To Napton

After our BSS examination at Brinklow, we were again frozen in here last week, until Tui came passed & broke up all the ice.  When we're iced in, we always run our engine in gear for a few minutes in forward, then in reverse, which breaks up the ice around the boat, so making it easier for whichever boat comes passed first.  It avoids the large sheets of ice being scraped down the side of the boat, but more importantly, it stops Nemo cat from being too inquisitive and trying to walk on the ice!  We again checked with Shifali, who forecast rain on and off for the next week, so we decided to do a quick trip to Napton, just because we could.  I'm afraid this happened last week, but with such a slow internet signal over the past few days, I gave up trying to blog.  Here's some photos from the past week....

 

Passing through BR80, the work being carried out by WRG was highlighted in an article in December's Canal Boat magazine.

Braunston church

Lots of space towards heading into Braunston -

with a "winter mooring" hand made sign taped to a bush

 

Now that's a cover!

 

 

This was a bit disturbing - a woman with 2 dogs and a cat in a make-shift shelter just on the outskirts of Braunston.  However, a woman a bit further on shouted to us "have we seen a woman in a tent on the towpath?", so I had a chat with her, and she assured me she was going to get help for her in some form or other.  I hope so, with all this rain forecast.

 

A case of droopy bottom

The farm on the way into Napton seems to have been tidied up alot, compared to last year....

 

The field was always full of junk, perhaps there's new people there.

Windmill at Napton

C&RT licence checker at The Folly, Napton.  He must be doing his job, there's hardly any boats about!

I did find this curious - the owners of this boat spent 1-2 hours a day (for the two days we were at Napton) carting water containers and coal from the Folly, to the boat at the winding hole.  As we were leaving, I couldn't help myself and asked the lady carting water in containers in her wheelbarrow why they didn't move the boat to the tap & fill up.  She replied they'd rather do it by container & wheelbarrow in case they lost their mooring!  But there was only 6 boats moored between The Folly and the farm.  Each to their own I suppose, I thought smugly as we reversed to the winding hole, having emptied and filled, and got a HUGE load of logs delivered to the boat at the CRT yard. 

 

We reaquainted ourselves with the Folly, before checking the weather forecast and deciding to head back towards Brinklow, hopefully dodging the worst of the rain.  The Folly pub is a very friendly place, with good beer and food.  The new people have turned it into a gem - I hope they continue!  

Brinklow and our BSS Examination

Once we were freeed from the ice we made pitstop at Tesco Rugby, and carried on to Hillmorton, where we had a lovely chat with Jacquie and Stein NB Like Ducks2Water.  We scraped against something nasty as we passed through BR 58 Rugby, and after reading Stein's blog (click link above), I now discover that it was a load of Tesco shopping trollys, which had been dumped in the canal.  We turned at Hillmorton, and made our way back to Brinklow, to be ready for our impending BSS examination - the 4 yearly boat safety scheme, which makes Beefur 8 years old now.  Thankfully, all was fine, unlike the first test 4 years ago, when we discovered that the cooker did not comply with BSS standards, so we had to buy a new one, get it installed, and re-tested.  The boat fitter had installed any old cooker, and not one specificly for boats.  After we had the "all clear" this time, I took the opportunity to make a quick visit to Rachel's in Kenilworth for a couple of days.  The boat was again frozen in, and it made sense for me to disappear for a couple of days (so saving water on the boat!).  It was the girls' christmas concert in school which was lovely.  Choirs, jazz bands, string orchestra, you name it, they had it - including a steel band.  I was stunned at the amount of kids playing in the string orchestra - 29!  When I was in school, there was only one girl who could actually play a violin - and that was the extent of any stringed instruments!  The rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody as exceptional.  I did refrain from head banging at the appropriate time (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure style).  Iona (the youngest niece) is lead second violin - not bad for 12 years old!

Rhiannon, Nia and Iona

Their dog, Cole

Nuneaton to Brinklow - the missing photos

Due to a very poor mobile signal, I was unable to show any photos in my recent blog, so here they are....

We always stop at Br20 in Nuneaton, to visit the nearby spice shop, so we can stock up on all the lovely things we don't usually see up our way - and at a fraction of the cost.  As a typical example, I paid £1.99 for a can of coconut milk in Tesco Cefn Mawr.  Here - 59p!!! 

These are NOT bananas - no idea what they are

I would have bought some veg - had I known what they were

Every spice you can think of is here - cheap as chips.

As I said before, Nuneaton seems to have more than it's fair share of allotments. 

All of which are lovingly tended. 

An unusual bow, on a boat we passed

Past Charity Dock, who's number of mannequins have increased substantially

In various poses ... (I hope this was a mannequin, and not the real thing)

In their Christmas outfits.

Sculpture on the bridge at Sutton Stop/Hawkesbury Junction towards Coventry

Sharp left turn, The Greyhound in front

180 degree turn needed from the Coventry Canal onto the North Oxford Canal,

Into the stop lock, with the old pumphouse in the background.  Cold Dave?

The Elephant & Castle pub is having a make over and extension, soon to become a private house I believe.

VW graveyard

 

Exactly what you want to see in the ice

We were moored at Brinklow, and woke to the canal frozen over...

But not for long!!!  This is exactly what you want to see when the canal is frozen over.  A great big bow breaking up the ice.   Ok Ok, Nick Wolfe on Aldgate wasn't the first boat through, but even so, it's comforting to know that you're not frozen in.

 

We need to hang around the Brinklow area as we are having our 4 yearly BSS (boat safety scheme) exam on the 11th December, but with an empty larder, we made a trip to Tesco Rugby, with the intention of returning to Brinklow ready for Tuesday.  The weather is ok up to Tues, but we're keeping everything crossed that we don't become trapped there - with no services whatsoever.  So we'll hang around near Hilmorton, fill up with water again (we tend not to pass a working tap without filling up at this time of year!), turn and head back to Brinklow.

 

It seems we're not the only ones glued to Masterchef on the telly, Jill NB Matilda Rose makes a comment about it on her blog.  I'm not saying Dave has becone a little obsessed by it, but he came home with two duck breasts the other day & said "one hour, one course, off you go".  I can't print my answer, but I didn't let him shop on his own in Tesco yesterday.  Ah, telly - double dose of The Killing tonight.  Great.

 

The day turned out to be a "spot the blogger" day, firstly passing NB Valerie, who were just pulling out of their mooring just round the corner from us at Brinklow.  It's great to see people's reaction when they recognise the boat name from the blogspot, followed by very enthusiastic waving at eachother (I'm the worst for that!)  A bit further on at Rugby NB Oakfield, though I didn't see anyone to wave at.  Likewise NB Derwent 6 between Rugby & Hillmorton.

 

 

Random photo of the day.......

Isn't he a beauty?

 

Shifali says we're good to go!

We have been watching the weather forecasts very closely, as all boaters do at this time of year!  We had moved a couple of miles out of Atherstone into the countryside, but the weather forecast warned of plummeting temperatures, so we decided to move on a couple of miles, so as to be in sight of a marina which had all the services we needed in case of the "biggest freeze for 100 years" manifested itself.  (Apparently this headline was in the Daily Express).  So, we stayed put for a few days in case the canal froze over. We did have a bit of ice one morning, but it soon melted away.  Nemo cat loved this mooring as he had a wood in which to explore.  We knew he was having a lovely time, as he kept bringing us "presents" - the furry variety.  Thankfully we managed to prize them out of his grip before they escaped (at least we hope we have).  After a couple of days, and having checked Met Office weather on line, then the news weather forecast, Shifali confirmed that temperatures were set to rise - so we decided it was time to move off.  I should point out to those reading in telly welly wales land, that Shifali is the West Midlands' Derek - but not as entertaining (s'mae).

So, as I was saying, we moved on a bit, through Allotment City which is also known as Nuneaton and moored for the night at the top end of Sutton Stop (Hawkesbury Junction), where we had a lovely meal in The Greyhound.  It's so nice to see a canalside pub thriving.  Thankfully, this visit, the elsan point had been cleaned so Dave didn't have to get his rubber gloves and cleaning kit out.  Unfortunately, the rubbish point was, as usual, awful.  There was even a 4 ring gas hob dumped into the recycling bin, and there was plenty of room in the ordinary rubbish skips, so there's no excuse!  We are now moored at Brinklow, with a rubbish internet signal, so I can't put up any photos, however, it transpires that  NB Armadillo was travelling a couple of hours in front of us, & they've got some photos on their blogspot! 

So it's on to Tesco at Rugby tomorrow, oh joy.  I had hoped to go on line and do a "pick and collect", but due to the rubbish signal, I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and go into the shop.

I hope to have the photos on the blogspot tomorrow......

Dave's Bird Album

My first attempt at a Blog (Dave).
I thought this would be a good way to show some bird photos to Mike, and others of some of the birds I've seen over the last few weeks.
So here goes!

Heron

Bathing Wren

Lapwings landing

 

Little Egret behind Grey Lags

 

 

Grey Lag Geese with Mediterranean? Gull

 

 

Little Grebe

 

 

Stalking Egret

2nd. Egret

Fieldfare

Another

 

Goldfinch

 

Long Tailed Tit

 

 

 

Wigeon

 

 

Shovellers

 

 

KINGFISHER

 

Jack Snipe

 

 

Shoveller

 

 

 

Golden Eye

 

Another Dab Chick

 

Tufted Ducks

 

Is it a Mediterranean?

 

 

Heron,Grey Lags< and Cormorants

 

That is this attemp'ts selection, I hope  you enjoy them.

Sod's Law

Would you believe it, the coal & diesel boat Callisto came past us this afternoon - the day after we topped up with coal & diesel in Valley Cruises.  Arghhhh.  How anoying.  I've found his website and will find out his route, so we can stalk him till it's time to fill up again.

We spent a few days moored in the countryside just outside Atherstone, but when we woke up to an iced over canal, we thought we'd better make a break for civilisation.  So we went a couple of miles, and are now camped out in sight of Valley Cruises/Springwood haven, and here we will remain until the temperature rises a few degrees.  We have been caught out before, when the Ashby canal froze and we were stranded for six weeks.  If it wasn't for Iain and his mate Ralph, who delivered diesel to us by van & carted it down the towpath by wheelbarrow, I think we'd have had to abandon the boat (we have diesel central heating which was running on fumes at the time).  After that winter (2008/2009) we installed a second, coal & wood burning stove in the back, which is HUGE and belts out the heat.  We can cook on the beast as well. 

Dave hasn't quite mastered the skill of gathering wood, without falling in - although he did manage to keep dry last week.  However, while we were in Atherstone, we took the opportunity to get a load of logs delivered to the boat, from a friend of a friend in the pub.  Job's a good 'un.  So now Beefur is in winter mode.  The flowers have been replaced by logs covered in plastic sheets.  Not so attractive, but practical!