ON A MISSION

You may have noticed a change in the way and frequency of the blog lately but as you are aware i`m experiencing big family problems to personal to broadcast to the world wide web.
Some of my boating friends are aware of the problems and to those of my friends i have not met recently don`t feel offended if you think you have been blanked it`s only that we haven`t cruised by each other of late.
My mission is to reach a safe haven where i can leave the boat to return south for a short time also to meet family for a short cruise before my return south by train.
So away from Newbold(nr Rugby) passing through Newbold Tunnel with its fancy light show.

Sure sign that summer is well on its way.

This sort of scene makes me wild, someone has gone to a lot of trouble to remove some rubbish from the canal so why leave it on the towpath because as you can see from the graffiti the local yobs have no regard for the area and are likely to toss it all back in.
Now approaching Hawkesbury Jct. or as i call it `electric jct`. The scale of pylons and electrikery based here at this sub station is much greater than can be seen in the picture.
Another sign that summer has arrived. I also spotted some Moorhen chicks. Sorry no pic.
Hawkesbury Jct. or Sutton Stop call it what you will but it`s still the junction of the Oxford and Coventry canals. I will be going under the bridge that can be seen past the lock and turning right along the Coventry Canal towards Atherstone. To the left some 5 miles down the Coventry Canal is Coventry City itself. In the past i have made the trip but was so disappointed with the amount of rubbish floating in the water i now prefer to travel into the city by bus.

Having made my right turn the old engine house still stands. It once contained a steam engine that pumped water from a well into the canal. It ceased work in 1913.

AWAY FROM BRAUNSTON

For a short time i`m back to cruising after leaving my friends Andy/Tina my first stop was back
at Braunston for a couple of days and am now heading for Stafford. Here i will leave the boat safely in a marina while i again travel south to help one of the boys move onto his new life. Sad but that`s life.
Along the Oxford the tower of the church in Braunston soon will be lost behind the landscape


as i head into the open countryside towards Rugby. I shall pull in along the way for a tea break.
Hillmorton locks are soon reached and the three sets of twin single chambers were the hive of
activity as 3 boatloads of Air Cadets took part in a competition of smartness and efficiency under the watchful eye of just not me but their commanders. As you see in the picture 2 cadets from each boat stood to attention by the lock mechanism plus one on the single gate. Points were awarded for the steerer getting the boat in without incident and the lock winding gear being wound in unison. As i entered one cadet stood to attention and closed the gate for me, he then joined the others in his team and together they marched arms swinging perfectly in formation to the next lock.
One of the pleasures of a summer sun are the reflections under the bridges that change with the passing of a boat or even just a duck. Under the bridge on the left some Pampas grass can be seen and i spent a pleasant hour or so watching the birds stripping the soft tops to line their nests.
So another peaceful mooring yet only 2 miles from the hustle and bustle of Rugby.

MORE of MY TRIP SOUTH

A few more pics of my visit home to honour the promise to the girls that i would blog our crazy fun nights. Laugh all you want i can take it, they all accepted the age difference and invited me to join in their girlie nights so i did. Life is for living.

A normal day spent with at one house with Batu and Teo, just 2 of the g`children.

One girlie night enjoying the company of Jade.

Me and Chloe after she applied my face pack during another crazy night.

Chloe Jo And Sarah all doing their best not to smile while the packs set.

OK Sarah you can smile now as it`s peeled off.

INTO BRAUNSTON

Back on the boat after nearly 3 weeks away helping sort a family crisis made me realise i really
must go back more often as apart from the problem just being near to everyone and being spoilt
with love, scrummy meals and the grandchildren was the main reason i stayed so long.
The hire boats have been out and about for some time now as all the pictures on this page were taken some weeks ago.

While moored at the top of the Buckby lock flight along came Lesley & Joe on Caxton plus Graham & Jill on Matilda Rose. While they took on water we all had good chinwag, so until we meet again have a safe journey guys.
Entering the southern portal of Braunston Tunnel it looks as though it might be a bit of a smokey
journey but as i always travel fast through tunnels the air movement should disperse it away up the vents.
Exiting on the Braunston side it became clear why such a long stoppage had been in place over the winter with still a lot of work in progress.
Looking back above as i head north together with the view as i travelled south last year the extent of the landslide can clearly be seen.





A lot of work on the towpath, mostly to overcome the amount of water coming off the hill and causing the path to be permanently muddy, will be good for the many people that walk up from Braunston to look into the tunnel.



Moored in Braunston this is the view from the side windows.

A TRIP HOME

Having to take a trip down south to help two of the kids with a problem brought home the realisation that although you can retire from work you never give up being a parent.

So having made the trip with much assistance of Tina & Andy who between them squeezed me into their marina and drove me to the station (thanks guys) i decided to make it an extended break.
First outing was with son Andy to the Ace Cafe a regular meeting place for bikers with a mixture of all ages and gender with a friendly atmosphere not just inside with good food on the menu but also outside where various stunts that made my hair stand on end were being performed. Also a licenced bar caught my attention by way of the fact that very few bikers were

drinking and those that were i suspect were riding pillion. Above inside the Ace cafe.

Next son Kev collected me to stay at his house for a few days and on the itinerary was a Saturday afternoon visit to Luton Town Football club who were hosts to visiting Hayes & Yeading and

be seen on the final whistle score board they probably wished they hadn`t bothered. Still grand-

son Kiernan enjoyed the half-time traditional Hot Dog wearing his new kit bought by dad in the club shop.


Not far from Kev & Jo`s house lives Son Steve who puts on Wrestling shows so the third family outing was to watch the show where the little ones had their faces painted. Just noticed in the first pic below, Joanne what are you so deep in thought about?.

Gran daughter Kiera is Spider Girl

Grandson Kiernan is painted as i think a Vampire.

Grandson Batu wasn`t bothered about a paint job.

Grandson Teo is Spider Man.


So a very enjoyable visit being waited on and having dinner invites from all 3 homes made me
decide to stay longer than planned but hey! i`m in no rush and i do miss all of you both big and small. I will get back on the boat sometime over the holiday w`end and continue my journey to The Llangollen canal

VOTING DAVENTRY CANAL

Walking around Daventry yesterday i noticed notices in many shop windows urging local residents to vote that very evening in the referendum on weather or not they favour a canal into Daventry.
Also driving around the town was a van advertising the event with the passenger leaning from the window urging people to vote.
Eight polling stations had been set up with no polling card required and only your name had to be on the electoral register.

Today searching the Internet i see it got thumbs down by a large majority.

I remember reading in one of the boat mags that a new road had been constructed near the proposed canal terminus site that allowed headroom for the canal to pass under it so it would appear the district council have made up their minds. I suppose like the Milton Keynes/Bedford project this again might mean my boating to a ripe old age to achieve a cruise into Daventry.

More info on the council plans for Daventry HERE.

CRUISING INTO SPRING

Spring is in the air and enough time has been spent sitting around feeling under the weather so
i left Fenny Stratford looking forward to a lock free cruise of 11 miles. The first site i wanted to
stop and look at although in the picture above there`s not much to see was where the proposed Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway was planned to leave the Grand Union. At 16 miles long and estimated costs of £160-200 million is not expected to open until 2025. I`ll be 77 yrs old and i wouldn`t mind betting the cost would have risen sharply.

With Spring comes the Lambs and as usual amongst my fellow Bloggers i`m the last to get the
pictures but no matter Blogging isn`t a competition i`m just telling it as i see it.

Over the Aqueduct at New Bradwell

and under Soloman`s Bridge at Cosgrove.

Stopped off at Yardley Gobion village just a short stroll from the canal to get milk and bread.

The Lambs like buses you don`t see one for ages then they`re everywhere.

Fenny Stratford = Bletchley Park

A couple of days at Fenny Stratford gave me a chance to visit Bletchley Park which was the hub of wartime code breaking and is only a 20minute walk from the canal.
I spent 4hrs wandering around the exhibits but still hadn`t seen all there was to see as some sections run by outside groups only operated at weekends but the beauty of the £8 admission was the free return anytime in the next 12 months.
So much to see and read most of which is better read by yourselves so follow the links and if you pass by pay a visit, i guarantee your being intrigued by what went on here during the war.

An Enigma machine

Perhaps the most famous code breaker was Alan Turin. This statue is made of thousands of pieces of Welsh slate.

Mock up of a `Bombe` machine.After the war Churchill had all the machines at Bletchley and other locations broken up.

The original red brick farmhouse had many additions after Sir Herbert Leon purchased
Bletchley Park in 1883

Just two of the added rooms inside the house.

The Colossus machine re-built by Bletchley Park curator Tony Sale.

Machines at Bletchley
Sir Herbet Leon
Churchill`s secret
Alan Turin scrapbook

FEELING BETTER Thanks

I don`t know exactly what germ, bug, or disease took over my normally healthy life but for sure it hit me for six.
It started on the 20th Feb, my usual free and easy lifestyle would have prevented me from quoting this date as the march of time and myself put up with each other neither one interfering with the others pace, this being a couple of days before the Birmingham show and all it appeared to be was a cold. Wrong diagnosis on my part as on my return from Brum things went downhill with.......loads of things but i`m better now so best not to dwell on it.
MANY MANY thanks to you all for your comments and e mails wishing me well, cheers all.

The boat and caravan show at the NEC boasted about 6 canal boats out of the advertised 250
boats on show but for me and i would think other boaters is the fact that the equipment, gadgets and gizmo`s are common amongst caravanners and campers with the majority of the displays being of interest to a wide audience.
So what did i buy other than the overpriced coffee and food you are screaming aloud, well to go with a £500k gin palace ( below) i thought a battery monitor system might be handy so a
NASA BM-1 was my choice and when i get 5 mins and when/if the cheque clears for the gin

palace i`ll fit it. Change of plan i`ve cancelled the cheque i love my narrow boat to much and
besides look at the bow wave i couldn`t handle life that fast.
Another purchase was some Rescue Tape that attracted my attention for among the many uses it has i liked the idea of having something to repair a water hose, although i do carry some spares it might be the one i haven`t got that goes or perhaps a quick repair to keep me boating until a re-placement hose can be obtained and fitted.

So back from the show and feeling better after a couple of weeks it was time to do a couple of very short days of cruising as i was becoming stir crazy in the same place.
Above NB Valerie in Leighton lock and the fields have flooded from the R. Ouzel.

The view from the middle lock at Soulbury 3 as i dropped down, perhaps the by wash was restricted and couldn`t handle my lock full of water but all returned to normal as i entered the lock in the picture.
Mixed breeding has produced this rather attractive Mallard.