Through Newark to Cromwell Lock

Friday 11th June 2021

Wildlife of the day – our very own stow-away toad.

Up and at-em for 9am having been disturbed at a quarter past six by a cruiser stopping to go up Hazelford lock. Having ejected a stow-away toad from one of our fenders, we were off on a sunny but rather breezy morning.

 

We had hoped to make up some of the lost time by missing Newark and continuing on but the tide times mean that we can’t go through Cromwell lock until 11am tomorrow (Saturday) so we ended up stopping opposite the castle and heading into town on a provisions run. It’s not London so there was no extra charge ;^)

 

A slow wander into the town centre revealed a few stalls on the market place so a battery and fruit and veg were purchased. There are also a few good butchers in town, one did a diverse selection of sausages and as they were all the same price we were able to choose two of each type that we fancied and return to the boat with a selection pack. We found no milk in town so Waitrose near the station filled the gap.

 

Then there was time to complete a job started about 3 years ago, finishing off the installation of the cold and heat reflecting film that we had fitted to some windows and then stopped. It is also supposed to obscure the view of nosy parkers. We don’t mind public interest but dislike peering into others homes and privacy.

 

Then down though Newark Nether lock and under the A46 to Cromwell lock where we moored onto the outside of the visitor pontoon mooring behind a large cruiser. Our travelling companions nb Tee-Jay decided to reverse into the inside of the pontoon but the strong wind coming directly down the river foiled the first attempt but Alan got it right for his second attempt. Going down to Torksey tomorrow to join the Fossdyke.

G&B

We got through Gunthorpe!

Thursday 10th June 2021

Wildlife of the Day – Egrets and an Oystercatcher

We left the mooring pontoon and moved down to the lock landing for 9am which was about when the volunteer lockie turned up. He made his cup of tea, went into the lock control office, opened the blinds and did ????? – who knows. With two narrowboats waiting on the lock landing, in full view, he just stayed in the hut.

 

The lady from the boat we were sharing with, went up to the office and enquired about when we could pass through the lock, he said that he didn’t know any-one was waiting – obviously opening the blinds and actually looking out the window are two separate actions. We wondered how long we would have had to wait if he hadn’t been prodded by the visit.

Having successfully negotiated around the sandbar across the bottom of Stoke lock we set off towards Gunthorpe. In Leicester we’d met a boater who had been charged £580 to be towed off that obstacle and we definitely didn’t want similar to occur so we had studied it from the bank on our trip to the pub last night. Keep right and head well out into the flow downstream of the weir if you want to avoid it.

 

At Gunthorpe we moored on the pontoon visitor mooring up from the lock entrance and then walked down to suss out what was happening. The engineers were just removing a bottom gate paddle with a very bent shaft but they told us that this was another problem they had discovered whilst investigating the initial problem on the other gate. That issue was still un-diagnosed and likely to remain so until next week when they could get a diver in to see what was up.

 

Graham chatted to the foreman who said that we could possibly go down the lock when the gang removed the crane from within the lock if we were ready to go at about 4pm. Graham then cleared it with the lockie who also went and confirmed this with the foreman. Come 4 o’clock, four boats were ready and waiting on the lock landing and we managed to get through accompanied by the crane barge as well.

Brenda suggested to the lockie that this was not the sort of situation that he had volunteered for, he just grinned and said that we had no idea about what phone calls that he had had to field today. What would this country do without all the volunteers who give up their valuable time to help others?

 

We had phoned ahead to Hazelford lock so although it was past ‘going home’ time, the lockie there worked us through to find a mooring for tonight below the lock.

G&B

Stoke Lock

Wednesday 9th June 2021

We slept in a bit – even Graham! We then pottered about passing time until we got fed up so set off down river to Holme lock again where we took on water from and exceedingly slow tap.

 

Word from the lockie was that Gunthorpe lock might be open this afternoon so we decided to pass through Holme and continue down to Stoke lock. When we arrived there we found that all of the pontoon moorings were busy, with one large space being occupied by a small narrowboat moored right in the middle. Those moorers already present there took pity on us (after we had asked about mooring alongside them) and rallied to untie the badly moored boat and move it up to make room for Jannock to hang off the end of the pontoon. Thanks folks! It was either that or onto Gunthorpe which is possibly already full of moored boat waiting to go down when the lock re-opens.

 

It’s an idyllic mooring, since the sun is out the temperature was balmy and there was a cool breeze in the shade of the glorious woodland trees on the bank.

 

In the evening we walked down the Trent path, past a herd of heifers, to the Ferry Boat Inn at Stoke Bardolph for a steak dinner. The overnight mooring was very peaceful indeed. From city to deep countryside in a two hour cruise.

G&B

Another day at city hall

Tuesday 8th June 2021

Another day on the river. The sun is out and it’s promising to be hot. This is a distinct improvement on previous times on the Trent – see www.jannock.org.uk/2005.html it was cold and wet – and that’s out of the water.

Today, the engineering boat that can help fix the problem at Gunthorpe lock is busy being moved into position from Newark. With any luck the engineers will be able to fix it, at least they can identify what the problem is and we’ll be able to find out if we can continue our planned journey, or if Brenda will cry because she’s been looking forward to this trip for so long.

 

Whilst tied up, she has no excuses for not completing her physio exercise whilst Graham got chance to carry out some cosmetic repairs to Jannock’s damaged paintwork.

We wandered up to the local Coop supermarket for milk and ‘had’ to go into the Stratford Haven, a Castle Rock brewery pub next door. Much better than yesterdays watering hole (sic). Few people about so social distancing was easy. The staff were very knowledgeable about their beers and ciders.

The Coop (next door) was quite large, a proper supermarket even, and had a good selection of local bottled beers, even stocked clothes and had a post office counter as well. They also stocked both Chinese and Indian, heat it yourself, take-outs as well.

We checked out menus and decided on the Bombay Bridgeford restaurant. We had a lovely meal including an Indian spiced lamb shank and a Railway curry, an Anglo-Indian recipe from the days of the Raj. It was very filling. We then spent the rest of the evening, back on Jannock, chatting to the nb Jerome crew + plus dog ( Harley not Montmorency)

G&B

Back to Nottingham

Monday 7th June 2021

As were unable to proceed through Gunthorpe lock we decided to turn and return to Nottingham for a mooch there. The sun was out and we had the river all to ourselves, apart from the ducks, swans and geese – Perfick.

 

We moored outside County Hall and then got a bus into the city centre. Walking around it was interesting to see the history of Nottingham laid out in street names and the different styles of architecture. It’s certainly a place to visit if you are a lover of international cuisine with so many different countries represented.

We dropped into the brewhouse & microbrewery on our way back to Jannock. Graham was disappointed with the cloudy IPA that was served. We chose to sit outside, Covid and all that, so had to rely on the waitress to know what was available. When asked “what beers have you got?” she described three lagers and then just said “a bitter”  The cider selection was described as “ a mixed fruit one, it’s fruity; and an apple cider” The Lime and Soda Brenda ordered was very refreshing with a good chunk of lime in it! We suspect they rely on their riverside position rather than their microbrewery or brewing acumen to provide their clientele.

G&B

Through Nottingham to Holme Lock

Sunday 6th June 2021

In the bathroom this morning Brenda noted the quantity of hand wash and hand sanitiser alongside our Covid test kits, just in case! It reminded her of the first year we owned Jannock when we  cruised sporting a tray full of disinfectant foot bath during the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001 – that was a grim summer.

 

A very quiet night was spent at Beeston lock with no calls for blood bike services after 9:30pm so Graham got a decent nights sleep. We cast off in ‘grey day’ mode and made our way towards the centre of Nottingham. On the way there were interesting things to look out for, not least the other end of the derelict Nottingham canal to Langley Mill basin. We’ve now been at both ends but unfortunately not along it’s whole length.

 

Just before Castle lock Brenda spotted a Dad explaining, as best he could, to a little girl how the lock worked. We offered them a ride through the lock in the front well deck, so picked them up and then dropped them off again at the lock landing below. They all had a ‘wonderful’ time. Hyperbole to my mind, but there were wide smiles and profuse thanks after the very short ride.

 

On to Meadow Lane lock where we descended and then turned sharp right to explore the top of the navigable section by the Civic centre. The water was shared with kiddies in canoes, rowing boats – athletic types rather than boating lake, and a dragon boat. We winded and set off downstream noting that the derelict areas we saw last time we came this way are now very smart flats with river views.

 

Further downstream there were more canoes and paddleboards pootling along both river banks – the Wombles Boating Club – pulling lots of litter and other items out of the margins. Does a whole motorcycle count as litter?

When we got to Holme lock we learnt that Gunthorpe Lock (2 down) is currently closed due to upper gate leakage – possibly for a couple of days. Good job we don’t have any time constraints – what shall we do now?

 

We tied up on the visitor moorings above Holme lock and spent the afternoon doing a bit of boat maintenance and watching the canoeists doing their thing in the National Watersports Centre rapids.

A time lapse video of  our trip through Nottingham can be found at https://youtu.be/ShXV-DJ0OcU

G & B

Down onto the Trent

Saturday 5th June 2021

A very sunny day and a very busy day.

We left our overnight mooring alongside the playing fields immediately after the other two boats that had also been moored there. This meant that progress down the last 7 locks was very slow as we had to refill each one as well as one of their crew always leaving the offside lower gate paddle partly drawn. 

 

The 34 rod fishing competition further down didn’t help either. None of them admitted to catching anything except the man on the last peg who claimed half a dozen.

We stopped at Sandiacre for milk, tonight’s dinner and melanin wound dressings as Mr Clumsy had used up the last of the stock on Jannock on both of those ‘poorlies’ from life’s little accidents. Poor Mr Clumsy! No where to get dressings from.

 

Then down to Trent Lock where we passed through watched by loads of Gongoozlers outside the pub and café. We turned left onto Cranfleet cut and then passed through the lock onto the River Trent. The views immediately opened right out with geese, cormorants and the odd swan populating the ‘beaches’. The first kingfisher of the year was spotted briefly as it crossed the river.

 

We passed through Beeston lock and then stopped at the sani-station to fill with water. Here we met a cousin of the ‘oiks’ at Langley Mill. Our hose was connected to the water tap and he asked rudely whose hose it was as he wanted to disconnect it. Graham explained that we were filling our water tank and he got all huffy announcing “ but my dog wants a drink” whilst indicating the empty pop bottle in his hand. Graham told him , but then had to show him how to turn the tap from left to right to get water to come out of the other side of the bollard to fill his bottle. No please or thanks, he just went off with half a bottle of water.

Once the tank was full we planned to pull across to the visitor moorings for the night. Graham was on duty as Blood Bike controller all night so we didn’t want to cruise any further. The first spot we chose turned out to be half lock landing as well but there was a fisherman setting up in a suitable sized gap one boat ahead. No problem he said, I’ll move my stuff there so you can moor here. The nicest fisherman we’ve met under the circumstances. That’s two in three days and both young men.

B & G

Erewash canal pt2

Thursday 3rd June 2021

Back aboard Jannock and in warmth and sunshine, fingers crossed that it stays like this for a good while.

Thanks to the Erewash Canal Society and Preservation Association for allowing Jannock to use AWCC mooring facilities for the last 2 weeks. Their Chairman (and moorings officer) Norman was excellent. We reversed Jannock from within their club basin out onto a visitor mooring next to the Nottingham Canal toll office in the Great North basin for the night.

 

A group of ‘little darlings’ approached as we were having our late lunch out on the foredeck and enquired if we were staying? Yes we are! How long? Oh, possibly until tomorrow or Saturday. What, just there? Yes. But we wanted to swim there. They hung around to realise that we were not fibbing, then stripped off their anoraks and black hoodies (it’s very warm out) and prepared to swim in the lock instead. Courage was a very long time coming but they eventually went in.

 

Meanwhile, another lad who was fishing by the ‘No Fishing’ sign, pulled out a large Pike, about 75cm long (2 foot 6 inches to us old bu$$ers) and about 6lb in weight. His mum arrived later and Brenda had to assure her that he really had caught the Pike – we showed her this photo as evidence.

We visited Lidl (across the road from the basin) to re-provision and then visited the Bunny Hop alehouse before crossing the road for an excellent Gurkha meal, both on the Cromford road, about a 5 minute walk. The pub is doing ‘covid’ hours, 3 till 8 mid week and 3 till 9 Fridays and the weekend. The ale selection was excellent and mine host was a very cheery and knowledgeable person and the other drinkers were very friendly – even recommending what desert to have in the Gurkha restaurant. We had a delicious meal and then asked for the desert menu – there was no desert menu. All they did was the rice pudding that we  had been recommended by the drinkers over the road. We highly recommend the Bunny Hop/Royal Gurkha combo if you stay at Langley Mill.

 

On our return to Jannock we saw a wonderful sunset to end our day.

Friday 4th June 2021

We started this morning with a lovely drive through the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District to the Cromford canal terminus. The first industrial mill of Arkwright is an imposing edifice, and that what started it all! The walks along the Cromford canal are beautiful. Late spring had the trees in leaf, birds singing and plenty of hedgerow flowers. There was a variety of water fowl with their fluffy babies.

 

We walked a mile from Cromford to High Peak, had a cup of tea in the café and then walked back for lunch by the car, followed by an ice cream (with sherbet and a flake) before heading back to Langley Mill by a different route.

 

We then set off back down the Erewash canal again. Boys swimming in locks seems to be a thing around here as we happened across another group at Shipley lock. Then some older ‘blokes’ came along to boast how they used to open the gate paddles and then swim through them when they were kids. They we still alive so we didn’t actually believe that they did that. The youngsters listened attentively to what Graham had to say about how locks worked and helped us with the heavy gates.

 

We moored for the night alongside the sports field just after the Gallows Inn, where we stopped for a night on the way up.

G&B

Finishing at Langley Bridge

Thursday 20th May 2021

Jolly boating weather – not!

We set off in general greyness but it didn’t much look like it was going to rain, even though it was forecast. At the locks we were busy, Graham was pulling branches and clumps of floating weed out so that they didn’t interfere with working the locks whilst Brenda started the annual ‘Balsam bash’ by pulling off plants growing on the lock gates as the boat entered the lock – some of them had a good build up of soil perched on top of the gate beams that they were growing from.

 

At 11 am the rain started and the temperature dropped, November has come early this year! A jogger on the tow path said that she felt sorry for us as we looked weather beaten by 12:00. A fisherman was intrigued watching us ascend a lock. Out came his phone and he followed Graham’s every move, videoing the whole emptying and filling routine. Another tow-path walker was also fascinated stating that she’d never seen a boat pass through these locks before. A lesser cruised canal for sure!

 

Just before we got so wet that we would have tied up, we reached Langley Mill lock, the last before our destination – the great North basin at Langley Mill. Graham had phoned ahead and arranged a fourteen day mooring at the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association basin using the AWCC temporary mooring arrangement. Norman, their Chairman and Moorings Officer, came out to welcome us and help us perform the sharp turn, through the swing bridge into their basin. With a narrowboat moored on the water point and a cruiser tied up alongside the swing bridge it was not an easy manoeuvre, followed by reversing into a tight gap between two ‘end-on’ moored boats.

Then the rain stopped but the wind increased. Graham did a car shuffle and then we jumped ship and headed home to do the washing and attend pre-arranged commitments.

G&B

And onto the Erewash canal

Wednesday 19th May 2021

We set off with lovely sunshine but a very cold wind, and cruised through Shardlow (where we filled with water) Sawley Cut and Trent Lock and then turned left onto the Erewash canal. Never been up this one so it had to be done when passing.

 

At Sawley lock, a fellow boater told us that the Erewash canal was hard work but he forgot to warn us that the heavens would open as soon as we turned onto it. We approached what looked like a garage, the noises coming from that direction convinced for Graham and a passing walker that it emanated from a badly timed car engine without an exhaust system. Workers even came out from the factory opposite to see what all the noise was about. Turned out it was a road-line-marking lorry that was obviously not going to be laying any double yellows today, it’s faulty compressed air system was causing the din.

 

The locks on the Erewash were hard work, possibly because they get minimal use, but the rafts of weed and flotsam didn’t help, neither did the swans at lock 61. On arrival, Graham found one swan in the lock and another below the lock. They were both obviously trying to get to each other and so he started emptying the lock with a view to getting them together by opening the gates. A passer by commented that both swans were aggressive males whose partners were sitting on eggs in their pounds and would fight each other to the death if they got together. Graham then turned the lock again to fill it with the intention of letting the swan leave at the top level before re-turning the lock to let Jannock ascend once the swan had left. This worked but the swan below the lock started attacking Brenda and the boat as they entered the lock once the gates were open.

It would appear that every pound on the Erewash has a nesting pair of swans except one that was occupied by two males – make of that what you will!

We eventually stopped for the night at Hallam Fields, Ilkeston which was a pleasant mooring alongside a large sports field which was very peaceful.

G&B

Burton on Trent

Monday 17th May 2021

We set off from our peaceful overnight mooring in Alrewas with improving weather. The Trent section of the canal was marked as Passable OK so we dropped down onto the river and transited back onto the canal at Wychnor lock. The sun became quite warm by 11 o’clock and then the rain was so hard by half past that we pulled over rather than transit a lock in the downpour. 

 

As the lock was filling, the storm abated so we passed through and cruised into Burton on Trent in light, but cold showers. With the rain stopped the blue skies were gone and replaced by heavy grey instead, We moored at Shobnall bridge because Nicholson’s said it was a good access point for the town. After lunch we walked into town for a few bits, especially a replacement smoke detector.

 

Brenda was pleased to find a Primark so managed to get some replacement trainers and a couple of pairs of cheap sunglasses. Sainsbury’s to restock the larder and Wilko’s for the smoke alarm. We had missed the market. It was quite a trek to the town centre from Shobnall and it’s not particularly attractive.

From today, the Covid regs allow pubs to open normally from today but none in Burton looked as though they were, so a visit to the brewery tap was off the plan.

B&G

An afternoon at the National Memorial Arboretum

Sunday 16th May 2021

We started off from our very quiet overnight mooring and then stopped before the junction to refill the water tank. Then through the swing bridge to become part of a three boat shuffle. Eventually everybody got where they wanted to be including the boat that was just turning round to go back down the Coventry canal.

 

Then down the five locks to Alrewas, past the new marina being built, where we arrived earlier than predicted due to the easy run down from Fradley where we met a couple of Cutweb members for a chat. Now that Covid rules have been relaxed we were amused to see both cricket and football being played side by side on the same field. Imagine the hassle if a footballer got clobbered by a rogue cricket ball. The footballers were having to constantly retrieve their stray footballs from the cut as it was.

 

After lunch we walked to the National Memorial Arboretum which is about a 45 minute walk from where we were moored. Unfortunately I used Google maps which ignored the ‘National Arboretum Way’ footpath and took us along the A513 road between the A38 and the Arboretum entrance. Not a walk we would recommend to any-one as the grass verges are un-even with abundant overgrown trees dangling across the route. It was only studying the OS map in Nicholsons guide when we returned to Jannock that we spotted where the footpath was routed.

 

A visit to the Arboretum is highly recommended, and it’s free entry. It is so beautiful. The trees chosen to carefully represent those who are being remembered – indeed honoured! There are many beautiful and varied sculptures. We thought of so many family and friends both lost to us and who serve country and community but it is not a sad place to visit – just very thought provoking.

 

The Arboretum is run by the Royal British Legion and although we had pre-booked our free tickets, as we entered via a pedestrian access rather than the formal entrance we did not collect them on arrival. After visiting the loo, Brenda stopped at reception and asked whether they needed to know that we were on site, and they did.

 

We decided to take a ride on the ‘wally trolley’ that provides a guided tour around the grounds. I’m so glad that we did because it was a one hour trip with running commentary that explained a lot of specifics that we were not aware of when we had wandered around earlier. Although it was expensive (£7) each, it was well worth it for the extra information that we gathered during the trip.

 

The long walk back to Alrewas, via the A513 again, was another un-enjoyable experience but was rewarded when we called into the Coop for some milk and picked up Bread, apple pies and doughnuts all at vastly reduced prices.

G&B

To Fradley we must go

Saturday 15th May 2021

Another grey morning, after a very wet night, greeted us when we awoke. As Brenda drank her morning cuppa she watched a Woodpecker doing a very thorough recce on an adjacent tree.

Last night we watched a family of 7 ducklings. They mooched about feeding and diving and the mother duck called them to settle once she’d found a nice sheltered resting place. They were very well camouflaged. Then two white ducks swam past but turned and made a beeline for them. Mother duck came out to meet their aggression but to no avail and so she roused the ducklings and made them leave the sheltered spot. They all hurried off pursued by the white ducks. We thought they might return to use the resting spot but no, they just swam right past and back towards Hopwas bridge. We found a snack for the mother duck and her babies but their cosy spot remained empty for the rest of the night.

The rain persisted, on and off all morning and it remained cold so not pleasant cruising weather. We moved on to Huddlesford where we pulled over to moor but then the rain stopped so we set off again and went to Streethay Wharf to buy a couple of gas cylinders. 

 

Then onto Fradley where we moored at the end of the steel piling at ///haystack.custom.charge before going for a walk around the Fradley Pool nature reserve. The last time we visited here it was just being sorted whereas it is finished now. A lovely place for a peaceful stroll watching various water birds. Children were jam-jar dipping and tramping through the muddy undergrowth – lovely?

 

G&B

A car shuffle from Hopwas

Friday 14th May 2021

The very peaceful mooring spot induced over sleeping and a rare late start – we had expected to be woken by a dawn chorus but we suspect the dull grey, damp and cold morning meant choir practice was cancelled.

 

Once on the move we passed Alvecote marina and made our way to Glascote locks where we descended behind a single handed boater with one other boat coming up.

 

On through Fazely without stopping and continued on to Hopwas where we moored up by the school. There are not many other boats about, considering that we are in mid-May, however there have been a few hire boats out so that is good considering it is not a school holiday period.

 

Graham went off on the Di Blasi to fetch the car from Brinklow and move it to a suitable parking spot up here. Brenda stayed on Jannock and attacked the housework lightly.

Our overnight mooring was at ///computer.skyrocket.narrow

G&B

An easy passage down Atherstone

Thursday 13th May 2021

Animal of the day – a water vole spotted under the bank near Mancetter.

The Cap’n was up and about while I slept off my medication (not really - lame excuse for sleeping in!) I took the tiller whilst he went for his breakfast and was asked to get some pictures of the new Mancetter Marina, we have always said that the lake here deserved to be turned into moorings and now it finally has. Very smart it is as well.

 

There has been a lot of canal related development along this stretch including the Rothwells wharf and the Alpaca farm – cute!

 

With a bank of wallflowers, squirrels, the water vole we spotted and bluebell woods it’s a good way to start the day. An easy run down the first five locks of the Atherstone flight ably assisted by the volockies made the day even better. We stopped after the A5 bridge and went into Atherstone centre for a wander and some shopping. There is a lovely cake and pie shop right next door to Greggs. We treated ourselves to a lamb, mint and pea pie for lunch – sorry Greggs but the filling choices were better next door.  After lunch we set off again down the rest of the locks, in intermittent light rain,  to Bradley Green.

 

On through Polesworth to moor for the night at the old Pooley Hall colliery in amongst the trees. The Cap’ns choice of rural mooring was superb because as soon as we had tied up, it started to rain proper wet stuff.

Overnight mooring was at ///kind.farmer.linked

B&G

Ready for the off!

Tuesday 11th May 2021

Having had our second Covid jabs and with the Public Health rules relaxing we were ready for the off!. We left home after lunch to travel to Brinklow via a supermarket in Banbury. It’s a shame that the weather is stuck in March.

The new management have improved Brinklow marina so much – thank you Castle Marinas. Once we had unloaded the car we wandered up to the residents tea parlour and chat room for a cup of tea and a book swap. The one thing that has not been changed is the friendly community spirit that was fostered during the dark days of uncertainty.

Wednesday 12th May 2021

Graham filled the water tank and reclaimed his credit from the service post before we left the pontoon. We then moved Jannock down to the service wharf and did a pump-out.  Then out the marina entrance again and this time turning left towards Coventry.

 

A fairly un-eventful cruise which started windy and then became grey with light rain as we proceeded North through Stretton Stop (where the footbridge was open already) and Ansty to Hawkesbury Junction. Brenda worked the stop lock whilst Graham drove Jannock round the very tight bend to get us onto the Coventry Canal heading towards Nuneaton.

 

Shortly after the turn we were approaching the house of our friends and noticed Terry busy working on their boat Grace and so we stopped and tied up alongside for an hour long tea and chat stop. They will be setting off towards Llangollen soon so were preparing their boat for the trip.

Then on through Nuneaton to stop and moor for the night just before Springwood Haven marina at ///flame.tens.monkey

G&B

A visit by the grand-daughters

Saturday May 1st 2021

Moving aboard day. Lots of jobs to do to ready Jannock for a crew with kids cruise tomorrow. Frosts most days in April, so lets hope the weather warms.

It’s been so dry recently that we welcome the deluge that is promised for next week, starting Bank Holiday Monday – just NOT TOMORROW please weather gods.

Graham was surprised how much stuff we had to move from Jannock into the back of the car in order to make the boat ‘toddler safe’

Sunday May 2nd 2021

The weather gods were three star – adequate! The junior Keens’ arrived at Brinklow just after 9am so we had a coffee then off. Out of the marina and turned right towards Rugby. Three excited little girls taking in everything but frustrated that they couldn’t do all those little things that were not safe. That included two and a half year olds wanting to drive the boat all by themselves.

We pulled over at Rugby for a bitsa lunch and a run around on the grassed area by Masters Bridge. We hope everyone was at least full when we continued on our trip.

We continued down to Clifton Cruisers where we just managed to wind at the entrance of the arm with Matt pulling the bows round using a rope. The littluns had got bored now and so it was drawing with crayons and watching a Sean the Sheep DVD in the lounge whilst we returned to Brinklow. Back in the marina, we all went for a walk to find the ponies and their foals in the next field and also had a play around the lake.

Sausage in bread and marmite toast was chosen for tea, with banoffee waffles served by Felicity to follow. A mad half hour of hide and seek, under the bed covers, had the kids so pooped that they were keen to get in the car for a snooze on the way home.

As the rain started we moved Jannock back to our old mooring place, resplendent with new pontoon deck and services posts making it a much safer environment now. A quick tidy up after returning all of the stuff from the back of the car back onto Jannock and then home for a busy week. Hoping to start our summer cruise soon – Covid willing of course.

G&B

Time lapse videos

During our trip around the Thames ring, which was an alternative to our planned route but needed to be done to use the Gold licence we purchased in December, I’ve been making time lapse videos.

The links to the relevant videos are shown at the bottom of each day’s blog but here is a full list incase you would like them all in one place.

https://youtu.be/mQ6QamRk1Bk Hillmorton locks
https://youtu.be/fwGF1kxXOjY Braunston to Weedon
https://youtu.be/6g-wCGWhvhE Stoke Bruerne locks
https://youtu.be/WQzB_2s4ShU Cosgrove to Lindford
https://youtu.be/VM0Zr7Mt3PM Slapton to Marsworth
https://youtu.be/JHpWveUE4QE Aylesbury Arm part 1
https://youtu.be/xECjRvMjjhs Aylesbury Arm part 2
https://youtu.be/w7D9-izlsgg Marsworth flight
https://youtu.be/FjAlM30n9O4 Hemel to Huntonbridge
https://youtu.be/MlKBBhZadls Croxley to Harefield
https://youtu.be/87U5nz6KJMM Harefield to Southall
https://youtu.be/FofVbQo8NTI Southall to Paddington Basin
https://youtu.be/8izPKYe-F8k Bullsbridge to Brentford
https://youtu.be/PXma9UVulEw Brentford to kingston  
https://youtu.be/wH1hcC0ay8k Sunbury to Penton Hook
https://youtu.be/sGcejam2VgA Penton Hook to Dorney common
https://youtu.be/4S2KQZeYxQo Dorney to Cookham
https://youtu.be/8U7ZdOTOdNw Cookham to Hurley
https://youtu.be/6m6qH1vP7_M Henley Caversham
https://youtu.be/aADnid7anDg Pangbourne to Benson
https://youtu.be/1qUFexrjntQ Benson to Culham
https://youtu.be/RNFlemzhHGg Folly to Godstow
https://youtu.be/X6hYTdxfEMY Godstow to Kings with rope
https://youtu.be/OiK63BWzSdw Kings Lock Thrupp
https://youtu.be/7oibHc6jkjg Kirtlington to Somerton Mill
https://youtu.be/LlG_PNDxie0 Somerton to Twyford

Graham

It was twenty years ago today …………

… that we collected Jannock (formerly Powys) from the Black Prince base at Festival Park marina, Stoke on Trent and brought her home.

This is the log report for that day.

Saturday 21st October 2000                9 ¹/₄ Miles  12 Locks  6 Hours   

Arrived at Black Prince base in Stoke on Trent at about 10 AM. Myself, Simon & Matt loaded the boat whilst Brenda took Brian shopping. Morrisons supermarket is about half a mile from the marina at Stoke on Trent. Grocery and bottled ale selection was excellent. Christened the galley, served up bacon and mushroom butties with mugs of  NAAFI tea, in 10 minutes flat. Brian was impressed! Left Festival Park marina at about 11:30 AM. Immediately appreciated Jannock's handling as I managed to reverse her out of the marina without hitting anything. Dropped Brian off to return our car to Thame and pointed the bows towards home  feeling about 10 foot tall. Our objective was to make it to Fenny Compton by Wednesday night as the covered dock was booked for the sign writer on Thursday morning.  Spent most of the day familiarising myself with all of the new things I've got to maintain now. The boss has noted in the log that there is a launderette at Barlaston. It's amazing how passing through the first couple of locks rapidly moulds the crew into a well practiced team. Moored for the night near Stone. I noticed that grease line to stern tube was split and needed maintenance ASAP if we wanted the new stern tube to survive. Could this be the reason for BP having to replace the old one? They've committed that traditional mistake of repairing the damage without finding the fault. The whole crew had a go at trying to tune the television with limited success. Who invented "auto tuning portables"?

I know I’ve got some catching up to do as the Blog is not up to date but this is an anniversary that needed marking.

Graham & Brenda