BACK ONTO THE MAIN LINE

The Leicester Section joins the main Gd. Union Canal at Norton Jct. so we have to go up through the Foxton flight of locks and down the flight at Watford. Both flights are staircase locks and are both supervised by lockeepers as they use side pounds to save water and if the ground paddles are not opened in the correct sequence a lot of water is wasted. It`s fine for the experienced crews but some of the holiday boaters get it wrong, still we all have to learn and it wasn`t so long ago i didn`t have a clue and needed the lockies help and guidance.
After coming out at the bottom of the Watford flight you pass by the service area of Watford Gap on the M1, so close in fact it`s only 3 steps off the towpath and you could be flattened by a jaggernaught.
At Norton jct. instead of turning south we instead went up to Braunston so that Andys mum&dad could visit. While here i took advantage of the fact that a company called Roadpro were based nearby and decided to get a new skybox as the old one didn`t want to work anymore. I did enquire through another company for a repair to be carried out but as they quoted a price 70% of a new one i decided to buy new. Funny old world we live in everything seems to be to expensive to repair so it gets scrapped.
Anyway that was sorted and worked fine and all i needed to do was phone sky and get my card matched to the new box, easy?. After 5 calls and trying all the tests they said were needed all i had to do was wait for the card to be upgraded so that among the freeby channels i would also get 4&5. So after 5 calls and 5 waits for the sattalite to beam the upgrade to my card they eventually decided to send me a new card as that was the only thing they couldn`t test. One new card and hey presto 4/5 are included in my package.
With the sky box you can view a lot of freebie channels but not 4/5, but you can pay £20 for a card that gives you 4/5. card will last 3 yrs at least. If you want to know more about sky on a boat read Sue`s blog "No Problem" via the link from this page.
So after leaving Braunston and going down through flight of 6 locks it was back on route south for christmas, yes i know it`s only October but it takes a while to meander along and we`re in no hurry and the boat is coming out of the water in November so i can black below the waterline.
Down through Weedon & Bugbrooke stopping off here and there we came to Blisworth where a 10 minute bus ride brings you to a large tesco on the outskirts of Northampton just the job to re-stock the galley. On through Blisworth Tunnel emerging at Stoke Bruerne for a few days rest, well it`s hard work being retired and dragging yourself out of bed each morning and thats just the start, the kettle has to be filled, the bacon taken out of the fridge............PHEW.
In the picture below are a pair of Hotel boats Oak & Ash stopped as i was to take on water. Usually they have a crew of 3 and have 6 guests on board. They are booked up untill the end of October. Now getting further south means i get more visits from the family and this time it was Sons

Steve & Kev with their partners and grandchildren Teo at the top and below him Keirnan sitting next to his little sis Keira. Nice pic this i might print it off and put it on my photo pin board.

So come on you other G`kids grandad is heading south lets be having you.

Have now moored up for a while to paint the gunnels on the boat, there the bits just below the windows and they get scraped and scratched a lot and soon rust rears it`s ugly head so they need regular care. Where i am is handy to get a bus into milton Keynes where among others there was a Maplins store, more later.

Carol sent you e-mail hope you got it.

BIRTHDAY GIRL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEV

WIND POWER

Well i`ve got the wind generator up and running. The Rutland 913 will put a charge into the batteries with a modest wind speed of 5 knots, just under 6mph. With a wind of say 28mph it should put in about 9 amps.
So far since trying it out the winds have not been great blustery but not continuse but still the batteries have gained at the end of the day even after using power all day. Don`t forget on a boat all your power comes from the batteries and the worst power consumer is the 12volt fridge/freezer, then you pump your shower water then pump the waste water overboard. Your cuppa needs pumped water to fill the kettle. The loo uses electric to flush, the radio/stereo all these things are taken for granted on land but on board you have to be aware of a limited supply. Anyway with the wind so far the generator has ended up putting back what i have used during the daytime plus a small amount on top. All this adds upto less running of the engine to charge the batteries. Fine if the wind`s blowing i hear you say, true so my next thing is to do some research on solar panels. The control box i have fitted to the wind genny also allows connection of a 100watt solar panel so no wind means the slar panel will help things along and if i get wind as well so much the better.
In the picture above you can see the mast is held firmly by metal guy lines that go down to the roof and in the picture below you can see the mast is held in place by a heavy duty metal bracket that allows the whole thing to be folded down onto the roof after two of the guy lines have been released at roof level, all done in less than 5 mins.

I have to thank daughter in law Bevs dad Alan for making the bracket from a picture of something similar and a few rough measurements i supplied. Thanks Alan it works a treat.
All that needs doing now is to tidy the cable by putting it into some plastic pipe and fixing same to roof.

FOXTON

Foxton Locks are on the Leicester Arm of the Gd. Union Canal and consist of two lots of 5 staircase locks with a passing pound in between. The rise is 75 feet and as you can see in the
picture from the top you get a panoramic view of the countryside. The locks opened in 1814 and passing through the flight takes about 45mins. Behind me at the very top stands what was once the lockeepers cottage, now a coffee shop, and next to it the original stable that gave the boat horses a well earned rest for the night. Nowadays it is used for school visits when it has information boards and seating for visitors to eat their sarnies.
On the right of the picture can be seen the museum that once housed the old boilerhouse that provided power for the Inclined Plane Boat Lift.

In the picture above that i snapped in the museum you can see how the boat lift operated.

Two metal troughs each carrying 2 narrow boats counter balanced each other taking boats up and down the slope. the power was via a steam engine.

The lift opened in 1900 to help speed up passage through the locks so that canal companys could compete with the railways for cargoe carrying. Sadly in 1911 with road transport being a huge competitor the lift closed to save money and boats reverted to the lock flight.

Below is all that`s left, just some of the track bases that carried the rails. It is hoped that with

fund raising and Lottery grants the boat lift can once again operate. A lot has been done around the site including clearing the slope so the tracks can be seen and at the bottom all the trees have been cut down so now the canal can be seen.

So i leave you with this view of the Foxton Locks Inn. Behind me the canal goes to Leicester, to the left Market Harborough and to the right is the entrance to the lock flight. Below the same view at night. The boat on the left nearest camera used to give horse drawn boat trips at w`ends but now sadly only for private bookings.

Night all.

WHAT`S HAPPENING

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OZLEMOzlem is one of my 3 lovely daughters in law.

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After a wet summer and all the flooding that made our cruising plans change we now find ourselves to far south. The plan each year is to come south to Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire to see the family at christmas time plus i am getting the boat out of the water early November to black the bottom but this year having to change the route a bit some time had to be used up.
So having gone down the South Oxford canal to just below Banbury we winded (turned round)
and as we came back through Banbury i took the above picture as i saw this same scene in a newspaper showing flood water rushing past Woolies back in June/July. Can`t remember the exact date as time means nowt to me.

Back up the Sth Oxford to Braunston stopping off at some lovely villages,Cropedy and Fenny Compton to name just two, then through Braunston tunnell and up the Leicester arm where i

spotted this bridge in need of some TLC but i suppose after the 200 plus years some of these structures have been around they will fall apart eventually.
Carrying on past Crick you can see below the new marina extension for 80 berths is well under way. Pity they hadn`t dug it earlier in the year the weather might have helped fill it.

Carried on to the outskirts of Leicester before turning back to Foxton and at the bottom of the locks turned onto the Market Harborough Arm. Two hours of twisting and turning through some beautiful countryside brought us into M.Harb` basin and a chance to stock the galley from the supermarkets in the town.
So returning to Foxton we stayed about a week which gave me a chance to have a good look around and get the wind generator installed. I`ll get some pics done for next time.

Goodnight all, sleep well, i always do.

MUSEUM VISIT

The Bygones museum has been created by Andrew Fox at Butlin Farm Claydon. It is easily accesed from the South Oxford Canal at bridge 145 and a walk of just a mile into the village will take you back in time.
The museum overlooks adjoining farm land and the views are fantastic. Also on site is a gift shop and a licenced restaurant.
Andrew Fox has gathered this wonderful collection of items from our past, and i saw tools that my dad had when i was a boy, from towns and villages in scrapyards and old stables, barns, attics, cellars and what were once thriving tradesmens workshops that like so many of our past skills have gone to sleep and to the far east!

Above is the old Granary now home to amongst many things a large collection of old Typewriters and Telex machines, that hit a note as my late wife Valerie was a Telex operator for Kodak that also springs up in a picture below.

Above rows of old shops have been re-created in one building at the museum and the windows of each shop are filled with the goods they sold as in the photographers window below. Also in yet another building that was once a milking parlour for 16 cows several different scenes are created and below is a 1920`s kitchen/scullery and other rooms include a carpenters workshop, an electricians repair room with some wonderful old appliances you thought you would never see again. In all 6 scenes even a Boatbuilders workshop. In the Barn pictured below can be found a Traction engine, road roller and many farm tractors.
Next to the barn another building houses many stationery steam driven engines and a collection of old machinery of all types.Well i`m certainly glad i discovered the Bygones museum and it was well worth the £2.50 entrance and after a relaxing sit down with a coffee i was ready to walk back to the boat.

LITTLE PEOPLE

Well here they are my new crew for a week, Jordan and brother Jack seen here on one of our walks at the top of Cracks Hill in Crick. They arrived with mum&dad (Andy/Bev) at Braunston








with enough clothes for a week and a half (wise mum) plus computer games, DS i think there called but then gramps is old, isn`t he Jordan!, and so they might be make up cases for all i know. So below we have Jack helping move the boat along to a gap in the hedge where they can get into the field and old grandad can watch them while they bravely venture to within 1/2 mile of some cows. Wish i was young and brave.


The picture below came about when grandad told them about boats being pulled by horses but nowadays the boats had engines, my big mouth, so what do they want to see?, the engine and then what? yes to get in the engine bay.
I told Jack boats had to be washed every week, cruel i hear you say, rubbish he couldn`t get the bucket filled quick enough.

Now this thing about female drivers, i can tell you this young lady was a lot better than her brother. Jack tended to push the tiller one way or the other there didn`t seem to be an in between position but Jordan had that gentle bit at a time touch.
So off we went up the Braunston flight and through the tunnell heading for Crick. Jack loved the tunnell but Jordan after showing her face briefly went and played on her game machine inside. Anyway after stops on the way of our months of cruising, well at the end it felt like months ok i was just plain tired and as Jordan said old we arrived at Foxton where i was due to be relieved of duty by mum & dad well in about 24 hrs time.
So off we went to the canal museum that sensibly only charges adults and lets 3 children in for nowt. Jack enjoyed operating the model of the inclined boat lift and they both had fun on the
mock up of a butty boat and after the pair had run around the museum and had a go at getting the boat through the model lock we had lunch at the top of the flight in the old lockeepers cottage that has been turned into a cafe.

TRADERS ON THE CUT

Well it`s been a hectic week as i have had 2 of my grandchildren on board. Children near water is a dangerouse mixture and i spent all their waking hours watching them and i can tell you i was exhausted at the end of the week when mum&dad arrived to rescue me, but a near future blog will reveal the angels.
Also i am at present in the process of installing a wind generator, again more on this later.


This is one of the more common traders on the cut selling handpainted canal ware. Also stocked are boaters requirements like coal and rope fenders all made on board. Unusually this boat doesn`t sell diesel.

Graham Philips on board NB Tia sells Environmentally Responsible products. These include everything from washing the dishes, the boat and yourself. http://www.tiacares.co.uk/

Graham Varcoe has set up a bike shop on board NB Pennyfarthing and sells not only folding bikes but also your bog standard comfort cycle. He also does repairs and among the accessories he stocks are thorn proof tyres. He also has a land based shop in Leamington.

The floating bookshop on board NB Frenchlands II. Rosemary&Colin sell many second-hand & new books. Even found a book by one of my favorite authors Linda La Plant.

ALONG THE Sth. OXFORD

The windmill on top of Napton hill

View from the windmill.

One of many lift bridges along this canal.

The old school house in Fenny Compton village.

Sun flowers standing like soldiers watching the boats go by.

Single beam footbridge, very basic.

The footbridge view as you cross, carefully.

The end of a pleasant days cruising.

STILL THE OXFORD

The Oxford canal stretches beyween Hawkesbury Jct. and Oxford and covers a distance of 74 miles. It was used to bring coal from the Warwickshire coalfields to Oxford and here it gained access to the R. Thames and of course into London.


The northern section, Braunston to Hawkesbury, twisted and turned following the contours of the land so much that in the 1820`s 13 miles was cut from the 36 miles of this section. This was achieved by building Aqueducts, deep cuttings and embankments. A lot of the old route can still be traced if you go looking.


The Tunnel at Newbold is the result of this streamlining and the picture below shows two pubs


Barley Mow & Boat Inn. The canal ran right past these pubs and in fact the car is on what was the towpath. I have taken the pic from the towpath as is now and to my right the canal makes its way through the new tunnel and then along a deep cutting dead straight. The bushes on the right belong to a house built after the canal was re-routed but next to it remains the original canal w`house that had stables so the horses could rest while the boatmen drank in the pub.


In the far distance across a road is a church and if you walk into the grounds of the church you can see the route across the lawn where subsidence has left a clear sign and as you walk to the

right of the church itself the public footpath you are alredy walking goes off through a gate and as you walk into the field you are in the old canal bed. Look back and you can see the old tunnel.

Walk away from the tunnel and you can follow the dried up bed of the canal filled in by farmers
in places but walk around the fields a bit and you are suddenly rewarded by the finding of

things like this old footbridge hidden away amongst the trees and bushes that have grown in the old canal bed. I have actually climbed down into the canal bed to take the pic. Then just 50yds

further is this old bridge where the canal passed under a farm access road/track. After this it was difficult to trace the canals route but after walking across a field again it appeared buried beneath a hedgerow.

When i pass Braunston again i am going to do the same as the canal did in fact go through the marina and across the road into the fields.

If all this seems a bit boring to some you must remember that the waterways have become my life and its history is there to find, also with retirement comes time to do whatever takes your fancy and the exercise is good for you.

ALONG THE OXFORD

Came onto the Oxford canal at Hawkesbury Jct also known to the old working boatmen as Sutton stop because of a Mr Sutton who collected the tolls at this jct.
Andy/Tina had Sandra aboard for a few days, the cakes (homemade) were lovely Sandra, thankyou. I had a visit from a friend on a beautiful sunny day that made it all the more enjoyable.
Chas/Ann on board Moore2life http://www.moore2life.blogspot.com/ cruised by with Ann walking the gunnels tending her roof garden.
Had to help my son Kevin move house so a couple of days away from the boat and a trip down the M1 and back made me appreciate the slow and quiet life i lead, 60mph in a truck is frightening after 4mph on the boat. At least i didn`t have to drive this time as Kev has just passed his HGV test, well done son, and well done to his partner Joanne who passed her test in a car last week.
So returning to the boat after humping furniture i found a card to say that Dot/Derek on their boat Gypsy Rover http://nzgypsyrover.blogspot.com/ were moored just a couple of boats back from me so i invited them aboard for a coffee and a natter. A nicer pair of kiwi s i have yet to meet.
I think in the last month i have met up with 4 fellow bloggers, 2 i hadn`t seen for a year, 1 for 6 mths and the other not at all. One day we will meet again and to you all i wish good health and happy cruising.
At the moment we are all gonna head down the Sth. Oxford canal probably as far as Banbury and then who knows, heh this is freedom.

BEDWORTH

Coming down the Ashby Canal at Marston Jct. a left turn that needed a bit of reversing to get round the sharp turn brings me back on the Coventry Canal and as you pass under bridge 13 over on the right is what is pictured below. Doesn`t look that interesting does it but according to the map this is the site of the Newdigate Colliery Arm. So after mooring up further along at Hawkesbury jct for a few days i walked back to investigate if anything was left to see and stood
on the footpath bridge that can be seen in the above picture the only surving part of the arm can

be seen in the picture above.

Now i have found it`s always worth nosing around and walked along the dried up bed of the old arm and eventually came upon a park and discovered it was the Miners Welfare Park.

The land was purchased in 1921 by the Bedworth miners welfare committee and handed over to the Parish council in 1923. So full of old mine workings it was no good for housing and after the site was cleaned up it became a place for locals most of whom were miners to walk and relax.

( Handy for those who didn`t want to go to Bingo or a disco)

The park today contains football & cricket pitches, pitch&putt, swimming pool, leisure centre, bird aviary and as a reminder of the parks origins this mine shaft wheel that was taken from

Newdigate Mine when it closed in 1982. The mine shaft was sunk in 1898.

Walking around the town centre of Bedworth i came across these magnificent Almshouses that were erected in 1840 at a cost of £8,500 to replace the original Almshouses of 1715.
In 1715 Nicholas Chamberlaine had before his death been Rector for 51 yrs and Squire of the parish for 29yrs and his will ordered his executors to build 2 schools and a block of Almshouses,

not these pictured, at bedworth Hall.

A schoolmaster `fit sober and discreet` to teach 40 boys born in Bedworth to read and write would be paid £10 per year and an assistant to be paid 40 shillings per year. Bet they didn`t have 7 weeks summer holidays.

A schoolmistress `a fit grave matron` to teach the girls to read ,write, sew, knit & spin would be paid £5 per year. No mention of an assistant.

The Almshouses inmates ( not residents) would get an allowance of 1/6 per week, 4/- per yr coal allowance and every 2 years a gown or coat upto a cost of 8/-. All inmates wore a uniform that was still worn untill 1951. Also inmates not attending sunday service morning & evening would lose one weeks allowance.

So there you go just a bit of nosing around after seeing that scene in the top picture ends up with a walk through an award winning park full of beautiful trees and flower beds and a history.

HELLO GRANNY

Just sitting having a read when through the window i spotted Andrew Denny on his boat Granny Buttons www.grannybuttons.com/ . Andrew is a fellow blogger and a reader of my blog and below you can see his calling card a mini-pac of chocolate buttons that he gives to all he meets. Nice to see you Andrew.

FORGOT THE BLOG

Well not much to report lately its just been a bit of cruising and relaxing. Came down through Tamworth and at Polesworth Andy/Bev came with the kids who have just got over chicken pox and both delighted in showing me the spots that were almost gone.
We all cruised for an hour then winded and cruised back past Polesworth to Alvechurch Marina and had a meal in the newish pub the name of which escapes me. The nice thing is the pub/restaurant is on the 1st floor and from the balcony you get a view over the canal and the marina and the kids are safe away from the water.
So down the 11 locks at Atherstone and a chance to visit the charity shops looking for books. So much time to read that i keep having to grab what i can when we get near towns. At the moment i`ve a thing about Lynda La Plante as an authoress.
Have now gone up the Ashby canal as i did last year and was hoping to go to the Hinkley greyhound track but chatting to locals over a pint discovered it shut just a few weeks ago.
The weather has bucked up lately so i am just sitting in the evening sun having a read or a pint but most of all enjoying life.
Untill next time bye for now.

ANCHOR AWAY or maybe not at the moment

Well the intention was to go down to Stourport and then on to the River Severn down to Gloucester but as you all know from the news coverage anywhere near rivers is a no go. I know i need water to keep my home afloat but just like those poor people whose homes have flooded i only want it on the outside. When is this all going to stop. So having gone so far we decided the best thing was to turn around and head back to Gt. Haywood and south on the Trent &Mersey.
The anchor i bought for the R. Severn trip is now stowed away perhaps not to be used untill next year, still i shall need one sometime so it`s not wasted money.

Down through Rugeley passing this old building dating back some 150yrs and i believe was a mill. Wonder what will become of it after its current use as a car repair yard, housing maybe?
I saw a site recently that was being demolished and the contractor said the canalside small warehouse was going to become flats and the rest of the site houses so maybe a preservation order here and there is no bad thing.

Don`t think anyone will be to bothered if this lot below escapes preservation, it`s Rugeley power

station. So south we head as we are also prevented from going to Burton on Trent because of the River Trents intrusion at Alrewas has caused flooding. Shame really because i wanted to go down through Leicester where one of my boys is farming.

Anyway no real plans at the moment just see how it goes and that`s what this retirement life is all about , no plans, no rush, no worries.