Kintbury

Moved on today albeit not in the promised sunshine. However apart from a very small amount of drizzle it was OK, if somewhat gloomy. Between here and Newbury there is not a lot of habitation so 4 hours of almost solitude. We saw no boats at all until the last two locks. At the first of these we were held up slightly as BW were having to re-water the following pound....someone had left the paddles open at both ends of a lock.........
So company for the last two locks and now we have stopped in Kintbury. We shall stay here for the weekend...sussed out two of the pubs for our Sunday lunch, only one of which does food, but this evening we will have a look at the third one. There are all facilities for Petroc and the Church has a service so we have all our requirements for the weekend.
Tomorrow we plan to walk into Hungerford (3 miles)to see the possibilities for leaving Petroc for the night next Tuesday when we have to be away for the night. Depending on our energy levels we shall either walk back or maybe try out our new bus passes. There is also a station here so the possibilities are endless!!

Holed up in Newbury

The title is a bit of a misnomer as we have not been holed up just because of rain. We had a good run up from Woolhampton on Tuesday. The first few locks were done in company with Anthony on Fish Eagle which made life much easier in these double locks. He stopped to shop in Thatcham so we did a couple on our own and then picked up a hire boat for one but then he too deserted us. The weather was kind to us and macs were not required. The entrance to the first lock at Newbury(86) has an interesting approach due to the River Kennett coming in from the right. However lots of wellie and we were OK. We decided to moor just after the lock as it was late lunchtime by then, thinking we would see what openings there were further up after lunch. Lethargy then took hold so we stayed where we were! The forecast for Wednesday was not good and so it proved, so we stayed put all day.
We managed to do a shop in between the rain and decided to go to the cinema in the evening. We saw "The Other Boleyn Girl" which was not brilliant but I enjoyed...Geoff was not so sure.....It was a small very modern cinema with very comfortable seats (all 39 of them) in the converted Corn Exchange.
Thursday true to the forecast dawned dry and with the promise of sun so we set off with the intention of going to Kintbury. We went through Newbury lock which is another interesting approach due to strong currents and moored at the top to go into town for a paper. It as so pleasant there that we abandoned plans for Kintbury and decided to stay for the day.
I did the washing as it was a good drying day and we took it in turns to explore the town. Newbury is a much bigger and prettier place than either of us had imagined. We shall definitely stop here on our return journey.
For those friends who fancy a visit this seems to be a convenient canal for collecting and dropping off as the railway runs close by for a large part so offers opportunities to leave a car and do a days trip, or several days if you have the time. Anyway please call us if you are free.

Rain at Woolhampton

Well, as predicted we are holed up here for the day. Yesterday, Sunday, was not quite as bad as forecast. We only got a little wet as we climbed the steep hill to St Peters Church where we had a very warm welcome. We chatted to lots of people who told us all about their local experiences in the floods last year. The canal itself was not a problem, but the surrounding fields were. As we sit here today I trust we are not in for a repeat performance. I have already braved the weather, well wrapped up in my long mac and wellies to take Ellie for a very short stroll and then to visit the local store for the paper. I can't help but remember this same weekend last year when we were at Crick Boat Show with Petroc on show. Whilst the Saturday was lovely, the Sunday and Monday were a complete wash out. This year we are glad we are not there but have sympathy for John & Fiona Slee whom we know are helping Bath Narrowboats. We hope to catch up with them further down so no doubt we shall hear all about it.

Yesterday after a very good lunch in the Rowbarge canalside pub Edith caught the Bus(substitute train) back to Reading. Her timing for her visit was well done, she has escaped before the worst. In two days we managed to show her town cruising, countryside cruising, sunshine, rain, locks, churches and pubs so not bad for two days!

The plan is to move slowly onwards tomorrow if there is an improvement in the weather. If not we shall be staying here. Luckily we are moored just outside the 48hr strip so there is no problem. There are notices which say that if you exceed 48hours you will be charged £25 PER DAY for the first 7 days and then £50 PER DAY for each subsequent day.. However we do wonder who polices it and if anyone does actually get charged.

Woolhampton, Kennet & Avon

Our mooring in Reading turned out to be very acceptable. No breakouts from the gaol and no trouble from local drunks which is what we anticipated. In fact once it became dark it was very pleasant.
Edith managed to find us after a few phone calls back and forth and found an accommodating pub who said she could leave her car there.
Early start this morning as we wanted to be somewhere congenial for the weekend as the forecast for the next few days is not good. After the manned electric locks on the Thames the locks on the Kennet & Avon are hard work....well they are for Geoff! One of them this morning which was a turf lock was quite difficult for the folk on shore (Geoff & Edith) as there were no proper sides to the lock, just narrow metal railings so walking along was quite hazardous.
The final one of the day at Woolhampton has a very interesting approach. There is a swing bridge just before the lock and also immediately before the lock the river Kennet comes in with a strong flow. A lot of power needed here if one is not to come a cropper. Immediately opposite is a moored narrow boat at the end of someones garden which has old car tyres down it complete length...obviously he has had bad experiences!!
We arrived just before 4pm having set off before 8am....far too long a day for us...but now plan to stay here until Monday at least, and Tuesday if the weather on Monday is as forecast. Edith and I went to check the train time for her to get back to her car in Reading (for train read "Bus" as it is Sunday tomorrow and British Rail) and we also climbed a long hill to find the church for tomorrow and booked into the local pub for our Sunday lunch......

Reading

Last night (Thursday) we spent in Goring where Giles, Susannah and Ella came to visit us. They took us by car to see the house they are negotiating to purchase in Goring Heath. They also took us for dinner in what will be their closest pub where we had a lovely (but expensive) meal. At least it was expensive by our standards but not by theirs as they say they are used to London prices. The mooring here was just below the lock and in a very pretty setting although not quite as open as Abingdon. On the plus side the bank was not as high as the previous night at Wallingford so Ellie was dead chuffed!!!
Today Friday we set off just before 9am and although it was dry for the most part it was decidedly chilly and it was back to thick coats and (in my case) woolly hat!
The stretch of the Thames over the last few days has been very congenial. The lock are all double, long locks with a lock-keeper so life is very easy. We have been through lots of deserted countryside interspersed with some wonderful houses with gardens running down to the river.....where do some people get the money from!!!
We stopped at Reading Marine to take on diesel where we were shocked to find the price of 85p per litre. About 3 weeks ago at Ayno Wharf we paid 73p. A little further on we stopped at the mooring adjacent to a large Tesco's to stock up and had some lunch.
Just after here we turned onto the Kennett & Avon and our last mechanised lock for a while....back to the grindstone and a much slower progress. The lock was not manned however so Geoff had to do some running around between gates, paddles and mooring lines. I just take the stern line and the tiller!!!!
Shortly after the lock we decided to go round the loop where our book showed moorings and see what they were like. They are not the most salubrious we have been in but neither are they the worst so we decided to quit for the day. We are moored by the ruins of an Abbey and also alongside Reading Goal!!! When I told Emma on the phone about her fathers choice of mooring place she said at least if anyone was escaping they probably wouldn't choose a narrowboat for their getaway!! A crumb of comfort I suppose.
We are in the heart of Reading and about a 10 min walk from the large Oracle shopping centre. We are expecting Edith, sister-in-law, for the night and tomorrow so we shall see where she manages to park.

Wallingford

After a delightful extra day relaxing in Abingdon (this has to be the best mooring spot yet) we set off after lunch. The intention had been to leave in the morning but we heard that the next lock at Culham was closed due to hydraulic problems so decided to stay where we were. Eventually set off just before 2pm with the intention of getting somewhere half way to Goring where we had planned to meet Giles & Susannah on Thursday. The run down was very pretty, isolated in a large part interspersed with the occasional large riverside houses. What there were not a lot of were good places to moor. The river banks are not as congenial as the canals for mooring in the open countryside. We reached as far as Wallingford before we found somewhere suitable. It is a proper mooring place with bollards and room for about 4 boats. Beautiful view of the Wallingford bridge and environs but the downside is the height of the bank. All these places are designed for gin palaces both large and small. We poor folk on narrow boats have to scale up the dizzy heights to get on and off and as for elderly, arthritic dogs....well no chance. It is a two man job again to get Ellie on and off and she is not visibly impressed. However we were lucky to find a space and we do wonder what it would be like in the height of summer. The weather has been kind to us the last few days but we hear a change is on the way....yet again.....

ABINGDON

Once again we are moored in a very congenial spot...Geoff seems to be doing very well finding us these lovely places....
I caught the train back from Leamington on Monday and was back on board Petroc just after 0930hrs, leaving Emma to take my computer into Currys where it was going to be picked up by the engineers on Tuesday morning. They say 7-10 days and the man was hopeful that they would be able to mend it. Meanwhile I have had to return Emma's computer but Giles has taken pity on me and lent me a spare one...what a life!
It was about a 3 hour run down from Oxford to Abingdon and we are once again on the Thames. However it is much better than the stretch up to Lechlade, more interesting things to see en route, including some rather expensive houses. We moored above the Abingdon Lock with the intention of doing water etc and going beyond the lock to moor. It was so congenial there that we decided to stay. Free 24 hour mooring.
Leisurely start on Tuesday (today) and whilst we were watering a hire boat came by with a new Zealand couple on board. They were very interested in Petroc and our life-style so they ended up coming on board for coffee and a look around. They are contemplating living over here on a narrow boat for a while. After their departure we went through the lock and moored just below in this delightful spot. Geoff went off to explore the town whilst I had a wonderful time having a good clean (interior) of Petroc. the

Part of his explorations took him to Church of St Helen Here he had a long discussion with the female verger about the state of the present day church!!!! he was very impressed with the painted ceiling of the Lady Chapel which dates back over 600 years and somehow avoided the reformation and Cromwell's attentions in the civil war. In addition there is a painting of a family tree of a local man who allegedly fathered 197 children!!! Some going....

Weekend in Oxford

Having found St Margarets Church just up the road from the pub (This seems to happen even in more built up areas!) we duly took ourselves there at 10.30 on Sunday morning. In all these different churches we visit on our travels we never know what sort of service to expect or size of congregation we shall find. Geoff was delighted to find that this one was very high church with lots of incense. There was a big choir of at least 30 ..all ages... and a congregation of 50 or so. It was a lovely service with a woman priest who was a small gentle looking lady who smiled a lot as did several of her acolytes. Unfortunately we were not able to stay for the coffee to which we were invited as we were expecting the imminent arrival of Rosi & John Lillis and thought they would need directions to Petroc.
They found us however with not too much difficulty and we all enjoyed an excellent lunch in the Anchor pub just opposite bridge 240. Another recommendation to all. It had obviously been more of a working men's pub but was now more of a gastro pub. It was a little more expensive than our usual Sunday lunch pub grub but the food was excellent.

Emma was due to arrive later in the afternoon with some discs to try and recover my computer and her arrival did not go so smoothly. This could have been a combination of Geoff's directions and the fact that she did not have a map in the car!! The result was that she became lost and by the time she found us after several phone calls, having been all round the ring road and through most of the centre on Oxford as far as we could gather, she was in a very frazzled state!!

We decided the best course of action was for me to return to Leamington with Emma and try and sort the computer out with a faster connection to the internet if necessary. In the event the call to the technical centre was unsuccessful and I have arranged to have it picked up in Currys store on Tuesday and they say it will take 7-10 days, although they seem confident it is repairable. Luckily Emma had arrived with a spare laptop from Giles for me to borrow so I shall not be completely without.

I am sitting writing this at 6am at Emmas and the plan is to catch a train back to Oxford early this morning so that we can continue southwards down to Abingdon.

I had a good look last night at the prices of various train journeys as this new, supposedly easier, pricing structure has just started. Whilst it would seem that if booked very well in advance I might still find a reasonably priced ticked from Cornwall to London, for a return for Emma to go to London from Leamington Spa the cheapest ticket was now £26. Previously she had been able to purchase a walk on fare for some trains at £15. I fear my sceptical suspicions about hidden price rises in this big change of structure will prove to be only too true.

Oxford

I am using a borrowed computer. Emma has taken pity on me and lent me hers until the weekend but at least I can get up to date and have even managed to upload some pictures. I am using my new mobile broadband modem from 3 which sometimes manages to pick up broadband and sometimes reverts to 3G connection. Even the broadband is nowhere near as fast as at home but with a good connection I can upload pictures, albeit one at a time and very slowly.

We have now reached Oxford. We went leisurely up the Thames to Lechlade from Tuesday to Friday. The countryside is lovely but very remote, most of the time passing through meadowlands and it is extremely bendy!! Despite being able to go a little faster than on the canals as you are not passing close to moored boats, the bends really do slow you down, some of them turning you almost 180 degrees.
The locks are all easy to use and all manned by lock-keepers. Occasionally he (or she) was absent and we worked them ourselves. All the lock-keepers cottages looked well kept and the gardens lovingly tended. Some of the keepers have been there most of their working life and as well as looking after the locks they look after the associated weir. With British Waterways threatening to sell off some of the cottages presumably their jobs are threatened.
Mooring is not as easy as we are used to as even in the places marked as suitable for 24 hour stay, the banks are very high. This is not good when one has on board an ageing dog with arthritis. As I said in the previous post the first night we moored by the Ferryman pub at Bablock Hythe and the bank was so high it took both of us to heave Ellie out and get her on board again.
Emma arrived with mail and since the Ferryman was closed on Tuesdays(sod's law) we drove to the Rose Revived at Newbridge. Here Emma treated us to dinner which was excellent and very reasonably priced. Weather was glorious.
The second night we moored on a pontoon by the Trout at Tadpole Bridge. It was for patrons only so we went up and had a pre dinner drink. As it happened we couldn't have eaten there as they were fully booked. It was more a gastro pub and the menu looked lovely but quite expensive. We felt that what we paid for two drinks covered our mooring fee!!

On Thursday morning we awoke to pouring rain but decided that we had to get on as friend Ronnie was meeting us in Lechlade. We had a very wet couple of hours before it lessened, taking it in turns to brave the weather.
By the time we reached Lechlade it had stopped raining and we made for a place which a passing boat had told us was good to moor. This was by a meadow field and we managed to put Petroc with the cratch entrance by a piece of bank that was just right for Ellie!
Ronnie arrived about 5pm and, once again thanks to a passing boat, we went to eat in the small Chinese restaurant in the town. Only 4 tables but the food was excellent and not expensive, and the service extremely friendly.





Friday morning we left early (0710) and first went further up to the Round House which is the head of navigation and then began the long trek back. We had originally thought we would stop at the Rose Revived but the mooring was on a very high bank again so decided to carry on to Oxford. It was a dull grey day but at least it was dry and the forecast was for heavy rain on Saturday.
We went through Dukes cut with the intention of mooring at Wolvercote. However it was not very salubrious there so carried further down beyond bridge 240 almost as far as Jerico. We have moored here previously just adjacent to a small park. 3 days up to Lechlade and one day back but we were all quite tired at the end of the day.

We had arranged for Tony & Di Fletcher to visit for the evening as Ronnie is a friend of theirs also. I cooked on board and another pleasant evening was had by all. We can manage to seat and feed 5 quite easily but it would be a bit of a squash for 6.

Very leisurely morning on Saturday after our long day yesterday.....Geoff missed out on his siesta! However he was up bright and early and off exploring to determine exactly where we were in relation to roads. Ronnie was being picked up by her daughter Emma so directions were needed. He also managed to find a church for Sunday and a possible pub for Sunday lunch. At lunchtime after Ronnie's departure we visited the pub to ascertain its suitability for lunch and were favourably impressed so have booked for tomorrow as we expect to see John and Rosi Lillis.

Onto the Thames

Well we are now in virgin territory. We left the Oxford canal at Dukes Cut and are now on our way to Lechlade. It is very strange to be on a much wider waterway. It was quite windy today although sunny and the many sharp ends required concentration at times. We have been through two locks today and very different from the narrow locks of the Oxford. Apart from the fact that we are back to double locks they all have lock-keepers which makes life much easier. We have seen very few other boats, just a couple of narrow boats going the other way and a Cornish Shrimper with his mast down. Weather still fantastic as you an see from Geoff n his shorts!

We have found a mooring in a pleasant spot with one or two disadvantages.....firstly the pub near the mooring does not open on Tuesdays so Emma's offer to take us out to dinner necessitated getting in the car. Secondly the bank is rather high and it takes two of us to get Ellie on and off the boat. Parga does not have the same problem...Emma is here as she did a mail run down for us to bring me the discs which Alan has kindly sent from home which I need when I eventually get my computer up ad running again. Unfortunately the recovery discs which have been sent (I hope) from Hewlett Packard still have not arrived so I am dependent on Emma bringing her computer with her.

The pub we found was the "The Rose Revived" about 3 1/2 miles upstream from where we are moored and we had an excellent meal....recommended if anyone passes this way.

Tomorrow we plan a longer day to get us almost to Lechlade.

Thrupp Still!

12th May
So delightful here in Thrupp that we decided to stay over a day. I painted over a few scratches on the side of Petroc whilst Geoff walked into Kidlington. After that we gently idled the day away. Since we shall be going down onto the Thames tomorrow Geoff got out the anchor and chain and warp to check it. He laid it all out alongside Petroc and a passing boater asked if we were planning to go to the North Sea!
The weather still holding but the forecast for Thursday not so good.

Still at Thrupp

Great day today. We had a later night than normal as we had the Halls staying but still up early and Geoff and I went to the Church of the Holy Cross in Shipton on Cherwell.

The Rector turned out to be an American who has been over here several years who gave an excellent sermon. Everyone was very friendly and we stayed for coffee and a chat afterwards. By the time we came out it was very hot, about the hottest day we have had this year so had a relaxing morning. Joined by Emma before going to the Boat pub for Sunday Lunch which was excellent and thoroughly recommended. About 5 o'clock Emma and I set off for a walk with Parga which turned out to be longer than we had intended. Despite following footpath signs we hadn't a clue where we were going and arrived back at Petroc nearly 2 hours later, having been through fields various filled with cows, sheep and horses. Parga had been in the river several times and had a wonderful time. Our mooring here is very congenial, with a lovely wide towpath to put our chairs on. Tempting to stay over a day but will have to see what the skipper says......

Thrupp

Our first early start today and our first longer day. Off at 6.30am and reached Thrupp about 2pm. Lovely weather again, cloudy but warm. We were joined by friends Anne & Keith Hall about 4pm. They had kindly done some shopping for us of heavy things (like beer!) We had been lucky to find the last spare space in the open with a lovely wide towpath on which to put our chairs and sit and have our evening drinks.
This and the last post have been done courtesy of Keith's computer and there may be no further posts until I am up and running again on my own computer...will it ever happen??
Unfortunately since Keith's computer is a little older he has no slot for a photo card so there will be no photos until I am independent again.

Onwards from Banbury

7th May

Disaster! Whilst watching a TV program on my computer last night the computer died...blank screen and strange noises. All attempts to reboot failed. Since I pay Currys a monthly amount for such an event we walked to the out of town shop only to be told that they don't take the machines in store but gave me the number to call.
Back on Petroc I eventually got through and after having me try several things the lady pronounced that windows would have to be reinstalled which would mean it would be restored to factory settings and I would have to reinstall all my programs. Luckily I have all my work backed up on to a mini hard drive......take heed all you who do not back up!
However in order to reinstall windows we need the recovery discs so since I did not have the foresight to bring them with me I have to wait for them...meanwhile I am bereft without my computer.
The weather is wonderful and we are moored in a very pleasant spot so have to look on the bright side.

Thursday 8th May

Visited Banbury market to stock up on veg and fruit before setting off in glorious sunshine. We went through the swing bridge in the centre and Banbury lock..there are always lots of onlookers here ready to chat.....and down to the watering point. By the time all was complete here the washing machine was finished and we were all shipshape again. No destination in mind. As we left Grants lock a passing boat told us it was a pleasant walk through fields to Kings Sutton village if we moored before bridge 177.
We took their advice and had a great early evening walk, mainly through fields of buttercups, to the very pretty village of Kings Sutton with a church to visit and 3 pubs to choose from for a pre-dinner drink.

Friday 9th May

Unbelievably we awoke to pouring rain, much to Geoff's displeasure. However we were up and about very early and by 9.15 it had ceased and we were off again in bright sunshine.
This stretch of the canal has quite a few lifting bridges between farmers fields which are normally left open for us but when we reached bridge 181 it was down. The surrounding banks were quite inhospitable but we managed to get the nose in for Geoff to get ashore. This was not the end of the saga as no amount of tugging on the chain which one use to pull it up had any effect. Eventually Geoff climbed on the counterbalance arm and had to crawl on his hands and knees to the far end. When he reached the end, all 17 1/2 stone of him, caused the arm to drop and the bridge to lift.....he said it was just like a fairground ride!

A little further on we stopped at Ayno Wharf for fuel and discovered that they had some fresh home made steak and kidney pies..that took care of supper. We can thoroughly recommend them if you are passing that way.
Another couple of miles and we spotted another idyllic mooring, no houses, fields of buttercups and sheep, so decided to stop. Lazy afternoon and I tried out my new umbrella contraption on the tiller arm to shelter me from the sun.

Banbury

Cruising as it should be today.......we managed a reasonably early start well before 8am in sunshine and shorts! Somewhat delayed at the water point at the bottom of Cropredy lock as it was not functioning. However the presence of 2 BW men were promising so we decided to sit and wait. We were impressed they were there so early and duly fed them coffee to encourage them..... Eventually on our way about 9.15 fully watered so I was allowed to put the washing machine on!

Delightful and very leisurely run to Banbury. Just short of Banbury we pass slowly under the M40 and this is when we count our blessings that we are underneath it and not on it. We arrived about 1145 and managed to find our favourite spot just short of bridge 164 opposite the park and a short stroll into town.

We have heard that the water on the Thames is quite high so we are not rushing down to Oxford. The hope is that a spell of dry weather this week will allow it to abate a little.

Still at Cropredy

Monday 5th May

Awoke to the pitter patter of rain so didn’t bother to rise early. We decided to stay put for the day and wait for better weather. I spent the morning wrestling with Giles accounts and after numerous phone calls to him I managed to complete the job by 1pm. Meanwhile Geoff had made a homemade soup, the rain had stopped and it was a warm sunny day……however we don’t start travelling after lunch so had a lazy afternoon. The plan is to continue tomorrow to Banbury

Sunday 4th May

Very busy day……Geoff missed his siesta!! We went to church in the morning, which was a lovely service with an excellent sermon. The service was led, and sermon given, by John Langridge whom it turns out is a good friend of John & Fiona Slee….small world….
Everyone was extremely friendly and we joined them for coffee after the service.
Emma and I then took Parga for a long walk, ending up crawling through a hedge to get back onto the towpath!
We were then joined by friends Iain & Christine Gillespie and daughter Fiona for lunch in the Red Lion. An excellent lunch and can thoroughly recommend it.
Coffee followed for all on Petroc, where Parga tried hard to molest all the Gillespie family.
Emma departed a little later and I settled down for what I hoped was a quick hour doing Giles ‘ accounts for April. Unfortunately it would appear that my son’s architectural capabilities far exceed his admin capabilities and after 2 hours I had to give up. I think I shall have to give notice of quitting this last accounting job of mine unless he mends his ways!!

Day at Cropredy

With a free day we decided that exercise was in order so we walked along the towpath back to the locks at Claydon and into the village of Claydon. There is a very interesting Bygone Era Museum there which also has a coffee shop. Coffee and Toasted tea-cake (naughty but nice!) were called for after the long (about 2 1/2 mile) walk. After the museum we visited the small church parts of which date back to 1100. The tower is unusual in that it is a saddleback tower. The Bygones Museum was first opened in 1972 t0 help raise money for the restoration of this tower.

We walked back along the road and treated ourselves to a very welcome drink at the Brasenose Arms before returning to Petroc for lunch.

Emma arrived late afternoon (together with Parga) and took me to do a big shop at Tesco's in Banbury. Fridge is now full again. For supper we tried the take-away from the red Lion pub which was very acceptable. Parga seems quite happy on the boat but he does take up a lot of room.

Down to Cropredy

At last we are on the move again and what a pleasant morning we had for the run to Cropredy. The Oxford is trulty delightful, especially with a little bit of sunshine, lots of long stretches with no habitation just fields with mainly sheep at the moment. This is what it is all about....or should be most of the time. We have decided to stay here for the weekend as Emma plans to visit with Parga and besides a nice little general store the village has a church for Sunday and a choice of pubs for Sunday Lunch. Our friends Ian & Christine Gillespie are coming to meet us for Sunday lunch.

Ready to go again

I do not wish to appear too optimistic but today we may have had problems sorted. The shower switch has been replaced as it was defective and Darren arrived and resealed the two offending windows on the outside. Only time,(and rain!) will prove how effective it will be. Showers have given way to sunshine and we plan to move on to Cropredy tomorrow. In fact we will stay there for the weekend as they have a church and a pub for Sunday lunch......