbVd9rneZwv8TyHqYP61T1zIQfH0s/s1600/turning+into+the+Grand+Union.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Grand Union entrance from the Oxford.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-41614995683907539632014-06-27T20:19:00.001+01:002014-06-27T20:19:48.926+01:00To The End and Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1jaRGRDJQabm3K-P0um3qAtWLswtCYrxxaXM_3iOUx-587bWuXxXvgQZmIfRCim0h6LTljoiOc6Ncz9lf6AjT0GAGJvQyKSnukzbQwheq2Hhv6dOxwv5T9DqoWss1X_Gc0fbiKwSHNo/s1600/Letchlade+High+Street.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1jaRGRDJQabm3K-P0um3qAtWLswtCYrxxaXM_3iOUx-587bWuXxXvgQZmIfRCim0h6LTljoiOc6Ncz9lf6AjT0GAGJvQyKSnukzbQwheq2Hhv6dOxwv5T9DqoWss1X_Gc0fbiKwSHNo/s1600/Letchlade+High+Street.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have travelled the
Thames on three different boats, covering the estuary, Tidal Thames
and, on the non tidal bit, getting as far as Wallingford, but we have
never made it to the end of the Thames navigation. Until now.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINnP3BhRd8uYnkT0n7HLwflApwE-61HDrIfnnXyv4fS3lfMm2qAkjPfnU0xoRVFrzEg_lZhFa0dXbgkPeM2NJHD4B2RGkjb_VGBsUzgzc9SjpDgXMw31nT0waIE_Q66qXjAIPQRYANWk/s1600/Tony+at+Binsley+Green+just+outside+Oxford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINnP3BhRd8uYnkT0n7HLwflApwE-61HDrIfnnXyv4fS3lfMm2qAkjPfnU0xoRVFrzEg_lZhFa0dXbgkPeM2NJHD4B2RGkjb_VGBsUzgzc9SjpDgXMw31nT0waIE_Q66qXjAIPQRYANWk/s1600/Tony+at+Binsley+Green+just+outside+Oxford.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leaving Oxford behind
we set off in open countryside to rejoin Martin & Karen on Aria, who had travelled up
the Grand Union and down the Oxford back to the Thames, and met up
with them just above Pinkhill Lock.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyFuWQjTHLTqQXptvtibL33SYa2aQLJHhKB6AGPO3w-JOhgvll9ShrOOKB4sxWR4pHHCLogJ_fbqfSMS3F0ysyO_q3I4EvUKugpuNhfAF6WL6TgM_gYmQaxPosbr1iMfQnescH1xoOWc/s1600/BBQ+just+above+Pinkhill+lock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyFuWQjTHLTqQXptvtibL33SYa2aQLJHhKB6AGPO3w-JOhgvll9ShrOOKB4sxWR4pHHCLogJ_fbqfSMS3F0ysyO_q3I4EvUKugpuNhfAF6WL6TgM_gYmQaxPosbr1iMfQnescH1xoOWc/s1600/BBQ+just+above+Pinkhill+lock.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">BBQ with Martin & Karen from nb. Aria</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Thames at this
point becomes much narrower and meanders through mostly dense
foliage, with no sign of habitation but for the odd caravan park and
the Lock-keepers cottages. It was very tranquil and quite pretty especially some of the bridges.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUDMNi8Z48XF_Em3sRkREtLZ1Agg5tw38ycZBTfNn9Ow91OL40KVb6WNclOcAwnBzennWVz4pEwtVjuC6uLk-qLcTYNihcQr8Pu5e-aR9c-ZS4vbk861PaS4doGOVt2HvVyQEfeOmILQ/s1600/Kelmscott+Bridge+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUDMNi8Z48XF_Em3sRkREtLZ1Agg5tw38ycZBTfNn9Ow91OL40KVb6WNclOcAwnBzennWVz4pEwtVjuC6uLk-qLcTYNihcQr8Pu5e-aR9c-ZS4vbk861PaS4doGOVt2HvVyQEfeOmILQ/s1600/Kelmscott+Bridge+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kelmscott Bridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIRhrdht06_xlpMawIgK17Ejf_PnsNrWIdo8CGN4MEyyMT0BiX4rVQSzpDYhoalKCdCscLn4ltCD3lGJzUZmtanTw76eX2VAEau8PSt43jMnB6DtPLq_g4XBwTQ4aPRmj6Bayn5XbHZI/s1600/Radcott+Bridge+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIRhrdht06_xlpMawIgK17Ejf_PnsNrWIdo8CGN4MEyyMT0BiX4rVQSzpDYhoalKCdCscLn4ltCD3lGJzUZmtanTw76eX2VAEau8PSt43jMnB6DtPLq_g4XBwTQ4aPRmj6Bayn5XbHZI/s1600/Radcott+Bridge+4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Radcott Bridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRdGDzOQnTo1cU_MY3qCB0tujFSSgfIEjl0LHocYCtSoyat_qPqXg6N06NVIH9vLG9CLjWdpZ_00-yAnAxX2n5w26CA_rhLhxgl0qYqxVntiiiLeWFwkwi_2bD8P-DzKdaOG1SiGWG6k/s1600/Newbridge+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRdGDzOQnTo1cU_MY3qCB0tujFSSgfIEjl0LHocYCtSoyat_qPqXg6N06NVIH9vLG9CLjWdpZ_00-yAnAxX2n5w26CA_rhLhxgl0qYqxVntiiiLeWFwkwi_2bD8P-DzKdaOG1SiGWG6k/s1600/Newbridge+(2).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and my favourite, Newbridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the way we had a lovely meal at The Plough, Kelmscott in their very pretty restaurant.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwmFNbrMShSqjhh2xMSd8Phyphenhyphen4SM5HKSVi9kmB7xIWj1gEx5cZ8PBEieIXq5Kwo08rHEIsKI8PnNjI5_QnuiRyiN0dPjmFozSYcxFyOyiYVIdaXvqIKp5aAFdbQsmY-ySj0yi5f50Bg0c/s1600/The+Plough+%2540+Kelmscott.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwmFNbrMShSqjhh2xMSd8Phyphenhyphen4SM5HKSVi9kmB7xIWj1gEx5cZ8PBEieIXq5Kwo08rHEIsKI8PnNjI5_QnuiRyiN0dPjmFozSYcxFyOyiYVIdaXvqIKp5aAFdbQsmY-ySj0yi5f50Bg0c/s1600/The+Plough+%2540+Kelmscott.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmGW5EAdPguZ6rPX20ozpVy5wvyr08Yqe251_V-rKGrejm6BLb90h0uUToGdp9mOe4v_jpsph4AeWBBDrFVJ1FTx0-venqNNJuCLo_5PmKh_F8hBxc7KwL8oWzlSS9T2wMbxtN-BBkPI/s1600/DSC03029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmGW5EAdPguZ6rPX20ozpVy5wvyr08Yqe251_V-rKGrejm6BLb90h0uUToGdp9mOe4v_jpsph4AeWBBDrFVJ1FTx0-venqNNJuCLo_5PmKh_F8hBxc7KwL8oWzlSS9T2wMbxtN-BBkPI/s1600/DSC03029.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some parts of the river w</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ere very reminiscent of geography lessons at school where we learned about oxbows. At one point we could see Aria travelling in the opposite direction to us as they rounded the bends in front of us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyIhIDtB15NiLpayDOKJV6ztTbyccasuU8yfTWV6JEL-i6_PSi_NKhBEW2QUmrhe8ui6CkD0EjHxkVfUzyyqpC0kdQqOFzoXV96lCOnH58cAEpNeaWpiMHLQZ48-3bTHYC4t8v1CNfDY/s1600/between+Shifford+&+Northmoor+Lock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyIhIDtB15NiLpayDOKJV6ztTbyccasuU8yfTWV6JEL-i6_PSi_NKhBEW2QUmrhe8ui6CkD0EjHxkVfUzyyqpC0kdQqOFzoXV96lCOnH58cAEpNeaWpiMHLQZ48-3bTHYC4t8v1CNfDY/s1600/between+Shifford+&+Northmoor+Lock.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived in Letchlade
in brilliant sunshine on Tuesday 17th June and moored up at the
bottom of the New Inn's garden,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1FbDoZI1girtH2pXn_cuM3F4ewK3E3BMMZXZXnmKUJDnokbFgAcdX08apUNeajhVZ3jldxgobFIt8x1InPSFNvNFeP5xK1KvbD670svk00ZtVCEweWdgQrEOStcDwATr4IYlBZ3aNHE/s1600/Letchlade+mooring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1FbDoZI1girtH2pXn_cuM3F4ewK3E3BMMZXZXnmKUJDnokbFgAcdX08apUNeajhVZ3jldxgobFIt8x1InPSFNvNFeP5xK1KvbD670svk00ZtVCEweWdgQrEOStcDwATr4IYlBZ3aNHE/s1600/Letchlade+mooring.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> just before Halpenny
Bridge, so called because of the halfpenny toll which used to be
charged for crossing the bridge.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjun6q2kuJw0NIjLmveotD4Dn1BYYMrJCQwU1H1i-tHY88GoInx5kQgDXdLQW8bj_b5PxPee6VduupoVRo79Xd9RfXDlpffU0dLiLA_mYFLeDE9hWNEx3uCSwgpjjShv0eU7Iv_I04iI/s1600/Halfpenny+Bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjun6q2kuJw0NIjLmveotD4Dn1BYYMrJCQwU1H1i-tHY88GoInx5kQgDXdLQW8bj_b5PxPee6VduupoVRo79Xd9RfXDlpffU0dLiLA_mYFLeDE9hWNEx3uCSwgpjjShv0eU7Iv_I04iI/s1600/Halfpenny+Bridge.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Toll Hose still
stands, but the toll doesn't.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy-h1d_rrvgWqZLEu2AyPrfOedz69XoVkgMHTKiDhhy5RCSzBcnv9i9ur9JA5OuPrpQoR8fLEz9FShKicQ45xQilNJf7EsMkSx89pxAM961d9Gj9BqiQezg9cm5zAJ_ZiieMPLo5YhdQ/s1600/Halfpenny+Bridge+Toll+House.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy-h1d_rrvgWqZLEu2AyPrfOedz69XoVkgMHTKiDhhy5RCSzBcnv9i9ur9JA5OuPrpQoR8fLEz9FShKicQ45xQilNJf7EsMkSx89pxAM961d9Gj9BqiQezg9cm5zAJ_ZiieMPLo5YhdQ/s1600/Halfpenny+Bridge+Toll+House.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Letchlade is a quaint
little Cotswold town with several eating venues, a few shops,
including an all year round Christmas shop and a couple of antique
centres.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFZ2XSI9D6g6rsGLpJ-7a6Qtmgvrj98W5LSysuhz22vsve_vv44657SxJx2HiiX6POKJPLGqzMR0ndy9UsSP0brOrXIYkDhkf2MLKZA99V45H9m8WYP0yRbexcTKCcttdngfZTS6h6DE/s1600/outside+Christmas+shop+in+Letchlade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFZ2XSI9D6g6rsGLpJ-7a6Qtmgvrj98W5LSysuhz22vsve_vv44657SxJx2HiiX6POKJPLGqzMR0ndy9UsSP0brOrXIYkDhkf2MLKZA99V45H9m8WYP0yRbexcTKCcttdngfZTS6h6DE/s1600/outside+Christmas+shop+in+Letchlade.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now we can boast
having travelled the Thames from it's estuary in the Channel to the
end of navigation at Letchlade, quite an achievement & one to
tick off the list.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfsDM2PsR8NvMvVhZpGLIWBHGI8MyemvIYmxlrINL2WWKcA92svwtv4ckav3m296l-RyQxazUbHVtY2vWHqS-N31OwbDz7G3BboCgzGmUlLli3NNk8Rz2F4-8mfQhApO8LAT50gMzo1M/s1600/DSC03089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfsDM2PsR8NvMvVhZpGLIWBHGI8MyemvIYmxlrINL2WWKcA92svwtv4ckav3m296l-RyQxazUbHVtY2vWHqS-N31OwbDz7G3BboCgzGmUlLli3NNk8Rz2F4-8mfQhApO8LAT50gMzo1M/s1600/DSC03089.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We returned the way we
came, travelling much quicker, sometimes 5mph instead of the 3 we did
against the flow on the way up. We found a good mooring next to The
Ferry Man pub & had a BBQ in the warm, still evening.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtKUvCb7ruD_iGlKrZoEHSiZ5lBuC5Xh5J4eKQLnDZI1Q4QV6fz6mLVa85cM4sJh66B0I1YEsqiNhSmj7ziXp9bNoph6OTgZUjpaG3mlD-R8l1v8fVihjo0Y_a0aKQnw3cmq_vdg3cI8/s1600/DSC03083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtKUvCb7ruD_iGlKrZoEHSiZ5lBuC5Xh5J4eKQLnDZI1Q4QV6fz6mLVa85cM4sJh66B0I1YEsqiNhSmj7ziXp9bNoph6OTgZUjpaG3mlD-R8l1v8fVihjo0Y_a0aKQnw3cmq_vdg3cI8/s1600/DSC03083.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next morning was just a
short trip before we turned off to Dukes Cut which was to take us to
the Oxford Canal. We waved goodbye, yet again, to Martin & Karen
on Aria as they were returning home via the Thames.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQwpo-pNkpDTLj2LxD7L26Trz7mq2o82GYzsnTS_uX3KFhyphenhyphena4506g5VnughBUwz-DmkqMNEszzG9i0bR0QcVzaSVON80lK7MTjbBuOxwDLCXGcM3M15GXT1MDv7gNL7BLO4a4m5B0VaM/s1600/DSC03090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQwpo-pNkpDTLj2LxD7L26Trz7mq2o82GYzsnTS_uX3KFhyphenhyphena4506g5VnughBUwz-DmkqMNEszzG9i0bR0QcVzaSVON80lK7MTjbBuOxwDLCXGcM3M15GXT1MDv7gNL7BLO4a4m5B0VaM/s1600/DSC03090.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for your company
guys & we look forward to seeing you back in Hallingbury sometime
in September.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-87758542882046170962014-06-22T18:28:00.000+01:002014-06-22T18:28:01.799+01:00Thames - Wargrave to Oxford<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd forgotten how much
we always enjoyed the Thames, the wide expanse of it, always lots to
see, the fabulous houses and of course there are lock-keepers to do
all the work.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5Oo5bf5rE9pvIODrV8iDkPuXJ5acKvP6drH8ryYE1CUkB-L4jz_Y6mGsoxOupZXiK3BDblWWV2WuwDWjc8YGzraH3gFSMPXO5XVlMMqU82dKaxANPfzCd_O5nSxpcy5VoQ9a_tgNZ5k/s1600/DSC02973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5Oo5bf5rE9pvIODrV8iDkPuXJ5acKvP6drH8ryYE1CUkB-L4jz_Y6mGsoxOupZXiK3BDblWWV2WuwDWjc8YGzraH3gFSMPXO5XVlMMqU82dKaxANPfzCd_O5nSxpcy5VoQ9a_tgNZ5k/s1600/DSC02973.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In beautiful weather we
slowly made our way on a fairly quiet river through Wargrave, Sonning, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading, Caversham, </span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmHQoBBSqlZpsbvKtmS2BjI1Pnp4-XK3ekmvaScnfyDm9LhzOOMSlzOTxwJD9Uv18sFyEKZr5IoUS_621e7SVfzYisTKFYS3gsMcy5YJ2eSQV9_X4sAbVm9NpSWImNpSH9C7Z0K3Xy6g/s1600/DSC02959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmHQoBBSqlZpsbvKtmS2BjI1Pnp4-XK3ekmvaScnfyDm9LhzOOMSlzOTxwJD9Uv18sFyEKZr5IoUS_621e7SVfzYisTKFYS3gsMcy5YJ2eSQV9_X4sAbVm9NpSWImNpSH9C7Z0K3Xy6g/s1600/DSC02959.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tilehurst and Maple Durham before mooring up at Pangbourne. A bit
overgrown</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DIp9blgzoj4nvRjsYu8vxgODWTgSwfrpSyXTMOtBvgH8ANv0jqoLjKI2FdmbBT6Ya_ms-gN8YRu-PXEWG5yvNq3bWmzlEkxAT5aHWP_lRClRT2yg2FdfY9NWlfbVsgFu1CnH66uCldE/s1600/SAM_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DIp9blgzoj4nvRjsYu8vxgODWTgSwfrpSyXTMOtBvgH8ANv0jqoLjKI2FdmbBT6Ya_ms-gN8YRu-PXEWG5yvNq3bWmzlEkxAT5aHWP_lRClRT2yg2FdfY9NWlfbVsgFu1CnH66uCldE/s1600/SAM_0020.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but once I'd had the
shears out -</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzp_rWQq-GpzCpBHl5bNqWnQxLhPNHlPltTOrlnfKw6MeZRgrd03uJGrJxtDRmcmTr0XODx8jT5BiMtvD4dLGNCjnFph06JwmL6kdXAEAz3PDY83l33C-j9WfKEZJy2Elq40hY5JLKh0/s1600/SAM_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzp_rWQq-GpzCpBHl5bNqWnQxLhPNHlPltTOrlnfKw6MeZRgrd03uJGrJxtDRmcmTr0XODx8jT5BiMtvD4dLGNCjnFph06JwmL6kdXAEAz3PDY83l33C-j9WfKEZJy2Elq40hY5JLKh0/s1600/SAM_0018.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was Pimms o'clock .</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4_F3-JNgf0Ri-SkadaKoRCDD9IXcO3aDwTHaofQnuBmEHgMoulmbe9xG1amwHEf9PO2eAgRcIHhrmywJ4eWHDcwHuHiLLtow085_3rsCWbrOialM0-CIh_imR-T5p3M2YgW0hyB8YSM/s1600/DSC02963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4_F3-JNgf0Ri-SkadaKoRCDD9IXcO3aDwTHaofQnuBmEHgMoulmbe9xG1amwHEf9PO2eAgRcIHhrmywJ4eWHDcwHuHiLLtow085_3rsCWbrOialM0-CIh_imR-T5p3M2YgW0hyB8YSM/s1600/DSC02963.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want one of these :)</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ43eKOdcsm4Jv5gFjzwcQdftYa_6nFIGlT0SL0aaGwuIiSWzyzKPZaRyDql5mrTJjjITGf5xGa5ZJjUO1br_quceZpEIlki1B_4SW6SDef9F3ECzLIE9ebgGnINAS-wEB2DWjqvRrWA/s1600/DSC02965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ43eKOdcsm4Jv5gFjzwcQdftYa_6nFIGlT0SL0aaGwuIiSWzyzKPZaRyDql5mrTJjjITGf5xGa5ZJjUO1br_quceZpEIlki1B_4SW6SDef9F3ECzLIE9ebgGnINAS-wEB2DWjqvRrWA/s1600/DSC02965.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wallingford Bridge.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yRCAUqYWnWFy8Aovhzus6x5IZ2Ba8iaAX9lRWRNW0i-4iN91KwR7nhT8SLu605vmMcwk4O7yaafR1FF0PyBwOkzJlNpli-i2mwuWlWAKArd22fobkGHlR9GG3s-kyjh5jFr1OTFpl3o/s1600/DSC02971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yRCAUqYWnWFy8Aovhzus6x5IZ2Ba8iaAX9lRWRNW0i-4iN91KwR7nhT8SLu605vmMcwk4O7yaafR1FF0PyBwOkzJlNpli-i2mwuWlWAKArd22fobkGHlR9GG3s-kyjh5jFr1OTFpl3o/s1600/DSC02971.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We moored for the night
in a little hamlet called Clifton Hampden.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjUtXhXLSOZVdP24_mnXO7ZmY4Va3scBWcT4u2o575_p4bquqlYj6z8srKOM5mY9nvZ_V4nIwOQJGk_2c_hpjNbSKXCbgcwlrzcGPfopOFkDpBm_3F0GGR1cnOz-in8HvPQEEfL6OYy0/s1600/DSC02978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjUtXhXLSOZVdP24_mnXO7ZmY4Va3scBWcT4u2o575_p4bquqlYj6z8srKOM5mY9nvZ_V4nIwOQJGk_2c_hpjNbSKXCbgcwlrzcGPfopOFkDpBm_3F0GGR1cnOz-in8HvPQEEfL6OYy0/s1600/DSC02978.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We set off next morning in the sunshine again. The journey on towards
Abingdon was very quiet & rural apart from the Power Station
which seemed to dominate the view the closer we got to Abingdon.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoM-l1S_lZZTjSivEjMU5Ddiob3J7ad_WuJPXivtEm9OEs2FqQ7yFpY-FEynDdaDz-l_kZKe7DcRBamQ23Gm_glV_9zjKNEI5i9mIwde5o483shdWrnqiTbUkndlwufOZieHnE231JkI/s1600/DSC02981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoM-l1S_lZZTjSivEjMU5Ddiob3J7ad_WuJPXivtEm9OEs2FqQ7yFpY-FEynDdaDz-l_kZKe7DcRBamQ23Gm_glV_9zjKNEI5i9mIwde5o483shdWrnqiTbUkndlwufOZieHnE231JkI/s1600/DSC02981.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At one time the river
was diverted to what is now known as the 'Swift Ditch'. This
remained the main Navigation channel for over seven centuries until
in 1790 improvements were made to the navigation at Abingdon &
the river returned to it's original course.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg7WRo_wXZqQ6sdidxX8XZwe7t5rVcgkaHiSqHXy4H0eGnT_kAkXWANbSuYEO7f1Z9okVrGqJu7ksvZA-DeGKRXeYXsSzRW8tpGoQIHK7wyt4AXNHjKDiG2vEp1T5qLvupAphyphenhyphenyM6mHA/s1600/DSC02990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg7WRo_wXZqQ6sdidxX8XZwe7t5rVcgkaHiSqHXy4H0eGnT_kAkXWANbSuYEO7f1Z9okVrGqJu7ksvZA-DeGKRXeYXsSzRW8tpGoQIHK7wyt4AXNHjKDiG2vEp1T5qLvupAphyphenhyphenyM6mHA/s1600/DSC02990.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We found a lovely
mooring at Abingdon just by the Town bridge (can you spot us, we are behind the large blue & white boat?) and took a wander into
town where we found a great little butchers - two sirloin steaks for a
fiver & they were delicious. Wish I had a freezer on board.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another sunny day
dawned & we decided to stay put. Had lunch in the Nags Head, on
Nags Head Island and watched life drift by.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UfjGZvmLo41S2yFPIq0aEpZfwCQmCbnydR2edsPozplHkwHoKlskaqn8WHy21cFYSl709-YNqQmbUPXXeiiaJNicOVmgYTPLTlNf0vNFeCkky6EiTH8Yoin3pxGPBjmtYWit-JhU9bY/s1600/DSC03003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UfjGZvmLo41S2yFPIq0aEpZfwCQmCbnydR2edsPozplHkwHoKlskaqn8WHy21cFYSl709-YNqQmbUPXXeiiaJNicOVmgYTPLTlNf0vNFeCkky6EiTH8Yoin3pxGPBjmtYWit-JhU9bY/s1600/DSC03003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From Abingdon we made
our way to Oxford and moored on the edge of the city where we met up
with nb Melodian which we had seen earlier at one of the locks. We
had lunch at a local pub and then walked into town where we took an
open top bus tour of the University colleges.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAh6c0rIqoSTlQmrK7G2o9L0quQcfzNwIFLbbvbHSXpiVmooujdVza5SKoEQb5faXo89iiChup58C9lkpr8h6zizZWVZs_zAFnoYS2O9ZLIokqQwa7ZMbDyFgAUscXnMxDndqdBy0liA/s1600/DSC03008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAh6c0rIqoSTlQmrK7G2o9L0quQcfzNwIFLbbvbHSXpiVmooujdVza5SKoEQb5faXo89iiChup58C9lkpr8h6zizZWVZs_zAFnoYS2O9ZLIokqQwa7ZMbDyFgAUscXnMxDndqdBy0liA/s1600/DSC03008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Linda & Nick from nb Melodian joined
us for pre dinner drinks when we regaled each other with boating
stories. </span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOB-Hm8RouK-bsjQrNq_pzM5TClZthz5OScTnSCk5EphiigcOaBs9WDciyGu6uL2NfGxUCDXNW9WhFcWlpePvUUm7vWeXTom0oMHKWLyGiKnjHeH1GGq7bdOh6STGxpbaNWiAXGPwFzAc/s1600/Drinks+with+Nick+&+Linda+nb.Melodian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOB-Hm8RouK-bsjQrNq_pzM5TClZthz5OScTnSCk5EphiigcOaBs9WDciyGu6uL2NfGxUCDXNW9WhFcWlpePvUUm7vWeXTom0oMHKWLyGiKnjHeH1GGq7bdOh6STGxpbaNWiAXGPwFzAc/s1600/Drinks+with+Nick+&+Linda+nb.Melodian.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next morning we had coffee on Melodian before saying goodbye as we set off to meet up with Aria again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-31493345832853976712014-06-12T22:10:00.001+01:002014-06-12T22:10:33.184+01:00Boulters Lock!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my last blog I
mentioned the infamous Boulters Lock and now would like to tell you
why arriving at this lock fills me with trepidation.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in the mid 80's
Tony decided he'd like a boat and to persuade me it was a good idea,
he convinced the parents to babysit and booked us a weekend on a hire
boat on the Thames. Similar to this one.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNdZtzumL-FlN-zXv0nUTxC2CBccOk3iNlLAm6bHl8hPo9FJrgMjqXov-iWIbgg92fnDQ5DOt7JCiSvVoa0B9z6ufgpVCMf5nq3JecCGm-Z2Ra01DP2hw3wa-0YJ0v3XO9HlmFjpftsc/s1600/DSC03001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNdZtzumL-FlN-zXv0nUTxC2CBccOk3iNlLAm6bHl8hPo9FJrgMjqXov-iWIbgg92fnDQ5DOt7JCiSvVoa0B9z6ufgpVCMf5nq3JecCGm-Z2Ra01DP2hw3wa-0YJ0v3XO9HlmFjpftsc/s1600/DSC03001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We picked the boat up
from the boat yard, in Maidenhead, Saturday lunchtime and after a
very short intro we set off. Just around the corner was our first
ever lock. Boulters Lock.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Pw7beq8n-K4YcwbM16kRmH5_Z3J28IVJV3DyWBgT21UaexsYwi0IOA5jL2fpnDeLOxZ-uFS2Y2RGOHw1lLiu2RltxrNI8j5FLxgYQyILpy84__JaYb4fLvXu2lN2FTv5Z2aFKzk3r4/s1600/Boulters+Lock+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6Pw7beq8n-K4YcwbM16kRmH5_Z3J28IVJV3DyWBgT21UaexsYwi0IOA5jL2fpnDeLOxZ-uFS2Y2RGOHw1lLiu2RltxrNI8j5FLxgYQyILpy84__JaYb4fLvXu2lN2FTv5Z2aFKzk3r4/s1600/Boulters+Lock+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The official lock
mooring was on our left, however it was full, so Tony decided to
moor up on the right. See that mooring in the photo? Well it has
been much improved over the years. Back then there was no railing
and no bollards, just the 12" square beam and upright posts with
the river in front & the fast running weir behind.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the front, where
he was driving, Tony gave me instructions to 'Get a rope around the
post'. Having failed to lasso the post I stepped off the boat onto
the beam and, petrified, grabbed the post, hanging on for dear life.
Mean while Tony decided he wasn't happy with the post he had lassoed
and proceeded to move the rope, just at that moment the sluices of
the lock were opened, sending a torrent of water in front of the boat
which was then pushed out into the middle of the river towards the
boats moored on the other bank. Worried that he might hit the other
boats, Tony shouted 'Pull me in', which of course was impossible
against the force of the water coming out of the lock and anyway, by
then, I only had 6 inches of rope left in my hand & had to at
that point let go.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there I was, on my
own, in the middle of the river with a raging river in front & a
raging weir behind, Tony & the boat disappearing the way we had
come and a restaurant full of lunchtime diners watching the whole
spectacle.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35fkNmQkfsGo8rxC2GpEZgao-WczGpZgnpKhMzSFoxnEwsQbooHBFLxWCkkG9ILk24uWaIwNhGOlT3DI_94BWJ7i60EmC0vu3jZSNaZCz87Lac0u238nbJkzw5QfIVbBedVSoyhDBeS8/s1600/Boulters+Lock+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35fkNmQkfsGo8rxC2GpEZgao-WczGpZgnpKhMzSFoxnEwsQbooHBFLxWCkkG9ILk24uWaIwNhGOlT3DI_94BWJ7i60EmC0vu3jZSNaZCz87Lac0u238nbJkzw5QfIVbBedVSoyhDBeS8/s1600/Boulters+Lock+restaurant.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tony finally managed to
get control of the boat & returned to pick up his very frightened
& embarrassed wife. It's a wonder I ever let him buy a boat.
But I'm glad I did or we wouldn't be on this wonderful adventure now.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-2341300242966932142014-06-09T22:38:00.000+01:002014-06-09T22:38:02.383+01:00Asylum Lock & onto the Thames<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Aed8moC3zyWRfO9wiVqhYMs4G5JesdEFIyzmgLA0d6atdDD0Ip5AvN3jZAy6Hex7bQ-B14juEtyaTzHfop4d9xtNDk3uexZwmX04G135QcLpHQ2bdzYOstvuFhevYKQQCWAS5ukgvso/s1600/DSC02875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Aed8moC3zyWRfO9wiVqhYMs4G5JesdEFIyzmgLA0d6atdDD0Ip5AvN3jZAy6Hex7bQ-B14juEtyaTzHfop4d9xtNDk3uexZwmX04G135QcLpHQ2bdzYOstvuFhevYKQQCWAS5ukgvso/s1600/DSC02875.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Last Monday we said
goodbye to our travelling companions, Karen & Martin on Aria, and
headed down the Grand Union towards the Thames.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY37XsjoFLf2K6n5Y3V52OucVRprI-KgX-PJdZCf2gI7gCEVamjvEEKJxBp4Op6JjnE4A276Vkp81sGgQ-GfPlIypyGpVTbaCATWNWu8sqCs0LkvfzhupMe_k4C-XgF9lDe0ySw2aqb6g/s1600/DSC02894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY37XsjoFLf2K6n5Y3V52OucVRprI-KgX-PJdZCf2gI7gCEVamjvEEKJxBp4Op6JjnE4A276Vkp81sGgQ-GfPlIypyGpVTbaCATWNWu8sqCs0LkvfzhupMe_k4C-XgF9lDe0ySw2aqb6g/s1600/DSC02894.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Not much of note along
this stretch apart from the Hanwell flight (6 consecutive locks),
which run along the side of the former County Asylum now called
Ealing Hospital. Asylum Lock & Asylum Dock are the eerie names
given by the boatmen who delivered coal & collected surplus
produce from the market garden. If you look carefully you can see a
bricked up archway which was the entrance to the dock.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2I2sjC_bJZqAqMLeoPnd2Y5JNpBHJtLjN1gVoOkUrarfyUrqN-nFmCCUHdJIpgM8T1r7twTwtvqqXC8G5g9CSyjAarVCwwfeZYalGDsXi2Tg6URIEM584GSjlSlKGURP-hmJBndtwww/s1600/DSC02902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2I2sjC_bJZqAqMLeoPnd2Y5JNpBHJtLjN1gVoOkUrarfyUrqN-nFmCCUHdJIpgM8T1r7twTwtvqqXC8G5g9CSyjAarVCwwfeZYalGDsXi2Tg6URIEM584GSjlSlKGURP-hmJBndtwww/s1600/DSC02902.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Having made it to the
Thames we moored up just above Teddington Lock & had a meal at a
pub called Tide End Cottage (apparently Rudyard Kipling’s
explanation for the derision of the name Teddington). Whilst away
from the boat the bankside cleat at the front of Aylmer was ripped
from the boat, completely sheering the bolt & bending the metal!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O2zDqSBVR3m6hyiuGmywA66iDKHYBWtiToIO83pEOTeHK4indLev8SkRaP20jTPPsm9PPZl87vPlfzcW6gy7yXV-7Cogo9X8D62iNaIE9L9pRMmmBNls7MG_1ZLfodbwugmffmEXXRo/s1600/DSC02904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O2zDqSBVR3m6hyiuGmywA66iDKHYBWtiToIO83pEOTeHK4indLev8SkRaP20jTPPsm9PPZl87vPlfzcW6gy7yXV-7Cogo9X8D62iNaIE9L9pRMmmBNls7MG_1ZLfodbwugmffmEXXRo/s1600/DSC02904.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We suspect the culprit
was one of these as they charged past the moorings way to fast.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As it rained pretty
hard we stayed put a 2nd night & took the bus into Kingston.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Our next stop was
Laleham, a small town badly hit by the floods earlier in the year.
We dined at the 3 Horseshoes, a very well run pub we would recommend,
where they had live music. http://3horseshoeslaleham.co.uk/ Then back to the boat for Nashville.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
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The sun came out and
the views improved, as we travelled through Walton-on-Thames,
Windsor, Bray & Maidenhead. Sunday we woke to a beautiful
summers day and started off at the infamous Boulters Lock (more of
that later). Next came the very pretty stretch at Clifton Reach and
later Cookham where there is an abundance of mooring places.</div>
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Today we made
Henley-on-Thames and found a spot, by the park near the town centre,
where we had lunch in the Anchor. The promised thunderstorms did
not materialise but we had a little rain late in the afternoon.
Forcast is good for tomorrow though :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-51425375959172894912014-06-01T21:22:00.000+01:002014-06-01T21:41:18.523+01:00Retired at Last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After 2 years of waiting we have finally set off for a whole summer cruising the rivers and canals. Our journey started at Hallingbury Marina on Friday morning, 30th May and took us along the very pretty River Stort.<br />
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<br />
Through Sawbridgeworth, past the Maltings, which now house various businesses including a couple of Antique shops. <br />
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Shortly after this our journey nearly ended for the day when at Sheering Mill lock the work boat had just arrived to close the lock to make repairs to the hydraulics, which had a split pipe & was spraying oil everywhere. Luckily, with a little persuasion, they let us through before closing them.<br />
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Between Harlow Lock & Parndon Lock are several sculptures by local artists using the inspiration & history of the river. <br />
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At Parndon Lock is a raised walkway designed by Alan Freeman and decorated with glass inserts made by Karen Murphy. Both artists are based at Parndon Mill, which provides studios & workshops for artists and a fine art shop.<br />
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At Roydon Lock we stopped at the lockside shop for ice creams.<br />
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We finely moored up for the night just beyond Roydon and enjoyed a drink or two on Aylmer's sister craft, Aria, with good friends Martin & Karen to reflect on a very pleasant first day on our adventure<br />
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Day 2 saw us do the long haul along the river Lee to Lime House, 9 hours. A much wider river, but not so pretty, especially all the industrial bits around Edmonton & Tottenham, relieved slightly by the Ice Cream 'Float' :).<br />
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A lovely meal in the Grapes revived us all and we spent a peaceful nigh tin Lime House Basin. Sunday we spent a pleasant morning in Greenwich and then set off along the Regents canal which was very disappointing. So many more live-aboards, and most of them so dirty Scruffy & dilapidated. The locks were crowded with half drunken young people draped all over the lock-side,. making it very difficult to operate the locks.<br />
<br />
Now moored up in Battlebridge Basin for a peaceful night aboard.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-80695264000668782192014-05-23T10:51:00.001+01:002014-05-23T10:51:28.376+01:00Some BackgroundOver the last 30 years or so Tony & I have owned several boats and had various adventures on river, canal & sea. We've seen one boat notch up more miles by road as we moved home around the country and towed another to the South of France where it set light to the cleanest lake in France! We've crossed the Channel when it was like a Mill pond & you could see the coloured reflection of the boat in the surface of the sea and had the scariest trip along the Dutch/Belgium coast when the sea was so rough we wondered if the boat was up to the battering.<br />
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For the last 20 odd years we've had Motor Cruisers of varying sizes culminating in Twister a 34ft Falcon which served us very well on the East Coast. However we were tiring of the unpredictable weather which adversely affected our boating and quite frankly the fuel costs were limiting our pleasure. Back in the late 80's we'd had an ex-hire Narrowboat which we named 'KERMIT', derived from our kids names KERry & MITch and because it was green & lived on the water! I have very fond memories of the tranquility of our time on the canals in the Midlands and felt as we were nearing our retirement this would be a more suitable pursuit for us than bouncing along the East Coast at 25 - 30 knots.<br />
<br />
Hence the decision in mid summer of 2011 to commission Aintree Boats to build us a 57 footer which we named Aylmer (an old family name in memory of Tony's Dad who spent many years in the Navy). We took delivery of Aylmer at Stanstead Abbots on the river Lee early in December 2011 & took her on her maiden voyage through ice & snow to her permanent mooring at Little Hallingbury Marina on the river Stort.<br />
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I intend using this blog as a personal record of some of our journeys, trials & tribulations on Aylmer. It won't necessarily be chronological as I would like to include some of the happenings which occurred between summer 2011 and now and, what the heck, maybe some stories from our other water-bound adventures. It may interest our Grandchildren as they grow up & hopefully share in some of our adventures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577581506519813186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573718090799398771.post-65722174103097679682013-09-30T01:28:00.000+01:002014-05-03T10:33:20.541+01:00DELIVERY OF AYLMER Dec 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A tight fit as the truck delivering Aylmer turns off Stanstead Abbots High Street to the marina.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Phew! Made it - just!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsYrVVDfdhSyjD6jQrihG6zrCAkQO5ZOb7PLps7m_Q6tTx44Ed7nQbQ4RA7FDw6OdJz9f-WLRq9ng2S8alo-yrceEi7ayKlyIMNIu39xgaDAtYnPhkjQw6Dd0lU9qmkxPfuNcIJAAwBc/s1600/DSC01268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsYrVVDfdhSyjD6jQrihG6zrCAkQO5ZOb7PLps7m_Q6tTx44Ed7nQbQ4RA7FDw6OdJz9f-WLRq9ng2S8alo-yrceEi7ayKlyIMNIu39xgaDAtYnPhkjQw6Dd0lU9qmkxPfuNcIJAAwBc/s320/DSC01268.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gently does it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKA01l0Smeqhb37e99eW8XrM0817uW6Pu7TqTZTP_9JXyogf5hJQ-R6JIgCgrtos5MInhY2wVYEREswABzOrkAX1knpivQzg3Qe9deIH20urPwZMFBP34w1W0r2LNeVhfUb34A3QRrJY/s1600/DSC01278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKA01l0Smeqhb37e99eW8XrM0817uW6Pu7TqTZTP_9JXyogf5hJQ-R6JIgCgrtos5MInhY2wVYEREswABzOrkAX1knpivQzg3Qe9deIH20urPwZMFBP34w1W0r2LNeVhfUb34A3QRrJY/s320/DSC01278.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day Aylmer was delivered was too windy for them to risk craning her into the water so she was laid up on the hard for the night. The boys from Aintree, who had driven down from Liverpool to do the hand over, came aboard and familiarised us with various features of the boat. They had presented us with flowers & champagne, so we toasted the boat and time passed quickly whilst we sipped our champagne and chatted until I noticed it was getting late. We waved goodbye to the boys & proceeded to load everything from the car to the boat so that when we returned in the morning for the yard to crane her into the water, she'd be all ready to go. After carefully locking up we got in the car & drove to the gate only to find both the barrier and the gate locked, the offices closed & the whole place in pitch darkness. They had all gone home & forgotten we were still there. Just as well we had brought a few provisions & had our bedding aboard. And so it was that our first night aboard Aylmer was spent on dry land.</span></td></tr>
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