THE BIG SUMMER CRUISE--JUNE 24th--JULY 1st
Monday, 23rd June
However, all was well in the morning!
Later in the afternoon, we set off down the Avon.
There are weirs all the way down, with locks at the side.
I was worried that we might get swept over the weirs! But of course we didn't.
There are signs all the way to show you what to do,
and as long as you keep your eyes open, it's fine.
The Avon is a delight. Shakespeare's country at its best.


ON THE AVON

We had the river pretty well to ourselves.
One big difference between a river and a canal
is that you can't moor up as easily as you can on the canal.
The banks are high and inaccessible due to trees, reeds, etc.
So you have to keep a watchout for designated moorings.
Tonight we're moored up in the country, just above Bidford-on-Avon,
with only one other boat, and it's so quiet and peaceful.

Wall to wall sunshine again. We are SOOOO lucky!
We were expecting friends this afternoon, so we moored up
at The Cottage of Content at Barton, or so we thought!
When I went to investigate, I found that,
although it's mentioned in the Nicholson's Guide,
in fact there is no way to it across the river!!
We couldn't moor up on that side because there was a weir.
So, a rapid change of plan, and we went on to Bidford-on-Avon.
We found a quiet spot to moor, right by the recreation field,
just below the lovely old bridge. Shakespeare would have walked over this bridge.

(I put this bit in for our American friends!)

Our friends duly arrived and spent the afternoon with us.
They are colleagues from our Guest House days,
and own a hotel in Kenilworth.
They were on the way back from their "escape route",
a mobile home in the country, where they go for two days every week.
In the evening, more friends came to see us,
this time from our teaching days.
Wednesday, 25th June
We had to be up early this morning--8.30!
The boat was going to have an engine service at Bidford Boats,
and I was going for a haircut in the village.
The engineer at Bidford Boats was a most helpful man,
and showed Trev how to do the service himself next time.
I couldn't say the same for the hairdresser.
Well, I didn't want to know how to cut my hair myself
(although that would save GBP15.50!),
but I thought he might have tried a little to have a conversation with me!
He spent most of the time talking to the next customer who was waiting for his turn!
I know I'm not the most exciting of people, but I didn't think I was that boring!
I haven't been to Bidford-on-Avon since the bypass was built,
may be twenty or thirty years ago, and I was surprised at how attractive it is.
It has a small selection of shops,
including a good butchers and an excellent French bakery
--oh and a rude hairdresser!

Then, we were off again, like a pair of gipsies!
We both love it when we set off, we get quite excited!
A bit like Toad, when he had his caravan!
We're loving the Avon, it's so pretty and peaceful.
We didn't travel far, and moored up at Offenham.
Whilst we were there, we had a phone call from friends
who wanted to know if they could come to see us tonight!
Of course they could, so about an hour and a half later they arrived.
Jane had brought a cooler bag with wine and beer,
and a basket of books for me to read! How kind!
We spent a very pleasant evening. They hadn't seen the boat,
since it went in to the water as a grey hull.
They had come to watch it arrive at Braunston on a low loader, on August 1st, 2002

Thursday, 26th June
We finally got a phone call from the engineer to say
that he had the part for our generator,
and would be in Evesham tomorrow.
We had intended staying where we were
for another night, but now had to move on in to Evesham,
so that he could find us easily.
As he was going to arrive at 9.00 a.m., we wouldn't have time to get there in the morning.
We arrived at Evesham late morning.
Here there is the luxury of a lock keeper, which is just as well,
given the tight fit of our boat in the lock.
The approach to it was equally as exhilerating....!
One has to go quite close to the top of weir, and then turn sharp right.
After that there is a sharp left turn straight in to the lock.
The lock was only just long enough to fit us in--diagonally.
We shared it with a much shorter boat, which was squashed in to the corner--
rather like the way I end up in bed when Trev sleeps diagonally.....
The lock keeper was a good humoured sort of a chap,
the sort of person who makes you feel much better for meeting him.
He was very careful about letting the water out,
so that we didn't get hooked up on the cill.
Even then, we had to heave ourselves around the gate to get out.

Evesham marks the boundary between the Upper and Lower Navigation Trust.
The locks are shorter on the Lower Avon--which is where we are now,
The Avon is owned and maintained by a charitable trust,
and we had to pay GBP42 for a licence to use it for up to fifteen days.
So we're taking our time travelling on it, to get our money's worth!

Friday, 27th June
At last our Whispergen generator is fixed.
We stayed in Evesham for another night.

Saturday, 28th June
Today we have friends joining us for a day's cruise,
Malcolm,the leader of my church, and friends of his, David and Saskia.
They have all owned narrowboats in the past,
and so Trev was delighted to be able to hand the tiller over to them
for the day, and have a rest.
We also had a canine friend on board--Dutch, a springer spaniel.
Off we went down the Avon, from Evesham to Wyre Piddle! (Yes really)
There were two locks, both very tight fits.
After a lunchtime drink at The Anchor at Wyre Piddle,
we turned round and returned to Evesham.
It was a good day, and our friends were excellent company.
I won't hold it against them that they saw two kingfishers......and I saw none.

Sunday, 29th June
Today, the first part of our trip was over the same stretch as yesterday.
But there was a bonus. The Lower Avon Navigation Trust
operate the locks on Sundays, to raise funds.
So we had an easy day of it.
We moored up at the recreation ground in Pershore, and stayed there for two nights.

The weather is still glorious, and we are enjoying all the wildlife we see.
We have seen countless tiny ducklings following their mothers,
and swans sailing proudly by with their cygnets.
Dragonflies fly around us, we even saw llamas in a field!
The hours slip in to days, and the days slip by.
I have to check my watch to see which day it is!
We count ourselves very lucky to have such a charmed existence.

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