Sunday 31st May

Upper Heyford to Wolverton Junction

Foolishly decided to stop for lunch at the Rock of Gibraltar. I was suspicious when I saw that the moorings were empty and sure enough they were not doing food. It seems that it has changed hands again and have not yet got their act together. Having gone to the effort of moor we decided to have a beer anyway which was also a bad idea as none of the three beers were on form but not bad enough to reject. Carried on to Wolvercote junction where we moored on the mooring below the lock and just past the junction. Unfortunately at Wolvercote lock Muffin tried to walk across the bottom gate on what looked like a board that you could walk on but it was not wide enough and he fell in again. After dinner on board we walked down the towpath to the Plough Inn on the green at Wolvercote which I had always noticed when passing. Despite being a Greene King pub they do usually have a real guest beer and one was put on during our visit, Robinsons Dizzy Blonde. Andy left us here to go home and we walked back to the boat via the national cycleway number 5.

Saturday 30th May

Banbury to Upper Heyford

Myself and Andy went to Morrisons first thing and Martin went shopping in the mall. So a late start hampered by a wait for two other boats at the first lock. Decided to have a barbecue at Upper Heyford so we moored short of the lock where this is a sheltered wide towpath. After that we walked up the hill to the Barley Mow for some Fullers beers including their new Oliver's Island.

Friday 29th May

Cropredy to Banbury

A wet morning and not far to go so we delayed our departure till after lunch and arranged for Andy to meet us in Cropredy rather than Banbury. We got a bit wet a few times on the way and moored on the offside outside the Castle Quays shopping centre. Went to the Olde Reindeer Inn for a meal and stayed there to enjoy the Hook Norton beers.

Thursday 28th May

Fenny Compton to Cropredy

Set off earlier today around 10am. Had a good run down the Claydon locks meeting boats coming the other way at every one. Once again remembered a great time many years ago (1984?) spent playing Northampton skittles and drinking cider in the Rising Sun pub that is no longer, just a bus stop named after it as a reminder. Stopped for lunch below the bottom lock. Carried on to Cropredy where we went through the lock and filled up with water before mooring for the night. Took Muffin for a walk round the village and booked a table in the Brasenose Arms which was advertising its dog friendliness on a sign by the lock! They had a real pie on the menu so I had that.

Wednesday 27th May

Braunston to Fenny Compton

Muffin wanted to go out very early today, 630am! So we went for a wander round Braunston marina. Later on I went to Midland chandlers and Wharf House narrowboats chandlery. Stopped for a late lunch at the Folly Inn at the bottom of Napton locks. I had foolishly believed their website which said that they would be serving food till 230, but on arriving at the bar I was informed that had already stopped serving food. So we just had a pint in the garden in the sunshine. Worked our way up the locks and pressed on to Fenny Compton where we moored on the end of the long term moorings as it was 8pm by then. Unfortunately whilst I was mooring Muffin jumped off the rear deck and ended up half in the water. I pulled him out and after we had eaten our dinner I fired up the generator to use the hairdryer on him. Unfortunately this meant were then too late to go the pub again.

Tuesday 26th May

Crick to Braunston

New batteries arrived before 11am and we were ready to leave at about 1130. On arrival at Watford locks there was a queue and we were told that we were number 18 on the list. Several hours later and after much shuffling we got to the locks. Had a clear run through the Braunston tunnel. Considered mooring above the locks at Braunston but decided to carry on instead. The boat that was behind us in the queue at Watford caught us up at the second lock but they took the last place in the pound below the Admiral Nelson. We tried to moor by the main entrance to Braunston marina past the end of mooring sign but there were still rings, however there was an underwater obstruction so it was not suitable. So we carried on a bit and moored in a free space on the long term moorings. By this time it was 9pm and by the time we had eaten it was too late to go to the pub.

Monday 25th May

Crick

As promised the boat inside of us left at 830am leaving us next to the bank so Muffin can come and go as he pleases now. The almost empty gas bottle finally ran out and I went to get an exchange all the way from the marina. Dave arrived with a friend from Nuneaton and we met up in the entertainment tent. I bought a 150w solar panel,  an all black one like the old Siemens ones but bigger and just the right size to fit behind the exhaust. After the show had closed we moved to fill up with water at Crick wharf then carried on to the winding hole to turn around.  We spotted a space marked for a 55ft boat on the way and tried to get into it on the way back but we didn't fit.  So we carried on back to Crick wharf and took up the offer made to us earlier by the guy who has the mooring outside the Moorings restaurant to use his vacant mooring.  This is where we had arranged for the new batteries to be delivered so we didn't need to get up early to move again. After dinner on board we walked into the village for a pint in the Wheatsheaf.

Sunday 24th May

Moored at Crick

Took Muffin for a long walk up to bridge 15 to check out a possible mooring spot with better tv and phone reception. On my return our neighbours announced that they were planning to leave early tomorrow so we decided to stay put.

I went back to the show to see the third battery supplier and everything else.

After the show had closed we went there for dinner alfresco and to listen to the music. The entertainment tent was packed due to the headline act, Hazel O'Connor.

Saturday 23rd May

Moored at Crick

Visted the show late in the afternoon and stayed on to enjoy the music and the beer festival. Took Muffin for a walk up Cracks hill to enjoy the sunset. He was thoroughly enjoying it, unfortunately he got carried away and decided to roll in some cow shit.

Friday 22nd May

Watford to Crick

Moved on through Crick tunnel. There was no one to greet us with our goody bag and instructions to where our reserved mooring was. However we were soon hailed by another boat that we were supposed to breast up with. This was hardly closer to the festival than last year despite having paid even more for a class 2 mooring. However we eventually managed to get a tv signal by deploying the big aerial. We also managed to get 3G for the mifi but it was so weak that we couldn't do much. In the evening we went to the festival for the beer and entertainment.

Thursday 21st May

Braunston to Watford (no not that one)

Decided to try to get to Crick today as it's only supposed to be 5 1/2 hrs if there isn't any queueing at the locks. On arrival at Braunston bottom lock there were already 2 boats waiting. So after waiting for them to go through we ended up sharing with another boat that we had been moored near with a dog that Muffin had played with yesterday. Lunch on the run again and turned at Norton junction to go north towards Crick. Surprised to find no boats waiting at Watford locks. We were allowed to go straight up the first 2 locks but waited in the first for a boat coming down. There were two volunteers assisting the lock keeper. At the top we stopped to top up with water etc. By this time we had decided due to the nice weather not to get to Crick today but to have a barbecue in the countryside south of the tunnel.

Wednesday 20th May

Rugby to Braunston

One of the two bottom locks at Hillmorton is being repaired so one of each of the other 2 pairs are also out of use. Never the less we were only held up for a short time at the second lock. We had lunch on the run and moored early on the outskirts of Braunston as usual. We walked to the Admiral Nelson where we had a table booked in the games room. For a change we had wine with our meals and both were excellent.

Tuesday 19th May 2015

Brinklow marina to Rugby

Eventually left the marina at 6.40pm but didn't have far to go to reach Dave who was moored at Brownsover. After a spicy beef salad on board we walked into town. We went to the Victoria Inn first, but dogs are not allowed in the lounge bar and there were no seats in the  public bar. So we went to the Merchants Inn instead.