Well, I'm sorry it's been a long wait for this page. We seem to have been pretty busy doing nothing much at all! There haven't been any adventures, just a slow trip to Braunston and meeting up with friends and family.

Friday, 29th and Saturday, 29th April,
Trev went to Solihull by train today, well, the journey actually started by bus from Atherstone station to Tamworth Station, for some reason there wasn't a train. Then train to Birmingham New Street, a walk across the city to change stations to Moor Street, and then a train to Solihull. Then exactly the same in reverse to get home. It took him all day for a ten minute appointment at the doctor's! Still we have the rest of our lives with not a lot planned, so it didn't really matter.

Whilst he was gone, I walked in to Atherstone, a town of quite a mix of architectural styles. There are some areas which are so pretty and old fashioned, they could be used for film sets.

In the morning Joy and Dave set off north, to do the Atherstone flight of locks, and we stayed put. We waved goodbye and enjoyed the rest of the day on the boat, in a pretty and peaceful mooring. We're not in a hurry, we have to be at Ansty for Tuesday morning, to meet the man who is coming to check our fire extinguishers.

Sunday, 30th April
We left at 10.00 aiming to moor at Ansty tonight. we thought we ought to get there a day early, in case we can't moor up and need to think of a different plan, as we have an arrangement to meet the man in the Rose & Castle pub car park.

First we pulled in to BW Hartshill yard and filled up with water. As there was no one about waiting to use the water point, we also took advantage of the opportunity to wash the boat roof and the back deck cover, which had been visited at Atherstone by ducks, who'd left their visiting cards. Then it was a long cruise to Ansty, with only one lock, the little stop lock at Hawkesbury. We filled up with water here again, as I'd used the washing machine as we were coming along. At Hawkesbury, we turned on to the Oxford Canal.

The weather today was cool, but fine and we made good progress. There was a lot of boats about, particularly hire boats. We met three 'hen' parties at Hawkesbury, none of whom had the least idea of how to operate a lock. As I was operating the lock for Liberty Belle, I showed them how to do it, but I think they were still in a fog when we left. At least they couldn't do much damage to themselves or the boat at Hawkesbury, as there's only a rise/fall of about a foot.

At Bridge 9 Trev got off the boat and cycled ahead to see what the mooring situation was at Ansty. He 'phoned to say there was just one mooring left, but it was on a bend and rather short, but he thought we'd fit in...... So I steered the boat on into Ansty and saw the space he was talking about. It was impossible, I would never get in to that, I told him. Yes you will, he replied, do it. So I inched forward in to the space at about 0.0001 m.p.h, trying hard not to hit the boats in front and behind, and I must admit that he was right. I got the boat in with just a cigerette paper between us and the other boats, and, though I say it myself, it was a pretty nifty bit of steering! I didn't touch the other boats. No wimpy bowthrusters on this boat, don't y'know!

Actually, as it happened, being on the bend where we were wasn't too bad a spot, as we could be seen from both directions. The boat which took the direct hits was two ahead. Each time the hen party boats came along, they missed us, completely misjudged the bend and ran in to the other boat. After the third crash, the man came out of the boat, absolutely, furious and shouted, "That's the third time we've been hit this afternoon, and all of the boats have come from the same firm!"

Monday, 1st May
I was keen to get away from this bend, and kept my eye open for a boat further ahead to move. Eventually one did, and we moved on to where the canal was wider and we were more visible! But it was a lot quieter today, and no one hit us. Friends came to visit us and we went to eat at the Rose and Castle.

Tuesday, 2nd and Wednesday, 3rd May
The man duly arrived and checked the fire extinguishers, which all passed muster, and then we set off again. First we moored up at Tesco Rugby, for three reasons. one, to shop, of course, but the second was to meet Jen and Bill on Sweet William. We haven't seen them since last October, and we were going in different directions then, as now! But we had an hour together, and swopped news and gossip, and hope to see them again in the summer when we're on the Thames.

The third reason was for Trev to walk in to Rugby library to use the internet. For reasons too long and boring to explain, we can't use the iMac computer to do internet banking, as our Orange mobile 'phone connection just cuts off after two minutes, and, try as I may, I can't get it sorted out. So it took him two hours to walk there and back. He couldn't use the bike as it had a puncture, and the roads were too busy to cycle on any way. You know, there are some downsides to living on a boat: mobile phone connections, internet connections, punctures, to name but a few......

Then we set off to moor up at the bottom of the Hillmorton flight. We're going to stay there for two nights, as we want to eat at the Lock Bistro, and it isn't open on Monday or Tuesdays. Trev took advantage of the extra day to black the side of the boat. We look very smart now, and I shall have to try not to scrape it as we go through the locks tomorrow.

Thursday, 4th May
Today we set sail for Braunston. The weather was absolutely glorious. I do hope it stays this way, as we have Trev's sister Bev and her husband Rob coming to stay overnight tomorrow. We're hoping to take them for a cruise. I love coming back to Braunston, it feels like home, as though we've come to the end of yet another long journey. We always look for the church spire as we approach, it's high and built on a hill, and it's the first thing we see as we're nearing the village.

We were lucky to find a mooring right outside the marina, so it will be easy to load the luggage on to the boat. Then we set about having a good clean of Liberty Belle, to make sure she was looking at her best. Trev's sister and husband live in Western Australia, and this is the first time they've will have seen the boat. It's also the first time she and Trev have met for eight years, so it will be quite an occasion. The champagne is in the 'fridge already!

In the evening we went for a drink with friends Carol & Fred who run The Boat Shop at Braunston Bottom Lock.

Friday, 5th May
Bev and Rob arrived around lunchtime, and after stowing their things aboard, and a cup of tea, we set off. We had decided to take them to Fox's Gate, a lovely mooring out in the country with wonderful views, and so we set off. But Bev was disappointed we weren't doing any locks! She wanted the experience, plus she's a jounalist for her local paper, and wanted to write a story about us and the boat. So, "Just for Fun" (!) we went to Wigram's Turn, turned right on to the GU, went down the three Calcutt Locks, turned round and came back up again! It's a long time, if ever, that we've done locks just for the experience! However, they enjoyed it, and we had plenty of extra hands to help, so we didn't mind at all. Then we went back to Fox's Gate and moored up. The weather was just perfect, and we sat out until after 8.00.

We had a great evening, they both have a fairly pronounced sense of humour........the champagne flowed, as did the beer and the wine and we all wondered why it had been eight years since we last spent time together.

Saturday, 6th, Sunday, 7th and Monday 8th May
We had a slow and lazy morning, starting with a full cooked breakfast. As we used to run a guest house, it's one of the things we can do rather well! We set off later in the morning, and the weather began to close in, but it was only two miles to Braunston, and we got back before it poured. We walked up to the Admiral Nelson under umbrellas for a late lunch and then all said a reluctant farewell. Tomorrow, Bev and Rob fly out to Italy.

We just had time for a quick siesta to get over the effects of the lunch before more friends arrived for the evening. On Sunday, more friends arrived, and seven of us repaired to The Admiral Nelson for lunch! It's always the way when we come back to 'Home Territory'. All of our friends want to come and see us, which is lovely, isn't it? At last, On Sunday evening, we were free to flop out and read the papers. I don't think I need to eat again for at least a week!

Tuesday, 9th, Wednesday 10th & Thursday, 11th May
Now we just have three days to vegetate in the countryside, before Trev goes to Australia. He's going to see his mum whilst his sister is over here. Then I shall go into a marina and stay on the boat whilst he's away. So therw on;t be any more postings until after he gets back. The we're going down the Oxford Canal and on to the Thames, a different route to the one planned I'm delighted to say! You may recall I was planning to jump ship if Trev went ahead with his plan to do the Severn Estuary. However, we've decided that that route was too ambitious for the time we shall have left when Trev gets back, so are doing a more relaxed route instead. Hooray!

Come back around June 10th, there should be something to read by then! Enjoy your summer.

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