And We're Off!

New Paintwork Gleaming at Gayton Junction

Hello Jotters

It’s Sunday afternoon, we've been to the Greyhound for lunch and I’m feeling a bit jolly. I’m not sure if that’s the cider I had before the meal or the Baileys I had afterwards. The food was excellent, the service was first class and the company (Richard and Mel) was exhilarating. It was just what we needed after a busy week of boating. We’ve been hanging around for ages, since we picked up the boat from he boatyard in Blisworth. The Lady Aberlour has had a full repaint and we are thrilled with the results. Mind you, we hadn’t even left the boat yard before we had our first mishap - the bows drifted under the quayside at the boatyard and scuffed up the diamonds on the bow return - I’ll post a picture so you know what that is. There was a bit of a silence as me and the boatyard bossman inspected the damage. It was fixed without too much trouble and we were hustled off the mooring before anything else could occur. 2 weeks later and we have already sustained several mysterious blemishes, which make us wince and mutter curses about overhanging brambles and birds with purple dysentery.

Diamonds on the Bow Return

The reason for us hanging about for so long once we finally got back aboard was due to the fact we both caught Covid while we were home and we only tested negative on the day that we were due to pick up the boat. It seemed like a very long 2 weeks waiting for the negative test, we weren’t very ill, thank goodness, but it did leave us both feeling very tired. In order to recuperate, we found a nice spot and stayed there for a whole week while we got the boat straightened up. Every surface was covered with dust and grit from the shot blasting and it took several days of sweeping, dusting and polishing till I was happy. We rehung all the curtains and polished all the brass rails - that took a whole day! The solar panels required repairing after they were blown off the top of the boat earlier in the year and the top box needed repair and repaint - that kept Carl busy! We had the car with us which was handy for shopping and endless trips to B&Q for screws, hinges, trunking etc etc...and when the heat got too much for us, we abandoned ship and went home for the weekend. I know that sounds a bit wussyish but we were waiting outside Heyford Fields Marina for new batteries and a new fridge to be delivered so we couldn’t move to a shady spot. By Thursday evening we were being cooked like a Fray Bentos pie in the heat of the afternoon sun so we loaded up the pushchair with the contents of the fridge and set the Sat Nav for ‘Home’. I spent the whole weekend in front of the big fan, cool as a cucumber - bliss!

Morning shade at Nether Heyford

I am blaming Covid for the long list of things we left at home after our recent stay - the main one being my IPad which I thought I could manage without but actually, I couldn’t. Before you ask, yes - I did have a list and I did check things off as I packed them, but somehow the iPad didn’t make it to the car. I’m usually quite organised so I think I must have had brain fog. It took us both a while to shake off the effects of Covid - we were both very tired and also lost our sense of smell and taste. Carl soon bounced back and I am down to one nap a day now so my energy levels are returning (lying eyes emoji) and I can smell really pungent aromas again. I know this because I caught a waft from Tricky as she lay quietly parping on the mat.

New Porthole Bungs

This week we have set off on our travels again, leaving Nether Heyford on Tuesday and getting to Hawksbury Junction early this morning, we are on our way to Stourport. Gary and Dave from Boating Leisure Services helped us with the new fridge and delivered 4 brand spanking new leisure batteries to go with it. I can highly recommend them if you’re needing work done, we’ve been dealing with them for many years and they never let us down. I set off in the car on Tuesday morning while Carl chugged up to Weedon for water, fuel and a new gas bottle. I parked up at Kings Bromley marina and called a taxi to take me to the station in Lichfield. I caught two trains and a bus to meet Carl at Tesco’s in Weedon - it took most of the day and I was very glad to see the Captain and Tricky coming along the road to meet me. Even though it was late afternoon by then, we cast off and chugged off to a nice mooring and got tied up just before the rain finally came. It thundered down on the roof, drowning out the radio and driving me to an early night. I was so exhausted from my travels that I fell fast asleep and only woke when Tricky wanted to go out around midnight. The rain was still hammering down and Carl and Tricky got very wet, even with the brolly up. The water had all gone by the morning, the ground is so hard that it just runs off and the water levels on the canals are at an all-time low- we may not make it to Stourport, unless we get a lot more rain soon.

Sunset at Nether Heyford

I was back to lock wheeling with a vengeance on Wednesday. Luckily, we paired up with a very experienced boater and his son for the journey up the Buckby Locks. We were held up for a short time at lock 11 but, with the help of the crews from 2 boats waiting to go down, we managed to operate the lock without too much difficulty. The commodore from the boat behind us came marching up with his yachting cap set to ‘I’m in charge’ and tried to get things moving quicker but Lock 11 will not be hurried and I spotted him marching off back to his boat in a high dudgeon. I was relieved to get to the top, my post-Covid nap was approaching and I was flagging as I got to the pedestrian tunnel that takes the towpath under the A5. It was very wet in there after the previous nights heavy rain and oh! The smell was appalling. The septic tank for the services at the top lock had overflowed and I had to paddle through the mess to get to the lock. We moored by Welford Bridge, near Braunston tunnel, ready for an early start the next morning.

Early Morning Walk 

It was 5am on Thursday when Carl put the kettle on for a cuppa. He wasn’t risking meeting a boat in the tunnel and we were off just as it began to get light. We roared through the tunnel, emerging into the early morning mist before the day had properly begun. Tricky was very confused and went back to bed and I thought that was a good idea so I went too. We were planning to wait til after 9am to tackle the 6 locks down into Braunston but a hire boat behind us set off at 8 so we went with them. It wasn’t a good idea and I could see that the first pound was almost dry - no water! The lock-keeper arrived at 8.30, when I was doing my best to send some water down the locks and reprimanded me (gently) for taking the law into my own hands. He made us wait for 40 minutes while he sorted out the levels and we set off again. All was going well till we got to the last but one lock where we met a boat going up the flight who had decided to turn round and go back the way he came, causing havoc as he blocked the whole canal and brought everyone to a halt while he shunted back and forward, trying to turn. It was 10.30 by the time we got to the last lock, only to find that there was a work boat in the lock, scraping weeds off the lock gates. I was glad to get back aboard and chug away from Braunston, usually one of our favourite spots and we moored overnight at Olney, where we were entertained by the tinkling of bottles being thrown into the skip and cars driving by on the other side of the hedge. The new marina, Dunchurch Pools, is a very noisy neighbour! 

Hillmorton Locks were buzzing with people attending a McMillan event by the bottom lock. A cake stall was doing a roaring trade and a live band was setting up to play for a fairly large crowd. We would like to have stayed to listen but Tesco’s in Rugby was calling to me and the new fridge needed replenishing so we carried on, stocked up and moored by Falls Bridge Wharf, under trees and in the shade which is unusual for us. When we awoke the next morning, it was positively autumnal in the boat - 16 degrees and I shivered as I brewed the tea and huddled in my dressing gown. After all the heat of the previous week, this chilly morning is very welcome.

New Signwriting

Captain Carl is very happy to be on the move again and so am I. The fields are shorn and await the plough, the hedgerows are thick with blackberries and sloes, the hawthorn berries glint scarlet in the sun and everywhere seems to be breathlessly awaiting the rain, which must surely come soon. The soft night skies descend too early and we are reminded that autumn approaches with the fading light. I hope you are enjoying the summer and getting out and about. I’ve missed you all, so I’ll write more soon.

Lots of love from

The Floating Chandlers

Ps. We are sad to say that our boating buddies are retiring. Pat and Malc are selling the Naga Queen and we will miss them greatly. There have been many jolly evenings spent putting the world to rights and we have travelled many miles together. Tricky will miss them almost as much as us - she is out on the towpath every night looking for their boat for a dish full of ‘magic water’ and a snooze on the mat. We’ll see you both soon I hope but our boating adventures won't be the same without you.

Our Boating Buddies