A long cruise

I don`t blame Jaq for getting hot about the BA seat fiasco. I was the one on the phone and the well trained lady at the customer services was not going to give a refund. look at the last paragraph below of the e mail receipt from back in May.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
********************

A paid seat request cannot be guaranteed as it may need to be
changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after
boarding the aircraft.

In the event that we have to change your seat we will endeavour
to seat you in a suitable alternative.

We aim to seat your party together, and then if possible in your
choice of seat, e.g. If you have selected a window seat we aim
to seat you in another window seat.

If we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative seat as set
out above you are eligible to apply for a refund.

Anyway stuff them we will enjoy ourselves regardless and next time try KLM or some of the others flying the pond.
To be honest and not hide anything the lady did say she would refund in full BUT we then would have no seat reservations and would need to choose from what was available. Fantastic service, caring for the customer? I think not.
Makes me glad to live afloat and not have much contact with the big business`s out there.
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Rant over.....did you hear about Royalty on the canals? No, click HERE. I have some inside information on the Royal Barge narrowboat. It has made an unusual long  journey over a short period and is now moored on the Ashby canal after spending a hectic weekend visiting all the family. But more on that in another blog post. The journey was unusual in that on one of the days the Royals cruised for 9+ hours  over 16 miles and 13 locks. Just to put this in context a journey previous to this was 1 mile and 1 lock.
The Princess (Jaq) has told me she loved visiting the kids and little ones but it`s good to be home, and i agree.
So a picture catch up on this epic cruise.

First all good cruise ships will have adequate sustenance for the Captain (the one who thinks he is but is not). This is bread pudding as I have never known. My bachelor bread pud always had dried fruit, mixed spice and a topping of Cinnamon. This one is Jaq`s version and contains home made Amaretto cream custard, white chocolate and topped with Almonds. Recipe available.










This Rugely town guide box was by Colwich lock on that 1 mile -1 lock cruise. It was the small plate on the top that caught my eye. Has the Canal and River Trust now enlisted volunteers from our prison population. The box was empty by the way.

Autumn fast approaches and my thoughts are when and for how long will we be frozen in this winter.

Bridge numbers are  replaced by names.

 

Nice to see that at least the shell of the old canal warehouse (far end) has been kept. New walls inside will turn it into flats (apartments) at this development at  Fazeley Junction.

 

Just before Alvecote marina I spotted this old canal basin in the trees. It was probably a loading wharf for one of the many coal mines in this area. It was very large and to the left is pictured the entrance from the canal.