Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Thursday 25 April 2013

25th April '13

Sorry for the lack of blog last night - it wasn't for the want of trying but I had a disaster (best said as Craig Revel Horwood). I plugged my iphone in as per usual and it asked if I wanted to download the latest edition, naturally I thought that would be a good idea - NOT SO..... after 30+minutes my phone shut down and I lost my connection and nothing could be done to rectify the situation. There was actually some conversation between me and the phone at this point - well not so much conversation as it didn't reply, but words were said.

This morning I had to go into town to the 3 shop where I waited for them to open at 9, helpful if somewhat young oik told me that they didn't have access to itunes which is what my phone was asking for. I ask you - a phone shop - selling iphones - with no access to itunes - where's the sense in that????? They suggested a computer shop around the corner - so off I trundle (thinking that our departure was getting later than expected) only to find that said computer shop didn't open until 9.30. So off I go back to the boat to explain to John what's happening and have a comfort break (wee) and then trek back to shop, that still isn't open but I'm first in when the shutters went up! Another young and friendly guy is unsure what to do, but his helpful boss, by now serving the other person who came in the shop at the same time as me, would know what to do. At least they had itunes so we were getting somewhere. Eventually boss is able to come over and tell me that my phone has hit a brick and has to be restored to it's original settings - not with everything I've loaded on it but as per virgin phone. GREAT. Anyway they did this and at least I now have my phone and internet again but instead of it being Nancy's iphone on the identity it's now something else and I have no facebook on it so will have to re-load it. Even plugging it into my computer and syncing it hasn't worked. GRRRRRR.

ANYWAY - back to the blog. We liked Banbury a lot and stayed there until this morning (see above). It's a lovely little town with lots of small shopping lanes with many independant shops. We had a lovely lunch in the oldest pub in the town The Reindeer Inn, and found everyone very friendly. I forgot my camera but took photos on my phone - guess what happened to them? Anyway there's lots of lovely architecture and I'm sure if you Google Banbury you can see what we saw!

Banbury was one of the very few places I'd have liked to stay - this is obviously the general point of view as lots of boats appeared to go through but on closer inspection they were pretty much the same few going backwards and forwards over the almost 48 hours we were there.

The weather has been lovely again today - in fact it's been a real Wind in the Willows day - simply nothing is better than messing about in boats.

We've decided that we really like the South Oxford canal - it's certainly beautiful in most places and the moorings seem fairly plentiful and good. Even the locks are friendly in the main.



Mother and baby duck! There were quite a few ducklings about but they were hard to see and too far from mum.


This section of canal is known for it's lift bridges - luckily left open mostly. They mean that the farmer can get to fields on the far side of the canal and boats aren't left having to stop every 5 minutes - it also negates the need for moorings for boats to pull into and out of.


This is one of the locks we've done today - there are some deep ones on this stretch - I think this is about 10' but tomorrow we do one that is actually called Somerton Deep Lock and is 12' and is one of two of the deepest narrow locks in the country! One good thing about them is that the bottom gate is a single and not double as usual which means that John doesn't do his stepping over bit so that's a relief for me!


In fact here he is shutting the gate while I wait outside for him! See the sky - oh it was a lovely day.


Amongst the reeds down there is the river Cherwell which was on our left for most of the day - and very close! Just the other side of the towpath. It's quite narrow and doesn't seem very significant but it does in fact help feed the canal.


Believe it or not this is classed as a river section - you can just see on the right a stone structure that takes the towpath over the weir, which is something of a non-event. Maybe it gets a bit more scary when the rivers in full flow, but it was at the top of the green on the board which means that only an inch or two means you have to proceed with caution. I was doing this on my own at this point so it shows you that it's really nothing. John was up ahead opening the lock for me that is under the bridge ahead.


This has to be the weirdest lock on the system! It's Aynho Lock and called diamond shaped in the guide but you can just about see that it's sort of lozenge shaped really. Very difficult to hold the boat in as you go in and out at the centre of the shape and it narrows both sides. Certainly a tricky one if you're on your own - especially if it's a long boat as you can't really get to the sides easily.

We moored just after this before we got to Aynho Wharf where we want to stop to get water tomorrow. While we were moving I got 3 loads of washing done and since it was such a nice day we got the clothes line out and so here we are being domestic!


Me pleased to have washing drying in the sunshine - first time in about a year!


And here's John cleaning the chimney! See the lovely rural scene in the background - it really is nice here.


John came shooting in the boat to get the binoculars as he'd spotted loads of yellow birds in the field opposite - it turns out that they are Yellow Wagtails! Can't believe how yellow they are - I've only seen the usual black and white ones before!

We've been under the M40 twice today - hopefully that is now it! We are about 20 miles and 13 locks away from Oxford now so we'll be there for the weekend at some point - just in time to be there to watch Endeavour on Sunday night. Then the Thames - still trying not to think about it too much!

1 comment:

  1. Hope you found somewhere to moor in Oxford. We found lots of room on the Thames moorings just after Osney bridge. Might need a snooze after all the hail, wind and rain. Nice to meet you today and hopefully see you again soon. Allison and Dave NB Free spirit.

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