Gates and Fenders - Tuesday 21st May 2013

Last night we had an email from our friends on the K & A with these photos attached. As they left Newbury on Sunday and approached Guyers Lock they saw a boat disappearing into the distance. When they got to the lock they found the gate lifted off its hinge and lying at an angle and the paddles open. It looked as though the crew had not been concentrating and got the bow stuck under the gate and as they let the water in it lifted the gate off its base. Not too sure how they managed to get the boat out of the lock though. Our friends had to reverse back 3/4 of a mile to Newbury as C& RT say it may be a week before they can get a crane to the site to repair the gate. Several other boats are now stranded including hire boats trying to get back to Hilperton.

It was strange waking up this morning without a cold wet nose being pushed into my face but we were still up early and ready to sail at 7.15 am. Before going however we had a birthday card to post and found this quaint post box by the Council House, unusual nowadays with its vertical posting slot.

June took the boat out of Banbury and through the first three locks just like a professional and this enabled me to have a good look around as we motored along. This goose with sticky out wing feathers and standing on one leg was spotted just beyond Grimsbury Wharf.

The canal makes a sharp right hand turn away from the A4321 road and this house can be seen on the bend. I presume that it belongs to Dink and Malc as they have their picture on the house wall. Real posey what!

These two donkeys were making quite a noise as we approached, it seemed as though they were having a go at one another.
Could not resist taking this photo of the lovely foal with its mom.

Approaching Cropredy there is a garden centre on the off side and they have these giant flower pots outside their poly tunnel. Must cost a fortune to fill them with plants.

We stopped in Cropredy to fill with water (a fast filler) and visited the well stocked village shop, Bridge Stores, for paper, milk and biscuits. It is worth supporting the shop if you can as they do have a good range of produce and at reasonable prices.

On the outskirts of Cropredy is the new Marina due to open in summer 2013 according to the sign. It looks as though there is still a lot of work to be done

As we neared Broadmoor Lock we spotted this Fungi which was so large I did not need the telephoto lens to get a picture from the boat.

We followed a couple of Kiwis in a hire boat from Cropedy to the top of Claydon Locks and June helped them through the locks as it was the first time they had  been on the canals and they were finding the experience a little daunting. We moored up just beyond the locks next to Phils Fenders with Phil working on the back of his boat. I must say he was making a nice neat job of them and his own design of side fender looked very good. He was fulfilling an order for Whilton Marina and if you are in the market for some new fenders give him a call, he will be plying the Oxford for the next few weeks.