Couldn't Wait!

Joe arrived back at Brinklow, care of National Express, local buses and a taxi, by 4pm on Monday and by 4.30pm we had paid our electricity bill and slipped our mooring. I just couldn't wait until Tuesday. Glorious sunshine lit verdant countryside as we headed off towards Ansty and pint at the Rose and Castle. We moored at Ansty for the night having enjoyed a meal at the pub, setting off early Tuesday towards Hawkesbury Junction.

We watered etc. at Hawkesbury Junction and then turned north onto the Coventry Canal and made our way through Nuneaton, mooring Tuesday afternoon night just south of Atherstone.

Wednesday we were again up and out early and started locking down the eleven Atherstone locks at 6.20am. All but two locks were against us but we made good time. I was pleased that the dogs were very relaxed and well behaved at all the locks, just lying around whilst I went about the business of getting Caxton through each one.

Last night we moored at Hopwas and had a meal at the Red Lion, or at least one of us had a meal at the Red Lion - of which more later...... Must get ready to move off now towards Fradley and a reunion with Jill and Graham on NB Matilda Rose!!!!

Penultimate Day

Tomorrow we start OUR big adventure, leaving Brinklow and launching ourselves as CCer's, Continuous Cruisers that is, those who travel the network of canals and rivers day in day out without a home mooring.
Today therefore is a day of last minute chores.
And with this in mind, we were woken this morning by Floyd and Fletcher jumping on our bed; the bedding has now been stripped and washed and the door between their sleeping compartment and us will remain closed in future.. Towels are now in the tumble drier and another wash is in the machine.
I have promised myself that I will empty the larder and try to exert some sense of order; it is bulging at the seams as I have brought goods from the larder at the cottage to add to that which is already aboard Caxton - just how much Worcestershire sauce does anyone need?
Joe has gone off early to take the car to Peterborough and then return by coach to Coventry and finally by taxi back here to Brinklow where he will expect to see all the scrapes to Caxton's blacking rectified by you know who....

It must be Braunston

Leaving the two dogs aboard a well ventilated Caxton, we tootled off to Braunston to see the Historic Boat rally.

Glorious sunshine helped make the event that much better for all and the towpath was busy with enthusiasts and those with of a more superficial knowledge, like us.

Above is George and on the tiller of this gargantuan vessel with a single cylinder Bolinder throbbing away below decks, is a mere scrap of a boy that was knee high to a ..., you know the saying. This lad is a third generation boater and he handled the boat with great competence and aplomb - made me feel a real wimp as I still avoid this task.

I haven't a clue what the two boats are (2nd and 3rd from left) but I loved the look of their bows.

This however I did recognise, an ice breaker, a Coventry canal icebreaker. A lovely looking boat.

And this lot of reprobates were also recognised - Adam and Adrian of NB Debdale and Nick Hall the Canal Boat Magazine editor.

Machete a Must

Here we are taking a walk along the North Oxford Canal towards Newbold Tunnel. Brilliant walking, all the towpath is clear as you can see above, however, the same cannot be said for boaters that might just want to moor here. Investment in a machete is a must if you want to get near this bankside!

Simple Things

This morning, much to the chagrin of 'piggy-boy' Floyd, we fed the carp that were swimming around the stern of the boat here in Brinklow Marina. It was enormously enjoyable seeing the fish, wild fish , this close; simple things aye?

A hundred and Eleven

The North Oxford canal has been like a motorway this week with so many historic boats heading for Braunston and the FMC (Fellows Morton and Clayton) Rally. Between chores I have been walking the dogs along the towpath and we have seen no end of glorious boats. Marquis, above, is 111 years old and looks stunning. We will probably pop down to Braunston tomorrow and have a drool....

Sure as fate...

I washed and waxed the port side of Caxton yesterday morning - heavens opened in the afternoon; is it me? Starboard side some time today, so apologies in advance.