27th April '13

One of the nicest bits about boating is the people you meet. We met a lovely couple today who are also going to Bath, although on a slightly different timescale as us, and we are hoping to meet them along the way - possibly at a pub? Anyway Allison and Dave, nice to have met you and really hope we see you again, hope you found a mooring on the Thames!

We actually started off at 9 today! Yes, really we did. This is pretty amazing, those who know us will have to admit. Actually it felt pretty good, and I'm sure we'll be ready for bed tonight. Well we've made it to Oxford, and have actually got a brilliant mooring very near the Isis lock that takes us onto the Thames. We're going to stay here until Monday though and do a bit of exploring. We've had a quick wander into the city and remember almost nothing about it from our previous trips here. Senility really is creeping in - well galloping almost - still we are learning to enjoy it!

John kept getting it mixed up with Cambridge - he's decided that Oxbridge really exists and that we are there!

Weather has been cold again and there have been a few outbreaks of rain, but it's been very short lived, barely time to get an anorak on really. Last night we had a pretty impressive hail storm after I'd written the blog. We had no TV signal and so are working our way through the Red Dwarf DVD's that Chloe gave us for Christmas. Great fun. John is pretty hopeful that we are OK here as we want to watch Endeavour tomorrow night - we really are that sad - but hey - Oxford in the 60's, we're pretty much there.

Family names number whatever. My maiden name was Marshall so this was close enough to count I felt - also pretty unusual for a boat name.

The next in the series - and here we have the proper spelling for Katie! At least for our Katie....

These are work boats for the CRT and they are doing some much needed maintenance to the canal edges - it really is falling in at lots of points along the way so these were a welcome sight.

They are now using these bales of a hessian type material as plants etc can grow into them and apparently voles can also nibble their way in to nest, so very environmentally sound.

Here's the repair complete. There is hessian abutted to wattles and then covered with mud dredged from the canal all held in with wooden posts that stay there to keep it all together until nature takes over and then we presume they sort of rot away eventually. I thought you'd like that little lesson in canal tow path maintenance - never let it be said that you don't learn stuff from here - not a lot maybe but I try to scatter nuggets of knowledge when I can.

I took this photo a couple of days ago and then didn't add it as I wasn't sure it was interesting, but now I think it's a bit more relevant. This is a section of tow path that has been allowed to return to nature - not only are the edges poor but the path is completely lost in overgrown shrubs and trees. A section that desperately needs some TLC one feels. At the moment walkers have to trek across the field next to it to get past and this is a designated footpath!

We have come through several of the lift bridges today and some of them have been down and locked - the first one we came to I jumped off and said I'd do it (a first) anyway I couldn't shift it and felt a bit foolish - so John gets off the boat as I get back on and he discovers that it needs a key. I have the key on the boat and much to John's horror, I throw it onto shore. I don't know why he was so worried - it didn't go in the water despite him screaming, and then he went back to unlock said bridge - after a few minutes in which the air above him became blue and full of !*!!** type marks, he said he'd need his pliers. He clambered back on the boat for them - I'm sure I COULD have thrown them - and eventually he managed to open the blessed thing. None of the others were as bad but apparently that one is notorious.

This is the view from our bow. You can see the bridge that goes over Isis lock ahead. It looks lovely and peaceful but we appear to have the train station on our right and a beautiful Church with an Italianate bell tower that insists on ringing out the hours. mmmmm - a quiet night may not be on the cards.

We are about to go out in search of a takeaway as a treat - plus we've bought some fudge from the shop in town where they make it so that's pudding sorted. Diet not going so well.