Our Second Trip--Part 2



The view from our window this evening, after a rainstorm........





Saturday, 10th May
One year ago today, we left The Abbey Guest House and
moved to our rented bungalow at Norton Lindsey.
That was quite a day, and one which I thought would never come!
And now, one year later, here we are, on our narrowboat, retired and loving it!

Sunday, 11th May
We travelled about a mile and a half today!
We got up very late, so late that when Trev walked into Stoke Golding to get a paper,
the shop was shut! So we had to read yesterday's papers again.
We were about to set off when the heavens opened so we decided to stay put.
The villages around here have wonderful names:
Burton Hastings, Stoke Golding, Market Bosworth, Barton-in-the-Beans,
Higham-on-the--Hill, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Stretton Baskerville!

Monday, 12th May
We travelled a couple of miles through glorious countryside and met no one at all.


Then we moored up at the Visitor Centre for The Battle of Bosworth Field,
and had a most educational time!
It's a very well organised site, and is spread out over a wide area,
with walks through fields and woods, and interpretive signs on the way.


Trev steering Liberty Belle. Doesn't he look well?!

We moored up at Market Bosworth Wharf and walked in to the town, which was about a mile away.
It's a very attractive little town, though spoilt, as are so many places, by traffic.
We succumbed to the aroma of fish and chips on the way back at "The Batter of Bosworth" fish and chip shop!

Tuesday 13th May
On again, towards the end of the canal. We moored at the entrance to Snarestone tunnel.
The weather was awful all morning, and then the heavens opened and so we decided to stay put.
We had a problem with the Whispergen, the coolant was leaking.
We phoned Dave, our boatfitter, and he came out to sort it.
There was air in the system, and he was able to remove most of it, so that we could carry on using it.
But he will have to check it out when we get back to base.
We ate in The Globe, which is situated right on top of the tunnel.
The tunnel goes right under the village of Snarestone.
We talked with the landlady for quite a while.
They've only been there for four weeks, and have great plans.
They're also having their own boat built.
The food was good.

Wednesday, 14th May
On to the end of the Ashby Canal today.
I'm really disappointed that we've come to the end, it's been delightful.
The further up we've come, the fewer boats have been about,
and we've more or less had the canal to ourselves for the last third of it.


We went through the Snarestone tunnel, right to the end of the canal,
which is about half a mile further on.
There we turned, or winded to use the correct term,
and started our journey back.
I steered most of the way today, until I lost a fender, going under a bridge!
Where the canal goes under a bridge, it narrows to just a little more than the width of one boat, and I misjudged it.
So in to the murky depths went the fender,
and its holder which clips on the rail along the top of the boat.
(This was the second one we'd lost.
The first one we lost in a lock on the Oxford.
The locks on the Oxford are only single width
and you're supposed to take in your fenders
before you go through, in case the boast gets wedged.)
But this time, we got out our secret weapon, The Sea Searcher Magnet!
Last Christmas, when I couldn't think of what to buy Trev,
I got him the magnet! It's very powerful.
And so, Trev backed up the boat, and I trawled the depths and, amazingly, I found it!
It was a little bent, but nothing a handyman like Trev couldn't put right.......
A few blows of the hammer and it was as good as new!
We moored up for the night half way towards the end of the canal.

Thursday, 15th May
Wonderfully sunny weather today.
We ploughed on to the end of The Ashby and then turned left at
Marsworth Junction on to the Coventry Canal.
Then on to Hawksbury Junction and left on to the Oxford Canal.
We were looking for somewehere to moor up when we saw a friends' boat moored,
so we moored up alongside, and spent a pleasant evening with them.

Friday, 16th May
A very wet day.
We had a phone call this morning; it was our friends on the boat next door,
inviting us for coffee.
So we spent the morning with them, and then, when it finally stopped
raining in the afternoon, we set off again.
We moored up at the bottom of Hillmorton locks, where we had moored on the way out.
Now we were ready for my first proper locks!
There was no escape, I'd got to do the three Hillmorton locks!
In the evening, we ate at a little bistro right by the canal.

Saturday, 17th May
So, up bright eyed and bushy tailed for the lock assault.
I'd never been in charge of the boat by myself yet,
Trev had always been there to get me out of trouble!
But, in fact, I did it pretty well!
Trev stayed on the towpath all the way through,
and I did all three locks without anything untoward happening,
and felt very pleased with myself!
After that, it was all plain sailing back to Braunston and in to our mooring slot.

There won't be any more postings for a while.
We stay here now until about June 8th
and then we set off for the long summer trip to Llangollen.
So, come back and have another look to see how we're faring on the Major Summer Expedition!

Click here to read the first part of the second trip.

Click here to go to the trips page

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