NarrowBoat Bones: March 2010

The Bike is BACK – Thank you!!

Maffi had a day off work today and turned up in Banbury to visit me, with my bike! It was stolen from the wharf in December, reported to the police, found a month later, and finally it has been returned to me. I really am amazed that I got it back. Thank you to Maffi for reporting (I didn’t see the point), for being in touch with the police when they found it, and arranging its return.

Thank you!!!

Aynho to Banbury

So here I am in Banbury. It was a lovely cruise up, I passed Piston Broke on their way down and I have to say Paul’s moustache is outstandingly good – if only I had a photograph of it! I arrived in Banbury at the same time as NB Clarence and was also surprised to see Khyamanzi pass on their way to the Thames, but not as surprised as when I saw them the next day on their way back through Banbury! The Thames is on red boards, or just off red boards, or about to be on red boards and Andy and his dad decided they didn’t really have the time to get stuck in floods or not make it, so they turned around to head up to Leicester. 8ch and I moored up in the city centre and spent a glorious evening aboard Clarence chatting and nattering putting the world to rights. It was lovely to meet them and hear a bit of their story.

The following morning after a natter to Paddy on the towpath, 8ch, Sheila and I took Lexi (who is a doberman) and Boots off for a walk around spice ball park. After an initial hoo har both dogs ran around having a lovely time.

Sheila and Derek from nb Clarence are great fun, but I have been getting increasingly more snotty as the days have gone by so I am keeping clear – they have enough troubles with their batteries without having to bury their noses in a box of tissues!

There is a gorgeous boat moored here at the moment called Spider:

The bow is breathtaking:

The tiller designer:

and the chimney HUGE:

Sonflower popped in yesterday afternoon for a lovely natter.

Heyford to Aynho: Day 2

This mornings walk took us around Heyford. It is a beautiful village for a stroll. Boots wasn’t so keen on the early morning start as the clocks went forward, but he did like these steps in the churchyard:

Bones across the water:

And finally we set off – I liked these gauges on the roof of merlin:

and this old BW boat Caldy:

8ch was already at the lift bridge so I sailed on through and he set off behind me. We failed to travel together yesterday, but today we made it all the way in convoy.

The two boats waiting at Allens Lock:

I love the look of the walks from this bridge they always look so welcoming as I go under it maybe I will stop one day:

Lambs:

we stopped at Somerton on the meadow for a relax and play around with Boots. Most of it has Arnco piling which is a huge improvement from a few years ago. Further on they have this which looks a bit dainty for a canal edge….:

Somerton Deep Lock is a sight I never grow tired of:

but it was good to have someone do the lock for me as it really is very deep:

Aynho has a lift bridge which is very peaceful – I rather liked this tree:

Aynho was a welcoming sight:

Some people cover their chimneys with old cans… others with wellingtons:

8ch’s milk made it all the way up without falling off:

Day 1 Picture Book

I left Thrupp at 11:30 and arrived in Heyford at 3:30.

Off we go:

yep, the nose looks good:

Maffi came to do the lift bridge but it was already up so we waved each other off and away we went

This boat has more solar than any boat I have ever seen – and more aerials!

Caravan lift bridge (left open) and this must be the remainder of the caravan. Mark Paris remembers the caravan in one piece. I would love to see photographs of it.

A feather floated down:

And I love this log at the quarry. I have never stopped in this part, but every time I go past I feel a pull to sit on the log and tell a story. I call it ‘story tellers log’. Maybe one day I will:

I think this boat is striking. I wonder where the name comes from:

And the bit of the Quarry at Kirtlington that we do stop at. It is a lovely place to stop and a place full of lovely memories for me:

It’s a bit tiring:

These reeds are great! I love the way the light was reflecting on them and the contrast against the trees and sky:

And how they looked like an abandoned Mohican when I looked back through the bridge:

strangely this reminded me of punting up to Granchester from Cambridge:

I love this view leading up to Northbrook Lock. There is something about old buildings in fields that I find knee bending-ly gorgeous.

And there was this lovely fluffy cloud at Dashwood:

The last lock of the day. Northbrook and Dashwood are my favourite locks on this stretch:

And so to Lower Heyford:

Where I popped into see the Wren’s for tea, a chat and a slice of the cake I asked Annie to make for the journey. I admired their cat:

Who found my visit exhilarating:

All these pictures were taken with my phone camera because I couldn’t find the charger to my Sony Camera, thank fully I found it this evening and the batteries are on charge.

Dear Granny

I have, after lots of practice, discovered that this is the most refined way to sit ~~in my basket~~ on an an arm chair:

I think rather swish with my arm resting there.

Lots of Love

Boots

Lining out

I can’t help but think I have bitten off more than I can chew. When I had the doors fitted the metal 1” box around them was taken off. This means I don’t have anything on the left hand side of the door and to the right hand side of the panel to fix the new bit of wood to. I am wondering whether the only thing to do is have some new 1” box section welded up. I COULD just glue the wooden battens to the cabin front where the box section should go, but I just do not think this is good enough.

Oh dear. Nothing is ever that simple.

Lost Generation

My sister sent me this YouTube link. It came with this blurb.

“A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.
This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is clever. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.
This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.”

Antigone

I went to see Antigone at the Oxford Playhouse last night. Kate Saffin was the production manager. It was an excellent evening, and if you are in the area and want to see it there is a review here

Walks

I am off on my holidays soon (did I happen to mention that already) so I thought I would look up some good walks along the way so Boots could enjoy himself too. The first one seemed to think that 17miles was a walk. Once I peeled myself off the floor I thought I would check the waterscape website – surely that would have a more sensible duration for walks.

6 DAYS! 6 DAYS for a walk?!?!?!?!?!

I feel faint.

Kate Saffin: Now is the Winter

I am really looking forward to Kate’s new play which is part of the Oxfringe event. If you want to buy tickets, they are running out fast.. here is the link Now is the Winter Tickets.

and only 3 sleeps until my holidays!! Woo hoo.

The count down!

On Saturday I am going for my annual jaunt up to Cropredy on Saturday. I love the trip up there not least because I like to keep an eye on Bourton Lock Cottage and it’s progress since the sale a few years ago. I am now beginning to get rather excited – two whole weeks off work and 4 glorious days in the delightful canal side village of Cropredy.

Woo Hoo.