All but done and a new arrival

The waiting is over...Oscar Andrew Lovegrove arrived yesterday morning all 11lb 6oz of him!!!!
We are on the final clearing up lap on Petroc and she is safely tucked up for the winter at Clifton.  So this is my final blog of the year...see you all in April 2011.

Back at Clifton

Well we are back at Clifton Cruisers.  The sun shone for us and we had a good trip down on Monday, but very sad it is the last trip of the season.  We had some initial difficulty getting the car to behave but what can you expect when it has been sitting idle for almost 6 months.  All seem OK now.

 Geoff setting off on solo from Braunston

 Horsey Love!

 Waiting for Geoff to arrive at Hillmorton. I found a use for those wooden bollards!!!!!

 Geoff arrives Hillmorton

Going down Hillmorton

We have spent the last two days sorting and packing and cleaning etc etc etc............not my most favourite time.

We are still awaiting the imminent birth of the next grandchild which will determine when we depart for Cornwall.  Susannah has started labour but no production yet!!!
Barney was please to see his two friends Ben and Heide, the Alsations and took no time to make himself at home in the boatyard again.

Sunday in Braunston

The forecast was accurate again!   Woke to rain and very muddy footpaths.  Apart from taking Barney and fetching the Sunday papers we buried ourselves until lunchtime.   We (Emma is here as well) then stirred ourselves, donned wellies. macs and brollies and took ourselves off to meet Fran & Keith in the Boatman.   It was very busy but we eventually found a table, it was even in a prime position overlooking the canal....which would have been a lovely view apart from the rain.    Still lots of boats about despite the weather.

After lunch it was back to burying ourselves again, although the rain had eased and for a short while we wondered if the sun was trying to make an appearance but no luck.

No news on the baby front, so tomorrow we make a dash for Rugby and hope the car starts.....

Back to Braunston

The Forecast for Friday was very accurate!!!  It rained all day, heaviest in the afternoon.  So it was batten down the hatches, light the stove, read and watch DVD's.  This was interspersed with each of us doing a very wet walk with Barney.  By the time evening came there were signs that the sky was beginning to get lighter in the distance heralding better things for Saturday................thankfully this was also accurate.

Despite the weather, which was extremely windy as well as rainy, there were still plenty of boats on the move.  here I have to have a gripe........why do we slow down to almost tick-over when we pass moored boats???? I know why, but it seems that a fair proportion of other boat drivers do not and it is not just hire boats........

This morning we were away by 8.30 which proved to be a good move.   Barney and I walked to the junction and peeked round the corner and saw the water point was free.  Geoff picked us up at the last bridge and we just slid onto the point ahead of another boat.  Filling and emptying attended to we moved on and managed to find a really prime spot.........this is the view from the boat.

Braunston Church

What could be better.   After all the rain the walk up through the fields proved to be very muddy so I returned  via the other way.  Geoff then disappeared with Barney for Barneys 3rd long walk of the day (now he is fast asleep next to me).  He walked up to the Admiral Nelson for a swift half and then back via the Boatman for the other half!  Later we expect Emma and tomorrow after church we shall eat at the Boatman with friends Fran & Keith.  As I write this the church bells are ringing, I don't know whether it is a wedding or bell-ringing practice.  Whatever, with that view and the bells ringing it is very British Countryside..........

Half way to Braunston

After yesterdays rain we were treated this sight last evening 

Today the plot was all the way to Braunston but............................

Sadly we said goodbye to John and Fi on Epiphany as they are going down the Oxford and we are going north to Rugby.  We set off shortly afterwards in glorious sunshine, what a change from yesterday.  Barney and I walked the first part to get our daily exercise.  However after about 10 minutes a passing boat warned me that there was a huge tree fallen across the towpath about 1/2 a mile on so I deemed it prudent to climb back aboard at the next bridge.

When we passed the offending object I was very glad I was on board!

So we continued with Geoff on the tiller and me reclining in the cratch watching the world go by.  This is a lovely stretch of canal (especially when the sun shines)..........................

................and there were so many lovely places to pull up and moor that we eventually did just that.

Gill and Barney having what could be the last of the summer sun

The only snag to this secluded mooring is the possible imminent arrival of Lovegrove Junior.  However a plan has been put in force if anything should happen before we reach Rugby next Monday or Tuesday.   It could involve a mad dash to Braunston by boat, followed by a taxi to Rugby, hope our car starts, go north to collect Susannah's Mum and thence back to Goring........there is no sign of action at the moment and with tomorrow's weather forecast I hope it stays that way.........

Back onto the Oxford Canal

Back on the Oxford must mean we are nearly home...well Petroc's winter home that is...which is quite sad..I don't know where the summer has gone....
After our night out on Monday we stayed over in Long Itchington on Tuesday and when I came to write this blog tonight I could not remember anything I had done on Tuesday!!!!!  I obviously had a very relaxing day, I do remember taking Barnaby for his evening stroll about 5pm or so and I did cook supper so one could not say I was bone idle..............................ah yes I have just remembered.  We had a very interesting morning as we went to visit Iron Butterfly to look over the new boat, and very nice she is too.....why do I always see things that I wish we had done.......still Petroc works for us.
John was away from Epiphany yesterday and last night but arrived back this morning bright and early with Carolyn to crew for him and we set off about 9.   We planned to complete the 10 Stockton and 3 Calcutt locks.
First of all I walked across the fields in the pouring rain for the paper and milk...Barney didn't mind the rain.....
Luckily it did not persist for the whole trip, in fact the first part was considerably better than forecast.   If you look closely however you will see that we were in wet weather gear though.

One of the things we disliked about these locks(and some others on the system) was the chains inserted into the sides of the locks.  With two boats in the lock it is impossible to avoid scraping the boat's paintwork.......John is threatening to write to BW...........I don't suppose it will make any difference....Health and Safety would probably be quoted in any reply...if there were a reply.......we can't work out what purpose they serve.   If you need to tie on there are adequate bollards...and these are not the square wooden jobs either!!!!

Chains in lock (Thanks to John for picture)

Part way up we had a slight pause for John to clear something from his prop!

During the course of the trip (I can't remember where!) we passed these colourful boats, presumably ex working boats that looked very smart....I would have loved to have looked over one.

and we also passed this boat which we have seen before somewhere....at least it must be the same one as I cannot believe there are two like this....do you think it belongs to a sub mariner????

Should really be pained yellow!

                                      We stopped briefly at Calcutt Marina to put in a small amount of fuel.  We thought we could get alongside between their green hire boats but it was a little tight so ended up alongside them......

One more lock and a short distance and we were at Napton Junction

                                      

A nice little signpost in case we weren't sure of the way!

By now the rain had set in well and it was past our lunchtime......we found a convenient mooring not far from Gibraltar Bridge and battened down the hatches and went below.

After a while I decided that as it was so damp and miserable I would light the stove.......unfortunately I neglected to take the cowl off the chimney before so doing...luckily Geoff woke up from his siesta and reminded me...so I had to go out in the rain to put it on...then when filling the coal scuttle the coal bag sprung a hole and scattered very black dust all over the cratch and my slippers......maybe I should have just contented myself with putting another sweater on!!  Ah well tomorrow is another day and the forecast is better, but Friday and Sunday sound horrible so the plot is Braunston tomorrow and tuck ourselves in somehwere for the weekend before the final run to Clifton.

Still no news on the baby front.......due date was either last Sunday or this Friday, depending on who is doing the calculation..........

                                    

Long Itchington

A very grey start to the day, such a contrast to yesterday.   However it was much milder and it was not pouring with rain (just some light drizzle) so one must be thankful for small mercies.

We had the 6 Fosse Locks and 4 Bascote locks to tackle to reach our intended destination of Long Itchington.

Coming up the first lock we thought it was a mist rising from the canal but I smelt smoke as we went past and I think it was someone's bonfire.  John had returned to Epiphany the previous day so we were travelling in company again (Fi still absent in hospital)

This meant Geoff had plenty of exercise......but he cannot complain as a few weeks ago when we were on the rivers he was yearning to be back on the canals so he could have more exercise with locks and walking the towpaths.

                                     

                                           

The dreary weather did not improve throughout the morning and my attempt to capture some of the autumnal colours along the canal was not wildly successful.

At one time these double locks had a single lock alongside but some have been filled in 

and some just blocked off at the ends

When possible John got off Epiphany to give Geoff a hand

 but mostly we were just using one gate to reduce the workload.  Here we are almost at the last lock of the day, entering the bottom of the staircase of two to rise us to the top of the Bascote Locks.

Almost there

Looking back

It was just a short way then to the planned mooring at Long Itchington which we both thought we remembered from last year.....however it looked nothing like our memory told us, which was par for the course for me but strange for Geoff who normally has a good memory for places....maybe it was because the sun had been shining last time and also the fact that we had been coming in the opposite direction!!

In the afternoon we were pleasantly surprised to find Iron Butterfly with Dave and Pam aboard hovering alongside us knocking in the hull.  Iron Butterfly is their second boat built by Darren Aldridge our boat builder.  

They moored up and came aboard for coffee and a catch up and tomorrow morning we are going to inspect the new boat.......

Later Tony & Di Fletcher arrived to allow us to help them celebrate their wedding anniversary.  Tony and Geoff were each other's best men at their respective weddings, so since they live relatively close by it seemed a good plot for the evening.  After a couple of bottles of Bubbly on board we repaired to the Two Boatmen for a meal.  It was good pub grub in very convivial surroundings, just how a pub should be and with good company...what more could one want.

In our normal fashion we had forgotten to take a torch so it was a dark walk back home to Petroc, luckily not too great a distance.......

Weekend at Radford Semele

On Saturday we awoke to a clear blue sky, chilly but crisp....just the thing for getting rid of colds!!!
We only planned a short hop to Radford Semele so did not rush ourselves.   We had had a peaceful couple of days moored adjacent to Lidl's.  Although not one of our nice rural settings, it was quite pleasant and only a few passers by.

An hours trip took us the 2 1/4 miles to the open moorings a short distance from Radford Bottom Lock.  We knew Epiphany was moored further along but we did not want to be in the trees.   When we moored the sun was still shining well and the bank was the correct height for me to paint the gunnels down one side so whilst Geoff took Barney off to check on Epiphany I set to work...........

Today we went up to the relocated St Nicholas Church.  It is relocated because this is what the actual church looks like at the moment.  It was the subject of an arson attack in 2008 and they are still fundraising and trying to sort out the complicated paperwork to allow them to rebuild.   The insurance only covers what was there to start with and with all todays Health and Safety regulations other things have to be taken into consideration which the insurance doesn't cover.  However they hope to start building next May and to be open by Harvest festival 2012.   Meanwhile they are housed in the Community centre in the village where we had a very warm welcome.......both from the members and the fact that there was good central heating!!

Later we walked back to the village to meet John and Fi at the White Swan for lunch.  They had returned with friends John and Carolyn.  John is back to be resident on Epiphany and Fi had been let out of hospital for the weekend, whether it was for good behaviour or not I don't know!!  She looked well and was in good form but had to return to hospital later for the second part of her treatment.

The White Swan had also had a fire a few years ago, although locals told us this was a coincidence and thought to be accidental.  In this case it was rebuilt in 6 months and now looks exactly as it did before!   It is a chain pub (Chef and Brewer) so that may have something to do with it.  They obviously did not have to go through all the red tape associated with doing anything to a church building.

On our chilly return to Petroc I decided that the time had come to light the stove.  Geoff demurred slightly (but not very convincingly) and Oh Boy was it warm and cosy for the rest of the day.  I don't really know why he bothers to have a moan as it is always me who cleans it out!

We are slowly making our way back to Braunston and awaiting news of the next Lovegrove arrival.   There is some doubt as to the due date, we thought it was 1st October but yesterday Giles told us it was actually today as Susannah's dates had been miscalculated.....however both Ella and Finley were over a week late so we are not getting too excited yet.   Mind you an event occurred yesterday which ought to be enough to start Susannah off.............................................

This is a recent picture of Finley with his wonderful head of curls (the back which you cannot see is just a mass of curls)

And this is today's picture after his sister Ella decided to play hairdressers. (No curls left at the back either!)

It is not quite a short back and sides but a close run thing..........they may have to put his name down for the monastery!  I am told that tomorrow they have to go out and but him a hat..............................

My Grandson's Cold

Every time I visit Giles' family I come back with a cold!!!!!  So when Geoff suggested that the weather was indifferent today and he couldn't be bothered to move, I thought it was a good idea.  I did walk Barney in the park this morning and had a wander over to the retail park this afternoon but now I have succumbed..........so no photos today.......

Short Hop to Leamington

Very gentle day today.  We left just before nine with wellingtons and raincoats at the ready, but I am pleased to say they were not required.  We stopped at Tesco to stock up

There is a convenient mooring place just out of picture here (bottom left).  Tesco's is reasonably close but for a big shop we definitely need the wheelie basket.....which Geoff still won't be seen dead with!   There was another boat moored there who asked if we drank wine!!!!  On receiving an affirmative from Geoff the skipper gave us a bottle which he had been given as a present but he is unable to drink wine...........good shopping stop......

Another 1/4 hour brought us to the Moorings where we have stopped before.  In fact last time we came through here we had to stop for nearly a week as I was crippled with my back....

Geoff has now departed to walk into Leamington in search of a barber....shearing time has come again.....

Bottom Lock Hatton

Oh Boy did we get caught out ..........
Emma came to help us with the flight yesterday and parked in the BW car park at Bottom Lock, as she has done before.

She drove in through this gate and parked ahead and then walked up to the top lock to meet us.  She did not have to go back through the gate.   If she had she would have seen 5/6 notices all saying that the gate would be locked between 4pm and 9am.

                                          

One cannot deny that BW have tried very hard to let people know the situation and maybe she should have gone back and read them but she just didn't notice.  The first we knew was when we went across in the evening, having decided to drive to the All You Can Eat Chinese Buffet in Leamington.....     luckily when shopping earlier we had purchase a couple of dine in for 2 meals from Tesco's!!!!

The worst bit was that Emma had planned to leave at 7 as she had patients to see.  Needless to say she was very upset.  As it turned out when Geoff checked at 8 there were a couple of BW vehicles there so she was able to leave then.  On cannot deny that there are plenty of notices but the sighting of them is suspect so I rang BW at Hatton and had a chat(an amicable one).  I suggested that since other boats had visitors who came to help with the flight and presumably leave cars parked there, that a notice actually on the lock gates at the top and bottom of the flight would be a good idea.   The lady called Jill I spoke to promised to pass it on...we shall see.

We have had two sets of visitors today, Mike Peaker and Iain & Christine Gillespie.  They all parked in the same place and when they reached Petroc we asked them what time the car park shut....none of them had any idea.  Like Emma they parked and went straight ahead and had no reason to look back to where the notices were.  They all departed just before 4!!!

Prior to that we had a lovely day catching up with every one's news.  We walked up to the Waterman pub at the top of the flight and had a very good lunch.  The weather was kind and it was hotter than it has been for sometime.

                                      

Centre section of the flight.......looks forbidding when viewed from below

                                        

Pause for rest part way up

                                      

Ornamental Dragonfly in one of the upper side pounds

On the return walk we passed two sets of boats roped together passing

                                        

Our mooring below bottom lock

The Hatton Flight

After a little discussion this morning as to whether or not I had been informed of the ETD we set off!!!!
The start involved a longish reverse back to the junction to turn around and of course sods law determined that a boat chose to come out as I approached and wanting to come my way..................however with great aplomb I successfully negotiated myself around him (well I think it was well done anyway!) and we set off.
I picked Geoff and Barney up at the second bridge

It was then just under a couple of hours to the top of the Hatton Flight.  I spent the first half being terribly domestic down below and then Barney and I walked the last stretch.   Two boats had pulled out between Epiphany and Petroc so we had to let them go first down the locks which was a pity as they were real slow coaches.  John & Carolyn, two friends of John had arrived to help and after the first couple of locks Emma also appeared so we had plenty of muscle.

                                           

Looking back, not far from the top

John wanted to take lots of pictures as he needs to keep up with Epiphany's blog in Fi's absence

Whilst waiting for locks he made good use of his phone!

Several of the locks we were able to exit side by side unless a boat coming up spoiled our plan...then it always seemed to be us who gave way.  We though we did it very neatly going left and right and coming together at the entrance to the lock again....... we even thought we might audition for narrowboat synchronised swimming!!

Emma hard at work

He's on the phone again!!  Good job he can multitask.....

And so to the bottom.  We moored below lock 26 and after lunch did a car shuffle, Emma and I did a mini shop and John carried on to Leamington.  We will catch him up in a couple of days.