practising with a vid.

Cratch sorted out at Braunston,. The side painted at Braunston. New pump at Braunston. So thats enough of Braunston.

The lovely Watford flight was done, although we had to wait in the bottom pound for an hour, whilst 3 boats came down. No worries, we had lunch , and I took photos of all the flies that seemed to hand around this place. Loads of them. I hope its not something to do with our new Compostypotty.

Now moored at the Welford junction. Windy and looks like rain, but we are snug. and looking forward to cracking open an easter egg or two.  Ha !  I bet you thought I was going to say wine . !!!

Tomorrow the Awesome Foxton Locks. !

 Cor, look at this lot

 Watford Flight of locks. Mick is in the Staircase

 Stencilled the anchor. !!

 Lovely mooring

 View from the library !!!

 Crick Tunnel, Very Wet 

 The Bull has been busy, look at all these calves. 

Watering up with a NEW Hoselock hose, that manages to keep Mick dry, we had a chat with a bloke on a boat with 3 Jack Russells and 6 Puppies, that he was hoping to flog for £250 each.  Bet the boat  ponged a bit or a lot.   Anyway I had a snuggle with a puppy, so sweet, but not my sort of dog.  Grandad Hurrey always favoured Jacks, and they all seemed to be called Rags. !

Did the Buckby lock with a hire boat. A really nice foursome.  The blokes were “ something” in the city. But with other boats going back to their hirebase on a Saturday morning, we were up them like a dose of salts. Great. Seriously. !

Now then, Airhead is still great, but I must remember to empty the pee-pot every 2 days, especially if we have had beer.  Emptied it the other morning after 3 days, and had wee wee all over my feet and splashed all around the sink.. I don’t want it to be a case of “splash it all over, ‘arry “.

Now in Braunston, and had to fork out for a new pump( a Gulper, seriously, that’s what they are called.) in the shower room.

The pump that came off was top of the range brass one, but sadly must be about 20 years old..   However, when Mick looked at it properly it is an impeller system, and although some teeth were missing and it was fouled up with hair, maybe it might just still work. ????

Picked up a Tillergraph in the chandlery, and saw that there was to be a big stoppage on the L and L canal.  Oh no, told everyone that we would not be getting up to the pennines this year. Anyway, talking to Jan about our misfortune, she enquired as to which Tillergraph and I looked at the date. Errr, Ehm Ehm,  its was November last year.   DOH ! 

So, Happy Days, we will still be Pennining, and still be going to Shabs Indian restaurant with Chris and Mike. !!!! Whey Hey. !

Sunny with a cold wind at Braunston

 thats us !

 give us a drink, come on

 Braunston

 Finlay loves to be free of the lead, !!

Wednesday was Northampton. Big Bertha ( pressure cooker) bought, and as Mick had nearly run out of scotch, we had a frantic rush to Morrisons. !

Thursday morning up the flight, and twas done in 4 hours. Some of the paddles  are worse than last year.  No’s 3, 6, 7 and 8/9, were almost impossible to move.If I had not had my strong mate with me, I would have had to phone CRT and ask for help. Seriously.

So at Northampton a new Bar/Rest being assembled on the Midsummer Meadow mooring. Looks like a lego ship

On the Nene, a visiting boat decided that it was ok to moor on a lock landing, and were dually told that it wasn’t . An elderly single lady travelling with 2 other boats apparently had quite a job negotiating this boat

This morning waking up on the GU always makes me smile. We awoke to the sound of our algae trimmed bottom being nibbled at by ducks, lambs bleating, a buzzard mewling and the Virgin intercity wooshing past over the fields. Great. Seriously.

We have fuelled up, and used a new Hoselock hose for watering up.  Now the Cap’n isn’t getting a shower every time he waters up. The other one we bought was cr..  rubbish/

Next stop Braunston for cratch mending, new shower pump etc, before we turn back to trundle up the Leicester arm.

Tonight a nosh at The Hearts of Oak. Great, seriously. !!!!

 Old grey face

 1st ducklings aaaahhh

 Trundle's spiritual home Weedon

 Its not THAT cold. !!!

 Lego Ship

 Lovely mooring at Midsummer Meadow

 Last lock on the Nene

 the End is in sight for the flight of locks.

 Hey, whats been going on here ????

Today, Tuesday, we are at Weston Favell. So tomorrow, it will be about 2 hrs into Northampton to our mooring on Midsummer Meadow. Then its into Argos, for Pressure Cooker, New flat hosepipe. Mick bought a cheap-o one, and it keeps bursting and covering him in water, we need some sealant, and I have decided we need new bath towels.

Mick saw an otter ! all of about 5 secs. Oh, yes the batteries are dyeing on us. Well they are 4 years old. Oh, yes and we have to go to Braunston to get the cratch zip mended. What a good start to our trip.

I have used my NEW mini twin tub, but  very small loads, so that I don’t break it AGAIN.

So its UP the Roserthorpe Flight on Thursday am, and onto the Grand Union. Hooray. !

Floods Ferry to Oundle

So having told folks that we were going to stop at Ferry Meadows( lovely) for 2 nights, we changed our minds.

The weather was murky and no good at all for boat painting, and having forgotten to pack Mick any vests and hankies, I have now found that I have left the pressure cooker behind( my treasured possession). So, after a bit of deliberation we decided to leave for Elton.

We saw a red kite and a buzzard having a dust-up, 2 grebes doing the head bobbing thing, and loads of little birds with nest making material in their beaks. Such a lovely time of year.

Verdict on the new Composting Potty??? So far, absolutely brilliant. I wont bore( or make you feel ill) with the details.

Tomorrow = Oundle and a new pressure cooker. ! 

Now at Oundle. The "Posh" shop wanted to extract £90 for a pressure cooker!!!  Hmph, tis only for the narrowboat and a £30 one will do just fine.

Into the clubhouse for a jar or two this evening. Normally here with J&M+2, sadly they are missing this year.  

2014 Trip

We will be "off " on thursday.

Up the Leicester arm of the GU, accross  The Trent to Shardlow to get onto the Trent and Mersey, upto Stoke, explore the little Caldon canal. Then up the Maccie, explore the Peak Forest canal. Over top Manchester, up the Rochdale, and accross to Castleford and onto the Leeds & Liverpool canal. Over the Pennines, then back down to Middlewich ?  can't remember, but then over to Chester for some cricket, and then down the Shroppie.  All to be done slowly.

Neither of us is sleeping well at the moment, due to excitement. But I reckon the first day "out", with all that fresh air, and we will be snoring by 8pm. !!!!!