Sunday 12th July 2009

Early start this morning to decend the Stoke Bruerne 7 locks - managed to share all of them which made it not such back breaking work for George who was lock wheeling.

Another new marina in the making - at Thrupp

Soloman's Bridge at Cosgrove where we moored for the night

This tunnel goes under the canal at Cosgrove

waiting for his dinner!

Saturday 11th July 2009

I set off this morning and did the 'tourist' bit - I visited the museum, took the hand held information recorder and wandered round the site for quite a few happy hours (had to smile to myself as I paid for a 'senior persons' entrance ticket - neither of us can believe what perks being 60 brings - especially free bus rides)

The JE Cook fuel boat came along in the afternoon and we had a laugh and a joke or two as we purchased fuel and gas.

Pip and Roger from narrowboat Windsong introduced themselves to us; they had been in touch with Moore 2 Life who mentioned Rock n Roll to them, and then were most surprised to find us moored in front of them!

Friday 10th July 2009 Off into Blisworth Tunnel - 1.75 miles - it was very wet in places especially under the air vents - it was not good idea to look up to see how far under ground we were! We moored up at Stoke Bruerne just half way between the tunnel and the locks.
We stretched our legs and walked through the village - the copper on the roof of the church was beautiful in the sunlight. We rounded off a very pleasant day with a meal at the Navigation.

Thursday 9th July 2009

Upsticks this morning and cruised to Bugbrook. We moored between bridges 45/46 and walked into the village to collect our post from the post office - this is St Michaels church.

Spent a very social hour or so with Chas and Anne Moore 2 Life later in the evening - the two Molly's got on very well.

Wednesday 8th July 2009

We moored last night at Norton Junction as I'd arranged a Tesco delivery first thing in the morning - we locked through the Buckby flight as soon as the cupboards were full once again
this is us just arriving at Buckby bottom lock. Some boaters had problems with water on the way up the locks - it seemed that some of the paddles or gates had been left open and they came up the locks to open paddles to allow more water down below; we were told that BW had been informed but no one had arrived. When we eventually moored just past Whilton Marina we met a BW officer and asked him if he was checking the low water and he said that he wasn't aware of any problems, but on reflection he said that there had been a report that there was low water at locks 3 and 4 at Whilton - but of course locks 3/4 are at Braunston and that's where they went to check and of course there was no problem there! The boaters actually meant that the problem was at locks 11 and 10 at Whilton (which are the 3rd/4th locks up that flight)!

Thursday 2nd - Tuesday 7th July 2009
Over these 6 days we cruised slowly back to Norton Junction. On Friday 3rd Sheila Smith - signwriter and artist (Shiela did the logo and signwriting on Rock 'n' Roll) passed us going north - good to see you out and about Sheila. We moored once again at Crick Wharf on the Sunday and had a delicious Chinese meal at the Royal Oak in the village.

Wednesday 1st July at Foxton Lock
Although we didn't do these locks we did of course have a wander around the site. All the lock sites on the Leicester section of the Grand Union are very well kept indeed and Foxton is no exception. They are beautifully landscaped and seeing them on such a clear albeit very hot day made for some good photographs.

The shop at the top lock from across the side pound

looking up the locks from the bottom bridge

the bottom lock.

Foxton Boat Services are still based here servicing boats and the provision of consumables etc., mostly ex-stock so there is no need to prior order. They also have a small general store and the pub 61. We purchased oil, air and fuel filters and oil ready for our next engine service - it was good to see Sam Matts again.

Foxton Locks Inn - a nice place to watch the world go by.

Wednesday 1st July 2009 - Grand Union Leicester Line to Foxton Locks

Yesterday we cruised up to bridge 41 just before Welford Junction - a very nice mooring. George spent the day doing an engine service and we walked down the Welford Arm to the Wharf Inn for a meal. This picture is looking down the Arm from the junction as we cruised past today.

... and this is looking back the way we had come

... just coming out of the northern portal of Husband Bosworth tunnel.

.... these trees looked very precarious leaning as they did over the canal - but a pretty sight nevertheless

.... the views through the trees was beautiful indeed!


We eventually moored just above Foxton Locks.

Monday 29th June

Passing Crack Hill at bridge 14 - we walked here yesterday - it was very hot and muggy - 30 degrees C - and the rain came down in buckets from about 6pm.

Another new marina - this one is at Yelvertoft.


We moored at bridge 24 and had a BBQ

Saturday 27th June

Found a small wildlife park by bridge 14 just north of Crick Marina - Molly enjoyed a good old romp with this other terrier!

Crick village in the distance

Friday 26th June

Very muggy today - we moved onto the Leicester Line.

Started out from Norton Junction at 6:15 am hoping to get through Crick locks before anyone else got up - this lovely canal side property was up for sale, the house on the right is a holiday let in a very nice setting

we were most surprised to find a queue at Watford Locks as they are now keeper operated (we need to update our Nicholson Guide).

...... not to worry though we had a smooth journey through.

....... and the journey through Crick tunnel went okay too, except that it is very wet at the northern end!







We moored at Crick wharf and walked through the village - lots of houses were in the throes of having their roofs re-thatched - this one was rather spectacular.

Just after our walk the heavens opened, but it didn't get any cooler or fresher.

14th to 25th June 2009
On 24th we moved up to Buckby Top Lock - it was very busy! Had a Tesco delivery.

Deisel fill-up from the JE Cook boat from Stoke Bruerne - see our new pram hood?

The colour of the barley in a field just off the towpath at Buckby was a sight to behold.

Emerging from Braunston Tunnel on the 23rd - having pram hood fitted at Whelton by AJ Canopies

Monday 22nd - back at Braunston - the boats have started to arrive for the rally this weekend.

15th - moved up to Braunston once again and moored opposite The Mill House, but then had a call from AJ Canopies to say that they are unable to sort out our new pram hood until Friday so we moved back to the South Oxford, bridge 101 - nice mooring

Monday 1st - 13th June 2009

Refuelled etc at Rose Narrowboats and moved just a short distance down the Oxford into the sunlight (our mooring there was in the shade near the bridge so that Nigel (carpenter at Rose Narrowboats) could keep an eye on it for us; we stayed there for a couple of days recuperating from our very busy and enjoyable weekend at Marks.

On Thursday 4th we moved on to Tesco's at bridge 58 - this parakeet was sitting just opposite our mooring, it seemed very comfortable there even when people were standing a few feet away looking at it - it stayed there most of the day, when we came back from shopping it was sitting on the top of our boat- it flew off down the canal later, but was back the following day.

We had to take Molly to the vets (Rainsbrook Veterinary ) in Rugby as she'd developed a cyst between her toes on her back right paw; the vet applied a poultice and advised that we took her to their practice at Hillmorton on Saturday morning to have it removed and checked which we did. After a course of antibiotics she now seems completely recovered.

Met Marion and Mike for lunch on Sunday 7th at the Rose Inn at Willoughby which has recently been restored after a fire nearly completely destroyed it. The Inn is now under new management who has also now taken over the The Admiral Nelson at Braunston which is very good news. We stayed in the area for a very relaxing couple of days.

On the 10th (Wednesday) we upped-sticks at moved on to Bruanston for services and shopping and then on Thursday moved onto the Oxford just before bridge 99 - another great mooring (and all the way past bridge 101 too)

and just look at this sunset taken here at 18 minutes past 8 on the 13th - what a fabulous picture!!

Thursday 21st - Sunday 31st May

After that brilliant day in Coventry we returned to Hawkesbury Junction and the following morning found that our middle pin had been pulled out; it was fastened back onto the boat so we didn't lose it, but the next day we realised that our boat pole was missing - both incidents must have happened whilst we we either at the Greyhound for a meal on Wednesday evening our whilst we were out walking the dog. Up to this point we have always enjoyed our stays there.

We left Hawkesbury on the 24th to move to Hopsford Aquaduct, just past bridge 19 - saw 'the other' Rock n Roll moored along the way.

Nice mooring here but not always possible to get close in to the side - nice open views though over the golf course and over the tow path side too for walking - the buttercups and clover were beautiful.

We stayed at the aquaduct until 27th when we up-sticked at moved on to Rose Narrowboats where we were leaving the boat to spend a few days with our son and family, returning on the 31st.