Breaking with Tradition

I think it’s easily done – and I’m pretty sure we’re not alone – but, when we cruise canals we’ve cruised often before, we always end up stopping at the same places!  This, of course, has been on the basis that we travel 2-3 hours a day.  However, in order to get to Liverpool for our booked passage fairly comfortably we think we need to do 4/5 hours a day or, sometimes, even 5/6!!  This means by-passing some of our ’we always moor here’ spots and already it has felt quite alien!

To us The Newbold Tunnel will always be ‘Peanut’s Tunnel’.  Peanut was the most gorgeous little tortoiseshell kitten belonging to son, Ben, and she accompanied us on his n/b ‘April Love’ when we brought it back from Ashwood Marina back in 2004.  We thought it was a rat running along until Ben realised that Peanut had taken the opportunity to ‘jump ship’!!  Back in 2004 the tunnel was not lit.  It was then Ben who ‘jumped ship’ to catch her!  She nearly became a Surrey cat forced to turn feral and live in Warwickshire!

Lola has been learning how to tow-path-walk alongside the boat.  She wasn’t too fazed by either her first encounter with inter-city trains or the noise of the traffic overhead on the M6.

 

I think it now safe to say that I definitely have a new love in my life!  It’s taken a while but we have now established a fairly good routine and ……………. she neither bites me so much nor destroys my things so much!!  She is gorgeous!!

 

 

What IS it about mooring on the North Oxford at Hawkesbury Junction?  Every time we have wanted to stop here it’s been difficult in as much as …………there has been very little space available. Today was worse than ever!  There was only one space left on the 7 Day visitor moorings and the rest was taken up by boats – scruffy boats – which looked like they had taken root!  I’m sorry – I don’t want to be snooty about it but, not only were they piled high with junk and looking a complete mess but, this time, even gypsy-type ponies were tethered by them grazing.  Assumptions I know …………. the assumption that these boats are ‘continual cruisers’ and the assumption that these ponies were in some way connected to them.  In any event they were/are monopolising decent moorings in a very popular area.  Perhaps they give good custom to the pub?  I don’t like myself for having thoughts and feelings like this but, today, I’m not in a very politically-correct mood because it made things difficult for us!  When John saw the young ‘hoodie’ walk by complete with his Staffie dog he gave up trying to moor and decided we would take our chance and go through the lock. Now he might be a really decent young man and the dog might be absolutely lovely but ……… that’s just not the translation most of us have is it??  Once in the lock John had to go down the weed hatch to remove two thick sheets of polythene which had obviously been used during some sort of painting task as they were sprayed with gold paint!  Anyway, once through the lock we just managed to moor up on the Coventry side before the rain got heavier!

Tonight we are being joined by my niece, Helen, and her husband (the nephew I never had!), John.  We had given them instructions for Hawkesbury Junction so it was a bit important that we could stop here!  Tonight’s the night to find out what this famous pub is actually like! xxoo