As the map on the “What’s New” page is getting complicated I have added, where possible, individual weekly mooring maps.
After a quiet night another good day (Monday) prompted us to move on. We could have reached our turning point at Dukes Cut just outside Oxford by late afternoon but we decided to spin the boat around at the first available winding hole and return to the mooring we, and all others, bar one, had just left and explore the area which our guide book suggested would be well worth the effort. We went to the winding hole turned and got back to the moorings well within an hour and even within that very short time every mooring spot was again full. We had to go so far before we found another mooring that we gave up and continued northwards mooring at Lower Heyford.
On our way south we had wanted to eat in the local pub, The Bell Inn, but it was a long way from our mooring but this time we were much better placed to reach it within an easy 10 minute walk.
The Bell Inn serves food on “planks” for sharing and we had Ale Battered Fish & Chips on a bed of crushed minty peas. It seemed very strange to get a chunk of wood with on it fish and chips piled up on the crushed minty peas but - one of the best fish and chips dinners we can ever remember eating! There were two good sized pieces of fish each, thick meaty loin pieces, no skinny tail bits here. The chips were great and the pea mix stunningly good.
After filling with water Tuesday morning we set of to get around 9 miles to hopefully a farm shop named The Pig Place about which Sue had read good reports and was keen to visit.
We had a good day with just one cock-up. The third lock of the day was the diamond shaped one( see photo on the last entry), the shape means it takes a lot of water to fill despite the rise being just 8.1/2”. On this occasion we drained the lock entered and closed the gate behind us. The crews from two boats wanting to descend came (eventually) to help and we stood around waiting for the lock to fill. We waited and we waited and we waited. After a great deal of waiting had been done we realised we had committed the ultimate canal sin, we had left one of the lower gates partly open so the lock was trying to fill at the top gate while draining at the bottom gate. So embarrassing😳😳😳. We hope that experience will never be repeated. Particularly with witnesses present.
Fortunately our next and last lock of the day went faultlessly and just a few yards after it we pulled up on a private mooring to visit the aforementioned The Pig Place. Although we did buy a few bits and bobs the shop was something of a disappointment (although the pork chops were very good) there was a disappointing stock range and the lady serving was somewhat offhand.
Rather than get underway again we broke one of our rules and paid to remain on the private mooring overnight. Not hugely expensive at £12.00 per night but it is the first time we had paid to moor (outside a marina), although had we been pub people we could have had a great evening sitting around the canal side seating in front of a lovely wood burning brazier with a pint in hand.
The Pig Place does what is described as having the trotter bar open from “ . . . noon until ISH (licensed until 11pm) . . . ” and many people did sit in front of a blazing brazier quietly chatting till the early hours.
Wednesday saw us moving into Banbury, there were just two locks which we shared with a CRT tug, which as the tug guys did all the work was fine for us. The total distance for the day was a little under 5 miles.
Last time we were here we took taxis to and from the laundrette and was told by the second cab that there was another within walking distance from the boat mooring. This morning (Thursday) we started with breakfast at Morrison, still good but not a patch on the past and unlike in the past you cannot make substitutions,( I hate beans spread around my breakfast) I could go without the beans but if I wanted something else instead I would have to pay extra. I had beans. After breakfast we checked out the launderette and the taxi driver was right, we will use it tomorrow.
This afternoon I jobbed another job.
The stern button, that is the back bumper, has always had a droop and didn’t protect the rudder as it should. With just a few quids worth of stainless steel shackles and eye to eye adjusters in less than an hour we got it mounted securely and in just the position to provide maximum protection to the rudder and stern of the boat. Even if I do say so myself a job well jobbed.
Friday morning was spent doing the laundry, so boring but it must be done and as it is only 11 days since we last did it the pile was know where as big as it could have been. There is a shop in town, Nothing But Footprints, that sells everything loose and Sue bought some non-bio washing liquid which we used today for the first time and Sue has declared herself satisfied that it works well enough to get a 5 litre bottle of the stuff along with a 5 litre bottle of eco friendly washing up liquid.
Saturday and the rain persisted down all day long. I can’t remember such a horrible day for a very long time. The only consolation was that it stopped long enough for us to go shopping. Other than that it hammered on the roof all day. The solar system gave us virtually nothing in the way of battery charge but we needed to run the engine to heat water for our showers this afternoon so we got enough power from that to last the night.
We had discovered a branch of The Range just a few hundred yards from the boat so this morning (Sunday) we wandered round to have a look. We found some high stools that we felt would be ideal in the cockpit when we are travelling. We bought one to take with us and reserved another. When we got back to the boat we assembled the one we bought and found it fine on its own but too large to have a pair, unfortunately we were unable to contact the shop to tell them we no longer needed the second. No doubt they will eventually realise, but if they don’t answer their phones . . .