To the City of Dreaming Spires

Saturday 15th October saw us leaving Napton for a nine day trip to Oxford and back. A lovely warm autumn day and some friends hitched a ride with us as far as Fenny Compton.

After a nice meal in The Wharf we set off the next morning for Banbury. Great moorings in the town centre and on Monday morning we stocked up at Somerfields in the Castle Quays shopping centre. Stupidly forgot to bring the charger for my camera with me so this picture from Banbury is one of very few I got on this trip. We moved on to Lower Heyford to moor overnight, very near to a busy railway line. Tuesday was the final leg into Oxford. No winding point for a 57 foot boat at the end of the Oxford Canal so went through the lock onto the Thames to turn, and then straight back onto the canal. Not too many good moorings in Oxford, but we found a nice spot by Bridge 240.

Wednesday morning exploration of Oxford with some really heavy showers, got soaked walking back to the boat - then chugged up to Thrupp for dinner in the Jolly Boatman. Thursday was a gorgeous day and we cruised to just above Sumerton Deep Lock where we moored in glorious isolation. The following day as different again, we woke to a howling gale and heavy rain and had just resigned ourselves to a day without moving when at 10am the sun came out and the wind dropped just a bit. We headed off, only to come to a grinding halt after five minutes with something entangled on the prop. Inspection through the weed hatch showed we had picked up a thick woollen blanket which only came away after some painstaking dismemberment with a stanley knife. We cruised on back up to Banbury, but the high winds made getting into locks and through narrow lift bridges pretty tricky.

Saturday saw us retrace our steps back to Fenny Compton where we ate once again at the Wharf - this time we were joined by our friends Bill and Elaine and Vals' cousin and husband, Clare and David. C & D have a 70 ft. Northwich Trader which is moored in the same marina as us at Wigrams Turn.

Sunday and the last day of this trip. Some other old friends, Nigel & Moira joined us for this leg. A very pleasant day, and we were safely back at our mooring just after 5pm. Special thanks to Ray at the marina for hanging on until after closing time to do a pump out.

Didn't touch the sides! (for once)

Our trip with Dave & Karen.Dave bravely stood on the lock gate with his brand new camera to get this one! - trusting I would stop in time. And here's a nice shot at Newbold Tunnel

I should be better at this!

Everytime I read the blogs from No Problem, Moore 2 Life and Granny Buttons I think I could be doing a much better job with the Maria Jessie blog so I have set myself an autumnal resolution, particularly as my brother in California likes to know what we are up to, and I know some of my former colleagues in Germany also log on. For the timebeing we are principally weekend boaters, but we have been out every weekend since our trip to Preston Brook.

Two weeks ago our friends John & Jackie came from Somerset for a weekend with us, and last week Alistair & Debra came with us. Alistair has an offshore cruiser at Hamble with loads of speed and horsepower ( and the fuel cost to go with it!). I think he actually enjoyed chugging along at 4mph in a "ditch crawler" with us. Well he said he did, and he bought us lunch in Braunston!.

This weekend our old friends Dave and Karen joined us and we headed off up the Oxford to Brinklow. Dreadful weather yesterday, but it made up for it today. Dave took loads of photos so I hope he will send me one or two good ones to post here. We saw Chas and Ann on Moore to Life yesterday in the rain, and today moored at Braunston. Pity there was nowhere to stop and say hello, but Ann took some pictures as we passed and posted them to their blog. I've pinched this one from their blog!