Well another week has wizzed by.  We spent a lovely day on Saturday with Dave and Kathy on board.  The weather was lovely and we had a short trip under the lift bridge and through the lock before winding and coming back through the lock and under the lift bridge!!  Mooring again in the heart of Banbury.  It’s lovely there everything is so handy.  Enjoyed some retail therapy!!  Though much of that took place in Tesco and Aldi!  We have now moved on to Fenny Compton.  Have been here 2 nights already and will stay again tonight.  Attraction here is the good phone and tv signal and also the laundrette at the back of the pub.  Oh yes and the pub of course.  Good food and good ale to be had there.  Weather not so good today, damp and drizzley, but with the fire lit we are lovely and cosy. 

So you all take care, bye for now. J & P

Well we have just spent 2 lovely autumnal days cruising north on the Oxford Canal.  The sun has been shining and the sky has been blue.  The leaves on the trees are starting to turn now and the colours are amazing.  At least the weather had been amazing, oh did I mention it was very windy.  No problem for me but a bit different for Paul at the tiller!  Then we reached Banbury going through the lock, about 200 yards from where we were hoping to moor when the heavens opened.  Still its only water!! Will be staying here a Banbury for a couple of days hoping that Kathy and Dave from Plymouth will be stopping to see us on their homeward trip from Barrow.

So until next time.  Bye for now.

We thought having arrived at Aynho we would go and explore the village about a mile and a half from the canal all up hill.  So set off cycling along the towpath.  Paul seems to think that you will all be interested to know that I fell off my bike.  Think he is just annoyed that he didn’t see it happening, just looked up to see my bike on the towpath but no sign of me!  I was fully expecting to land with a splash, but thankfully it was with a soft thud in a reed bed.  Couldn’t get up though so had to wait for Paul to reach me and pull! That was last Tuesday, so nearly a week ago now.  Have a lovely bruise on my leg!  Finally made to Oxford on Thursday.  We were moored a bit out of the town so Friday morning found us back on our bikes to cycle in to the town.  Having looked around we decided to move to the end of the Oxford Canal.  To do this we had to go through Isis Lock in order to turn, cruise back through the lock, then Paul had to travel for about a quarter of a mile in reverse!  That was very, hummm, interesting!  Not helped by the wind.  But we made it safely.  On Saturday Julie came to see us. A friend who we have know since we lived in Abingdon about 37 years ago.  It was lovely to catch up on all our news.  Sunday morning we left Oxford and are now heading north again.  Heading now for Banbury and the laundrette.

Spent a very nice weekend in Banbury.  The canal passes virtually through the centre of the town.  Our first night we were moored literally at the doors to a big shopping mall.  We had to move on then as spaces were booked for Sunday’s Canal Day.  We didn’t have far to go though just one lift bridge, my first, and a lock before we were able to moor again.  We were then surprised to see quite a queue building for the lock.  Seems one of the gates was jammed.  Nothing to do with us, other boats had been through.  Eventually a windlass and a chimney were removed and service was restored!  Amazing what some people loose! It was very busy on Sunday.  The weather was good so I suppose that bought a lot of people out.  We are moving on today towards Oxford.  Weather not so good.  A bit drizzly but we are pressing on.  Just approaching our 4^th lock which will be the last one for today.  Mooring for the night at Aynho.

Well another week has gone by and in that time we have been to Calcutt, Napton, Fenny Compton, where we spent 2 nights, Clayton and Cropredy.  I have worked more than 20 locks, Paul has the number in his log!  We are now heading towards Banbury, there is a canal day there on Sunday so we are hoping we will be able to moor there and stay for that.  At least to moor for shopping as the fridge is looking very bare at the moment.  Got wine and beer tho’ so all is not lost.  The Oxford Canal is very different from the Grand Union.  Very rural and bendy.  Quite narrow in places.  The locks too are different.  No longer 2 boats wide.  Therefore you think they would be easier to work, not a bit.  The paddles are hard to move and the top gates stiff to get going.  Still the plus side is I should be working off some calories! Some hopes!

We are spending a couple of days moored here while Paul is doing some remedial work to the hull.  Where is here?  Well not too sure really, we are sort of between places.  A couple of days ago we came up through the flight of 10 locks at Stockton.  Luckily paired with another boat, so that even with topping up with water, we did the lot in about 2 hours.  In the dry too!  Weather has been a bit mixed lately with some heavy rain.  However if it’s raining we just stay where we are and light the fire! Today is lovely and sunny, blue sky and birds singing.  Time to do some washing!!  Not so straight forward as for you guys, firstly we have to ensure we have enough water and check where the next water point is!  Especially important as we are staying put for a couple of days.  Then we need to run the engine to ensure that we have enough power.

Think we will be moving on tomorrow though which will be 3 locks at Calcutt then on to the junction with the Oxford Canal (we are on the Grand Union at present) where we will head south, or turn right!

Well a while since I have posted.  We had a very hectic week back in Plymouth and managed to catch up with most people.  Been back on Falcon since Monday, but so far not travelled very far.  So now we are back at Leamington Spa gradually heading back the way we came and on to the Oxford Canal.  We will be taking our time as Paul is hoping to paint the other side of our hull so heading back to where he did the first side!  Next stop farm shop for some lovely duck eggs and probably a few other bits.  The good thing about retracing steps is we know where all the good stopping places are.  Lovely sunny day today though with the chill of autumn in the air, but making the most of it. 

So until next time TTFN