Sunday 9th June
Chaos at Braunston Turn and the Monsoon.
The Turn is a very busy junction and I am surprised that
about 90% of boaters go round this blind bend at speed without sounding any
warning. This morning there was chaos as two Noddy boats and two private boats
tried to make the turn and there were boats all over the junction, because no
one knew what the other boat intended to do. The knot was untangled eventually,
much to my amusement.
At last some sun shining through and considerably warmer
than the previous few days, when I was on the point of lighting the fire. The
blog was written up finally and published with such a good wi-fi signal at
hand.
Engine checks as usual and one of the core plugs is weeping.
Not sure whether to return to have it fixed or try a smear of Heatmate around
the edge. I will keep a check on it and make a decision later on. It seems such
a small thing to go all that way back to get fixed.
I pulled the pins about 11.30 and headed up the North Oxford
towards Rugby, with the intention of stopping at The Olde Royal Oak for a pint
and to check it was still the same shitty Hungry Horse establishment run by
Greedy King.
I got there in two hours through glorious countryside of ridge
and furrow green fields filled with sheep and cattle. There is no doubt that
the pub had had a makeover since last year, being renamed The Waterside for
starters and no mention of Hungry Horse anywhere. There was now a new menu,
waitress service at tables and a choice of Greene King beers, although the
Abbott was off with no indication on the pump, but the Speckled Hen was crystal
clear at last. Being Sunday lunchtime, there were queues at both the carvery
for food and at the bar when I went to return my empty glass. No excuse for the
bar, it just needs more staff serving there, but the carvery is just to do with
the time of day on a Sunday. A menu is also available for service from the
kitchen by waitresses. Trip Advisor has mixed reviews, but many more good ones
for the food than in previous times, so obviously there is some improvement and
not before time, although I have never eaten there.
Monday 10th to Wednesday 12th June
These three days are combined, as there is so little going
on of any interest, because not only is it raining almost constantly, but I
have a week to kill before returning to Braunston to have the stove changed.It
could not have come at a better time, because heavy rain was forecast for the
next few days, and like most boaters, I do not like cruising in it any more,
unless I have to. I have done enough of that with NBT in the past, to know how
wet and cold one can get keeping to the schedule.
Through Hillmorton 3 locks to the waterpoint and was I filling
the tank in the rain by now. On to Rugby in the wet, only to find no moorings
close to the shopping stop, so onward through the bridge and wind in the short
winding ‘ole and back to the last remaining mooring at the end of the line.
Then it was a quick shopping trip to Tesco and hunker down on board with the
fire lit - in June?
Late Tuesday afternoon another boat was just mooring ahead
of me and the boater waved as I was returning from another shopping trip. I
recognised the boat to be nb Cranley with Mick and Suzanne aboard, who are on
my home mooring on the River Wey. They were travelling with nb Hazlenut owned
by Rodney and Valerie, so we passed a while talking about their trip. They had
come by way of The Thames and Southern Oxford. They departed late morning on
Wednesday for destinations further north, during a short dry spell.
Cranley off further north.
I also cast off having to wind at Clifton and return to get
to Newbold, (known by the old boaters as Noble). I passed by nb Auriga, a fuel
boat travelling north and hoped he would stop in Rugby to refuel another boat,
which he did, so my diesel tank was full once more. Onwards to Newbold where
there were moorings galore to be had, but by 5pm they were all taken and as the
Wednesday forecast was wet, they were still there all day.
I was listening to some other boaters talking in The Barley
Mow later and overheard some tips about the pubs at Hillmorton. I got talking
to them after a bit and one of the guys knew Maffi and Bones from Oxford.
Earlier I had made a ragu Bolognese from memory, but when I
Googled the recipe it seems I had missed out on the stick of celery. Despite that,
it was delicious with some dried spaghetti. Normally when at home, I make my
own spaghetti, which is so much better and more flavoursome.
Thursday 13th June
It had continued to rain in the night and was still chilly
when I awoke, so donned my lined winter trousers once more, which I have
continued to wear for the last couple of weeks. I spent some time catching up
on this blog and checking e-mails. Wi-fi from BT is good here, as well as TV,
so no shortage of entertainment, together with all the books that I have
accumulated along the way.
Peter Oates passed by on Stanton in the pouring rain on his
way to Braunston Rally. I did a little light shopping at the local Co-Op, just
to get some exercise and paid a visit to The Barley Mow on return and finally
fried the butterfly lamb chop that I got in Braunston a few days ago. So that
was an exciting day!
Friday 14th June
Raining again this morning, but stopped about 11am. Nick
Wolf and Maggie Young appeared in the distance on Aldgate. Maggie shouted my name
from a distance and we exchanged a few words between us they passed by. I will
see them at Braunston without a doubt.
I cast off about midday, as the weather looked promising and
went through Newbold Tunnel with the object of winding in Lime Farm Marina
entrance. All was going well and I returned through Newbold towards Rugby, but
I was lulled into a sense of false security when the sun showed itself for a
few minutes, because shortly after the heavens opened with a vengeance and I
got soaked. By 3pm at Hillmorton, I had had enough of this ‘fair weather
boating’ lark and pulled into the bank where there were rings; not in the right
place of course, but they helped to save driving in mooring pins in the wet.
I had to change my wet things after that and open a beer to
calm the savage breast, but it was too warm to light the fire to dry off. I
wonder what tomorrow will be like?
After changing the sun came out and it appeared that no rain
had fallen, apart from the puddles on the towpath, so I decided to venture out
on a quest to The Jolly Abbot, but it showered on and off, so I abandoned my
search when the pub was still out of site at the bottom of a hill. It was not
worth the risk of another soaking in dry clothes.
Evening sun at Hillmorton Bottom Lock.
Saturday 15th June
The day began with brilliant sunshine at 8am, but by 9am, dark
clouds filled the sky and it looked ominous, but surprisingly it stayed dry, so
I set off from Hillmorton with a brisk southerly wind in my face to get to
Bruanston early for a decent mooring. Although
I was there by 12.30pm, there were very few available spaces. As I approached
Braunston, the bells of the church were being rung, which I thought was an appropriate
welcome.
I pulled in at The Stop House to fill the drinking water
container and as I did so I was observed by a few people at the Gongoozler’s
Rest floating cafe. A lady with a 3 to 4 year old little girl came up for a
chat about life on a narrow boat. When the little girl Violet chimed into the
conversation and asked if she could come on board, I said, “Why not?” So she
went to fetch her father too. We cruised through the marina and Violet was so
excited to see the water moving past and all the other boats. We came out
through Ladder Bridge and moored up just south of Butcher’s Bridge No.1. Photographs
were taken of Violet and myself before they departed up the towpath. It is
always pleasing to introduce someone else to the delights of boating and hope
that it rubs off enough to spark further interest.
I had to walk up to the village for some bread and a pint in
The Plough, but it rained again as I walked back down Nibbet’s Lane to the
canal. Some boaters that I met this morning were walking past in the direction
of the Admiral Nelson and I asked them if they were visiting the pub, but they
did not even know it existed. The older man had asked me previously how I
managed single handed, so I gave him another tip about mooring up using a tiller
string and centre line alone to hold the boat on the bank. It appeared that he
was not the only one to learn this tip, as the other two with him did not know
either and they owned the boat. It was the one thing I learned when doing the
helmsman’s course which has stuck in my mind and it is so useful.
The day finished in brilliant sunshine at last, although it
did not last long. A sunny start and end to the day.
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