Heading towards Banbury

Wigrams Turn marina had a moorers BBQ Saturday night which was excellent and we then left early Sunday for our trip to Lechlade on the Thames. The weather has been great - we are now in Banbury centre with a reasonable Orange 3g signal.

A group of young people on a canoe camping trip making their way through the centre of Banbury. We also saw several groups doing their Duke of Edinburghs award walking up the Napton flight in very hot sunshine.

A Moorhen have a good wash and brush up outside the boat a Cropredy

A view of BB moored above Croperdy lock

We didn't have the televison on Sunday evening near Fenny Compton but we had something much better a serenade from this Bull Finch in the tree opposite the boat

The lock house by Napton bottom lock has now been bought and the new owners has spent a lot of time and money restoring it to better than its past
I do like the oak porch that has been added.

More Braunston pictures

It was a special FMC weekend with plenty of their boats present in the old wharf in the Marina

A collection of Stewarts & Lloyds tugs

The steam narrow boat President which is 100 years old this year and the butty Kildare together with 3 others including Vulcan and Monarch

Braunston classic boat festival

Images of the Braunston festival in all over 80 boats attended

Tunnel tug which used to operate in the Tardebigge tunnel

Horse drawn NB Elland with Bilbo Baggins the horse

Wall to wall boats outside the marina

We came up to the boat last Thursday and although Friday was wet its has been fantastic weather since with only the odd short thunder storm. First thing was to go to Braunston on Saturday to see the classic boats - a great day out.

Cleared by the hospital and can now go cruising

No more visits required to the hospital and it should take another 2/3 weeks before the gas bubble has completely gone. My sight has come back although it will not be perfect its far better than I thought it would be and I can now drive which is a great relief to Anne as I have not been a very good side seat passenger!

We have decided to take the boat further down the Oxford canal and join the Thames for a trip up to Lechlade. The Thames above Oxford is very rural and not a busy as the lower part (which we did 3 years ago) due to the height restriction at Osney Bridge which prevents the larger motor cruisers going any further.

Hopefully I will be able to get an Orange 3g signal and update the blog.

Sun comes out so trip to Gayton Junction

Janet went home on Sunday afternoon and as the forecast looked much better than the weekend we decided to take a trip down the Grand Union to Gayton Junction for the week as I have a check up on the eye next week.

The classic shot of Braunston Church and old windmill from the Puddle Bank.


We were delayed on the way down the Buckby flight - BW had a one day closure on the second lock down the flight- to replace the lock beam. It had apparently been snapped off when a hire boater decided to bash the gate open - BW are supposed to be sending him a bill. Although they had a closure all day the gang really did well and we were on our way by 13.30.

The steam tug Adamant on its way to the Stoke Bruerne gala weekend

The working boats Nuneaton and Brighton on their way to Stoke Bruerne

The Gongoozelers Rest outside Braunston marina with perhaps "Horses d'oeurves" on the menu

Nb George ( the last remaining Royalty class boat) with attitude!!!

The weather for our first trip out this year was great with only a few heavy showers at the start of the week but then plenty of sunshine with three BBQs and a serious amount of paint jobs ticked from the list.

Trip at last but in the rain

We came up to the boat Thursday 4 June with a view to go down the Oxford canal towards Banbury for a few days with Anne's sister Janet as extra crew.
We set off mid Friday morning in nice sunshine and I could now see things with my right eye and didn't hit anything on the way up Napton flight.

As we went round Napton Hill there are always a few "Thelwell" style ponies in the field.



The trip towards Fenny Compton is twisty but through some lovely countryside

Janet in action cutting along the edges that the contractors have missed

The above photographs do not show how bad the weather was- most of Saturday and Sunday morning it absolutely threw it down- at least my new waterproof jacket was fully tested it was excellent and dried in less than an hour.