Banbury Wednesday 6th May

We are nicely settled into our gentle routine now.

We had our first visitors last Saturday when Tony & Di Fletcher visited us at Cropredy. We took Petroc out for the day up the three locks back to Claydon. We had a walk into this pretty village and a visit to the Museum of Bygone Age where they also have an interesting second hand shop and a cafe. Here Geoff fell foul of a piece of his favourite coffee and walnut cake which had just been baked! The village is well worth a visit. Supper on board before we said farewell. Di had kindly planted up my herb & salad garden which sits on the roof so this was dropped off.

Sunday saw another visitor Keith Hall (Ann has gone on a girls holiday). We visited Cropredy Church for Communion in the morning where we received a warm welcome. After Keith's arrival we did one of the nearby geocaching walks which was successful followed by another which was not. Try as we might we could not find the clue to allow us to carry on. The Red Lion in the middle of the village does an excellent Sunday lunch at a reasonable price.

Red Lion Cropredy

The plan had been to carry on down to Banbury on Monday but our mooring above the lock and just outside the village was so pleasant we decided to stay. Had another go at the failed geocaching walk...still no success! The weather had turned very chilly so for the first time we lit the stove. In no time at all we were very snug.

Tuesday was the first of our early starts 7am! Geoff wanted to get down to Banbury to seek out a barber for a beard trim! Watered etc before departure and suitably togged up in hat, scarf and gloves we set off (Is it really May?) We arrived just before 10.30 hoping to have plenty of choice of moorings but obviously no-one was up yet......we managed to get into a space just under Tom Rolt bridge. Very conveniently the boat behind then decided to depart and we could move back into the sun (yes it was shining now). Lovely spot right by Spiceball Park which is very convenient for Barnaby.

Sorry sight at one of the locks between Cropredy & Banbury

We had an early evening geocache walk which took us all round Spiceball Park and environs.

So now on Wednesday we shall stay here for most of the day. We are expecting Emma and boyfriend Mark who will leave their car at Cropredy and catch a bus to Banbury (we hope) to join us for the trip back to Cropredy. Very kindly Alnwick has offered us the use of their mooring for the weekend whilst we are away at sister-in-law Edith's 60th birthday celebrations.

Wednesday

Went down through the lock to water and turn and then came back to fuel at Sovereign Wharf. Needless to say when we got there they were closed for lunch! However we were not in a hurry as Emma and Mark were not due for a couple of hours. In the event they walked down from Cropredy and as soon as they arrived we set off, 3 locks and Mark steering a lot of the way. By the 3rd lock he was confident enough to take her in!
We moored on Alnwicks moorings below the lock.