Just moving north, each day doing as many miles as we feel up to or the weather allows.
Had an 11.00am start one morning due to the rain and have moored up early to dodge pending downpours...
We're passing in the opposite direction, ten times more NB,s than we saw on the Grand Union canal, no more cutting corners and it pays to approach blind bends slowly...
Very rural on the Oxford and chuck in...
Cuttings with plenty of overhanging greenery....
Dogs are a dime a dozen on the tow path. Usually the medium to small ankle biter types.
But this mutt....
Was a Monster... looked over 3 foot tall.... probably weighed over 70kg and you'd need to feed it a Broncosauras to satisfy it's hunger. You wouldn't want to forget to feed him and fall asleep in your favourite chair with an arm dangling over the arm.....
Stopped for a water fill and...
These fellas were chilling out catching some sun......
There are a lot of untidy properties to view from the canal. Some properties are littered with absolute crap, nothing worth as much as a penny and one has to wonder Why??...
Then there's the odd section that has junk on it that is worth something like..
This VW Kombi van....
And this...
VW beetle.... or what's left of it...
But wait there's more....
A VW Ute.. very collectable.....
And a couple of...
Well the rear one is a Porsche... not sure on the other but bound to be VW related....
Made it to the Hawkesbury Junction where the Coventry canal joins in and time to reminisce...
11 odd years ago Leonie and her mum, Pam, and a friend Merlene hired a NB from the Ashby canal and went to Braunston and return and this was...
The first ever lock Leonie & co, stuffed up....
Once through the lock there's a tight RH turn under the bridge.
And there is always an audience to judge your skill level...
Seated out side The Greyhound pub.....
Made the turn.. Perfectly... and looking back...
The lock is around the LH rear corner... now on the Coventry with the canal to the RH side going down to Coventry basin and city.....
Talking about piles of crap and worthless rubbish....
A bride & groom.. policeman... mannequin... aviary... caged ducks, geese etc... all intermingled with junk everywhere...
Plus..
Stacked boats... Morry 1000... golf cart... crap everywhere..is there a logic behind the hoarding??..
Passed Marston junction where the...
Ashby canal starts...22 miles no locks... no exit....
The British Waterways yard at Hartshill...
Is a good looking 1800's building.... contains original carpenters workshop and a forge....
At Atherstone we expected a queue awaiting the lock flight. But no there was only a couple of NB,s already started on the decent. The boat in front was a single hander so we helped by shutting some of the bottom gates as he exited. You've got to wait for the lock to refill so times not an issue.
Looking back from the 5th lock.. 6 to go....
The sun had reappeared and taking off a layer of clothes was the order.
The NBer in front pulled over for lunch so we passed and finished the remaining locks then moored up.... He soon caught and passed us...
And guess what??..
He reads this blog.... I reckon if I could publish it in Braille his dog could read it too and my readers numbers would be getting Whoa... right up there......
That car is a Volvo P1800, Built between 1961-1973 They use one on the TV programme The Saint with Roger Moore. Some of the early cars wee built by Jensen in the UK. I nearly bought one in 1975 but bought a TR6 instead.
ReplyDeletePaul
Hi Paul & Elaine, I said to myself if anyone knows and replies about that car it'll be Paul.. thanks.. I wiki'd Porsche cos I thought it would be VW related being in such rich company. I didn't suspect Volvo. It'd be pretty collectable as well. You'd have seen them on your travels as no doubt they have been there along time... Cheers....
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