Thursday 13th June 2013
We arrived at Stoke Hammond to pick up Python from her borrowed mooring. She was well and truly stuck in the mud, but, after several forward and reverse, rocking from side to side and pushing and “punting” manoeuvres, we managed to free her and set off at about 16.00. We had an uneventful journey through Swing Bridge lock at Fenny Stratford and arrived at Woughton (pronounced Woofton) Bridge (no. 57) at 18.30. Moored up and David mounted the newly repaired bike to ride back to Stoke Hammond to pick up the car. I thought it looked a bit precarious!!
I heard a knocking on the boat and found a family of swans, 2 adults and 6 cygnets, all demanding food. I found some bread (I know, I know) and then hand fed them.
David rang at 20.30 to say he had just arrived back at the car after a fraught journey. We were moored near Milton Keynes Marina but couldn’t find a post code, street name or even district for the Marina to put into his SatNav. I spent the next 90 minutes wandering up and down the towpath, in and out of the adjacent park and roaming the streets of the housing estate next to the canal looking for a street name. I asked 2 men the name of the road we were on, but they turned out to be Polish, so no help there. Eventually, I met up with David, next to the multi-coloured dinosaur!! and we managed to park the car almost opposite Python. David recounted his adventure back to the car. First of all the seat came loose. He managed to tighten it up using a couple of borrowed spanners from 2 men he met on the towpath. Then he had a puncture and ended up walking 3 miles pushing the bike. We finally ate our evening meal at 22.30.
Friday 14th
We were up surprisingly early and David set off at 06.00 to take the car to as near as possible to Stoke Bruerne. He ended up at Cosgrove and walked the 10 miles back. He arrived back at 10.00 and we were underway at 10.30. We went through Stoke flight with Hillingdon Narrow Boat Association’s NB Pisces. One of their crew did his boat handling training with Paul Unwin, so wished to be remembered to him. Arrived at Stoke Bruerne at 17.55.
Saturday 15th
We were up early. Jan and Dave Warsop arrived at 08.30, unloaded their car, set up the gazebo etc., had sausage sandwiches, and then the Daves went to Cosgrove to pick up our car. The weather was very changeable, very sunny, then heavy showers. On the the towpath it was busier than at the gazebo, but altogether we had 155 expressions of interest. We packed up about 17.00 but we still had people coming up to us until almost 20.00, so I think quite a successful day.
Sunday 16th
We were up early again. It was quite sunny, no more rain overnight. It was an overcast day but it didn’t put off visitors. Sarah and Mick Stephens arrived at about 11.00 and we had quite a busy day with 114 more expressions of interest. We finished at about 17.00. David and Mick went to position their cars for Monday but that apparently is another story. Sarah had brought us a very nice meal. We had a couple of drinks in the pub and prepared for an early start.
Monday 17th
We were up very early and away by 07.00 because a wide beam boat was booked through Blisworth Tunnel at 08.00. Persistent drizzle. We had cleared the tunnel by 07.35. It was quite busy with lots of boats leaving Stoke Bruerne. We had to queue for locks 7 to 13 and we met NB Wineberry, Ken and Mary Cummings’ boat, coming in the other direction in one of the locks. We entered Braunston Tunnel at 15.15 and cleared it at 15.40 so it had been quite a long but very enjoyable day and all in all a successful few days.
Margaret Kiddy.