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Appendices
- Trip Reports
| TRIP
REPORT: KINGSWOOD JUNCTION TO THRUPP, FRI 9TH
TO 16TH JULY 2004. CREW: MALCOLM 'BLOSSOM'
EDGE, DAVID VICKERS, MARK BURT AND DAVE DAVIES. |
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FRI
9TH JULY: An hours drive from Leicester
saw us parked at the Navigation Inn, Kingswood,
and a five minute walk down the towpath to find
the boats along with Blossom and David Vickers.
Having been allocated the butty, I stashed my
kit and we set off at 8.30pm. The motor was
slightly aground, but that was soon rectified,
and DV attempted the turn at the junction -
his first time on a loaded motor, and my first
time on loaded butty. Perhaps not surprisingly,
we made
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hash of it (with an audience, of course) with
Nuneaton only just getting round the bend - I
took half the bridge with the butty and failed
to get round the turn - not helped by the towline
snapping at the crucial moment! Brighton heeled
over at a sickening angle, to the sound of crashing
plates and glasses as they fell out of the cupboard!
Then DV knocked the motor's chimney from the roof
into the cut where it promptly sank! Not an auspicious
start, but we carefully carried on through Shrewley
Tunnel to moor at the top of Hatton by 11pm. Irish
Stew and Guinness followed and bed for 1.30m. |
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SAT
10TH JULY: I was actually up first at 6am
and made tea and breakfast, which we consumed
at our leisure before setting off at 7.30am. DV
went ahead to set the locks and manged to flood
both the towpath and the cafe, as we later found
out from the irate proprietor! |
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We
were through the Hatton 21 by 10.45am, picking
Mark Burt up at the bottom lock.
The motor got stuck under Leamington Railway
Bridge and again outside the Fusilier pub, where
we were about to find out what had attached
itself round the prop.
We stopped to sort it properly at Radford Lock,
where Blossom's proddings with the cabin shaft
produced smll piece of shiny fluorescent pink
material - "It's a pair of knickers!"
exclaimed DV,
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but
another foot or so of material appeared, "more
like pair of bloomers!" I added. More and
more of this lurid cloth became unravelled,
revealling some lime green stitching before
we realised what it was - a Sari!
With the prop suitably divested of it's exotic
apparal we cracked on, mooring below Long Itchington
Lock and outside The Two Boats Inn, where member
Mark Collins had not only come to meet us, but
also got the beers in - Chap!
A grand evening commenced, with entertainment
from a duo who retaliated to my good-natured
heckling by dedicating a song "to all
the boaters in tonight" and playing
'Captin Pugwash'!
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SUN
11TH JULY: "Joyful nights bring sorrowful
mornings", as my Grandma used to say,
and upon getting up at 8am, I thought I had left
my coat (complete with wallet with cash and cards)
in the pub, but on returning there the cleaner
could find no sign of it.
Set off at 9am. having breakfast halfway up the
Stockton flight, with Mark Collins steering the
motor. "We'll be fine breasted up - I've
done this stretch before" he said before
jamming the pair in a bridgehole! Of course he
did this right in front of a friend of his and
earned himself the nickname 'Wedger' Collins!
He left us at the top of Stockton, promising to
check on my coat. He rang later saying it could
not be found, so worried and depressed I checked
one last time... and found it at the bottom of
my bag! Blossom refered to me in what I think
is old Brummagen canal teminology, as "a
tosser!" |
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An
uneventful run to Napton Junction by 1pm, where
we manged to balls the turn up again, the butty
heeling over at an alarming angle, (I even contemplated
abandoning ship!) plates crashing out of the
cupboard, the towrope snapping and the butty
going firmly aground. Twenty minutes later we
were off again and
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splitting
up through the Napton flight, were veteran working
boaters Trevor Maggs (Corona) and Nick
Hill (Jaguar) hitched a lift to the top
of the flight.
We tied up for the night at Marston Doles/above
Napton Top Lock at 5.45pm, where Dave Vickers
cooked us an excellent supper of Steak in Guinness
with his organic spuds. |
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MON
12TH JULY: Up at 7am and away by 7.30 m,
the motor firmly stuck in bridge 123 for 1/2
hour - in fact the motor was to drag long the
bottom nearly all the way to Thrupp, causing
Blossom to remark "well, we know the
Oxford Canal is 3' 3" deep (the draft of
Nuneaton with 11 tons on) from Napton to Thrupp!"
We had to be careful of inexperienced hire boats
long here. many not realising Brighton was being
towed, or that as loaded boats we had to stay
in
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the
channel. The vast majority were fine when we explained
on passing, but one poker-faced German replied
to my "you shouldn't meet any more loaded
boats after us" with "I never
want to meet people like you again!"
Fortunately I was gob-smacked and unable to reply.
David & Blossom later told me he had said
to them "boats like that should not be
allowed on the canal!!!"
Through the Claydon 5 locks by 2.30pm, with bowhauling
duties shared between Blossom, Mark and Dave D
(a different thing with 17 tons on - what's it
like with 20-25 tons on, I wondered!) Blossom
also treated us to an impressive and appropriate
full-length rendition of the old canal song, 'Poor
Old 'Oss'.
We hoped to moor at Cropredy, but there was no
space at all, let alone the 72' breasted, or 143'
singled-out, needed for Nuneaton & Brighton!
We were told by many other boaters that Cropredy
is usually like this!
Finally moored above Slat Mill Lock at 5.45pm.
You may have notices our generally late starts
and early finishes - we had already decided that
we could have done the whole trip in about 4 days,
so took our time.
DD made Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice for supper
and early to bed. |
TUES
13TH JULY: Up at 8am, breakfst at 9am. cleaned
down boats and Blossom gave us all a butty steering
training session.
Lots of passing boats by now, the Oxford Canal
was living up to it's reputation as one of the
most popular waterways - it is very pretty.
Set off around 12.30pm, mooring at Banbury at
3pm where we replenished supplies, had a good
wash and Blossom made us a Spaghetti Bolognaise,
providing us with the necessary ballast for visit
to the local Wetherspoons, where I was delighted
to find not only Abbot Ale, Spitfire, and Courage
Directors but also Ringwold Old Ale, all at reasonable
prices! |
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WED
14TH JULY: Up at 7am to find it pouring with
rain, but set off at 7.45am only to be forced
to stop under the M40 bridge to examine the prop.
After much proding and poking, it was decided
there was only one thing for it - someone had
to go in with the breadknife - so Blossom stripped
and was in the murky waters where he managed to
free the remnants of the infamous Sari, rope and
the main offender, a length of wire. We were passed
by many boats we had met over the last few days,
who regaled Blossom with a cornucopia of witty
comments! |
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the time we got to Aynho Weir lock at 1.40pm,
we had at least two boats waiting behind us and
two waiting to come up. This at least enabled
us to have a chat with people about the Trust.
I met a lady who travelled the system doing a
one-woman-show of 'Ramlin' Rose' . |
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As
the butty was being worked through Somerton
Deep Lock, the motor, waiting just below the
bottom gates, was sucked backwards and upwards,
trapping the Swan's Neck under a gate beam and
bending it downwards so that it would not clear
the cabin!
Mark (who is a Blacksmith) reckoned that it
could be fixed by striking it in the right place
with a mallet - so wedging it against the concrete
bank,
this was attempted and prooved successful enough
to carry on, in by now very hot sun at 6pm,
mooring at Lower Heyford 8.30pm, where we consumed
an amazing lamb stew DV had put
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on earlier in the day, before wandering up to
the lovely old village pub (Young's Special bitter) |
Thrupp:
Blossom demonstrates
the
art of 'trimbling',or as he would put
it, 'mop-spinning'!
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THURSDAY
15TH JULY: Up at 5.45am and off by 6.15am
- Mark off to Station
As we were attaching the cross straps after Northbrook
Lock, a boat frantically pulled out in front of
us and at the next lock amused us with scenes
of shouted orders, running up and down the lock,
across gates, opening paddles at both ends etc
etc, needless to say we kept well clear. Despite
their hurry to beat us to the lock, they then
passed us coming back!
Dave Vickers celebrated the noticibly deeper waters
of the River Cherwell by giving it full throttle
and me on the butty the impression of water ski-ing!
Arrived at Thrupp by noon, where more repairs
were attempted on the tiller |
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Friday
16th July: A
leisurely breakfast and the day spent thoroughly
cleaning the boats. DV left at lunchtime, while
Blossom and I waited to hand over to Keith Norfolk,
who arrived at 7.30pm, closely followed by our
lift.
It was strange to be back on the stressful roads,
and to cross the Oxford Canal twice on the M40!
(including the very bridge under which Blossom
took his dip!) A splendid trip, that we all
mostly really enjoyed.
Dave
Davies, August 2004.
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Narrow Boat Trust is a company limited by guarantee,
registered in Cardiff under number 1724536
The
Narrow Boat Trust is a charity registered in England under
number: 288243
The
Registered Office of the Narrow Boat Trust is at:
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email:
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