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Fortified by a glass of sherry, in honour of my mum,  I feel ready to tackle a long overdue blog post – I was surprised to see my last entry was October 1st 2024! Tied to a tree near Osney bridge in Oxford, for 2 and a half months, due to the Thames being unsafe to navigate,  we managed to move to Thrupp in early November,  where the boat remained for the winter.  It was a hairy moment turning into Sheepwash from the river to reach the canal. We were moored about 50yds upstream of the turn but had to go past the turn and about, to approach the channel  facing upstream.  Just as we started to move  a boat appeared in the opposite direction.  Terrible timing! I very nearly came a cropper and narrowly avoided being swept sideways down the Thames.  The sticky moment was saved by shouted instructions from both R and our friend S. Meanwhile his wife was recording the near fiasco from the safety of the towpath! All was calm once safely back on canal waters. I calculated that in the past 15 months, nearly all on stretches of river,  we have only managed to cruise for under four months! In my nievity of planning,  I had not appreciated quite how important it is to make sure you plan your river boating for the summer months!

Now, a new adventure awaits us, beginning with getting the boat from Thrupp to Banbury,  for a full engine service,  in preparation for travelling towards the north of England.  Family commitments have meant that we couldn’t just move in our own time.  We had to plan mooring near railway stations to return home for a few days. Each time we leave the boat,  we turn off all the batteries, so any fridge and freezer food has to come with us, along with our washing.  We really have turned into bag  people! Finding ourselves without a car when we left Thrupp,  we had to transport our newly aired mattress topper back to the boat via taxi,  train and bus.  Wrapped in black plastic,  it could have been mistaken for a body!

Whilst in London we went to a nearby music venue which does jazz and folk evenings.  It’s very popular so you often share a table.  We got chatting to a French lady whilst her Italian partner was buying drinks.  She said he had a property in Oxford by the canal.  He told us we’d recognise it because he has chickens in the garden.  I realised,  since I’m sure not many properties have chickens, that his flat mate is the girlfriend of R’s nephew.  Small world!

At Lower Heyford,  a great place to stop because the canal runs parallel to the train and station, we met a lovely man called J who had had his boat 5 years but for two of those he nursed his wife so they were unable to use it.  After her death, he decided he would travel alone,  much to the concern of his children,  but he has found it a very healing place to be. 48 years married,  he said, ‘I miss the fact I have no one to do nothing with!’. They met both driving HGVs, when she was 17.   She was dangling by her arms on the door of the lorry because she wasn’t tall enough for her feet to touch the ground.  In the cab itself she had wooden blocks to reach the pedals – not sure health and safety would allow that now!

Our boat service revealed sticky fuel,  noticeable in the fuel filters, so for the third time since owning the boat,   we had to have the fuel ‘polished’. Matt at Tooley Boatyard has a wealth of experience.  Infact, I think he said they were the first boatyard to recognise diesel bug and treat it by ‘polishing’ (the fuel is sieved numerous times through fine filters until all the bug is removed). The rise of sticky fuel is the result of the government decreeing that 12% (not the recommended 5%) of all fuel should have bio diesel added to it.  This shortens the life of the diesel and it can go off in the tank,  leading to a sticky substance adhering to parts of the engine and blocking the fuel injectors.  I now understand the importance of fuel filters which hopefully prevent the sticky fuel getting into the engine.  The dilemma for people who leave their boats unmoved for a few months is how much fuel to leave in the tank.  Owing to the fact steel boats have steel fuel tanks, to prevent condensation forming,  it is preferable to leave the tank full (condensation leads to a layer of water in the bottom of the tank and between the water and the diesel,  diesel bug grows). However,  with a full tank of diesel with bio fuel, you risk sticky fuel, so Matt says current thinking is to leave the tank empty. We’re between a rock and a hard place! There are additives that can help prevent these problems occurring but in our case they haven’t done much good! Regular polishing may be the answer but that’s another expense! Or perhaps we shall just have to keep travelling throughout the winter months as well as the summer,  taking short trips home to offset the cold!

We went past the Blue Lias pub in Long Itchington which brought back many memories as this was the pub that our son left us at with all our belongings, ready to go on the boat that never moved because it’s engine never worked! We would probably never have found Naomhog had it not been for that faulty engine. It all seems a long time ago. Infact we are now into our fourth year of owning Naomhog and having mainly explored the south we are ready to venture further afield!

One of the fun parts of joining the Canal Ministeries team is that we now have friends all over the network,  although you are never quite sure where anyone is! The BCF (Boaters Christian Fellowship) offers the same opportunity of connection.  So when we arrived at The Folly pub in Napton (a favourite mooring of ours.  In lockdown the pub was tents and a large shed in the garden – this was the first time we made it into the actual pub, which was cosy and welcoming,  with great food) it was lovely to moor up unexpectedly next to a BCF member we knew. The following night we moored next to the friends who helped get us safely off the Thames at Oxford and travelled with us to Thrupp.  As well as being part of CM they are also Waterways Chaplains.  A sense of community enhances our travels.  I even posted a request for help up the Hatton flight on the BCF Facebook page and two angels appeared! They even took a bag of washing home for us!

The Hatton flight seems to be like marmite.  Boaters either love it or hate it.    21 locks in quick succession, with stiff paddles to turn and heavy gates to push open and shut.  They accommodate two boats and we were thankful to find another boat ready to go up early in the morning with us.  As the locks seemed set in our favour (they were empty) we wanted to be the first to use them, so an 8am start was proposed. Typically, the one morning my alarm needed to wake me it didn’t,  but the sunlight thankfully did and we were sitting in the tearoom at the top of the flight by 11am. I worked the first 10 locks as R steered the boat in tandem with the other narrowboat and C’s wife.  C was super fit and fast and would run up to the next lock to get it ready, once he’d opened the gate to let a boat out. Meanwhile, I would close my gate,  let down both paddles and walk as fast as able to the next lock.   My energy depleted,   I was relieved to swop roles with R. It was a great feeling of accomplishment once we reached the top and moored up for the rest of the day. 

A little later in the afternoon we walked to ‘Hatton Country World’, a mixture of small shops and family activities.  There was even a swimming pool,  open to the public,  but not on a day that suited us.  A shame because I would have liked a decent sized shower and hair wash! Walking back to the boat we passed a narrowboat selling his homemade fenders, so we treated ourselves to two as ours were totally caked in mud and lock sludge. 

Then we passed a boat called Olive, which was just mooring up.  We got chatting to the middle aged lady and her son, who I thought looked vaguely familiar. It didn’t take long to realise he was the vlogger who had been on the Bridgewater canal when the breach occurred on 1st January 2025. I, along with 1.2million other viewers, watched the drama unfolding as he recorded what was happening for all to see! It was a miserable start to their new year, especially as they thought they might be stranded there for months.  But every cloud has a silver lining and his vlog, on You tube, (Taylorsaboardanarrowboat)  now has many more viewers. As this is how he makes a living,  that is a good thing!

Moored next to Hatton station, we were able to take a train into Warwick. I would like to say we saw the castle,  but we never found it! However we did meet up with friends we have known for 50 years.  F and I lived in the same village, went to grammar school together and then coincidentally, trained to nurse at the same hospital! The last time we met was over 25 years ago,  bumping into one another in a restaurant in Bishops Stortford. We’d just come off a plane with our kids and they all chose a different place to eat,  so it was totally random that we ended up at the same pizza place. My dad blessed the marriage of this couple.  Funnily enough I then saw today on FB a couple my dad married 50 years ago in the same church, a strange coincidence. The FB picture showed the couple in the porch of the church,  which is also where we got married. Happy memories!

It’s great being on the boat again.  I wasn’t sure how I’d feel as we’d got so used to being in London and loving it.  I thought I might have lost my love of the water.  Happily that is not the case. Once in the boat, London recedes to the background and we can appreciate all the countryside and wildlife that is now right outside our door.  R also gets to chop and split wood,  which he no longer needs to do when ashore. This used to be his favourite destressing occupation. Our current TV series is The Chosen, which I would really recommend.  You can download an app with all the series ready to watch.   It’s about the life of Jesus seen through the eyes of his followers and is very appropriate in this lenten season. It’s really well produced.  Originally Series 1 was financed through crowd funding but due to it’s popularity they have now released Series 5. We are barely into Series 3 but hope to complete the marathon by Easter.

#narrowboating #canalministeries #taylorsaboardanarrowboat #thecut #boaterschristianfellowship #nature #Christiansconnectonthecut #canals  #stpancrascruisingclub #waterways #standrewschurchfarnham #kxc

Our definition of a dirty weekend –  24hrs in a Travelodge!! Such is our desperation to have a bath and a respite from the rain,  we found a Travelodge a couple of miles from the boat and booked ourselves in on Sunday night. I had an inkling we’d get a good deal,  being a Sunday and thought £28 was great value for a big bed, a TV and plenty of hot water for both baths and showers!!

We attended St Aldates church on Sunday morning,  it having been recommended to us as a church with lively worship and good preaching.  The vicar there used to be Simon Ponsonby, who wrote a book on the book of Romans from the bible,  which I happened to have on my bookshelf.  Imagine my delight to actually meet him and then find we had mutual boating friends! Oxford is awash with churches so we have seen one or two this week – we went to a reflective choral evensong on Friday at Christ Church Oxford, set rather prettily in the college quadrant, referred to locally as Oxford cathedral. Yesterday,  we walked back from the Travelodge via Summertown and visited an Anglican Church there,  whose vicar is the brother of one of our friends. As it was locked,  we had to make do with peering through the windows,  but it looked impressive,  with a fine modern glass extension and from the notices,  it appeared to be a lively community church with lots going on. R had been at prepschool at Summertown 60 years ago,  so it was a trip down memory lane for him. Every other shop now appears to be an eatery! The walk to and from the Travelodge gave us some much needed exercise. However the rain continued so by the time we returned to the boat, the water level was even higher than when we left. 

When we moored up a week ago, the lock keeper optimistically thought the red boards would be designated yellow or green by the beginning of this week.  Looking out of our porthole this morning,  the white sky above and the raindrops pattering,  I am not so sure when we will be able to move.  There’s still plenty of firewood, so the cold is not an issue but I think we will be trudging along the towpath with our 10L water  flagons, looking for a drinking tap later today.  The engine, needing to be run for at least an hour daily,  has been purring in the background as i write this,  topping up our batteries mainly so the fridge can keep running.  We’ve taken to turning the fridge off overnight – a trick of the trade! (Another top tip is to put frozen food that is soon to be eaten into the fridge compartment to help keep the fridge cold as the food slowly defrosts)  R is more upbeat than me about the weather improving enough for us still to get back to London via the river.  This time last year, the Thames  became unnavigable from the third week in October,  so we are on countdown! Especially as the red boards could remain in place for five months.

We are thankful for a seemingly secure mooring and a watertight boat – many are struggling on the waterways with this weather or devastated with their   homes inundated  with flood waters.  Our scenario is frustrating and we need patience but we don’t feel in danger – it’s just a reminder that even though we have a plan,  we are infact at the mercies of the weather and natural forces outside of our control. A saluatory lesson for life!

0500hrs

Have we not learnt anything in our three years of owning our boat? In September 2022 we were on The Thames in London,  wondering how the river would be flowing and if and when we could make it on to the River Wey. All through October, we were held up on Red boards (when the river stream is so fast,  your insurance is invalidated if you do decide to travel and then have an accident) and eventually arrived at our winter mooring in Godalming a month late.  Last year we high tailed it off the river Thames on to the Kennet & Avon, when we realised in late September the red boards were beginning to appear (and the Thames was predominantly on red boards until May!)  and now, here we are in Oxford, moored up,  in a nice little spot, with a red board! The section of the river we are on will be the last to return to yellow (proceed with caution) because in this pound, the sluices (which help control the river levels) are managed so as to prevent the city flooding.  We may, according to the lock keeper,  be here a week or more.  Once again,  all my pre  planning has amounted to nothing.  When will I understand the weather is not in my control,  neither are other unforeseeable blockages that hinder our journey.   All plans have to be held lightly!  There are worse places to be stranded!  Indeed,  yesterday, we discovered both Aldi and Waitrose within a doable walk.  Waitrose even had a cafe, with free wifi and complimentary newspapers,  so R was happy.  Even more useful,  toilets! It’s all well and good to think,  how lovely a week in Oxford – a mini break without the expensive hotel! However, as I write this, I can hear the rain  streaming down, so when we venture out, the footpaths will be muddy with deep puddles and, in some places,  almost impassable.  Our walk yesterday  showed evidence of flooded playgrounds and parks.  The most pressing challenge  will be conserving water, enough to wash ourselves, keep the dishes clean and the toilet flushing! We can carry fresh water to the boat for drinking – that will represent a workout! I’ve also located, a thirty minute walk away,  a heated lido, so that will give us a hot shower, as well as more exercise! There’s a laundrette close by which thankfully takes a creditvcard so we don’t have to collect our pound coins together – that used to be such a palava, making sure we had enough change to both wash and dry the laundry.   Our only other concern will be if the waste tank fills to capacity.  Hence the joy of a relatively close Waitrose! Heating is not a problem as we have plenty of coal and wood aboard,  although the temperature is still relatively mild so we have only had to use the stove once this week. Our gas status is unknown but with the engine running,  I can at least use an electric travel kettle. Perhaps I should store up some pot noodles!

It was ironic really. We left the boat safely moored in reasonable weather last  Wednesday (having fortuitously met our neighbour,  who happily agreed to keep an eye on the boat for us and check our mooring pins) and went to the Midlands for a get together with both the Canal Ministeries team and then the Boaters Christian Fellowship.  The BCF had a speaker whose chosen topic was based around the storms in our lives.  As we listened to him,  so we heard the torrential rain outside, which continued incessantly over the weekend. Returning to the boat on Monday, we were grateful to have had the reassurance of a kindly boater keeping an eye on Naomhog.  With the speed of the flow of the water, coupled with the continuing rain,  it was obvious the red boards would soon be in evidence and we would be going nowhere!

Yesterday, we were thankful for a brief respite in the weather, which enabled us to go and buy plenty of fresh provisions and return to the boat, gratefully dry! We then went exploring our local vicinity,  enjoying revisiting the Jericho area of Oxford,  where our daughter had lived in her early twenties.  It is now predominantly a row of eating establishments with the occasional hair dresser and charity shop.  Nestled in its midst is a small bespoke Picture House cinema,  with ‘silver screenings’ Tuesday to Thursday,  before 5pm, including complimentary coffee. No surprise where we will be later today, maybe a welcome shelter from the rain! We also walked along the canal path,  looking for suitable moorings. Next week,  assuming we have a window of opportunity to move,  we need to decide whether to leave the Thames and make our way to London on the canal system or to take our chances with the weather and hope it dries up sufficiently for us to return to London via the river.  Going the long way home,  via the canal to the Midlands and back,  will take 70 hours with many manual, stiff and heavy locks to work ourselves.  The Thames locks are automated,often manned, and the journey time is nearer to 30 hours (even quicker going with the current).  We still have, in the back of our minds, the memory of losing power on the Thames last year and although we hope we have fixed the problem,  it’s a little unnerving to venture forth,  especially if the flow of the river increases with more wet weather.  Reminds me of the song ‘will your anchor hold strong in the storms of life’. At least I think those are the lyrics and even if they are not,  the sentiment holds true! As any of my children will testify,  I have an incredible knack of making up my own lyrics, seemingly incapable of memorising the correct ones!

1400

A banging on the boat heralded the arrival of a warden informing us our towpath is now blocked by a locked gate,  as flooding is expected.  I hope we will still be able to locate our mooring pins.  It may be wiser to tie ourselves to a tree trunk! Unsurprisingly,  the river is even higher today than yesterday as it takes a couple of days for the collected water to run off through the river.  We decided to make use of the cinema,  enjoying both the comfy padded seats and a surprisingly good cup of coffee.  I thought the film we saw,  ‘The Critic’, contrary to a review I read,  was intriguing. Not much action,  but thought provoking, showing the lengths people will go to to protect their own interests.

And now for a ps:

Two weeks ago we arrived at Appleford in serious rain and storm, relieved that we could moor up in the field of a farmer who lives next door to friends of ours.  They took us in,  dried us out,  fed us well and re-energized us for the next leg of our journey.  R had a totally relaxing weekend.  I meanwhile, returned to London for my first ever full day of granny duty, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Having been told my grandchild loved a croissant,  I popped into one of the local coffee shops on our walkabout.  I’m not sure if I looked harassed or if the shop assistant was just feeling kindly towards me,  but when it came to paying for my coffee alongside the croissant,  he said the bill was ‘on the house’ as granny treat! Amazing how a kindness like that restores your faith in human nature!

We set off for Lechlade, via Oxford, in more rain and the weather was mildly inclement for the entire week.  Whilst moving into Oxford on the Thames river we met up with K, the daughter of a friend of ours,  who lives on her boat come rain or shine.  Hearing we were headed to Lechlade she expressed an interest in joining us,  so we travelled in convoy, which was great fun; only slightly complicated by the extra length of K’s boat compared to ours,  with the added hazard of a canoe attached to her stern.  It’s made going into locks a bit more challenging on occasions.

Most of the locks on the Thames are manned, and electric, which is a great help,  although you do feel like you have to be on your best behavior with the lock keepers and remember the protocol exactly.  Most of the them are delightful, but occasionally you meet someone rather stressy – invariably new to the job or a volunteer with little experience, so still learning the ropes. Further out from the city,  the locks are manual and you don’t require a windlass because the paddles open and close using a ships wheel. One such lock, self serve,  R only opened one gate,  which is usually not an issue for me.  However the Thames lock gates are slightly differently configured to the canal ones and unfortunately I didn’t see the sharp corner edge,  which then proceeded to make a sizeable rip in the bow cratch cover.  Last night saw me trying to repair it with a patch and fabric glue, but weighting the patch proved tricky – a very Heath Robinson affair of a wonky table,  some balancing wood blocks and a pile of books and water containers to add weight to the press.  Even so,  the patch this morning had barely adhered to the main fabric, so I’m going to have to think again.  We also clunked the boat heavily on a log  entering another lock, which R needed help to lift out of the water.

In the rain the riverbanks and surrounding countryside are still lovely. All quite green at the moment but the varying seasons will herald a host of different colours.  Autumn especially must be glorious as the trees take on the spectacular autumn colours. The river at times is seriously bendy and we have been fortunate not to meet too much traffic coming towards us.  Invariably, when it happens,  there’s an additional obstacle in the way.  We narrowly missed hitting a concrete low wall on the outside of a bend, but the choice was that or bumping the side of an oncoming narrowboat,  taking the corner too centrally. R favoured the narrowboat, whereas I preferred to miss the nb and take my chances on the wall,  by reversing sharply. That then involved further manoeuvres to ensure we didn’t hit the wall but it all, momentarily, became a little stressful. Further along,  according to R, I took a corner a little fast and we ended up tangled in the trees as the boat nestled tightly into the bank.  A lot of pushing off was required to get back on course! The dove of peace left us for a short while – I’ve written about the dove as a separate ‘thought’.

The other thing of note were lots of cows, often in the water (we were warned they might eat our mooring ropes and my herbs!) and some beautiful bridges,  although a few of them must be a bit of a challenge for broad beam boats or any with any height.

On Friday we arrived in Lechlade,  having passed by Kelmscott Manor, one of the houses owned by William Morris and now open to the public, but not on Fridays! He was concerned that with the coming of the industrial revolution, the skills of craftsmen would come under threat,  so he championed the keeping of crafts alive and built up his own successful empire! As Kelmscott is only 3 miles from Lechlade, we visited it on Saturday (K gave us a lift in her car) and were surprised by the number of people milling around.  We soon found out why – as it was a Heritage weekend,  the house and gardens had free entry! They timed ones visit around the actual house so it did not feel as crowded as it first appeared, and as it was a beautiful day,  wondering around the extensive gardens was delightful. Walking the Thames path back to the boat gave us some much needed exercise and allowed us an alternative view of the river to chugging along on Naomhog.

Although part of the reason for taking the boat to Lechlade was to get as far along the Thames as possible, (and to visit the Christmas shop that is open all year – bizarre!) we also knew we would be reasonably close to three sets of long standing friends whom I have known since my teens. It was great fun to have a lively evening at the local pub,  imagining that we were still the age of the youngsters at the table next to us,  with reality sinking in when we compared our noise level to theirs.  And our alcohol consumption,  which was a lot less!

Sunday, we attended St Lawrence’s church in the town centre, which was encouragingly well attended by young and old,  and then bought a sour dough loaf from the locally renowned bakery.  I was slightly surprised to part with £5.40 for a loaf of bread, but looking at the stack of loaves in evidence,  they obviously must be popular (or the baker is optimistic!).

We began the return trip to Oxford,  this time severely hampered by fishing rods in our path,  every 50yds or so.  It transpired they were all part of a fishing competition. Some of the rods stretched across the entire river and were only retracted at the very last minute,  which was slightly nerve wracking.  No one wants to get fishing line caught around the boat propellor! Aside from that,  the weather was warm and sunny and travelling with the current,  meant we made good time and arrived back to the outskirts of Oxford in two days. A glorious sunset and a bbq next to the boat,  moored alongside a luscious field of verdant green,  seemed a fitting end to our journey in convoy. 

And the rain came down in torrents….

I don’t think we have ever been caught in quite such a squall,  with thunder and lightening to boot! Fortunately we were in our last lock of the day as the heavens opened, and we moored on the lock moorings to feel safe. We were headed to friends less than half an hour from the lock.  I’d just told K we were on our way…… best laid plans and all that.  You can’t fight the  weather, especially on a wide river.  We had started the day in rain,  and were grateful for a dry spell early afternoon.

We’ve just come from Wallingford and maybe from these pictures you can identify a well know murder mystery that bases itself around this town!

It wasn’t quite as exciting as I thought it would be, but it did have a Waitrose! And the day before we’d stayed at Goring, which has one of the poshest delis I have ever seen,  next to one of the most basic convenience stores.  The contrast was striking. Walking around Goring, I would hedge a bet that none of the houses are cheap to buy, with its close proximity to London and Reading and it’s picturesque view of the river.  We went to a mid week communion service in the very beautiful parish church,  where we were made to feel very welcome and it was lucky that I got onto first name terms with the vicar because shortly after leaving Goring R discovered he’d mislaid yet another set of glasses. I sent a message to the parish office and the vicar kindly rang to say he couldn’t find them.  By then R told me he’d had them in the convenience store when he went to buy a pint of milk after church (I meanwhile was drooling in the deli!) So I mentioned this to the vicar who kindly went and found them there! We shall pick them up on our return journey,  as long as we remember!

The start of the week was momentous in that we finally,  after nearly 11 months left the K&A but not before we discovered the delights of the Reading Lido. On Sunday we planned to get onto the Thames but we saw a mooring in the town centre, (we feel it should be a city but it doesn’t have a cathedral?) near to the Abbey ruins.  Stopping to have a brief look at the old part of Reading we decided it was worth an overnight stop and then I also realised how close it was to the lido, which I had wanted to visit last October. I was disappointed, when trying to book online, that the first ‘swim only’ availability was on Tuesday, but when I then looked at the swim and breakfast package, we could book in for 0830 Monday morning. What a treat! The outdoor lido was refreshingly cool, but not cold and then there was a hot tub,  a sauna and a steam room to relax in.  We were able to have a plesant shower and then the most delicious breakfast. To anyone reading this,  who lives near Reading, I thoroughly recommend!

Having travelled on Sunday morning we decided to see if any of the Reading churches had an evening service and we were not disappointed. We found a lively church called Greyfriars with a full on worship band and a large young congregation.  En route back to the boat we came across a ‘beach bar’ complete with deck chairs and sand, with a view of the river which runs through the town.

We enjoyed visiting the Abbey ruins and seeing various sculptures. My only precis knowledge of Reading was the train station, John Lewis and Costco!

The Thames is certainly a beautiful river and we enjoyed a peaceful cruise to Pangbourne on Monday,  where we moored up on the same bank as last year, even passing the ex university boat that our friend,  Lord Toad,  had purchased to renovate and alongside was his motor cruiser that we had rescued on the river! Arriving in Pangbourne I contacted a lady I had met on our previous visit,  who kindly invited us to supper,  which was  very welcome. Listening to their life story was inspirational. So much of what they had done was faith based and it encouraged us to see how much God had  influenced their life and the decisions they made, resulting in them really seeing him at work. 

A night at Goring followed by a night at Wallingford and a stop en route at Benson to meet a friend for an early lunch.  I had thought we might moor at Benson if Goring had been full.  Thank goodness we didn’t – arriving at Benson the only mooring was for super yachts and they weren’t parallel to the towpath! We found a couple of posts to moor up against but it was perilous and quite difficult to disembark! It was worth it for the company and the coffee!

And then on to where our friends live where the local farmer has given us permission to moor on his land.  That in itself was a challenge as we didn’t quite realise where the mooring was and we ended up stuck on the mud and it took quite an effort on R’s part to push us out.  Then he had to almost climb into a tree to fix the mooring rope! Eventually when we felt the boat was secure,  we gathered our dirty laundry and gratefully made use of  our friends’ mod cons, including a much needed bath to warm us up,  thankful for their kindness and generosity!

When a shower on the boat is condsidered a luxury,  you know you’ve been one place worse – camping in wet weather! August has seen us more off the boat than on.  Having eventually arrived in Bristol harbour,  we had an entertaining few days exploring the city,  conveniently moored opposite the SS Great Britain. I didn’t think I was bothered about exploring the ship and yet I’m so glad that we did.  It was fascinating, really well laid out and informative. We walked an hour around the harbour to reach the ship and then took a five minute boat trip across the harbour that landed us right next to our boat.   Bristol itself is very multi faceted.  Walking around you got the feeling that there were different pockets of people and cultures.  Millenium Square was a stones throw from us,  not well populated,  due possibly to the rain.  There was a big screen showing the Olympic games.  Weather permitting, I would happily have taken my deck chair there for a couple of hours! We walked to Clifton, which definitely was up hill and found the Observatory where we had a grand view of Clifton suspension bridge and marvelled at the diverse engineering skill of  Isambard Kingdom Brunel, having already seen his prowess in other quarters. Walking through Clifton village, it seemed a very desirable place to live,  although I wouldn’t relish the daily climbing of the hills!

Our friends arrived to take over the boat and very kindly took it,  in ten days,  all the way back along the Kennet to above the Caen Hill flight, which was something of a relief to us! Meanwhile we borrowed their car and went to Derbyshire to attend a wedding and then directly on to our family seaside holiday place where we took part in a Bond themed event. The extra clothing required for these events meant the boat was packed to the gunwhales on our return,  so we gathered everything together asap and staggered back to London on public transport, clutching ten assorted bags between us,  realising the cost of our peripatectic life style.  A few days later I repeated the experience,  this time with camping gear.  returning alone to the seaside for a couple of days,  before going with daughter and son in law to a christian festival called ‘Wildfires’ near Worthing.  Aside from the rain,  and thinking that maybe I am a bit long in the tooth for camping,  I had a great couple of days.  There were some inspiring talks with renowned speakers and full on worship led by a very loud and lively band. Not to everyone’s taste, but I found it joyful and uplifting.  Meanwhile R went with our other daughter  to his first Notting Hill carnival, which was another experience entirely!

Tuesday saw us reunited and ready to accomplish three long days of cruising in order to get to the outskirts of Reading, ready to leave the K&A canal by September 1st, when we plan to cruise on the River Thames. It’s been an exhausting few days of many locks and swing bridges, but we’ve shared locks with some lovely people and had visitors aboard who have been extra sets of hands as well as good company. A morning irritation was stepping on dog mess on the towpath,  that I inadvertently spread on the back deck and which required quite a bit of cleaning before we could get going.

I had also forgotten how fast the river flows. We are now travelling downstream which requires very different helming skills compared to nine months previous.  A mooring space outside Tesco in Newbury came up just as I was passing another boat, so I was slightly tardy in turning towards the towpath,  resulting in my having to reverse back along the river.  I was soon deep in the blackberry bushes,  with R issuing helpful suggestions from the river bank,  whilst I manfully used the very long boat pole to push off from the side.  Fifteen minutes later I  managed to safely moor up, but it was a stark reminder of how quickly you can get into trouble when navigating a river rather than a canal. 

Just as we thought we could relax and enjoy the sun setting,  a panicked phone call from our daughter,  thinking the flat might be catching fire,  reminded us of the responsibilities we have, but how powerless we are to sort them whilst away from home.  Fortunately  she managed to speak to a kindly electrician who reassured her there was nothing to worry about and saved us a £160 call out charge.

Stopping in Theale,  which seemed to have very little to offer aside from a CoOp, I was intrigued by a signpost to Calcot Retail park. With little else on the agenda I walked the extra half mile,  across the motorway,  and was delighted to find myself at IKEA. Now that was a surprise!! With no husband lurking I could have a good mosey around. With no car and one small shopping bag I walked out with just a packet of Rye crispbread!

The widebeam moored up next to us is for sale so I got chatting to the owners,  who let me have a look around.  By comparison  to our boat, it was just like a proper house. They have found it difficult on the K&A to manoeuvre, so they are selling up and going abroad with a camper van to chase the sun. Earlier today, we spoke to a couple who had a longterm dream to retire to Cyprus.  Then Brexit happened with the 90 day abroad restriction, so they bought a narrowboat instead!

It’s time to sign off on the K&A and look forward to  experiencing the River Thames travelling westwards. Yes, the K&A has had it’s challenges with excess fauna causing a narrowing of the cut in many places and lock gates that could do with an overhaul.  We’ve had to learn to walk the plank due to limited assigned and prepared mooring spaces, but that adds to the excitement at the end of a full-on cruising day! There hasn’t been nearly as much canal traffic as I expected, especially through the summer season,  but the people we have met have been friendly, hospitable and entertaining and it certainly is one of the more beautiful canals that we have navigated to date.

ps Signal not good where we are so I can’t seem to load photos although I have managed to do so on Instagram!

It all started with a slab of toffee, my tale for today.  At the family holiday house by the sea,  children are encouraged to look for toffee coloured stones because in the night the toffee fairy turns them into toffee! R was delighted to find some half price,  short dated,  slabs of toffee (how toffee,  with its high sugar content can go off is beyond me. And does anyone have it in the house long enough!) to help the fairy out.  However,  when we got back to the boat and I looked at the receipt I realised we’d been charged the full amount for the toffee.  It was a good excuse for me to go back into the city yesterday morning and peruse a few shops without a hovering presence wondering how long this shopping malarkey would go on!

Walking back,  along the riverside,  enjoying the beautiful sunny day,  I was slightly surprised to see two, fairly old men, swimming in the river. What I had missed was the fact that they had just jumped off the bridge into the water to get an adrenaline rush,  in addition to the alcohol they had already consumed! Their mate,  who happened to be walking along the towpath, was trying to coax them out of the water.  Unable to swim himself and aware of the fact that one of the men in the river couldn’t swim either,  he jumped into a moored boat and threw two life rings into the water.  Infact, the man who could swim, G,  was able to pull the non swimmer to the edge of the boat. Being a fairly big man,  it was no easy task hauling him back onto the boat and more than once he sank under water and nearly slipped away altogether as his energy had flagged and he was slow to respond.  Fortunately, there was another boat close by with a ladder on the back of its stern and somehow, the drowning man found the energy to climb up it with plenty of help from G in the water. Once the guy was safely ashore,  I then looked for G and realised he was swimming after the life rings that were going downstream.  He went beyond the bridge and from the towpath I and another lady tried to encourage him to get out, but he kept saying he was a strong swimmer and there was nothing to worry about.  The other lady was trying to get hold of the emergency services.  Meanwhile, the mate on dry land came running towards me,  hopped over a railing and got onto a small jetty, from where he coaxed G back to the side.  G had managed to pick up the two life saving rings,  so they helped to support him,  but he was in no fit state to swim against the current.  I heaved a sigh of relief when he eventually hauled himself to safety.  He still had to scale the railing and once he was abreast of me,  he thanked me for my concern,  in a very gentlemanly fashion.  I was just so relieved neither man drowned and that,  as it was a relatively warm day,  they shouldn’t get hypothermia,  which is apparently what happened the last time they jumped in!

Wednesday night was an experience.  We were returning to Bath,  having had the solar panels fitted to the roof and with me trying my hardest to understand ampage and wattage and charging times etc. Seems like electricity is a big mathematical equation to me.  All I ask is for the fridge to work through the night and day so there’s enough ice for my G&T! Spence at the Boatyard was super helpful,  even if I nodded more than understood what he was trying to explain to me.  We returned along the Cut and went down the Bradford on Avon lock, looking for a mooring spot.  Mooring near to a boater we had engaged with last week,  we took him up on his offer of watching a film with him and some other boaters on an outside large tv screen he had rigged to the side of his boat.  It was an uncut version of Quadrophenia, made more poignant by all the scenes of riots, based upon the Brighton riots of the early 1970’s. To then read of the current Southport riots and subsequent unrest that now seems to be all over the UK, the film had a too realistic edge to it. I sat next to a rather intimidating looking giant of a man,  covered in tattoos from head to foot, who had worked for a decade in New York as a tattoo artist,  and has returned to the UK to care for his ageing parents.  He was a really gentle and engaging man and brought sharply into focus my preconceived ideas of the outward appearance of somebody compared to their inner heart.

A couple of restful days in Bath, seeing family and friends,  and exploring the city,  although far too many tourists for my liking. I need to come back out of the holiday season! Then yesterday the big push on to Bristol,  where we now are,  ready to explore the city from the central mooring of Bristol floating dockyard. We almost didn’t make it.  On Saturday we spoke to a canal official who told us two of the lock gates were impossible to move with just two people and the likelihood of us not getting through was a high probability.  One lock had taken a boater two hours to operate.  Knowing the average time from Bath to Bristol by boat is 7hrs, I recalculated our timings and said to R we should leave by 8am to build in plenty of slack. As I looked out of the window at 0730 a narrowboat,  with a solo young man was just turning around in our direction. Immediately I jumped into action and went outside to ask if he was going to Bristol. It was like our guardian angel had sent him,  although later in the day he said the same of us.  It was a mutual support group! Being alot younger he gave us the added energy that was needed and we even met other boats (which was a miracle because they were few and far between) at the difficult locks,  meaning we had plenty of manpower with the heavy gates.  One such boat I recognised as a (stag?) group who had passed our boat on Friday evening as we were tucked up for the night between the pounds of Bath locks. They were going to Bristol through the night,  fortified by a few beers. Very intrepid, or foolish, depending on your point of view. They had all survived and were just the help we needed,  as they retraced their steps homeward after a full on weekend!

Amazingly, we arrived by 1415hrs and were welcomed ashore by our lovely boater friends who are continuous cruisers and Waterways Chaplains.  They had come from Sharpness with a pilot on the Severn and we have had one evening of overlap before they head off to Bath. We first met them in the Midlands three years ago and it is so exciting when you find yourselves in the same place at the same.  time on the Cut years later.  With over 2000 miles of navigable waterways,  it is not a given! They gave us supper,  which after 7hours of standing at the tiller, was very welcome and we put the world to rights over a nicely chilled rosè!

As an aside,  the journey was beautiful with the riverside verdant with colour and wildlife.  I saw two kingfishers,  their flash of blue twinkling briefly in amongst the branches and more than one heron. They were different sizes so I know it wasn’t the same one following our path!

Always one for a bargain,  we chanced our luck on getting to The Boatyard at Hilperton for the best value fuel on the cut! Considering we haven’t filled the tank since October, (my brother kindly bought me 10litres in a jerry can when I thought we might not make it!)  this was risky,  but we arrived and duly filled the tank to the brim with 141 litres! So much for a cheap fill up – we then bought three new boat batteries and agreed to have an electronic solar panel fitted this week, after finding the fridge cutting out over night due to lack of sufficient battery power.  Previous advice was that solar was unnecessary, because we ‘continuously cruise’.  Spence at the Boatyard asked me what that phrase meant – I said,  ‘Oh, we travel about 3hrs every other day’. He burst out laughing – to him it means travelling 10hrs daily.  In fairness, that would be holiday cruising,  not full on board living, but he made a fair point in that  we don’t use the engine enough to charge our batteries sufficiently.  So,  just as I had planned our route for the next fortnight, I need not have bothered as once again it was bin and redraw the  plan!

The good news is that we are now close to many family members and friends,  so we are enjoying a very sociable time.  This does need some forethought, especially as most people have very full diaries.  (We met an old time boater on the Cut yesterday who asked Richard why he wore a watch and told him to take it off as time should not be a factor in boat life – he has a point,  but we can’t quite get that laissez faire!). We’ve also met up with other boaters who are part of the Canal Ministeries network and that has been very inspiring.  We even have a ‘uniform’, namely an airtex shirt and a fleece,  with the CM logo on it.  Not one for uniforms, I wasn’t sure I wanted to wear it,  but infact, every time we have walked along the towpath with our logo showing,  we have met some really interesting people,  especially the liveaboards who have been around the eastern section of the K&A for a long time.  The canal appears divided by the Caen Hill flight, East and West, because most people don’t have the energy to attempt it too often! One couple,  with a tiny baby and a toddler, had chickens on the towpath and also on the back of their boat.  Every two weeks they pack them up and move on to find new grass for feed. Sadly, the chickens can only wander the towpath in the early evening – one of them was killed by an out of control dog,  even though the dog was on a lead!   The boatees have many and varied stories and it’s really encouraging to see how they all look out for one another. It’s also very distressing to see how many live almost below the poverty line.  It’s an intriguing part of canal life, the mix of people that rub shoulders together and the enormous economic divide.

We were warned that there would be a plethora of holiday boats on the canal,  especially now the summer holidays have begun,  and there are.  Personally,  I rather like the increase in traffic.  More people to say hallo to.  Slightly hair raising at times and there is always the worry that moorings will be hard to come by, but infact,  if you don’t mind using a plank, we have found more than enough places to moor up, so far!

Arriving in Bradford on Avon, which is a charming small town and well worth visiting,  we were amazed at the quantity of hire boats on the move. It was change over day and the hire boat wharf is right above the lock.  Many newbees are on the tillers and it’s utter chaos! It felt like we were in a holiday village. I was in the local health food shop,  where a loaf of bread is £3.50 and overheard the shop keeper saying that a couple of lads had come in looking for enough bread to feed 12 lads for 4 days.  They’d been tasked with the bread buying and forgotten to bring any.  I’m sure they were on a boat jolly and needed the bread to soak up the beer.  The stag groups are given a wide berth as you’ve no idea how drunk they are,  even first thing in the morning.  R and I did feel sorry for one lot of lads though.  They passed the boat of a notorious boater called D, who we happened to be visiting.  Our CM friends had asked us to look out for him and said he was usually in a relaxed and happy state and would be very welcoming.  However, if a boat passes him and he thinks they are going too fast,  he shouts obscenities vociferously and at length ,  whether they are infact going too fast or not!!  D shouted at these lads and the poor boys looked terrified – I almost wanted to run after them to offer solace! I think D just thinks it’s a great game to play, but I’m not sure many others would agree with him!

I’m learning, though, that what people look like sometimes belie their true nature and some of the roughest looking longterm boaters are the most friendly when you stop,  smile and chat to them.  It can be hard to be discerning about their characters. I may be a little too naive, but fortunately R is more cynical, so I think we strike a happy balance. It is hard to ascertain though,  what difference we can really make to their lives,  especially as we are just passing through. I still believe that most people like sharing stories and appreciate being listened to. Someone once described to me the benefit of a ‘cameo moment’ – a one off meeting sowing a seed with possibly  a lifelong impact.

One of my aims for this K&A trip was to go into Bath and see my two young great nieces,  who live close to the canal.  As its the school holidays and they are going away and we needed to get to them before they left.  Time has run away with us due to all our delays along the way,  hence the planning I did last week to get to see them in time.  It gave me great joy,  therefore,  to arrive in Bath today.  Our original plan was to then go straight on towards Bristol, but because of the solar installation,  we now need to return to Hilperton first.  Infact, the day worked really well.  Their mum brought them to the boat and left them with us.  We turned the boat, (with some difficulty in a confined space due in part to so many boats on the towpath) above the top Bath lock and then headed back to  Dundas Wharf, where the girls parents met us a few hours later, armed with a hot picnic! The weather was glorious and it was such a great way to spend the day.  The girls were engaging and fun but exhausting because we had to have eyes in the back of our heads to keep them safe.  Good grandparent practice! It also gave us an excuse to stop for ice creams and treats. Infact, the middle of the day was so hot we rested in the boat awhile and I lost many games of Dobble to a 5 and 7yr old! If you don’t know it, it’s worth a go – excellent for improving your quick, or in my case glacial, reactions!

One of the highlights of my week was a visit to the American museum at Claverton. I last visited on a school trip 50yrs ago and I have always remembered the beautiful patchwork quilts that were on display.  I was not disappointed with this return visit and an added bonus was appreciating the glorious extensive gardens, which looked truly magnificent on a hot summer’s day. I wasn’t the only one returning after a long absence.  I heard another lady  say it was 34yrs since she came as a schoolgirl and it altered the trajectory of her life – she emigrated to the States as the result of her visit.  A Cameo moment with a life long impact!

The only disadvantage of seeing the museum was the necessary 20 minute uphill walk in the heat.  However we were intrigued to see many cars lining the side of the A36 as we crossed over it.  On our return we discovered why.  Below the canal,  where the River Avon runs,  there is an extensive weir and on a summer’s afternoon it turns into the local beach, with bbq’s, topless sunbathing and swimming in the cool water. It was quite a sight to behold, over 200 people taking the air on the banks of the Avon.

Ps Once upon a time Someone lost a glasses case, with important bits of paper,  as well as the glasses, inside.  Someone looked high and low and then compounded the problem by announcing the credit card was also lost,  presumably falling out of a pocket.  Someone involved Otherone, in the search,  which went on for at least a day and a night.  Eventually Someone decided all was lost, was dejected and fedup and prepared to buy new glasses and asked Otherone to cancel the credit card.  Then,  amazingly,  glasses case appeared tangled in the bed sheet and mattress and credit card was found where it should be,  tucked deeply into a credit card holder.  Someone and Otherone were relieved but perplexed – how is it possible to keep losing so many things in such a small space!! And who do you think is Someone in this tale, which has happened more than once,  at least with the glasses!  A salutory lesson for Otherone to take deep breaths, think and not to panic or get more involved or stressed  than absolutely necessary!!!

We are returning to the boat today after yet another stint on dry land and for the most part it has been dry! Infact, in London on Friday, it was positively humid and hot,  with an unpleasant stickiness. In contrast to a weekend we spent earlier in July, at a farm in Gloucestershire, when wellies were definitely the fashion statement of the weekend.  We had gathered with about 200 christians in their 20s and 30s for a spiritual top-up, most of whom gamely camped.  Our age and stage let us off the hook and we shared a bnb in the nearby village,  which proved impossible to find in the dark.  The village was tiny and yet for some reason had a complicated road network that we could not fathom and we literally drove around in the car for fifteen minutes, eventually returning to the farm and restarting the journey! It was an amazing weekend, connecting with a generation far younger than our own and welcomed for our age and experience.  Quite a novel concept in this day and age and in our culture, to actually be sought out for our wisdom and thanked for our time and concern. It makes me wonder how secure many young adults feel in this fast paced,  constantly changing world and if they are living without a supportive network around them,  especially of older family members,  no wonder there is such a mental health and lonliness crisis of epidemic proportions. It’s a challenge to us all to build bridges between the generations and to show kindness to one another.

Talking of kindness,  we were moored up just before the Devizes flight at Caen Hill and arranged to meet my sister and family at a great little cafe called the Roudy Cow, with renowned and delicious ice cream. We walked to it via a couple of footpaths, which on the return journey were not nearly so obvious to find.  R was walking past a couple of modern houses searching for the footpath when a lady came out of one of the houses shouting abuse at him for trespassing.  Explaining he was trying to find his way,  she gave him short shift and pointed back the way we had come.  Sure enough, we found the very unobvious path, which actually looked like someone’s driveway. I was struck by the discordant way we were treated and felt truly sad that this lady aeemed so cross at the world.  I’m sure there was more to her discontent than a couple of walkers losing their way at the boundary of her property.  Contrast that with us enjoying a cup of coffee yesterday in our local coffee shop near to the flat, where we got chatting to a couple of Texans who had just arrived in the UK on a business trip.  They left ahead of us and when we went to pay,  we found they had already paid for our coffees! An unexpected kindness that warmed the heart.

Our journeying in the Devizes area has been a delight.  The Long Pound,  devoid of locks, meant that we covered the fifteen miles relatively smoothly,  and even in the drizzingly rain, there was still so much beauty to be seen in the hedgerows and wild flowers festoning the canal side. In some places the fauna narrowed the navigable canal to only one boat width,  which left me wondering how I would react if a widebeam (double width boat) came towards me.  Passing places were few and far between. Add to this the many boats moored at some stretches of the canal and you realise that even without locks,  speed is not an option! Tickover speed is necessary,  unless you want a mouthful from an irate boater and rightly so.  It is surprising how much movement occurs to a moored boat, through the displacement of water, from a passing vessel.

So, we are now the other side of the 29 locks that divide the K&A. Before doing them,  you feel rather daunted.  At least I did.  Infact, they were a breeze.  That was because we managed to gather together many hands,  making light work! We had planned to do the flight last Monday with the infamous BBT, who happily travels the country to meet us with his windlass. However he wasn’t happy when he saw the Monday weather forecast and persuaded us that it would be preferable on the Wednesday.  How right he was! A heavy downpour on Monday would have seen us soaked through,  whereas Wednesday was a beautifully dry day.  In addition BBT brought along another boater friend,  Gr, who was a great asset to the team, having worked many locks in his time.  My nephew’s mother in law, Tr, local to the area,  was intrigued to see how the flight operated,  so windlass in hand,  she had a baptism by fire as we did lock after lock after lock!! Our final team member was a former lodger of ours,  so he was definitely the muscle needed to open the stiff lock gates! He further endeared himself to us all by arriving with a lemon drizzle cake, that he had freshly made that morning! Wisely,  he left his 18 month son at nursery.  He had planned to bring him but thought better of it and much as I would love to have seen him,  I felt mightily relieved! The crew arrived by 1030. If a boat had come alongside us prior to that, we would have started the descent, as two boats in a wide lock saves water being lost. However as no other boat was in sight, we took the opportunity to enjoy a cappuccino at the Caen Hill cafe, whilst making sure everyone made use of the ‘facilities’, common practice in boating life. Fortified not only by lemon drizzle cake but also homemade shortbread provided by Tr, we made short work of the locks and within 2 and a half hours we were enjoying lunch at the bottom of the flight.  A further six locks and we moored at Sells Green where the only mishap of the day occurred – Gr couldn’t find his reading glasses anywhere.  Either they were the sound of a ‘plop’ we heard whilst cruising along or they fell out of his shirt pocket, as a result of slipping whilst securing the boarding plank.  Either way,  it was a rather inopportune end to Gr’s day, especially as his journey home entailed a couple of  lengthy train journeys and  he couldn’t even pass the time reading! We were impressed that he had joined us all the way from Chichester!

For us,  the day ended retracing our footsteps along the towpath to a boat owned by another couple on the Canal Ministeries team.  Throughout covid, they had run a vaccine boat, in order to enable boaters to get their vaccinations. They kindly gave us supper, which was much appreciated after such a strenuous day for R.  I was on my feet all day at the helm but most of my energy had been sapped through instructing and exhalting the crew!

We had to leave the boat to attend a family wedding, which wasn’t too onerous as we had parked a car nearby.  However on our return,  car-less, we realised the nearest train station would also involve a large taxi fare.  My sister and bro-in-law kindly came to the rescue by picking us up from the train,  giving us a bed for the night and then taxied us to the boat. We were even welcomed to the ‘Over 60 lunch club’ they attend twice a month in their village.  £6 for a two course,  home cooked meal,  including sherry, wine and chocolates! There are some benefits to growing old!

A post script to yesterday…..

It was one of those days when we had nothing planned because we had done our travelling the day before and thus could stay put.  It was slightly annoying that we only had an intermittent internet connection, so we walked along the towpath to see if it improved,  but no such luck.  A faint drizzle accompanied us as we explored the village and local church, ending up by the lock where two boats were going down.  We helped with the gates and chatted to the crew.  One of the boats moored up alongside us and we helped pull them in,  continuing to chat,  which resulted in them inviting us for a drink in the early evening.  Returning to our boat for lunch, I happened to glance out of the hatch as a boat was passing and realised it belonged to our friends A and S who we originally met at Dunchurch marina,  when we first bought Naomhog, on the Grand Union Canal, nearly three years ago.  I grabbed hold of the windlass and took off along the towpath to set the lock for them and open the gates. They are a few years senior to us and had already come up the Caen Hill flight and were feeling pretty tired.  S told me that he had asked God for a couple of angels to come and help them with the lock and suddenly R and I appeared! We told him he was our angel,  because he was able to help R tighten our fan belt – a job that R did not relish doing on his own, as he was unsure how to do it, but he knew S had a lot of experience with engines! We had known A and S were somewhere on the K&A but it would have been so easy to miss them,  especially as they are travelling in the opposite direction to us. 

One further delight of the day was meeting B and J for supper in the local pub.  We first met B and J when our children were at primary school together over thirty years ago,  but they moved away and we had not seen them for many years.  We knew they lived near Marlborough and it was such fun catching up with them.  The years rolled away and it was as if we had seen them yesterday!

And as for today,  we started travelling along the Long Pound and it really is as beautiful as we have been led to believe.  We even briefly caught sight of a kingfisher and then a duck with its four ducklings.  I’m saddened at how few ducks and swans there are on the water.  Far less than on the other canals we have been on.

R is reading Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens at the moment (we went to the Dickens Museum in Doughty St, London, and it is well worth at least one visit,  if not two). Imagine his surprise as we passed this boat,  as the name held no meaning to me, but he had just read it as a quote from Nicholas Nickleby: