Tues 26th June 2007 – Brinklow, All Oaks Wood.
Excitement. Winds and rain brought a tree down last night.
A large ash, over 4 feet across the trunk and stretching from bank to bank blocked our passage south towards Braunston.

Boaters speculated how many hours or days BW would take to clear this one. Heavy lift equipment by canal, executives by road, HSE mapping the risks and who knows, maybe a start to clear the debris by tea-time.

But although not reported until after 9am this morning a small team of contractors were on site by road before mid day. With just two 4x4s, a plastic dinghy, a chainsaw, steel hawsers, strops and a boat-hook our team of four guys had it licked.

Main branches were soon off and the trunk turned to expose those under the water. Explaining their methods to inquisitive onlookers they cut and winched away branches the size of small trees until all but the main trunk was left.

By 4pm sixteen boats were stacked northside and four southside. For one poor fellow waiting, it all seemed to go so slowly.

But by 4.30pm the obstruction was over, a channel was open and the first boats passed through.

This had been a great time to meet others on the cut and without the obstruction we may never have met Maureen, a Blog contact who we’d recently exchanged news with about the River Soar and its tendency to flood.

Last night was windy and wet, so wet that I went on deck and shampooed the roof, letting the rain rinse it clean. This morning the wind had abated and a few hours sunshine had dried the tow paths. It’s tempting to polish the brass but it gets other boaters cross, perhaps they’re right, we’ve had enough rain for now.

Made a note in my record book showing a new supply of firewood for next winter.

Monday 18th June 2007 Brinklow
We’re all aboard (Mother-in-law, V and me) as Balmaha heads for the clouds hanging over the Fosseway at Stretton under Fosse and the home of Rose Narrowboats. £9.60 lighter for a lipseal (don’t ask), we left Roses chandlery and set our faces north into the wind and rain. Actually it wasn’t too bad, the rain was tolerable, at least it was warm rain and it stopped every ten minutes to give us a break to change wet clothes. Rounding the corner at somewhere or other we pulled in to the side, V held the boat on a rope (reminds me of soap on a rope) while I ran into the fishing tackle shop for disgorgers.
I felt sorry for the owners standing there in the dry and warm, all cosy and nice, because I left a trail of wet from the door right down to the far end where they were nattering to the locals.

Another plus, the rain did us a favour, we had the canals to ourselves. There was nobody about at Hawkesbury Junction and it was quiet all the way up to bridge 5 on the Ashby Canal where we stopped on the official moorings.

There were a few curious faces at portholes, people wanting to know who was daft enough to cruise in those conditions. A few fish lying at the surface told us the weekend was over, casual fishermen with big fish in small keep nets had been active on the bank these last two days.

Tuesday 19th
Awoke to a bright but overcast day on the lower reaches of the Ashby Canal. Passing Stoke Golding and Sutton Cheney we noticed the scenery improving and the day got warmer as the sun came out.
Rounding a corner and under bridge 36 we met “Jubilee” the Ashby trip boat carrying NHS ‘blood reps’ on a day out. Cream teas anyone? There at the front was No.1 daughter waving while we yelled back greetings and the trip boat’s steerer gave it some welly to get away from crazy boaters.

We pulled up within sight of Snarestone Tunnel and still the boats kept going by, where are they all going to stop for the night?

Wednesday 20th
It’s another day for boat spotting. We saw ‘Brandywine’ (RBOA) first thing heading south, and as we approached the Ashby’s current terminus we spotted ‘http://www.grannybuttons.com/">Granny Buttons’ asleep under the trees.

We almost entered Snarestone tunnel with another boat still in there but the local anglers wouldn’t let us. “Don’t go there or you’ll get stuck” they said, “it ain’t straight and it’s too low for boats”.
We waited until we received their nod of approval and made our way through a right bendy hole in the ground, it reminded me of Swildon’s cave near Cheddar in the Mendips.
We turned and did the ‘hole’ again before ticking another canal off our list and heading south again.
Cows might all look the same but we were sharp to spot the difference this time.

Something puzzled me until I spotted a ring through a nose. That cow wasn’t a cow but a bull.

Turned the corner after bridge 8 and found no space big enough for us so slammed on the brakes and reversed back around the corner, slipping into the shallows in front of a 70 foot hire boat I showed him I was going to be first in the morning.
Just to prove a point he slipped past us at 7.30am while I was still in the shower.

Thursday 21st
The longest day – reminds me of a film. Not a lot of fun apart from being chased by a working boat all the way down the Ashby and watching someone turning left towards Hawkesbury with a breeze that wanted him to go to Fazeley. If you see a boat with mud on the handrails it will be him, he did that behind the bushes, where the earth bank drops vertically ten feet into the canal. I used the girly button, spun on a sixpence, while sitting on the taffrail like a first tripper on daddy’s yacht.
Down Coventry way we picked up a king sized sheet and limped the last mile into the boat basin. First job was clear the prop, second job was wander down the shops. Didn’t really need anything but we went and wandered and picked up a few things as you do.
MiL walked too, across the yard to see Mr Brindley who was still trying to make sense of that drawing.

Yet another quiet night in Coventry, this is most satisfying. It isn’t the weekend and it is raining most of the time but it is a city and we’re near the centre but it was quiet once the kiddy-winks went home about 7pm. There wasn’t a space going spare either, every inch was taken, eleven boats in all and we were three abreast down our end of the basin. Cosy and quiet, just what the urban canal rangers wanted.

Friday 22nd
Time to shoot. We cleared off between showers, head to toe in waterproofs. Plod, plod at little more than tick-over we cleared the Coventry underwater debris with nothing more serious than a length of rope around the prop. Saw a sheet of galvanised corrugated sheet rise three feet from the water as we passed and did my best to snatch a painter’s kettle from the treacle but other than that it was hardly worth opening both eyes for the trip back to the north Oxford.

Coventry isn’t the most interesting place from a canal aspect, a bit like Leicester with a few historic and derelict industrial buildings like the Courtauld and Ordnance factories, surrounded by pre war terraces with modern houses filling the gaps produced by 1940’s heavy metal. Further on we see brand new, and useful, shopping complexes with no mooring possibilities and the Ricoh stadium with half a mile of concrete towpath and hundreds of smart mooring rings. Though who would want to stop there I can’t imagine.

More rain and more plodding, M6 bridge supports with graffiti covered over by a new coat of white paint (isn’t that a way of saying be my guest?), a railway so close it scares the pants of you when the high speed train roars past, until at last the weeping willows of Rugby bend to cover everything with wet leaves just in case anything escaped the last six hours of rain.

We’d hardly tied the ropes when a tap-tap on the roof heralded Mike from Sarah-Kate. Boat and Jo were somewhere down Banbury way while Mike did a ‘walk’. A cup of tea and a chin-wag and we sent our love to Jo as Mike headed for the station. V did the obligatory shopping trip to you-know-where for fresh provisions and then we crashed, energy spent.

Saturday 23rd June 2007
Not being used to town noises at night I was catching up on sleep at 7.30 this morning. Screams in the nights could have been owls, car tyres or clubbers going home and once awake I had to get up and do something so went up on deck, lifted the boards and turned the greaser a couple of times.

Saturday means fry-up and with an extra mouth to feed I pulled out the double size frying pan for bacon and eggs. V doesn’t do B+E (it’s always muesli) so while she popped down Tescos M-i-L and I broke out the ketchup.

Time to go so I thought I’d be clever and reverse through the bridgehole to spin in the nearest winding hole. A gap in the streams of boats appeared as we weighed anchor and I did a nifty reverse 100 yards or so. Could I turn? Could I play Russ Conway?
Back under the bridge past all those smiling boaters saying “haven’t we just seen you down here?”
On to Clifton Cruisers and back through Rugby saw me blush some more as comments continued to drift my way “I could have told you that only takes 50 footers”.

It’s a busy day, boats going every direction and we saw the insides of blackberry bushes more than once.
Sighing with relief we pulled in at Brinklow. Lunch and sit down over, it was time to strip rubbish from the prop. A rope, half decent too, could be useful, so melted the frayed ends and put it in the ‘spares’ locker. I can hear someone groaning already. Look, it’s only a bit of rope, alright?

All quiet again, went sunny, went cloudy and rained and now I understand what they call changeable.

Looking out the porthole for inspiration I spot a boat with shiny paintwork and the name Queenborough No.3. Ding went the bell in my head so I charged outside and shouted “George”.
“Eh? Who are you”, I heard them think, “look, it’s us” as I point at the boat’s name.

It was George and Sandy, with Ken and Mary crewing on their couple of weeks cruise down to Oxford and back. George and Sandy helped us a lot in those months leading up to Balmaha’s construction with hints and suggestions on internal layout and ways to create extra storage space. Queenborough was two boats before ours at the builders (Sandhills Narrowboats) and the tell-tale marks are everywhere – fancy woodwork and shiny paintwork.

G&S (in white) came back to see Balmaha before we let them go on their way towards the Ashby Canal.
It’s nice seeing sister boats, adds that family feeling on the cut.
Tomorrow we shall see real family, Ter and Claire, for lunch and transfer MiL who is going shore side after her week’s cruise in the Midlands. It hasn’t been the brightest of weather but we’ve had some laughs and seen some wonderful nature and met some lovely people along the way.

Tuesday 12th June 2007
Quitting our middle of nowhere moorings on the Market Harborough Arm we cruised to Foxton Locks.

After a short wait in the basin we started up the flight, pausing to capture Tony and Mary’s place which looked a picture draped in its climbing roses.

Megan led, while a Canaltime followed and we all stopped short of the centre pound where we waited for one coming down.

Our waiting time wasn’t wasted because we passed the time with the lockie from nb.Finisterre and downed cups of coffee as the clouds gathered above us. But the dreaded rain wasn’t to be. Afternoon sunshine encouraged some of us to finish the outside jobs while the others did the ‘nature’ bit and spotted a grass snake swimming across the canal.

Chatting, as you do, I was reminded of an incident at Shardlow on the T&M. We were travelling as a pair, approaching Shardlow from the west, around mid-afternoon. A hire boat occupied the lock bollards so both of us struggled to get a windlass lass ashore. It turned out that the hirers thought a tea break was in order after doing the locks and so they spread their table and chairs at the lock landing and were in the middle of a brew-up as we arrived. They didn’t half scamper as the rules were explained.

There was more amusement today, where a hire boat had stopped for the duration, spreading its fore and aft ropes to the trees at the edge of the field across the tow path at head height. Mum and Dad had allowed the boys to tie up while they went below to prepare a meal. I pointed out that it wasn’t good practise to garrotte cyclists and if they could manage another 100 yds they would have a place in the sun, on steel piling with the luxury of mooring rings.

Further on and looking very sad, the buildings at North Kilworth are all but deserted. Water is still on tap but boat business is at an end. The lease has passed back to BW but can they keep the boater’s interest while the wharf‘s future is decided?

Wed 13th
Back to good ol’ Crick. It’s an easy walk to the post office now that the show has ended and they’ve handed back the 14 day moorings
I went on my own because someone has a swollen toe. Could have been a sting or a bite but whatever it was it has put V off walking.
And well spotted V for noticing the front cover of Nicholson’s Book 3 is Cracks Hill. We just about lined up for the same view as we cruised down to Crick.

The sun was hot but the rain won in the end and didn’t we get it. Indoor jobs got a good seeing to and the to-do list has almost vanished.

Thurs 14th
Did the usual water-loo stop outside ABNB’s wharf and noticed Director’s Cut is here (for sale). DC’s blog was interesting (ended April 6th 2007), covering canals and rivers last year that we hope to visit this year.

Checked diesel tank for water and added Marine 16 fuel conditioner that everyone’s raving about. Don’t want diesel bug and don’t want water appearing in the fuel when we set off in choppy seas. V says we aren’t going to sea but I think we might.

Friday 15th
A lie-in was in order, which I took to mean 7.30am. At 8.30am I was ready but heads didn’t appear on Megan for another hour.

Last night’s low pound had turned into high water by this morning. Heavy rain didn’t just affect the roads in the Midlands, it swamped the towpaths, covered the piling and caused the boat to list alarmingly. You don’t know anything is wrong until you jump out of bed and try to run down the corridor to the bathroom. Feet don’t seem to give the brain the right message and one’s shoulder scrapes along the wall until it dawns on you, the boat is listing, the ropes are too tight.

Six short blasts and one long blast of the whistle meant we were under steam (or is it we are sinking?) and we were off, tugs away and pilot launch dropping behind us as we bore down on the Weltons (Fields, Hythe and Wharf) and through Braunston Tunnel. I say through but we could have built it in the time we took. A boat with no lights followed by half a dozen others including a working boat (yucky-poo smoke) which sounded like a Caribbean steel drum maker tuning up, came the other way and caused us to re sculptor the tunnel walls. Breathing became the number one problem and seeing came a close second as dense smoke filled our hell hole below the A361. We eventually emerged into sunlight just in time to be stopped dead by BW who marshalled boats past their floating machinery. Nice to see Richard and his colleague from Kilby Bridge amongst the workers, they’re like little angels helping us through life’s waterways.

Saw the side tunnel today, a shaft at head height on the south side joins us with another tunnel which appears to be well lit. I must find out what that’s all about.

Splashing out on lunch at the Gongoozler’s Café seemed a fitting end to our cruise.
I like sitting at the window joining in with the yells and screams as passing boats get close and spill our drinks. Only this time it was too hot to sit in so we moved to the garden and sat in the baking sun (dooohh).

Farewells said, we went our different ways, Roger and Babs to Calcutt, V and I to the water point.

20 minutes later we met again at Midland Chandlers, a compulsory stop whether we need any thing or not. Don’t know what’s happened to the place, the old staff have gone and the new ones seem to lack the technical knowledge. Had to explain what Molybdenum grease was and why they should stock it. Couldn’t find my Thetford bits nor the diesel conditioner that I wanted.

Outside the sky was threatening to explode so said farewells again to Roger and Babs and set off up the north Oxford. Didn’t make bridge 90 before heavenly stair rods appeared. Whoosh it came down and I stopped under the bridge to don waterproofs. The lady from the wet T-shirt competition running up the tow path shared our bridge to get her breath back before staggering the last 50 feet to her hire boat. Apart from the Rose narrowboat ahead everyone else had quit the race so we were on our own. Tempted to lift the umbrella but the lightning overhead decided me otherwise so I donned my trusty leather hat from Sri Lanka and leant into the wind.

Bridge 80 most definitely wasn’t its usual self. Two orange buoys kept us away from the off-side brickwork and as we approached I could see why. Seems a passing boat had worked out that the trick at bridges is not to whack it on the way in but to whack it on the way out. Cutting a groove under the arch on the way out pushes the outer bricks completely off and destabilises the bridge so that it needs closing down for repairs. Awfully clever of someone to work that out.

The rest of us should be prepared for a closure on the north Oxford while Bridge 80 is rebuilt.

The rain passed, eventually, and we reached Rugby in time to nobble the last mooring next to the park, only to find the boat in front was running his engine in gear. Had fun tying the bow line as Balmaha attempted to ride the rapids and kept trying to turn around in the 30 foot wide canal.

Lit a fire to dry my shoes and hat. Got a dispensation to wear no shirt in the saloon all evening as it was too hot. But Navy rules still applied in the mess, no shirt – no scran. Wore a shirt and sweated like a pig.

Sat 16th
A shopping trip to Tesco was in order and one to Halfords and TKMax and Next. Sky turning black we hit the road and galloped up to Brinklow. Very popular today, managed to get a mooring clip on the last 10 feet of piling and a pin in the dirt for the bow line. Whoosh, down it came, but we didn’t care because we were indoors fitting a Tesco Freeview box (£27) and having fun fighting over the remote control.

Sunday 17th June 2007
It’s a scorcher, sure there are clouds heading our way, after all I did clean the brass this morning, but what a day and so many boats out cruising the north Oxford canal. Met an ex- chief engineer from P&O / NZ refrigerated cargo boats on his 5 month old pride and joy. Lots of chrome and stainless steel on nb.Tardis, just what was missing during his years at sea.

This morning we had the place to ourselves, everyone had pushed off so I moved the boat nearer to the car park. By mid afternoon the place was packed again.

Lunchtime brought visitors and a new passenger for a week’s cruise. Ter and Claire called in on their way through with MiL who is taking over the captain’s role from here to Burton on Trent.

Until the mail arrived I had no idea it was Father’s Day. I could have been using that as an excuse to put my feet up this morning.

Recap – Narrowboats Megan and Balmaha enjoy warmer weather near Brinklow on the North Oxford Canal at the start of the Leicester Ring.

Some people wash their boats one way, some do it another but for this chap it’s a whole day affair so he took a chair up with him.

Tuesday 5th June 2007
From Brinklow we’ll cruise the Oxford and Coventry Canals until we meet the Trent and Mersey at Fradley Junction.
But this will be a brief account as every spare moment will be given to cruising, eating and sleeping until we’re over half way round when we can afford to slow down a bit and relax.
Our aim is to arrive at Foxton on Saturday or Sunday so we can meet up with Ter and Claire and Colin and Christine who are fresh in from Canada.

Last month it was fields of yellow oil seed rape, this month the colour is blue, almost lilac, and everyone knows that blue pollen is much better for the nose than yellow pollen.

On the one hand I’ll be glad when the pollen count drops whilst on the other, for the sake of experiment, I need it to remain high so that I can test the horseradish tablet theory. We don’t see a lot of shops on the cut selling horseradish tablets but I’ve got to get some to see if they work for me (Andrew passed on the horseradish tablets info in his comment on 30th May).

It’s a good day for spotting famous people. We passed nb.Quidditch with her owner sat in the window seat, probably updating the boat’s blog, and Rex Walden on nb.Winifred (RBOA Vice Chairman). And then we spotted Chris and Stelle standing outside nb.Belle at Fradley as we cruised past licking our ice-creams. Congratulations Chris on reaching the Big 50, I’d always put you down as nearer 40 so you must be doing something right.

Wed 6th
Engines on at 8am and away we go.
Hailed by the owner of nb.Ten Bob Note as we fled Burton. He’d seen our blog and spotted the same picture that he'd taken on the Leicester Line north of Crick.

Learnt a lesson on the Trent and Mersey at Willington, don’t use the bow thruster within earshot of kids raised on boats. Having jabbed the bow thruster switch, because I was too lazy to push the bow away from the bank, this boating lad shouted for everyone to hear “Hey, look he’s got a girly button”.

Out of Shardlow at the tail end of a beautiful sunny day Megan leads as we pass under the pipe bridge, the M1 motorway and through the flood lock into the shelter of Sawley.

Thursday 7th
Through Sawley Lock just after 8am, Megan leads Balmaha towards the Soar on the right, with the Erewash Canal to the left and the downstream River Trent in front of us.

A couple of weeks from now we could be here again and it’ll be no left or right turn for us, we’re off up t’north.

Met this pair of boats at the Loughborough left turn. “Watcha gonna do with that then?” shouted the boater next to us. “Put her back to work” came the reply. We’d often seen this tug at Old Junction at the meeting of the river Soar and the river Wreake and I’d wondered whether anyone had plans for her.

There’s not much to see at Loughborough from the canal but there are one or two buildings alongside that must have stories to tell judging by their age and proximity to water. Some of these will vanish in the years ahead so I had to record them as I passed.

Just out of Loughboro’ we spotted the first signs of floating pennywort. It’s come down from Mount Sorrel since we were last on the Soar. Pity because it could have been treated before the storms last year and a lot of money saved.

Didn’t have time to call in at Pillings Marina but we saw nb.Lorimar sitting there on a grassy bank, looking the liveaboard part with its washing line. Hi Mark and Lorain.

At Mount Sorrel we hailed nb.Wasp and found someone in this time. Beryl was home doing paperwork as usual (RBOA Chairman). Sorry we couldn’t stop, next time maybe.

Our day finished at the Hungry Horse at Syston. Enormous platters (like serving plates) covered with grub were a struggle but we sat there until it had all gone down. I recommend the mammoth mixed grill.

Friday 8th
Through Leicester we counted millions of footballs but only one coconut and a water melon (hats off in respect).

Our friend with the questions was sitting near his usual spot on the back of a bench seat opposite Walker’s Stadium. He was too far from the lock for a chat so it was just a casual “Hi to whatever-your-name-is”. Couldn’t help noticing that pennywort has almost gone from these parts. There are small clumps of it here and there but a tiny fraction of what we saw last year.

It feels a bit like home as we creep through Aylestone Meadows, quite narrow in places and winding to and fro behind the gas works and the fabric dyers. Councillor Brooks met us at Aylestone Lock and gave us the latest on developments at Blaby Bridge. It spells the end of the County Arms and proposals are in for new starter homes and a block of flats. Some of us had hoped to get a small marina instead but no one in Town Hall seems interested.

Treating ourselves to ice creams at Kings Lock Café we were greeted by Tony (as in Tony and Julie) and we exchanged news. We find the place irresistible and often stay over night at the safe and quiet moorings just above the lock.

Pulling in at Kilby Bridge we’d had enough, it had been another early start and a long day from Syston on the north side of Leicester

Saturday 9th
On our way again before 8am. We had the canal to ourselves for much of it, that was until we met the early risers from the south. There was time for a spot of fishing and I came out of it with a windlass, bicycle spanner and a portable camping gas cooker. Oh, and a 6 foot ranging rod with fluorescent red and white bands.
Our journey ended at Foxton after our customary visit to Debdale Wharf for bunkers (still 47p/ltr) and we took a well earned break from cruising and took to mops and brushes before sitting in front of the box to watch Pink Panther (Steve Martin) on Megan.

Sunday 10th
Special visitors arrived today, older bro’ Colin, with Christine all the way from Canada and little bro’ Tezzer (he’s heavier than me and likes to think he’s taller) with Claire, all the way from north Leicester.
A table for eight at the Foxton Locks Inn for 12noon followed by coffee on the boat and a mini-cruise which gave us time to catch up on news before saying our goodbyes.

Here’s Colin doing his captain impression at Balmaha’s tiller.

Monday 11th June 2007
From Foxton we’re cruising on down to Harbro’ before making our way slowly back up the Arm. A stop over between bridges 9 and 8 gives the weather time to turn wet and cold ready for Tuesday’s climb through Foxton’s locks and onto the last leg of our journey around the Leicester Ring.

Wed 30th May to 3rd June 2007

A rushed note.

Left Crick on 30th May, heading for Braunston to meet up with nb. Megan. We’re off up the North Oxford, the Coventry and left at the Trent & Mersey. With all the rain we’ve had and no promise of dry weather we’re keeping off the Soar and the Leicester ring. A trip to Stoke and back is the new plan.

Roger and Babs on Megan

Monday 4th June 2007
Currently crawling down Atherstone flight and we are enjoying our third day of ‘not-rain’ or even sunshine (shhhh).

Oooops, gotta go, the next lock is full and waiting for Balmaha.

Later....
Question
How many miles is it between Atherstone and Tamworth?

Answer
Enough to change our minds about going to Stoke on Trent.

Looks like the weather will be great for two weeks so we are, or could be or maybe off round the Leicester Ring again.

Sorry Stoke, we'll have to see you another day.