Friday saw us travelling the final lock at Bradford on Avon and two swing bridges which has brought us to Hilperton, just north of Trowbridge.  We will be here for a while as Paul has taken the cylinder heads off of the engine and we are sending them off to Braunston for a de-coke and service.  It was very lucky that we got here on Friday as on Saturday we had thunderstorms with torrential rain well into the afternoon.  I am sure many of you did too.  So we are taking opportunity to come to Plymouth for a few days and will catch up with as many of you as we can.

Well we are moored in about the same spot as the last time I wrote here, but we are now facing the other way!! We left Bath last Friday, actually cruising with Eleanor so we were paired for the 6 locks down through Bath one of which is the second deepest lock on the whole canal system, over 19 foot deep.  There were then another 4 locks before we moored for the night alongside them at a little place called Bitton.  We set off together on Saturday morning and 2 lock and 10 miles brought us into Bristol.  It was lovely moored there in the harbour with lots going on.  Right in the centre of the town.  We had Paul’s cousin Alison with her husband, another Paul come to see us on Saturday.  Sunday friends from Plymouth, Sheree and Alec with Sheree’s Mum and Dad came to see us.  We did manage some sightseeing too.  Monday we were up at 7 To watch Andie and Geoff on Eleanor go out through the open lock on to the Avon towards Portishead.  In other words under the M5 bridge near Gordano!!  We may do that at a later date or we may go back via Reading, yet to be decided. 

Monday morning my cousin Carole arrived in Bristol on the bus then cruised with us through 2 locks to Keynsham where we dropped her off at that is where she lives!!  Again we moored at Bitton.  Yesterday we stopped at the bottom of the Bath locks so we could get shopping in Sainsbury. So today we have travelled just under 2 miles with 6 locks.  Now back at the top of the Bath flight for the night.

We have spent a relaxing week and a bit since I last wrote.  Not many locks and just a couple of swing bridges.  We spent a couple of days at Bradford on Avon, a very pretty little town.  We have been cruising with 2 other boats, Yes Dear and Eleanor.  Not moving together but generally ending up at the same place most evenings.  We first met Andie and Geoff from Eleanor last year when we did the Birmingham Cruise.  Then again when we came out on to the Thames they were part of the group we were with.  Jan and Dave from Yes Dear we have just got to know over the last few weeks.  Then about a week ago we met up with Maureen and Peter on Grey Hare who we hadn’t seen since 2012!  So there has been a bit of socialising going on!  We have been over Avoncliff and Dundas Aquaducts.  Spend a very pleasant Sunday afternoon at Dundas sat in the sun watching the hire boaters negotiate a sharp right angle bend.  We are now at Bath.  Arrived here yesterday afternoon, will probably stay tonight and move on the last bit into Bristol tomorrow.  Ahead of us is a flight of 6 locks which will take us down on to the River Avon.  One of them being the second deepest lock on the system. 

We did start out on Saturday completing 7 locks to the top of the flight before lunch.  Unfortunately we did get rather wet on the last 2!  Stopped at there and went into the cafe to have lunch.  By the time we finished another boat had come along so we were able to pair which is ideal.  The 16 locks took us about 2 hours so not too long.  The other boat had 4 people on board so that meant there were 4 of us to operate the locks.  We then stayed the night at the bottom leaving the final 7 locks for Monday.  We are now in a very rural part of Wiltshire with only small villages alongside.  We have spent the night at Seend.  In the next couple of days we will pass north of Trowbridge, so well on our way to Bath now.