2 Birthdays & 1 Anniversary

Tuesday 17th May
Well today Jaz is 1year old! It doesn't seem long since she was delivered to us last year on the river Avon.

Jaz at 5weeks old 

We have been home for a few days, we had a hire car from Enterprise and had been upgraded from a Toyota Aygo to a Renault Megane, we got a good price of £52 for 4 days.

On our way home on Thursday we stopped off at our marina in Shardlow so Kev could get his bike, he had disconnected the battery on it and when he reconnected it up it started first time! Anyway I left him to travel home a different way to me i was heading back onto the M1 while he took the country roads home.

We had a busy few days at home I had borrowed my friends small horse box as we had to pick up some furniture and take it to my mams, also Kev wanted to get his new shed painted too.

It was my birthday on Saturday and I got some lovely flowers and balloons from my daughter Kirsty, she had sent them with Moonpig as she lives in Majorca and she knew I would be home this weekend. I did bring the flowers with me.

On Saturday night we went for an Indian meal in a small seaside place called Withernsea which is about 4 miles away and we go there quite a lot when we are home.

A lot of the weekend for me was taken up visiting my mam & sister and also I wanted to pop to see a dear 98 year old woman called Dolly who is my friend Gail's mum. She has bowel cancer and developed a cancer on her knee which has grown so large now that she can't walk very well and is now on Morphine twice a day for the pain and so is now in bed. Her house has just been sold as she is one of many older people ending up in a care home, which makes me sad as only 2 years ago she was still driving her car! And driving well too! When she had to sell her car she did seem to get a bit depressed as it was a big part of her independence gone. I wanted to see her as I think it was the last time I would see her. God Bless you Dolly xx.

Anyway yesterday morning we were up very early and left home just before 6am, I had to stop briefly at the next village to pick up my presents from my friend Sue, we had arranged for me to text her as I left home and when we arrived at her house she came to her gate with a big bag of presents, one of which was the little scented candle lamp in the photo above. Thanks Sue xx.

We then headed off on our way back to Milton Keynes, the M62, M18 and the M1 were all very busy as usual on a Monday morning there were plenty of lorries on the move. We stopped briefly at Woodhall services for a coffee & to let Jaz stretch her legs and then we were on our way again and arrived back at Milton Keynes Marina about 9.45 am. Once we had unpacked the car, Kev went to the office to pay while I put all our shopping etc away and then we left the marina, turning right onto the canal.

Kev preparing to leave the marina

As we were coming out of the marina there was a boat coming as we were leaving so we waited for it to pass and then we were following behind it and when we got to our first lock of the day "Fenny Stratford Lock" & we shared the lock with them. It wasn't a very deep lock but it had a swing bridge that we had to open as it goes across the centre of the lock.

Kev waiting to close the gate.

The boat we had shared the lock with didn't go any further they moored up just after the lock, so we carried on alone. It was a lovely sunny day and we didn't pass any more boats and had the canal to ourselves!

The first sight of Cygnets!

 Very young ducklings

Tiny moorhen chicks, very shy & taking cover from us under the tree!

Some white faced sheep resting in the sun.

Our next lock was Stoke Hammond lock and there were 2 boats together moored on the lock landing & there was a man up at the lock getting it ready, so while Kev stayed on the boat I helped the man with the lock as he was single handing both boats together. Once the lock was empty I opened the gates & then he brought both boats in, Kev then came unto the lock and we both worked the lock for him. I then went back to the boat while Kev prepared the lock for us.

Leaving Stoke Hammond Lock, the gates came open as we were leaving!

Our next locks were Soulbury 3 locks were there were volunteer lockies there to help with the locks and we were soon up through all 3 locks and we didn't go too much further before we moored for the day just at bridge 109.

 Looking back at the bridge this morning

Our view across the field.

Back on The Canal & lovely weather so far

Monday 9th May
Last Thursday morning we left Weston Favell about 8am and when we got up through our last lock of the River Nene which was Northampton we moored at the footbridge where the Morrisons is and did some shopping, before making our way to the first of the 17 locks on the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal.

Approaching lock 12

As we were in lock 12 and Kev had started to fill the lock a woman came down to us from the next lock to tell us to stay put as there were 5 boats ahead including hers! Apparently there was no water in the pounds of the upper locks, and so we had to wait while one of the boats further up the flight let some water down so it was a slow process moving up from each lock. The sun was shining and it was very warm and the poor woman ahead of us looked about ready to drop! 

We were finally at the top lock about 3pm and we just wanted to get moored for the day, we wanted to fill with water etc at Gayton Junction services but we didn't want to get to the junction to find there were no moorings so we moored opposite Gayton marina. It was very noisy with traffic from the busy road close by but we didn't care we had had enough so we got the chairs out onto the towpath with a beer or two we were perfectly happy and so was Jaz.

On Friday morning as usual we were up early and so we got ready and headed to the services at Gayton Junction about 8.15am and luckily there wasn't anybody on them so we got our water tank full once again, emptied our rubbish and also emptied the cassette. All done we left the services and turned left at the junction and headed for Blisworth tunnel.

The building here used to be Pickfords but is now flats.

Approaching Blisworth Tunnel

While we were going through the tunnel I stayed below with Jaz while Kev took the boat through and when we were finally exiting the tunnel not only was the boat very wet but so was Kev!

As we were going to pull over at Stoke Bruerne to moor we noticed a boat that the name looked familiar, it was Indigo Dream and we pulled just ahead of it and moored up. Richard & Sue were on board and were getting ready to leave, Kev had a brief chat with Sue and I managed to grab the camera.

Sue & Richard just leaving.

We had a lovely couple of days at Stoke Bruerne  and we can see how it appeals to people, not just boaters, there were loads of people milling about and there was a gathering of people on the caravan site who belonged to the Greyhound rescue society. The weather was lovely too, Kev & I went to look around the museum there on Saturday afternoon and while we were inside it poured with rain! By the time we left the museum it had stopped and we walked back to the boat and we sat at the stern on our chairs and then the sky started to look a bit black so we pulled up the pram canopy and then it started to thunder then there was some lightening and the rain was bouncing onto the water. It didn't last too long but the poor people that had been walking on the towpath were drenched! The sun came out again though so people soon dried off. On Saturday night we had a walk to the Boat Inn and then popped over to the other pub The Navigation, both pubs were quite busy serving food. There is an Indian restaurant here too which is supposed to be very good too, so Stoke Bruerne seems to have a lot to offer with pretty cottages, some are thatched, there is a row of 4 cottages just before the lock which are rented out as holiday lets. We had spoken to a couple who had once visited stoke Bruerne on a hire boat and now they visit every year and stay in one of the cottages, they have even made friends with some of the villagers too.

One of 3 sculptures on a walk at Stoke Bruerne

On Sunday morning we left Stoke Bruerne and Kev headed to fill the first lock of the day  and once it was full I brought the boat into the lock. The lock gates on this flight are very heavy, well so Kev said! Mind you he did get a bit of help from a man and his daughter as we were at the 3rd lock down the flight. There was too much water coming down which was making the gates even harder to open, there were 2 boats behind us coming down and by the time we were at the last lock it was impossible for Kev to get the gates open as the level in the pound was higher than the bottom gates, he had to open the paddles at the other gate to try to let water out of the pound. A woman came up to the lock, she was on a boat that was waiting to come up the lock and she asked Kev why the paddles were open, he explained the there was too much water and so in the end she went to get her husband to help with the gates. I was then able to take the boat into the lock but it took quite a few minutes more  to empty the lock as the water was cascading over the gates behind me.

Kev at one of the locks.

Once we were finally down through the flight of 7 locks we had a nice cruise and we then decide to pull over and moor between bridges 62 & 63 and as it was another sunny day we thought we would have our first BBQ of the year!

 The views from the towpath where we were moored

 Looking back at bridge 62

Kev watching the BBQ 

It was a bit breezy so we had to use a table as a wind break while the BBQ got going! After we had eaten we sat in the sun for a while and then we decide to move on to Cosgrove where we moored after Solomons bridge 65. We had a walk with Jaz around the village, there is a tunnel that runs under the canal here and it is called the horse tunnel. Apparantly it was there before bridge 65 and it was used to take the boatmen's horses to stables behind the Barley Mow pub and also there used to be a blacksmiths through the tunnel too.

This morning we moved onto the water point which wasn't far  and as we had just finished filling a boat passed us heading for the lock close by so Kev quickly let the ropes go and he went off to the lock while I took the boat to the lock and we were able to share the lock with the other boat. When we were down through the lock the other boat went out first and they then were soon well ahead of us as we weren't going as fast as them.

This is the closest we have been to a Heron, they usually fly off as you approach them!

New looking flats and this sculpture near bridges 69A & 69B

It has been another glorious day and we wanted to stop at a place called Linford Wharf, the name Linford is my maiden name, but apart from that we wanted to go for a walk to the village as there was a medieval village there. We took Jaz with us and had a lovely walk and there is a really lovely pub there called the Nags Head which isn't mentioned in the Nicholsons guide but it looked very old and was another thatched property. We were very good we didn't venture into the pub but went to look at the old Alms houses.

The old Alms houses

There was a medieval village here and dates back to the 11th century and is worth a look around, there is good walking for dogs too.

When we retuned to the boat we left and made the short journey to Gifford Park and moored through bridge 78. I needed some bread & milk so I popped down to the small shop 5 minutes away while Kev stayed behind with Jaz. We are staying put until Wednesday as it is forecast to rain tomorrow, but also Kevs brother Adrian is coming to see us on his way home from Dover. Adrian works for a ferry company and will detour to see us. We are booked to put the boat into Milton Keynes marina on Thursday morning as we have booked a hire car to go home for a few days. We need to stop off at Shardlow on the way home so Kev can pick up his motorbike and get it back home. We have a few things to do at home so we will be back on board on Monday.

A boozy couple of days at Thrapston!

Wednesday 4th May
After leaving Fotheringhay on Saturday morning we stopped overnight once again at The Kings Head  moorings at Wadenhoe and had a meal in the pub that night. It had been another cold night again with a slight frost on Sunday morning but the sun soon appeared and it was a bit warmer by the time we left Wadenhoe about 9.30 am.
We had arranged to meet up with Steph & Pete on Nb Maggie May, they were moored at Thrapston next to the sailing club. They had rang us  to say that the moorings were pretty full but that we could get in front of them or breast up alongside them. We only had Titmarsh lock to come up that day so the cruise wasn't too long and we were soon able to see Nb Maggie May moored with her gang plank out. We tried to moor ahead of them but it wasn't very good so we decided for the other option, and breasted up alongside them.

Solar panels on both boats doing their job!

It was good to meet up again with Pete & Steph, the last time we saw them was when we were waiting to go down the Anderton Boat Lift last year. They were already on the river Weaver and were waiting to come up the boat lift, we had been walking with Jaz when we saw them so we sat on the bank with them alongside their boat.

Anyway once we were tied up safely we all had a walk with Jaz & their 2 dogs to a pub in Thrapston, where we spent a few hours having a good natter along with a few drinks too! When we finally arrived back at the boats we went onto Maggie may for a bite to eat and a few more drinks!

We all decided to stay put on Monday as it was a bank holiday and we arranged to go back to the pub around lunchtime but this time we didn't take the dogs. We had a few games of pool, all of which I won! We then had a walk to the next 2 pubs in Thrapston and then had a walk over the nine arches bridge that is over the river Nene to Islip  where we stopped at a little pub there for a drink! We walked back across the fields to the footbridge that is close to Islip lock and crossed back over the river Nene and back on board the boats again. Once Kev & Pete had taken the dogs out for a walk we returned the hospitality by inviting steph & Pete aboard R&R for something to eat and a few more drinks!

What a lovely couple of days we spent, apart from the pub and the drinking it was nice to catch up with people we like to call friends now.

Yesterday morning we were going to leave Thrapston fairly early but wanted to say goodbye to Pete & Steph so when they both were getting ready to leave Kev walked up to the footbridge which we had to go under before Islip lock, to make sure the level of the river was low enough for us to get under it. We hadn't forgotten being stuck at this lock for 4 days on our way down due to the water levels being too high and due to our air draught we were unable to get under the bridge! 

Kev came back from checking the footbridge and the water had risen a bit but we were still ok to get under it so we said our goodbyes to Steph & Pete and set off.

We were alone in the next few locks and it wasn't until we arrived at Irthlingborough lock that there was a boat already going up on its own so as I went up to get the lock ready they were still in the lock and they said they were stopping for lunch at the moorings  at Rushden & Diamonds which isn't too far from the lock. They were heading for Wellingborough where they were going to stay for the night so I told them that we were stopping for lunch too and did they want to share the next few locks up to Wellingborough with us, which is what we did. When we had got through Lower Wellingborough lock we left the the people on their boat and we carried on until we got up through White Mills lock and we then moored outside the new marina there.

This morning when we got up there was a frost and the ropes were frozen! The sun came out though and it wasn't long before we were leaving White Mills. We were able to take our coats off today as the sun warmed up nicely we are now moored on the 48hour pontoon moorings after Weston Favell lock.

Passing moored boats at Northampton boat club, Weston Favell lock ahead

Kev took this of our mooring today

Friday 29th April
We were going to stay at Thorpe Meadows until Wednesday but we decided to leave on Tuesday lunchtime instead, and we went back to Ferry meadows moorings. We had to have a medical in Peterborough on Wednesday afternoon and it seemed better to leave the boat at Ferry meadows rather than Thorpe meadows and get the taxi from there. The medical is all part of an insurance claim from the accident we had last year in the car! We did have a medical booked in Hull before we left in March but we made a mistake with the day we were supposed to have our medical, we thought it was on the Friday 11th March when in fact it was the day before Thursday 10th March! I know how bloody stupid are we!!
Anyway before we left Thorpe Meadows we had a visitor in the lake...

A seal

Not a very clear photo, it then went under water and we never saw it again. We don't know how it got there and Kev had been talking to a woman who told him that the seal had been around about 2 weeks and that the EA had been informed. 

Geese on the pontoon opposite us at Ferry Meadows

On Wednesday afternoon when we returned  to the boat from our medicals and I took Jaz for a quick walk while Kev dropped the canopy & prepared to leave, and once I had Jaz back on board we set off. After we had done 2 locks, Alwalton Lock & Water Newton Lock we carried on to the pontoon mooring at Wansford  Nene Valley Railway, where we had moored previously. 

The weather has been awful at times we have had wind, rain and snow! The sun has been lovely when it has made an appearance but spoilt by the wind. Yesterday morning  about 6.15am when Kev took Jaz out for a walk there was a frost and the ropes on the boat were frozen but by the time we were ready to leave they had thawed slightly as the sun was shining.

Heading towards the road bridge (A1) at Wansford

The first goslings we have seen.

When we got back to Fotheringhay we went through the arched bridge where there are more moorings and a water point so we filled up with water and after the tank was full we pulled forward of the water point and moored up for the day. We had a laugh about the farmer who owns the land that all these moorings are on as he appears from nowhere to collect his £4 from boaters! As another 3 boats came to moor here and each time he came for their money! When we were here last week he even came for our money after the funeral that had taken place and was still in his suit! He certainly doesn't want anybody to get away with not paying, ha ha.

Fotheringhay Church is a short walk across the field where we are moored so we went for a walk to have a look inside. I must admit walking on the land where the castle once stood and also inside the church gave me a real strange feeling of history and thinking of all the people who had once trod this way over the centuries was amazing.

Fotheringhay Church

Due to the strong winds we will probably stay here another night and head off tomorrow, expect the farmer will be here later for his £4!

Cold weather while cruising

Monday 25th April

When we left Fotheringhay on Saturday it was cold and there was quite a biting wind at times which made it feel colder than it actually was and we even had gloves on and I had my woolly hat on! An uneventful cruise and after working through 4locks the last one being Wansford Lock, we moored  a bit further after the lock at the EA moorings below Wansford railway station. There is a trip boat that is sometimes moored here and has priority if it is there, but fortunately it wasn't in service this weekend, there was enough room for our narrowboat and maybe a smaller boat behind us. There is a gate as you walk up from the pontoon and you need your EA key. There were plenty of people at the train station and a few on the special trains that were running along with the usual group of men snapping away with their cameras! They seemed to be taking photos of the same trains all day long, but if thats what they enjoy then fine.

Moored on the pontoon at Wansford Station

Wansford station for the Nene Valley railway

The train leaving Wansford station

And returning!

There is nothing at this mooring apart from the station and a few houses, and the road leads onto the A1 which was very close! We never had a boat pass us until about 8 o'clock on the night heading in the direction of Peterborough. We had a good walk with Jaz, crossing over the railway bridge over the Nene river and into the field on the other side of the bank, walking along the riverside and then back in a circle on the footpath  beside the railway line, it actually started raining and turned to hailstones for a time but soon passed and so we didn't get too wet, but were ready for a nice hot cuppa when we returned to the boat!

Yesterday morning when we left Wansford it was once again time for warm clothing along with hats and gloves. We were soon through our first lock of the day which was Water Newton Lock.

This is the old mill at the lock

By the time we were approaching Alwalton locks there was a boat just leaving the lock so we were able to go straight in. This was the last lock we did and we carried on until we passed under Bluebell footbridge where we turned right into Ferry Meadows Country Park onto Overton Lake where we moored on the pontoons there. These are 24 hour moorings and good walking for the dog, we have been to Ferry Meadows before when we had our caravan as there is a Caravan club site there.

This morning after breakfast and after I had done a wash we left Ferry Meadows and headed for Peterborough to the services to fill with water and once we had finished we turned around and headed in the opposite direction and stopped at Asda for shopping. There are some flats with railings and we were told by another boater that there is a gate that you can get through and Asda is directly opposite.

The gate is here.

Looking back at the services

Looking towards the flats where we moored for Asda

This is a Chinese restaurant 

Restaurant where apparently you can moor up alongside to use it!

We are now moored at the EA moorings at Thorpe Meadows which is situated between Orton Lock &  Peterborough.

A good meal in the Falcon Inn & scary goings on in another pub!

Friday 22nd April
Yesterday morning we waited for Graham & Mel to leave so we could top up our water tank as  they were moored  behind us near the water point, so all we needed to do when they left was to pull our pins & pull R&R back onto the water point.

Ready to leave, Graham & Mel

Just after Graham & Mel had left this man came swimming downstream!

Looking back at Lilford lock

Passing Lilford Hall

Approaching Upper Barnwell Lock, the mill next to the lock is a restaurant.

As you leave this lock there is a very low bridge 2.2m air draught! Then you pass Oundle cruising club & Oundle Marina, we then saw this swan below on her nest.

The Weir footbridge near Ashton Lock closed for repairs.

We passed this lovely house, the photo doesn't do it justice!

The Imposing Fotheringhay Church

Just about to go under Fotheringhay Bridge

There are moorings just before the bridge & a water point too, there are also several moorings after the bridge and this is where we decided to moor. There are posts to tie up to and the man who owns the land comes to take a payment of £4 per night.

This is all that is left of Fotheringhay Castle

We are moored with the old Castle mound next to us and the above photo is just ahead of us, there are ware 3 plaques on the railings here are 2 of them..

We were going to have a walk into the church today bet the man who owns this land told us there was a funeral today so we didn't think it would be right us going so we went to the Falcon Pub instead! We had a lovely meal in there both of us had the steak & mushroom pie which was great and the presentation of the vegetables was also lovely we couldn't fault it at all! there were a few people coming in the pub for meals and also people who were having a drink before the funeral. It was a lady of 67years who had died of mad cow disease! Someone had said they thought that was eradicated but someone else said it was but that it can lay dormant and this lady apparently died suddenly. She must have been very popular as when we left the pub there were 2 car parks full and the village had lots of cars parked on both sides of the road. We will probably moor here again on our way back to the Grand Union Canal and then go to look around the church. I don't know if anybody has been to The Black Horse in Elton which is only a couple of miles away but we were told by the waitress in The Falcon pub, that The Black Horse was once the hangman's home and he is said to haunt it! She worked in the pub and told us that she used to open up in a morning and close up on a night and had often felt a hand on her shoulder and her name being called. Also there have been people who were too scared to go in the pub, very scary.

Our mooring at Fotheringhay