Heading down the Grand Union canal with London being the immediate destination.
I imagined the trip would be very "passing through housing estate or passing through Rough areas" but have been pleasantly surprised how rural and picturesque it is and so far pretty well rubbish free...
After a week of Hot weather the rain has returned and steering and locking in wet weather gear is the go..
Here's a no real story but some random shots from recently...
First time through the Crick tunnel we never met an oncoming NB.
Second time through we passed three...
Passing the third NB...
And was pleased not to have "Hit" either... not much room though...
A 70 foot hire boat winded, Turned, in front of us but his bow was against the bank on one side and his stern was touching the other. Lightly jammed the NB was, even though the crew were on the bank trying to pull it free.
Answer to the problem...
Get a "Blond Steerer" in a "Plastic", cruiser to use her bow to push the NB bow then chuck a rope to pull in reverse the stern free... A good tugger she was.. it worked...
Came across the Canal and River Trust equivalent of a...
Drive through
car NB wash...
Whilst moored in the sun we were passed by another...
Kiwi couple in NB Pukeko... that's the NZ bird that plays "chicken" with cars on NZ roads and mostly loses..
When we moved we pulled up alongside for a chat...
Proud to show the "Silver Fern" as well as fly the NZ flag....
The hot weather brings....
Music to the "Cut".....
But must be balanced with....
The right amount of "Liquid" to ward off "Dehydration"....
The canal side pubs like The...
Navigation at Stoke Bruerne were doing a good trade with canal side diners....
At the top lock....
Stoke Bruerne... a nice setting and a restored corn mill on the left houses the National Waterways Museum...
Was it Water....
Or Rope running over the lock gates??.....
A mild winter is good for breeding, Apparently......
The farmer will be really pleased with the Canadian Geese... 2 bloody days old and already eating as much grass as any sheep...
Passed through....
Blisworth ....
Here the old....
Mill building has been converted to waterside apartments...
Not to far on after a wooded section the....
Entrance to the Blisworth Tunnel appears... 3057 yds, long... 3rd longest on the system....opened 1805...
Originally excavation failed with collapses so boats were unloaded either side and the goods were pulled over the hill by horse drawn trams and reloaded on the other side... that lasted 5 years..
The familiar sound, to us, of motocross bikes caught the ear so...
We hauled on the anchors and walked to a nearby, other side of the hedge, Motox track...
A typical pit scene....spitting out dust / dirt and talking of near "offs"...
It turned out to be the "Dodford Turn" club track...
It was only a practice day with a couple of organised races later on...
Well organised but was surprised to see....
All classes, all ages, on the track at the same time.... there's a huge speed difference between a 450cc & a 125cc....
The Soulbury flight of 3 locks...
Were manned by a zillion volunteers so it was as easy as riding an armchair to lift up the 20 foot 3 inches to the next level....
It appeared from the port side, surfed along in the wake of the NB, in line with where we were standing then turned to starboard and headed for the canal bank about 10 meters away.
The camera was handy but it happened so fast and was a touch unbelievable that a good photo was "Impossible"....
But it was a....
SNAKE in the water... visible in the center of the water area....
Not seen one of them before.... was it a water snake or a grass snake crossing to greener pastures?....
High on the hills in the distance the...
Whipsnade White Lion stood proud... cut in 1933... there's a wildlife park close by....
With the hot weather the holiday makers will be looking to...
Hire these Igloo huts on a canal side farm stay....
The Great weather brings out....
The best of "Steerers"....
