Boy was it hot last night, louvres in the engine room and rear slide open. Downside was the noise from the A45 and people talking as they walked back from the Marina.
This morning we wandered down to the marina and saw the bridge across the entrance being renamed as Peter’s Bridge. I do wonder what he would think as his reason for leaving the money was so disabled could get along the towpath, not make Tim’s bridge pretty which he could already cross. Had a chat at several of the stands and said hello to people I know via the internet. We found it rather disappointing as there were long periods with nothing happening, we did however enjoy a pint £5-50 a time from the bar and some very nice hot food from Daisy’s Bakin Butty.
We left about 3pm and headed back to the boat to cool down before heading off up the N Oxford for a coupe of hours.
I have tried and tried but still can’t get the shot of Braunston Church through the bridge that I want.
It looks good to the eye but not the camera.
A couple of small caves were enjoying a paddle as there mum laid in the shade of the hedge row .
A few years ago WRG rebuild the south wall of bridge 80, now the north wall is opening up some cracks I hadn’t noticed before.
At Willoughby Bridge we had a slight altercation. As I approached the bridge passing the moored boats a boat came the other way, I continued on and so did he. I was half way through when he hit the concrete towpath edge and barrelled out hitting me, pushing me over hard to the off side and coming down the inside under the bridge, I had visions of us being wedged under the bridge. I backed off and got my bows clear of the bridge but he sat tight, then he backed up, boas against the towpath and waved me through, stuck my nose through only to find his stern hard against the off side bank, so I backed out against the towpath in thick mud with my bows just clear of the bridge. His crew member who was definitely drunk as a skunk pushed his bows off almost falling in. He then cam through the bridge hitting me again. As they approached the bridge we saw a beer can fly from the boat over the hedge so I suspect they were all very well lubricated. The one on the bank had a small black dog, I not only saw it but he kept telling me, along with black lives matter. I wonder how many more they hit before mooring up. No it wasn’t a hire boat stag party, it was three men, old enough to know better on a private boat. It probably took a quarter of an hour to get through that bridge and no one watching.
Passing Barby Wood Bungalow just below the reservoir this telegraph pole looks to be in the hill side at 90° and not standing upright.
We continued on passed our mooring and along Barby Straight, then through a couple of bridges before mooring for the night just through bridge 75.
A few photos from Braunston today
5 miles with no locks in 2 hours