Foxton to Bridge No.43 North Kilworth.

A very soggy jaunt today. It rained the whole way. The only dry spell was in Husband Bosworth's tunnel and I was actually inside the boat doing some jobs.

Pulled in pasted Bridge 43 and Keith walked up to see if there were any moorings at Welford Junction, but they were all full, so we are staying put.

I re-lit the stove and lunch was put on to cook. Liver and Onions are sending a wonderful smell throughout the boat. We will stay here for the weekend.

Market Harborough back to Foxton.

Having spent a lovely couple of days in Market Harborough catching up with lots of people we know from when we did the coal run in the area, it was time to move on this morning. So at 8 am we set off back to Foxton.

We arrived at the bottom of Foxton Locks and had a half hour wait before we could set off up the flight. Great run up the hill.

11.40 am we were all tied up for the rest of the day.

Foxton to Market Harborough.

The Bank Holiday Weekend had it high and low moments. The low moments were the fact that the weather was hot and miss. Saturday and Monday were a hit, but Sunday was a down right miss and we did not trade at all.

We had friend Ruth and Richard in front of us. On Comfortably Numb. It was lovely to have their company and we did go to Bridge 61 on Friday evening for a drink. Ruth does so wonderful painted ware and Richard rope work.

This morning it as sods law, the sun was out and it was pleasantly warm. We were ready to descend the locks at 8 am.

We had a lovely cruise to Market Harborough and arrived at 10.45 am. The day was spent catching up with friends around the town, we have met over the years we did the coal run from Crick to Market Harborough. More catching up tomorrow.

Welford Wharf to Foxton Top Lock.

Last night we had the Mikron Theatre Company boat Tyseley tied up alongside us. They are doing gigs around the area and will soon be out on the boat. The boat looked fantastic with its lovely paint work. Great to chat with Marianne last night.

We left the Welford Arm at 8.25 am and headed for the junction.

Panda's have come to the Welford Arm. Poor thing was rather lonely.

We had a lovely jaunt, pootling along the canal and admiring the Leicestershire countryside. Nothing much had changed until we reached North Kilworth and there is now a hunking great hole in the ground where a new marina is going in. A shame that all the old hedgerow has been ripped out and replaced with a new one, which seems a little odd.

We arrived at the top of the Foxton Locks at 11.30 am and tied up.

It was then time to shut the boat up and go and catch-up with friends. Richard and Ruth are moored in front of us on Comfortably Numb, so we had a good old natter to them, then visited Gary and family at the top lock cafe, where we had a catch-up. After lunch I took Paddy out for his walk and who should be coming up the locks. Jenny and Jim on NB Jolly Roger. So after they moored up Keith and I went and had a coffee with them and again did a lot of catching-up. Everyone is so pleased to see Keith looking so well after his dreadful year last year. We will be spending the weekend trading if the weather is good enough.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Above Welford Lock to Welford Wharf.

After all the hailstone storms we had yesterday, this morning the boat had gone into camouflage mode. The roof and gunwales were covered in leaves and stuff of the over hanging trees, so I got our there with a bucket and chucked canal water over the boat until all the foliage had all gone.
Boats were beginning to leave the arm around 9 am, so as they moved off we untied and moved further down the arm towards the wharf.

After lunch a boat left the wharf and so we decided to wind the boat and move into the mooring at the wharf ready for our Tesco delivery tomorrow. 

Yelvertoft to Welford.

Last night we were treated to a fabulous double Rainbow.

This morning we set off at 8.15 am. It was more like April. Chilly with showers and sunshine, but a quiet little jaunt. We turned into the Welford Arm at 11.05 am.

The black clouds were gathering as we climbed up through the one lock on the Welford Arm. Having tied up the heavens opened and down came Hailstones. There was flashes of lightening and Thunder roared in the distance.


We are hoping to catch-up with friends and check that we are still booked in for blacking.

Braunston Top Lock to Yelvertoft

Last night (Sunday) Keith and I joined Nick of Aldgate and Nick from the  Top Lock Cottage for a drink and a good old natter at the Admiral Nelson. Great pub with lovely owners, who make you feel very welcome. It is our second visit there and will be going again. We had a fabulous evening with the two Nicks.

Woke up this morning to rain dancing with hobnail boots on the roof of the back cabin, so it did not bode well. We let go at 8 am and headed into Braunston Tunnel. It was a darn sight drier in there than outside.

We arrived at Norton Junction at 9 am and passed Judith and John on NB Serena, John gave us a wave. There were a lot of moored boats all along that stretch, some of which were probably going to the Crick Festival which next weekend. We arrived at the Watford Locks, I stepped off and walked up to find the lock keeper to sign in. We were only his second boat of the day, which was all due to the weather being so wet.

Today was the day I was to do my first locks with Hadar. I used to do the locks with our old boat and in fact Watford Locks were the first locks I did with her after we picked her up from ABNB. 

So this time I was going up hill with Hadar. Keith gave me great instructions through the first of the locks and I got on with it. Because Hadar has gear wheels and they are suited to Keith being left handed, I do have issues with astern and forward, but I got there and I was actually quite chuffed with myself.

As we get older I think we can get fearful of doing new things and I know for me my worry was that I would damage something, because when she is loaded with coal she is a heavy girl and harder to stop. At the moment she is running light, so easier to handle.

I do not know why I was so apprehensive, because it was easier than I expected and so next time I will be much more relaxed.

Having done the locks, we pushed on through Crick Tunnel and past all the mooring, which are now allocated for the festival boats. The rain was now lashing down and it was a matter of finding the first place to tie up and it happened to be just past Yelvertoft Marina. Once tied up, it was a matter of stripping off and getting into dry clothes. My Donkey Jacket was weighing a tonne and I could wring it out. I lit the fire and got the lunch on, whilst taking Paddy out for a quick wee. Never a dull moment on board.

No sooner lunch was eaten, the rain stopped and the sun is now trying to come out.

Up the Hill.

Keith and I have the most wonderful time Friday and Saturday moored opposite The Boat House. We met some wonderful people, old friends and new.

Saturday we went for a walk up into Braunston and then made our way back to The Boat House for lunch. 2 for 1 meals there and they are always great, especially when they are washed down with a pint of beer.

Later in the afternoon Judith and John on NB Serena moored up behind us and we chatted for hours about all things boating and such like. We had not seen them for a long time, so there was plenty of catching up to be done over a cuppa.

Now normally we do not move at weekends, but today (Sunday) we decided we should move as we had done our 48 hours. So we let go at 8.50 am and headed off towards the elsan disposal, before getting to the locks, where a pair of boats were already going up. We paired up with Tony and Sue off of NB The Old Masters. They were fantastic company. The most mazing thing was we had boats coming down all the way up the locks, so every lock was ready for us.

Having boats coming down at each lock has never happened to us before on these locks, so it was an absolute joy.

There was a lot of boat ballet going in the pounds, which made us giggle at times. But no paint was exchanged, although it came close a few times for Tony as boats seemed to think they could go through him.

We tied up at the top behind Aldgate at 11 am and not to long later Judith and John on NB Serena came past heading for the tunnel. It is always wonderful to see friends and catch-up on all their news and so we hope to see them again at some point.

Before lunch was cooked we spent a lot of time chatting to Nick on Aldgate, as it had been a while since we had seen him as well and he did not know that Keith had been so poorly.

We will stop here over night and head off in the morning.

Tied up in Braunston.

Took Paddy out for his walk this morning and a Tufted duck swam by. There were two males and a female about.

Beautiful morning with the sun shining on the fields of gold.

At bridge 100 I saw someone waving to me as she came towards me and it was Pip and Ozzy. It has been an age since we have seen them, although I do have Pip on my Facebook. It was not long before Roger passed up on their boat Windsong.

Sad to see an old wooden boat looking so distressed.

First sighting of Braunston Church.

Braunston Turn.

The moorings were actually quiet with plenty of spaces, so we arrived at the right time and tied up opposite The Boat House pub. I dare say whilst here we will have a meal there.
We sold some coal to John on NB Samsara. John has been reading Hadar's Blog since we started it, so thank you John for that and your custom.
We took ourselves off to the Chandlers to buy paint and bits for the boat, so more money spent. It also gave us a chance to say "Hello" to the people we know in Braunston.

As the afternoon progressed towards the evening, who should come towards us both our great friends on NB Tickety Boo with their lovely dog. They pulled alongside and we had a quick catch-up, before they had to get on their way. Today has been a day of catching up with lots of people.

Claydon Locks to Naption Junction.

Beautiful start to the day, so we let go at 7.50 am and set off in sunshine and no breeze.

A Pen and her Cygnet enjoying the weather this morning.

It was back from whence we came, meeting lots of boats on the move.

This moored boat is a little curious moored in its own ditch.

Around the Windmill on the hill.

We were fortunate with the locks, because boats were coming up, making my job so much easier. We were in a boat sandwich going down. The couple in front of us have only been on the boat for four weeks and so were happy to get any help given. They were actually doing really well.

Our boating day ended at 3 pm at Napton Junction. The chairs were taken out of the hold and we sat out and enjoyed what was left of the afternoon sunshine. Tomorrow is supposed to be soggy, so we may well stay put.

Cropredy to the top of Claydon Locks.

The morning began wet, with rain tip toeing on the roof of the back cabin. No point hurrying about, so I made our first cuppa of the day and we sat and listened to the radio and the rain.

Paddy got his walk in the rain, which of course did not please him one bit, but needs must. By 8.15 am the rain had blown over the the sun was out, so I went out and cleaned the brasses and prepared the boat for the off at 8.30 am.

We had a good road, with boats coming down the locks and leaving them ready for us to go into.

Passed this old wooden boat, with the back cabin at the wrong end of the boat. Sad to see a boat in need of such a lot of TLC.

Definitely a project in the making.

The end of this lock beam has clearly also seen better days.

On our way neither of us noticed this nest in the lock gate, so we reckon it is a new nest. I did wonder how many boaters have spotted it on their way in or out of the lock?

Having come up the Claydon Locks the wind was getting up and se we decided to stop. Lunch was made and once more the rain came down.

With the gusty wind, boats are finding it hard to control their boats, because we have had a couple of boats slam into us. This is our mooring for the night.

Banbury to Cropredy.

We spent a lovely weekend in Banbury, but today was the day we had to leave and head back from whence we came.

Before we could head back we needed to wind, so we I walked ahead and set the lift bridge and then the lock.

As you can see from the photograph it was a beautiful morning.

Just outside of Banbury are the Tramway Moorings, which are for permit holders only. Just after those moorings is the winding hole. Having winded we then headed back into Banbury.

Back up through the lock and under the lift bridge, before waving goodbye to Banbury.

Sovereign Wharf is closed as far as the services are concerned at the moment. The notice does not say why, so if you need diesel or gas you cannot buy it there.

We also waved goodbye to Grimsbury Arm as well.

It was up the locks and back into Cropredy where we moored up below the shop for lunch. We had no radio signal and no signal for the laptop, so we decided we would move after I had cooked lunch.

With lunch done, we then moved above the lock, which is where we will be for the rest of the day. It was lovely to see Mike and Marion on Narrowboat Duxllandyn. They had been in the Saltisford Arm and I got nattering to Marion whilst doing the washing.