Friday 16 May 2014

To Market Harborough..... 1..



Heading North up the Oxford canal with a bit of a plan we heard through the grape vine that there was a collapsed lock wall at Napton and at this stage this section of canal could be closed indefinitely. That would completely stuff our plans and a lot of others too.

We pushed on checking updates on the net and CART released the info that the lock would be passable after mid day Friday.

That gave us a couple of days to travel with the hand brake on to time our arrival for the opening.








Passing through the "Fenny Compton Tunnel"..

We had a steam powered NB following behind for most of the day and when we pulled up at Marston Doles and had filled with water he appeared and pulled in behind...





Tying up the steam boat.. it takes two to "drive".. the man on the tiller dose'nt  do the throttle. The other fella has to operate the throttle in the engine room...





The boiler for making the steam.... coal fired and they were  using  about 100 kilos of coal  a day.. traveled up from  London...





 
The engine room....


Onto the Napton flight of locks arriving about 4.30pm to join the line up of boats going North.
We were number 28 in line but number 27 had joined in at 12.30pm.
Luckily for us we keep going forward, slowly, and got to lock 10 where the collapse had occurred.
It was getting late and the lock keeper gave us and 4 - 5 other NB,s the choice of carrying on or he would be back at 8am so we decided to park up and get an early start.




 

The bank had collapsed and the remaining bricks on the lock approach were  looking pretty shaky...




The whole pound had been drained and the steel support put in place....




The support was doing the job... no doubt the lock will be shut down for a rebuild in the future...
 





On past a NB you'd use if your middle name was " Nigel no Mates"...




 

Through Braunston approaching the locks...



 



We shared the flight of double locks with NB Dragonfly.... makes locking a little easier....

3 tunnels to pass through on the planned route....


 



The entrance to the first.... the Braunston tunnel...2042 yds long... opened 1796....
Construction  hindered by quick sands and a bit of  directional  mismanagement  gives it a slight S bend....


 



Passing beneath an air shaft shows the canal is about 40 feet below ground level..
 
 
 

 

It's pitch black at the steering end of the NB...

Onto the second tunnel...



 


Under a bridge to approach the Crick tunnel....1528yds long... opened 1814.... good tunnel if you need a "wash" going through...







The exit hole getting closer is a good sight...

Over the last 2 -3 days a cold wind has made travelling crap in the open spaces.....chuck a few showers in as well..




So we pulled up to watch the Spanish F1.... well at least two thirds of it... got into the old procession racing  again....

Moved on for another couple of hours toward Foxton Locks....

Tuesday 13 May 2014

From Back Home to the UK...


It's always good to have visitors on board the narrow boat.
It's even better when they're from the  home land NZ.
It's better still when they're from the home town because as well as enjoy their company  one can catch up on the local gossip.

One of Leonie's ex work colleges Iain and his wife Frances were doing the UK section of there holiday so arrangements were made for an overnighter on the boat.

During the week NB Firefly NZ....






 





Was in the dry dock at Walker Services, Aynho, getting the blackening treatment on the hull..

Plus while out of the water....




 I did maintenance things like repaint the rear bands, rear deck, and touch up some areas with varnish.

Boat in the water 9am, Iain and Frances arrived about 10.30am.
A fill with water and then we headed for Banbury which is about a 3hr cruise..

On the way there...



 
Iain soon got the hang of steering.....


Frances soon got the hang of....



The Back Seat driver thing....

We even arranged for....and moored along the way...




A narrow boat with Frances name on it... everyone should have one...

 

We passed some...



Canal side Art.. done with little cost...

 
 Spent Saturday night moored up and sleep in Banbury.
Frances commented it was like sleeping in Emerson St. The main retail St, in Napier NZ.

Next morning was time to head back to Aynho....

It was time for Iain, a "Kick it with Your Head" football type of guy to....




Push the boat off with his best Impersonation of and "All Black Scrum Push".. Average...

 
There's a lift bridge to operate so...




Frances did her impression of an "Americas Cup Grinder"... Better Than....
 

Then at the Lock to vacate the mooring area.....




Leonie caught up with an "Uncle" she hadn't seen for years.... Bloody helpful he was too..

Iain steered pretty well all the way back.

Frances and Leonie opened a lift bridge but it was so unbalanced they couldn't both lift it to close it.

So Frances...



Climbed up and out until the bridge came down...

Leonie thought she would...



Have a swing on the chain.... Sort of an Amusement Park Fetish thing...

Confidence in steering enabled...




 
 The entering of locks...





The...



Exiting of locks...





Even passing...



Under lift bridges with a side wind...


 
 And the...



 



Passing of boats in the tricky  sections...
 

You don't travel on many canals without...


Passing under a motor way... the M40 here...



 
 And then on the Home Straight....




Frances showed how to "Fly the Flag"...

An excellent couple of days... Thanks you guys....

Sunday 11 May 2014

Hidcote.... Part 2...







More photos of the amazing Hidcote gardens....  Living Art....  Canvas started 1907...















Working in the veggie garden...





 





 

 


 

 





 



 



 








 
 
 







 





 
 




 










 














 



















 








 

 


 










 



 









 




 




 
 








 




Inside Major Lawrence Johnstone's  garden shed......
 






 




 
 
After a day in the garden you gotta be hungry....