Banbury to Thrupp

Banbury to Thrupp

June 2019

Monday

We finished our stay in Banbury with a trip to the town's Odeon Cinema, which offers two screen entertainment. I have heard that the new development at Spiceball Park will include a multiplex, so I guess that will be the death knell for the old style cinema near the Cross.

Anyway, we went to see Rocketman, a biopic of Elton John, who's music featured quite prominently in my youth. In terms of production and insight it stands above Bohemian Rhapsody, and his ability to write music is nothing short of staggering. That said, I marginally preferred Bohemian Rhapsody, but that is because Queen really did represent the soundtrack to me teenage years.

Our departure from Banbury was a staggered affair, with trips to the bank and the mobile phone shop plus a visit to Tooleys to pick up some flyers, all fitted in before we set off. No sooner had we left Banbury Lock than the heavens opened and soaked me as I moved on to the moorings near Morrisons.

This was never going to be a long day with just seven miles to cover on our way to Aynho, zig zagging back and forth under the M40. Its on this stretch that you pick up the rail track which carries a massive volume of container traffic and these rumbling convoys are never really out of earshot all the way to Oxford. In the end so we moored just above Aynho Wharf where the freight and passenger trains cross on box girder bridge, but luckily the noise was tolerable. 

Tuesday

The reason we needed to moor above Aynho was because we needed to refill with diesel. We last filled at Hawne in Halesowen about two cruising weeks ago, and the tank will have been down to two thirds full (I don't often bother to check with the dipstick because you get a feel for consumption rates). That may sound like a lot left in the tank, but we have a long trip down the Thames ahead of us and you never want to pay Thames prices for fuel if you don't have to. As it was the price per litre was 95p - about 30p more than Hawne. The price rises as you go south.

For some reason we have made fewer towpath sales as we travel this year, but as we worked through Somerton Deep Lock a Dutch party decided to buy some preserves to take home. Of course, boats were approaching from both directions so the transaction had to be swift and concluded before the butty sank too far in the chamber!

We had been slowing our progress because we had agreed to meet Bones for the evening at Lower Hayford. Rather stupidly I had forgotten to find out exactly where her boat was and decided to cruise on and stop after I found it. Bad Mistake. No sooner had I passed the vacant visitor moorings (in a downpour) than I passed her boat after which there were no viable mooring spots. I tried one rather close to a bridge, but after the first boat to pass bumped us I moved on and ended up half a mile away. Getting back involved a long and squelchy walk.

Wednesday

Another easy day of about seven miles covering attractive ground with the Cherwell running close to the canal. After the rush to the Wormleighton summit all these half days feel like a holiday.

Our destination is Thrupp, a sleepy village just north of Oxford with two pubs and a tea room. It's a popular spot for boaters with its own rather complex set of mooring restrictions. These moorings are monitored daily by a warden from Thrupp Cruising Club, so it's important to get the right spot. As it turned out, both Maffii and Ken were about as we approached the lift bridge and opened it for us, laughing at my failure to correctly anticipate the amount of butty assistance I would get as I turned the 90 degree angle. 

The aim was to moor on the 7 day section and much to our delight there were a couple of full length spots available, mid way between the bridge and The Boat pub.

The evening was spent nursing a pint or two in the Boat and catching up on boating gossip from far and wide.

Thursday

A non moving day and we decided to take the S4 bus into Oxford, fitting in a visit to the Ashmolean and the department stores. Helen was successful in Debenhams but frustratingly they had none of the trousers I liked in my size. We spent a few pleasant hours pottering around and visited the Green Cafe, perusing their impressive poster wall. I was particularly amused by the way the Old Time Revival Tent rally organised by Oxford Baptist Church rubbed shoulders with an advert for a Cannabis Cake making course!

The day finished with yours truly doing a spot of paint repair work on Wand'ring Bark. The problem seems to be that paint just does not want to stick to the welds attaching the cabin to the gunwhale. The original paint sticks ok, but the "new" paint comes off after about four years and then water starts to creep under the non stick surface and lift it up. So my task was to address the towpath side, sanding off the flaky bits and applying both undercoat and top coat with a small flat artists brush. The sight of me paining a huge boat with a tiny brush raised more than a few eyebrows (and comments) from dog walkers passing by.

Looking more closely at he paint I can see that the cabin will need attention before next season, particularly the roof where the paint is starting to flake. I will put that in the diary for early April.

And so to Banbury

Warwick to Banbury

June 2019

I have been slipping with my blog posts a bit recently, but that is mainly because we have been on the move and I have spent a fair bit of my writing time working on a couple of articles for publication.

 Riding at Banbury Cross

I have to admit that I really like the Grand Union between Knowle and Wigrams Turn. The canal is broad, deep (ish) and relatively little used. The one snag to the route is the locks - they are all the big wide locks which were installed in the 1930's replacing the narrow ones which still stand empty and folorn. There are times then the heavy gates and heavy paddles are a bit much and I wish that the little locks were still operational.

Actually, there is a second snag to the route - Elsans, or the lack of them! There is one on the Saltisford Arm, but is it was a bit of a walk I relied on the one on the offside, three locks up at Fosse Road Bridge. We arrived only to discover it is deliberately out of service, filled with sand by CRT because of risks to the staff who have to empty the cess pit. I am guessing that they have to park the tanker on the very busy road, and this is clearly risky. But that means that there are no canalside elsans from Hatton top lock to Napton bottom. Frankly, if this facility is removed I cant see why a couple of temporary "cubes" cant be provided in all the lockside space at Bascote.

HS1 route

Anyway, off we went up Stockton Brook where we paused to pick up another boat so the rise up the hill was very painless and instead of stopping at Calcutt, we went all the way up the Napton Flight and moored for the night somewhere way out on the Wormlington Summit above Marston Doles.

It turned out that we moored on the edge of the area marked out for the new High Speed Rail track. The adjacent meadows were covered in posts with streamers attached, presumably to scare nesting birds. I was a bit shocked by the area staked off and wondered if this was some sort of construction marshalling yard rather than just the track bed itself. I guess that this will be the last time we can enjoy the other worldliness of the summit and in future it will be earth movers or screaming trains.

We had friends heading north on the Oxford and we had been maintaining daily contact to see where we would pass. It became apparent that we would meet at Fenny Compton so we both stopped and had a long awaited cup of coffee together. I love the way these meetings happen on the cut. Then it was on down the hill through Cropredy where we spent the night.

Now we have crossed onto the Thames catchment basin our progress has slowed. We have shelved our plans for the K&A this year (again) and will instead make a leisurely trip down the Thames and back up the GU. But before we get to the river there was Banbury, the only significant town between Leamington Spa and Oxford. Our grandchildren love singing "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross" so Helen made a couple of hobby horses which we presented to them.... at Banbury Cross. They loved them and galloped around the Fair Lady for about 15 mins before raising lots of smiles as they cantered back to the boat at Castle Quays.

Now previously Banbury has been rather a good trading spot for us, but not this time. Banbury is in the throes of a make over spanning the multi storey car park and Spiceball Park. As a result the middle foot bridge is closed and there are few people using the towpath. What we lost to trade was made up for with two peaceful nights in what can be a noisy mooring. 

Going round in circles

Going around in circles

June 2017

We left you in Thrupp as we sought to replenish our much depleted jam stocks.

An early morning trip to Kidlington market yielded 8kg of jamming strawberries, which were mixed with locally picked Elderflower to make our popular Strawberry and Elderflower Jam. 

After a visit by our  friends Dave and Pat it was back to Birmingham for a hospital appointment, but with the weather looking grim and our kitchen at home being so much more efficient we decided to return on Sunday and give ourselves a whole day for making. More strawberries were bought from a local farm and the surplus rhubarb from friends gardens collected. In the end we made nearly 150 jars including Summer Pudding Jam, Raspberry and Strawberry with Raspberry Gin and Raspberry and Rhubarb. At times it felt like tag preserving as Helen and I took turns actually making the goods.

All the time we were home the heavens opened and the wind howled round the house, but somehow it didnt feel quite like home - maybe we have been afloat too long! That said, we caught up on our washing, raided the store room for more jam and said hello to friends and neighbours. 

One negative was the trip back. We had very kindly been lent a van for the journey and all went well till we got to Kidlington and suddenly I struggled to find first gear, and then all the rest seemed to have gone on holiday and the clutch plated made a very ominous sound. By some fluke I found second gear and managed to get back to Thrupp without stopping or causing too much congestion on the main road. By the time I parked up the clutch was non existent and I had to make a grovelling call to the owner to explain the predicament. It was something of a miracle that it got us back at all and the owner was graciousness itself and in no small measure relieved that it hadn't failed when she was driving.

Come Wednesday and the worst of the gale has blown over so from 6.00 am we heard a steady procession of boats heading south. We dawdled, filling the water tank and didnt leave till 11.30 - but much to our surprise we caught them all up just before Dukes Lock where a fallen tree blocked the canal. Another wait which we spent preparing a batch of Blow Your Head Off Chilli Jam, and selling more preserves to the boat in front! 

Dukes Lock

We joined the Thames about three hours later than planned and moved south through Godstow Lock where the lock keeper examined the butty license and observed that we have got a b****y good deal. It seems that the butty isnt a canoe after all and in fact is a houseboat - which should attract a 50% charge. I offered to pay the difference but it was not needed.

We ended up on a wild mooring overlooking the meadows to the west of Oxford with the distinctive tower of Jericho church peeping through the trees. Its so shallow that the boat is 3ft off the bank but with rain threatening beggars cant be choosers.

The Oxford Ring

The Oxford Ring

June 2017

You could be forgiven for thinking the title of this blog post is the name of an Inspector Morse episode, maybe filmed in Jericho, which is adjacent to our mooring for the last couple of days. But no, it simply refers to our one day circumnavigation of Port Meadow with our daughter, her husband and the endlessly entertaining Alice, our first grandchild.

Jericho, Oxford

But first back to Jericho. If you have moored, or even passed through Oxford in the last decade you cant miss the hoardings between St Barnabas Church and the canal promising an exciting new redevelopment in the site of what was Castlemill Boatyard. Sadly this redevelopment has languished on the drawing board and remains unrealised. We moored opposite College Cruisers for our first night on the 48 hour moorings and soon realised the selection of mooring is very important if you want a good nights sleep.  The northern end is alongside the railway marshalling yard to at about 11.00pm all the trains come rumbling in for the night, wheels screeching on the points and then from 5.30am they are all revved up for 30 minutes before departing for another days work. Top tip - use the southern end near the weir where housing blocks the worst of the noise.

Tower of St Barnabas, Jericho

We did venture into Jericho, site of the old Eagle Ironworks and directly linked to the construction of the canal. The area was redeveloped cheaply in the 1870's and sitting on poorly drained soil it became something of an unsanitary slum with its nadir in the 1950 when it became the city's red light district. Then, just when it was on the cusp of demolition, a community organisation was formed, grants obtained and the whole area was cleaned up. Today you wouldn't suspect the areas run down past. It is THE fashionable area for students and commuters with its good pubs, atmospheric streets of 2 up 2 down terrace houses and an art house cinema. 

The Marklew's breakfast visit

Anyway, after a couple of nights outside the walls of Jericho we met some friends from Aldridge for breakfast and enjoyed a trundle up to The Plough where we met Suzie, Jack and Alice. We pootled up to Dukes Cut and entered the EA waters of the Thames, pausing to breast up the butty just before the first lock. 

Cormorant at Port Meadow

I then motored around to the visitor moorings (hard to moor on the starboard side with the butty attached) and presented my debit card for punishment. The lock keeper stood there, hands on hips staring at the butty muttering things like wow, and gorgeous before turning to me and exclaiming "what is it, I mean on what basis do I license it?". I indicated that I had been looking on the website and hadn't identified an appropriate category, save possibly as a tender - if you stretched the definition a bit. "Hmm" was the reply and the guidelines were consulted. Then a call to a senior colleague before the final verdict was in. And the EA's conclusion about the Jam Butty? For licensing purposes .... its a canoe! This decision suits me just fine as the motor cost £100 for 31 days and the "canoe" an extra £20 (ish). 

So we set off downriver with the canoe strapped to the side, scaring oncoming boats as we dominated the narrow winding channel to reach the more open waters of Port Meadow. It was a flaming hot day and all along the river young people were playing in the cooling waters or jumping off the bridges. With he sun still hot in the sky we decided to create a wild mooring on the tree lined and shady length just before the southern entrance into Isis Lock, tying onto three spindly trees. Ideally Suzie would have like a swim but hauling a seven month pregnant girl over the stern was not appealing, so we compromised and paddled our feet off the back of the butty. Alice, not wishing to miss any fun going, was delighted to paddle in a bowl of Thames water, and then managed to squeeze most of her body into its modest confines. Hey, we just rolled with it and at the end filled it with hot soapy water and it served as an impromptu bath.

 Bathtime on the Thames

We relinquished the motor boat to the three of them and retreated to a peaceful, if slightly cramped night in the butty. The following day we completed our circuit, entering the Oxford Canal at Isis Lock and making our way back to The Plough. As is common in these parts, each chance stop, even at the Elsan point, seems to attract preserve enthusiasts and more stock is sold. 

Hmm, we  did a stock take in Oxford and concluded that the level of jam is a bit dire, so on Saturday its off to Kidlington Market to get some more strawberries.

And so to Oxford

Thrupp to Oxford

30 May 2017

In the end we stayed in Thrupp for five nights, and four very productive days.

Elderflower coming into bloom

Thrupp is a sleepy little place consisting of a small hamlet, two pubs and a vibrant cruising club who work very hard to maintain the canal environment as a clean pleasant place. The only interruption to this idyll is the railway track which carries a seemingly endless procession of freightliner trains dragging of scores of container waggons. That said, the occasional groan and rumble never seems intrusive in the way a busy road does.

Shipton on Cherwell Chruch

We figured we would undertake a spot of passive towpath trading from the seven day moorings and use the time to do the first real making session of the trip. We were given the use of a vehicle whilst in Thrupp, so on Friday we set off to reccie the Kidlington market. It turned out that it included a huge fruit and veg stall and, as it was late in the afternoon, there were bargains to be had. Whilst we hadn't planned to buy, the opportunity was there so we bought strawberries, raspberries and cooking apples - which then needed processing before they went off.

Elderflower harvest

Hmm, we nearly bit off more than we could chew and, of course, decided to do this on the hottest day of the year so far! Anyway, Elderflower cordial was started and five batches of Strawberry & Raspberry Jam with Raspeberry Gin were prepared and simmered down that day. Saturday was then a day of feverish activity as the five batches were converted to 50 jars of preserve and the cordial made into 50 bottles. But we had miscounted our raspberries so it was back to the market for more strawberries!

Muleless (Della and Gary) riding to the rescue

We did have a bit of a glitch with pasturisng the cordials as the 2kw generator wasnt up to the task, but thankfully Gary and Della from Muleless cane to the rescue and let us tap into their extensive battery bank. This not only got the job done but probably saved us from a lynching from the Thrupp residents association!

That said, the good people of Thurpp did take us to their hearts and during this making marathon, with jammy smalls wafting down the towpath, we did a brisk trade and probably sold as much as we made!

 Improvised printing shop

With the weather on the change we decided to move on to Oxford, stopping after Kidlington Lock to set up the Genny to run the printer and prepare the labels for all the new preserves. No sooner had we set up, with Helen casting her spell over the technology, than the rain started and the sign board was pressed into service as a make shift tent. 

Maffi going the second mile

The rain kept stepping up a gear and by the time we met Maffi at the lift bridge above Dukes Lock it was more than persistent. Then it just got worse and worse till it was coming down in theatrical style and we were both soaked through. We squelched on till we reached The Plough where Maffi and Bones were moored and gave up, driving pins into very soggy ground - and retiring to the pub as soon as the lagoon in front of it has subsided.

A change of plans

A change of plans

Thrupp May 2017

Having made it to the southern end on the Oxford Canal we sat down and had a look at the maps to plan out our route for the next month till we get to the Ware festival on 1st and 2nd July.

The dreamy South Oxford Canal

Our plan had been to travel the Kennet and Avon, maybe taking in the Wey on the way (no pun intended) but whilst the itinerary was achievable, it was demanding and left little time to dawdle, visit Birmingham or indeed make preserves. We have therefore decided that the K&A can wait another year and instead we will take a month ticket for the Thames and spend more time on what is our favourite river. This way we will have plenty of time to explore the River Wey and maybe even the Basingstoke Canal.

Somerton Deep

For the time being we have decided to take advantage of a 7 day mooring in Thrupp and get in some towpath trading over the bank holiday weekend. Thrupp is, of course, a lovely little village and is endowed with good boaters facilities and a couple of decent pubs. However, it does lack a boatyard for diesel, but as luck would have it Dusty came past on his fuel boat and allowed us to refill the tank which will cover us till we are on the Grand Union in July. 

Dusty refuelling Muleless

But perhaps the best thing about the place is the boaters community and the slower pace lets us spend some quality time with Bones, Maffi plus Della and Gary from Muleless who are moored just in front of if. In fact, the weekend is almost a replay of our last visit to Thrupp three years ago when the sun shone and towpath BBQ's took place, but this time minus Doug and James who are up in Manchester.

The Thrupp gang on the towpath (photo from Della)

The plan is to be in the Thrupp / Oxford / Abingdon area for the next couple of weeks and move down the Thames when Helen has attended a hospital appointment back in Brum, just before the election.

Of all the Gin joints....

Thrupp

May 2017

Helen has had a long held desire to visit The Feathers Gin Bar in Woodstock, famed for its record breaking selection of over 400 Gins gleaned from around the world.

Decisions decisions at The Feathers, Woodstock

Whats more Bones, one of our friends from Thrupp, also shares her interest in quality gins so a plan was hatched to pay the said hostelry (if a 4 star hotel at the gates of Blenheim Palace can be called a mere hostelry) on Wednesday evening. Close inspection of the map revealed that Thrupp is the closest point on the Oxford Canal to Woodstock, a mere three miles distant. Close, but not really close enough to walk, especially after a few gins! Happily Alex came to the rescue and offered us a taxi service there and back.

The Feathers, Woodstock

The girls made an effort on the clothes front as befits a temple to the mighty Juniper Berry, but given a sudden heatwave I simply donned a fresh polo shirt and hoped they didn't look too closely as the well worn shorts...

Woodstock - the English version

The trouble with such an extensive selection is where to start. I mean, at best we will have a couple of drinks each which will mean we cover a mere six of the beverages on offer which represents a paltry 3.5% of the range on offer. We made a tentative request for the Gin list but the bartender helpfully suggested that better results would be obtained based on his recommendation. I suspect he doubted our provenance at the outset but when we started to discard some of the more unusual gins like Blackwoods 2012 vintage and Tarquins as we were familiar with them, and then started discussing the merits of Fever Tree versus 1724 Tonic Water I think he realised we did know what we were talking about and made some really good suggestions.

Somerton Deep Lock

For my part I started with a Cotswold gin and moved on to Blackwoods 60%. Helen selected Porthe Cary then a Malawi (from Malawi!) and Bones imbibed Tarquins Sea Dog and Doctor J's (which if I remember correctly was distilled in someone's bedroom!) All were top of the line gins and again I marveled how different they can taste. As for the cost? best not ask really..... but cheaper than a meal for six (just).

Bottoms up gin lovers and here is to World Gin Day on the 10th June.

Onwards to Aynho

Onwards to Aynho

May 2017

You  will be wondering what happened to us..... Well, we have been making rapid southerly progress and I have had had little time to record events.  

 Butty polishing

Lapworth and Hatton all happened in a bit of a blur, with our passage assisted by Dan, who broke the back of the locking as far as Warwick where he departed and returned to Birmingham by train. 

Napton Sunset

With friends due to meet us on Saturday morning at the Blue Lias in Long Itchington we pressed on through Leamington Spa, doing our best to avoid the periodic downpours. We shared locks with a lovely couple from Droitwich who, after three years afloat, were taking their boat on a final cruise to Rugby where it had been sold. As the clock passed 6.00pm our enthusiasm ebbed and we moored just above the staircase pair.

We picked up Fi and Andy at the Blue Lias and gave them a crash course in lock operation as we entered the Stockton Brook flight. They were quick learners and were wielding windlasses like pro's by the time we reached Club Toplockicana! (you will know what I mean if you have been there). 

As an added bonus we stopped for tea with James and Amy "Willow" just below the Calcutt locks as they honeymooned their was to a new life at Bollington. Its ages singe we last met so this was a really special time.

Then it was on to Napton where full visitor moorings drove us up beyond lock four. The Folley was rammed on account of Mike's extensive birthday celebrations. Luckily we had booked a table and enjoyed a good meal in great company. Following our sales at Hawne there was enough room for the butty to be converted into sleeping accommodation. Dan had used it during his stay and with Fi and Andy occupying the motor we made use of its snug environs to have a passable nights sleep.

Fi and Andy stayed with us as we crossed the Wormleighton summit and amazingly enough, no other boat caught us or wanted to pass. After a lovely summers day they left us at The Wharf Inn in Fenny Compton and we made full use of the pub's launderette. Thats another weeks washing completed.

Monday saw us start our long descent to the Thames, making slow progress through the string of boats heading to Cropredy. We elected to press on and reached Banbury after a scorcher of a day, and as a bonus was flagged down for preserves as we entered the town and then sold more before we had even tied up opposite Castle Quays.

Tuesday was a gentle start, but not quite as gentle as we had planned. Helen wanted to do some shopping so we lingered in bed for a while but this reverie was brought to an abrupt end by a knock on the roof and someone asking for three jars of jam. She was duly served barefoot and in pajamas! Helen departed for the shops so I indulged in a spot of gentle polishing, only to lay down my polish time and again as boaters came seeking preserves! Cant complain about the level of ambient sales hereabouts.....

Tuesday was only ever going to be a half day travelling so we set off after lunch and worked our way down to Aynho, following most of the traffic and only one boat caught us up on his way to this home mooring at Aynho after a three week cruise round the Thames Ring.

Banbury Canal Day

Banbury Canal Day

October 2014

For us the Banbury Canal day, held on the first Sunday in October, represents the last outdoor trading event of the season.

A bit of history

We would dearly love to attend on our boat but as any boater will tell you, Banbury is two big watersheds away from our base on the Staffs and Worcester and is therefore too far away to be a credible destination for a one day event. Maybe one for the future...

 And some pomp

So for now its an event we attend in the car and if I am honest its one of the easiest, even if it is an hour's drive from home. The dawn trip down the M40 is almost a joy and when we arrive we can pull up alongside a pre erected stall and hey presto all the stock is ready for sale.

The crowds show up

Banbury has just celebrated its 11th anniversary under the leadership of the local town council, ably supported by a management committee made up of all the interested parties. The end result is a well organised and well attended event attracting over 35 boats, 110 stalls and an estimated 20,000 visitors. This year Nutfield and Raymond were in show adding an extra depth to the boating dimension, which was great.

But of course its not just the boats which make events like this special. Banbury gives us an opportunity to see old friends who live south of Braunston. People like the Hebie's, Maffi, Bones to name just a few and then there are the repeat customers who come and see us year after year.

 Friends

However, all is not entirely rosy in the garden and there is often some rough to balance out the smooth. This year the downs included the stinky drains which were so bad that customers complained, and then the inexorable rise of the charity stall which destroys the interest factor of the market as surely as they do on the high street. And then there was the enthusiastic outcry approach from a young helper at the next door stall - "four tickets for a pound, sweets a pound a bag" she screeched out every 15 seconds for a straight two hours. The amazing thing was that this technique actually drove customers from their stall, and ours. My guess is it cost us 10% of sales.... Grr.But tat said the other traders saw sales down a bit  of fine weather. Hey, that's the way it goes sometimes.

It takes all sorts!

So that's it for outdoor trading season - Droitwich to Banbury in five months with a lot of fun along the way. See you all next year.

North from Oxford

North from Oxford 

July 2014

Our return from Oxford was hot and sticky with only the merest hint of a breeze to mitigate the stifling heat.

 Setting sun over the Oxford Arm

It started with an interesting extraction from the Oxford Town Arm which has a maximum winding width of 30ft. We winded the butty but were obliged to reverse the motor all the way. The redeeming facet of the manouver was the butty itself which we tied to the bows of the motor and this served as a great drogue and kept us straight. All we did was leave the engine slowly astern and guide the direction by the use of the boat pole, nudging the stern this way and that.

Reversing out of the Oxford Town Arm

The extraction may be a fiddle but the mooring at the far end is uber close to the city centre.

Our trip north was only as far as Banbury where our relief crew took over for the next five days to Camp Hill in Birmingham.

I think I ought to mention the paint incident. As we were tied in some shade just north of Lower Heyford I thought I would put some final touches to the ellum. Painting over I pressed the lids on the paint pots and stepped into the stern of the butty - or didn't. There was a hole in the canal bank which I stuck my foot in and the result was a nearly full pot of cream bursting open all over the cockpit floor. I desperately stuffed up the drain holes to minimise spillage into the water and scooped as much of the rest back into the tin. If that wasn't bad enough I returned to the floor six hours later when the paint was more or less dry and gave it a coat of red to cover the mess. Job done I twitched and over when the red can! This time I cave the cockpit sides an extra coat and its fair to say that the floor has a very generous layer of Ferrari Red. Twice in one day!

Along the way we hid from the sun where we could, met Nick from Eileen who passed us whilst re-fueling at Aynho. Them we spent time with Gary and Della Mann of Muleless and Maffi too. Whilst in Thrupp we also met up with Paul Balmer of Waterways Routes who was busy filming the Oxford Canal.

Maffi!

And so it was with no small degree of sadness we left the boats behind and returned to the real world ashore.