Tuesday 25th April 2023
Wildlife of the day – a clutch of baby moorhens, all little black fluffy pom-poms skittering across the waters surface.
The weather was due to be fine today! We had promised Pam (a newby to canals) and Margaret a trip out – before we start our 2023 journeys & are too far away for day passengers. Having insisted that they bring warm coats, hats and gloves, none of that was needed. It turned out to be a lovely spring day sandwiched between two grotty wet days.
We extracted ourselves from Barby moorings and turned left, destination Braunston for lunch. On arrival, there were two boats moored, one at each end of the pub moorings leaving about 57foot of space between. Jannock being 62 foot meant Graham needed to move one slightly to make space. We asked in the pub if the crew of the ABC hire boat was there but they had obviously gone off somewhere else so Graham moved them forward a few feet and squeezed Jannock in between them and the other boat.
Sadly the Boat House has changed menu and so we were not able to get what we really wanted, as the old ‘two for one’ deal they used to provide is no longer. The prices have also increased a lot since our last visit – that’ll be the ‘Truss Effect!’
After lunch, we continued south bound to the marina entrance where Jannock winded to return to Barby. Just past the junction, Pam called out “Nautilas”. Brenda thought she was a little over excited about a boat name until she realised that P was actually saying “Naughty Lass”. We had been talking about the forth coming next series of Canal Boat Diaries starting next week. We, and Pam who hadn’t boated before, thoroughly enjoyed Robbie Cumming’s travelogue. Then I saw the star of the show himself in the bows of his boat. I felt guilty taking his photograph without asking his permission but I guess that comes with the territory when you are a TV star. Sorry Robbie. He smiled for the camera, so he can’t have minded. Graham told him that his fan club was on Jannock’s foredeck!
Excitement over, we continued back to Barby moorings & the sun still shone. Tea and cake was served and then home watching the sun go down. A lovely day.
P.S. more photos will be added when we return home as I don't have them on Jannock when posting this blog update.
