Regents Canal II - Graffiti

The graffiti was fantastic!

This isn’t a picture of graffiti, but as I came around the corner and looked left to see this view in the archway I saw a Harley and a man in ripped jeans against the red wall. No cars. It wasn’t there, it is what my minds eye drew for me.

Regents Canal

I walked from Baker Street to Kentish Town Road yesterday up through Regents Park and along the Canal, through Camden and up the road.  I was staggered by the Regents Canal and it is definitely on my hit list of places I simply want to boat down. One day.

A spot of the country:

Very cosy:

Beautiful:

I don’t normally like modern architecture, but I did like the contrast of this white building rising from the dark canal

 

 

2 cylinder Gardiner:

and finally the bright coloured housing in Kelly Street off Kentish Town Road:

Smoke Rings!!

NB Dashwood from Thrupp was turning around at the weekend, and I spent ages watching the smoke rings… I was rather pleased to get a photo of them:

especially after failing to get one of the steam train:

although I did get the smoke:

Swan Nest

On my walk to Allen's Lock I spotted a nesting swan:

and this rather exciting weir:

I keep seeing beautiful bits of the Cherwell through the trees as I wonder up the canal. I am looking forward to being near my dinghy so I can go out and explore again.  In times like this when my dinghy is where I am not, I wonder whether it is worth investing in a fold up boat that I can carry with me everywhere on the good ship.

Matching Boat

I have heard of matching anoraks on cycles, with your walking partner or even motorcycles, but not on boats.. or not until yesterday…

But then I remembered that I have a grey anorak and a grey boat…admittedly my boat is two tone grey, but then so is my anorak!

Lower Heyford.. A walk around the village

Lower Heyford on the southern Oxford Canal is a lovely little village. It is described in some books as a place where even the motor car is an imposter. I think it is a beautiful little canal side village, especially in the sun light.

One of my walks involves walking north to the lift bridge and turning right, over the bridge,  then right past the pub, past the church, down an alley, across the field, past the boat yard and back up the canal. It takes about 30 minutes and I like several things about it.

This shed which is still in use:

I often look backwards when I am walking, and here is the pub from over my shoulder (I also like benches that wrap around the base of a tree)

and a barn that reminds me of France that leads to the church:

around the corner and looking back:

The church – I have spent many a happy time playing the piano here:

A cute bell housing thingy whatsit through the tree’s above the arch on the roof:

and down the alley way:

Upper Heyford isn’t as beautiful, or so I thought until I went down the high street and saw a lovely row of cottage doors.  Upper Heyford has it’s own beauty.

Bad Back: Ouch

I have been signed off for three days, of which this is my third but my back is still sore. The problem is that I now need to move my boat. I have been on this mooring for 14days and any longer would be over staying.  I was going to move up to Allens Lock for a week and then onto Somerton for a get together with a club I belong to.  The thing is, if my back isn’t better, perhaps I should go back to my mooring which is in the opposite direction. Knowing my luck, by the time someone has moved me there I will be completely recovered.

It is very difficult making decisions like this. If I am going to ask someone to move my boat, perhaps it is better to ask them once rather than twice, or even three times! 

Independence is not always a good thing when living on a boat. People are always happy to help, but knowing what to ask is a different matter!!!

DOH!

There is a road that I used to park my motorbike on. Mark told me I shouldn’t park it there because it would be a matter of time before someone reversed into it. Naturally I forgot his wise words, and on Friday I parked it there. I did so again last night. It was only when someone reversed into the front of the bike that his wise words came flooding back. 

 

The someone was me.  OOps!

Wave them off!

Ron and Mary Heritage are leaving Banbury, Tooleys Boatyard on Saturday 24th April to begin their journey on what they call  the “Re-enactment Cressy Cruise”. You can follow it here.

 Addendum: Timings are 10:30 – 12:00

Dear Granny and Grandpa

It was lovely to see you on Saturday and have a run around Grandpa’s beautiful garden. It smells absolutely delicious.

I expect you have been worrying that I might be upset because you didn’t offer me any ginger cake, not even a crumb. As it happens I don’t mind because I didn’t want any anyway. I don’t like ginger cake.

Lots of Love

Boots

Before the blacking

I had meant to measure the propeller, but I forgot!

Out for Blacking

The propeller

The black is shiny and the grey needs a touch up!

Mark welded up the old drain holes which were just too close to the water in the bathrooms case, and not in the right room since I moved the kitchen

More Walk Pictures

I love cow troughs in fields – it reminds me of a particularly successful fishing trip when I was, ooh about 3, when I nearly caught a shark (or something equally big). My sister patiently stood next to me trying to catch a fish herself, but I bet she knew we had only been planted there so our devoted parents could go blackberry picking in the peace and quiet!

It was a bit of a surprise to walk past the eye catcher for Rousham House

 

Arriving in Steeple Aston one walks down a rather aptly named road:

Which lead to a lovely pub called the White Lion that served Sunday lunch on a Tuesday… but I think it might have been a special occasion. A real family run pub where you felt dinner was from their own table. Beautifully home cooked food, not fancy, not out the freezer, but straight out of a home. Perfect! We nearly didn’t go in because the TV was so loud, but when we walked through the door it was turned down and we had a warm welcome – lovely!

Boots at Bourton

8ch took this absolutely gorgeous picture of Boots while we were travelling up the Oxford..

Bad Hair….

I have had an extra-ordinary hair day today. I had a shower  last night, washed my hair and went to bed without drying my hair. I didn't think it looked too bad when I woke up this morning, but clearly I wasn't paying attention;  even Dusty the coalman commented!  I decide my bike helmet would flatten it out, which it did...partly, so i "sorted it out" in office and went to see the cleaning ladies (and Nathan).

As soon as I walked through the door I was greeted by a sea of hysterics. It was only when they stopped clutching their stomachs that they were able to utter 'your hair'. They sorted it out once and for all...apparently it was just 'so high' whatever that means. It would appear that a glass fronted book case is not a suitable mirror in extreme circumstances

Lower Heyford and a Walk

There is a lovely walk from Lower Heyford up to Steeple Aston through the fields. It doesn’t take long, but Boots loves it.  We went on Sunday afternoon – north up the canal to the lift bridge (Mill lift bridge), turn a sharp left, through the gate and there it all begins. Over the Cherwell on a beautiful bridge:

Through a line of trees:

and up through the fields:

 

Boots rather liked the railway bridge and stopped to see whether a steam train would go through:

 

Eventually he gave up and came running down the field to meet me, only to be intercepted by a great excitement:

Lower Heyford is a beautiful place to moor.  There is a wood pecker somewhere beyond the other side of the canal:

and it is just so peaceful.

Good on BW

A while back I went through Aynho weir Lock when the Cherwell was a bit high. I wrote about it here. At the time I was surprised that the weir barrier was in very very poor condition. The wood was rotten and really no use at all. It was the same last year. This year however, I noticed it has all been replaced and now does the job it was set out to do. I think it looks great! Well done BW.

Another Dam

I wrote about a Dam just below Aynho last week. There is another larger one in Lower Heyford:

Somerton Stroll

The weather was gorgeous on Friday so Boots and I decided to go for a walk. We were going to take the train to King Sutton and re-trace our steps but decided to go for a drive in the motor car instead. We stopped at Somerton and walked around the meadow there. It was truly divine.

I loved the view over to Somerton church and the window in the hedge on the right hand side of this picture:

And this house with the Cherwell flowing past it:

Boots ran and ran and ran:

I loved this old tree:

We decided to stop off at Steeple Aston on the way home and I noticed some old cars so I parked up and peered through the bushes:

 

Steeple Aston is a lovely village with a church clock:

and a beautiful tree in the churchyard: