Still waiting for the tunnel to open
Hello avids hope you have all been keeping well whilst we have been away, well we haven’t actually been away, it’s just that I haven’t written for ages, but only because we had nothing much to write about and when I did try to upload it I had trouble getting into my site, so a quick call to the wonderful Simon (our wonderful web designer and fixer of all problems) it’s fine, Well we left our winter mooring which was in Market Harborough as were itching to get out and about travelling, the sun was shining but it was still jolly cold, we certainly weren’t going too far as we were taking it very slowly because although the Braunston Tunnel was supposed to open on the 5th we then heard it was delayed until the 11th due to the previous two
weeks of bad weather and generally the whole of the winter really, so we found ourselves with 11 days to get to Braunston tunnel, well no sooner had we left MH and travelled an hour up the canal I lost my lovely Lumix Camera in the canal, well I just couldn’t believe it, nor could Richard, I was right upset as it was such a super camera and so proficient at every job it was supposed to do, whether it be long distance(it had a x10 zoom,) or right close up on Macro, sunset, sunrise, snow, running, skipping, dancing, it was just brilliant at capturing every moment, so you can see why I was so upset, I do have my other camera that does do everything, but it just isn’t as portable, I mean I did try carrying it with me the other day and Richard ended up carrying as I never stopped moaning about the weight of it. Anyway after that little mishap we moored up at the top of the flight of ten foxton locks, a beautiful spot which we love, we stayed for a couple of days, we went on a super bike ride which took us several miles, and guess what I ended up with another two punctures, “it’s not me”, Richard also got one, British Waterways had been trimming all of their bushes on the towpaths but they don’t clear the very sharp cuttings from the right prickly bushes and it’s always me that finds them, So we finished our bike ride pushing them again but still we saw some beautiful countryside and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well we carried on our journey trundling heading for the tunnel,slowly still in the sunshine but freezing temperatures so we are still keeping the fire in 24/7, and unfortunately we haven’t happened across any of Bw’s tree cutting that we did last year and collected a whole stack of logs. We stopped in our favourite moorings, Welford Junction for a night, then we moved on to our favourite woodland stop just before Yelvetoft on Friday night, waking to frozen canal each morning but the sun melting it by lunchtime, but with barely a couple of miles to travel it didn’t matter, however we did need to Get to Crick by Sunday as Richard’s old mate Dick and his wife Anne were coming for a visit, so we decided to book in to Crick Marina for a couple of nights, well as we weren’t travelling any distance I didn’t want to put the washing machine on to take all of our power so by booking in the marina it means we can hook up to the shore power, on the Saturday we took the Bus into Rugby and went and got some new inner tubes for our bikes, so we are mobile again. Anne and Dick were coming late afternoon on Sunday as they had been to a car parts show, so Richard and I went to the Red Lion in Crick for a gorgeous Sunday Lunch, the pub is as cosy and oldie worldly as the cosiest and oldie worldyiest pub I ever saw with an inglenook fireplace, low ceilings, and I’m sure there must be a ghost or two !! and the locals were very friendly. We moved out of Crick marina but only to the towpath as we were staying here until the 11th when Braunston Tunnel was
opening, in the meantime on the Saturday I had gone on Ebay to buy some Children’s Straight jackets, “sorry I meant Life Jackets!! I went straight to a new one that was advertised, and it said it was a still new and they had another one and that the seller was in Northampton,” wierd as that is where we were” so I sent an email to the seller to ask where abouts they were as we were in Crick and if they were not too far away I would bid for them, well it turned out that they have a business in the next village to Crick and that If I was successful in my bidding they would deliver, so true to their word on Monday Morning Eunice and Martin delivered two super, as new, little life jackets and came aboard for morning coffee and a slice of cake, well it was the least we could do for such a super seller, so thanks to them.
We stayed a couple of days in Crick to pass the time, we took another trip in to Rugby as Richard is going to replace the camera I lost, but they didn’t have the one we were looking for in stock, so I will have to wait until the next big place we get to which is Warwick, hopefully I will get one there, the new model of my old camera is x12 zoom so it should be even better, so hopefully some sharper pictures next time. We left Crick on the 11th to take us through the tunnel which
was open, “ you shouldn’t believe all you here” ie we were at Watford locks heading to the tunnel, when this Woman who had just come out of a marina, along the way and she said ooh the tunnel is still closed, well I had just spoken to BW the day before and they said it was fine, so I called BW again and checked and the woman was just making it up !! or whatever “get yer facts straight missus”
Today Sunday the 14th Just had lunch
moored at a pub called the moorings, very nice, and we are heading for Stratford and a fellow boater has said that the South Stratford is closed until 26th March so we might have to have
an impromptu holiday !! well we will see.
So until the next time
Bye for now
Lots of Love
Chrissie and Richard x x |
