Winter is a coming!

The second weekend in October brought cold winds and rain. SONFLOWER sheltered under Tom Rolt Bridge for Banbury Canal Day which was a washout. Not quite such a washout was the concurrent Banbury Folk Festival which took cover in General Foods club and provided lively folk performances with the advantages of dry surroundings and good beer.

Upstairs Fairport Convention was the star Act on Saturday night and they were very ably supported on Friday by Tradaarr and on Sunday by The Gerry Colvin band. There was also better beer with Hook Norton Brewery's "Old Hooky" on offer.

After removing the banner and bunting on Sunday evening the wind settled down a bit and the rain abated to a drizzle. So two hours of Monday morning were spent returning Sonflower to her home mooring via Calthorpe Winding Hole. I hope no-one was looking because I really fouled up the turn and stemmed SONFLOWER on the far side of the Winding hole. No damage done I returned to home mooring without incident.

Most of the boats from Canal Day were on the move including a volunteer crew on the CRT workboat that had dragged the town centre length of the canal and exhibited the bikes and trolleys pulled out this year. I did not have to operate the lift bridge in either direction and had help at the lock both ways too.

Now it is time for an engine service, Autumn touch up and winterisation.
                                                                                                 2miles, 2 locks, 2LB, 2 hours

Banbury Canal Day

This was the first year since 2004 that SONFLOWER has not been moored where the blue boat with the gold roof in the picture or tucked under Tom Rolt Bridge, from which this picture was taken.

This is the stand of BCF, one of two Christian groups that had stands amongst over a 100 of charities, interest groups and organisations that come to enjoy the first Sunday in October together with about 10,000 folk. We spoke to day trippers from the Isle of Wight, Lincoln and Chester. Such is the renown of the day.

Amongst the craft moored for this event were  nb Livien G, supporting an orphanage in Tanzania; nb Norfolk Belle,selling eco-fiendly products; nb Shammah wrapped up in bubble wrap and with a crew of bubbles; nb Scyeffe with a musical saw artiste; nb Trimstone assisting with safe boarding of trip boats. All very different but with the common purpose of being at the heart of the festival.

WIth our Waterways Chaplaincy gillets on we also walked the towpath and talked with CRT staff and volunteers, boaters and traders.

We are grateful to our friends from Jubilee Church and other fellowships who supported us throughout the day and at our service in the afternoon.

nb Sonflower was missed and some asked where she was and whether we will be back for next year. I am sure that we will be.

BCD EVE

Yes, tomorrow is Banbury Canal Day.

So this morning we are arresting a period of considerable neglect. No time for pics, I am sorry to write. They certainly would not be pretty, anyway.

The LOG speaks for itself.

We have not been anywhere, or doing anything on SONFLOWER so the gas bottle had run out leaving all sorts of smelly stuff in the fridge, including a leaking bottle of milk. After a gas bottle change a full refridegerator clean was required . The Best Mate set about evicting the spiders and wiping over the saloon from the pine roof lining to the floor. She also derusted the top of the stove and blacked it so it looks the business now.

I went outside, squeegy in hand, and washed the boat from stem to stern. Looking at her from across the canal she doesn't look so bad now except below the gunwhales where we need a passing canoeist to run a wet broom along her side. More spiders were evicted. I don't like doing that as they are very good at catching flies, mosquitos and midges before they get into the boat.

SONFLOWER is under Tom Rolt Bridge. When we regain our strength we will start on the decoration.

There is a "Boaters Bash" this evening. We hope to be there.

Tomorrow I might get enough time to take a picture. Who knows. Hopefully I will see some of you throughout the day. We hope to give you tea and cake.

Prep for Canal Day

The town centre moorings have been a little cluttered recently by boats awaiting attention at Tooley's Boatyard. With the Banbury Canal Day fast approaching the moorings were all required for the boats booked in.

The notice from the Harbourmaster indicated that all moorings should be clear by 10am. No alternative then but to haul the boats out of town.

All Tooley's hands were on deck as this group of three unpowered boats were towed away by NB Oxford 1, a tug that was clearly up to the job.

Frustration

Those who read Mortimer Bones' column in Canal Boat magazine will appreciate that not all things that seem simple on a narrowboat turn out that way.

This morning I went to take the boat to the town centre, a cruise of 1/4 mile. This weekend is a boating festival: The Banbury Canal Day. The town council put a lot of effort into making the assett of the The Oxford Canal work for the town and give the loacals a grand day out into the bargain. For the last eight years we have joined in the fun come rain or shine. This year, in contrast to the last two, it looks like we are in for a shining sunny day on Sunday.

So all seemed to bode well until I appraoched the boat to find her bow higher than I can remember seeing it before. The water tank was empty. Believing the saga of the "water in the bilge" to be over, I imediately raised the over over the water pumop to see whether water was engulfing it once more. No! But the pump was running dry!

I turned it off and investigated further. The little amount of water in the bilge that had run aft was cleared quickly. The taps were all closed and tight. The shower pan was dry. Where had all the water gone and why was the pump running?

We needed water. I cast off and boated into the town. First stop the water point which means navigating the lift bridge, no mean feat single handed! Thankfully a helpful waiting pedestrian lad took the windlass and lowered the bridge as I passed through to speed his crossing and help me.

Filling our tank takes about one and a half hours! The best mate came along from her art class at The Mill. She did not expect to see the boat at the water point. I explained the lack of water and we decided that she should go and buy a sushi lunch as we had plenty of time and the resources of the town were at our feet.

Lunched and with a full tank I had time to think about our problem. Running the pump for a short while revealed that the relief valve on the calorifier was letting by and that was where the water was going. Relieved water ended up in the stern gland bilge and was pumped away by the sern bilge pump!

We continued our cruise. Through the lock, down to the turning point at the end of the Tram way Mooring site and back again, through the lock, back to home mooring, to the turning point at The Arm just north of Spice Ball Park and then back to town to moor under Tom Rolt Bridge: our weekend mooring: 2 miles, 2 locks, 2 Lift Bridges and four and a half hours to fill up with water!

But with no isolation valve on the calorifier inlet, how can I fix the relief valve without draining the tank again?

The water pump says off.

More of the same

Here is a picture of the decorous front end of SONFLOWER in bright sunshine.
and here is the back end. She is dressed up for Banbury Canal Day, our annual home waterways festival.

During the Boaters Bash on the Saturday evening, when we enjoyed a beer, food and folk music by Nick Nack Paddy Wack, fresh from their national success at Beale Park, the rain started and it didn't stop until about 3 in the afternoon of the Sunday!

The rigging fell down in the night wind and we lost a bungy in the canal. My sea-searcher was put into employment but passing boats had moved it to a spot unknown or picked it up on the prop! Sorry if it was you who found it through your weed hatch!

We pitched the Boaters Christian Fellowship stall under the Tom Rolt Bridge and kept dry but windblown for most of the day. Appropriately the theme of the day was the Centenary of TCR's birth. The canalside service was held there too.
We had a steady stream of passers by, some of whom stopped to talk or listen to the songs from 1910 which we performed unplugged while children painted roses on paper plates, a skill we had picked up at Little Venice IWA Cavalcade.

Those who braved the weather had a good time. The town council tried hard to put on a good show and we were visited by several notables throughout the day including the Town Mayor, Chair of Cherwell District Council, journalists from national and local press, friends and visitors for all over the country.

Quite a few bloggers made themselves known too. It is good to meet people face to face as well as over the internet.

Ghosts and Ghouls

The theme of The Banbury Canal Day didn't quite fit with our idea of a fun celebratory theme so we dressed the boat up in home made fiery bunting that The Best mate had lovingly stitched, attached doves and attempted to portray The Holy Ghost. Here is a picture of the Best Mate herself next to our cratch with the illuminated Dove of Peace.



The day really was a brilliant time. We were representing the BCF once more and this year we had three of our members who formed a folk trio to attact and entertain the throng that passed by. The weather was kind and people were having a good time everywhere.

To be fair, the theme worked pretty well. Of course there were a few macabre exhibits (among the boaters) and some of the boats were decorated with a lot of imagingation. The Ghostbusters were prominant and on hand complete with a first response boat (a peddalo) that went up and down all afternoon. There was also a headless ghost at the helm of a tiny clinker dinghy who won the prize for the best moving exhibit.

The best charity stall went to nb Mr Badger who came complete with his own graveyard! He worked hard on behalf Dogs for the Disabled a Banbury based charity. His pork rolls also kept us very amply filled with food!

Sadly to say I was too busy all day to get any photos. Without them it is very hard to describe the colour of a very good day.

The Best Bit, the Best Mate says, is meeting with the lovely boaters with their diverse interests from IWA to Ecover, Tom Rolt's centenary to Gardner Engines the conversation was never dull.

Just like the IWA Cavalcade earlier in the year, I felt the festival really showed boaters having fun!

Wonderful Banbury Canal Day

Here is SONFLOWER all dressed up in blue and yellow bunting to celebrate 400 years of the Banbury Town Charter.

The weather was not kind but we had a wonderful day. There were thousands of people dodging the rain drops to join in the fun. A folk drummer on stilts, morris dancers, stalls galore making known charities on the waterways and in the town and selling all sorts of wares from jewellery to fresh ciabatta.

The sun came out just as the mayor went to congratulate the best dressed boat at 4.30pm. (not us but the nb Muffin Man who was next to us) However the damp did not dampen the fun that was to be had. Only the bunjy jumping seemed to be grounded by the weather.

I spoke to nb Tia and several other boaters who agreed that they had a wonderful day. Sovereign Wharf reported that they had a record number on the trip boats.

O what a lovely day

Here is nb Sonflower all dressed up on the morning of Banbury Canal Day. This is a festival for the town with markets, entertainers, boats and so much more.

Getting there wasn't such a problem. We only had to turn the boat around and head about a quarter of a mile to the town centre. We did this last Friday evening to be there well ahead. The Day itself is on the Sunday. We needed Saturday to clean up a bit so that we could receive visitors. So Saturday was spent cleaning her inside and out, polishing the brass and then rigging up the bunting.

We were moored under the Tom Rolt bridge. This spot had been specially selected by the Vicar of Banbury because we were to be the backdrop for the Christian worship service in the afternoon. The amplification needed power (my generator) and last year (2006) it had bucketed with rain all afternoon so the bridge would provide shelter for the faithfull should lightning strike twice.

We were representing Boaters Christian Fellowship alongside the crew of n.b. Scyeffe who was moored next to us. The vicar's boat, Noah's Ark was also in town but a little bit farther away. Our purpose for the day was to welcome people on board. Over 5000 people expected to turn up to the day and many of them have never been on a boat. What they expect to find inside I have no idea but they seem surprised to find most of the things they have at home! Like beds and a table and chairs and a cooker and a fridge. We have no television so this might confirm to them that we are a bit strange!

All in all we made teas for a good number and showed scores through the boat. It is a great time just to be able to chat with people about boats, boating and living aboard, and showing that as Boating Christians we are nearly normal.

Alex also had fun with the passing children by puppeteering through the swan hatch with two of our favorite puppets, a huge frog called Nyall and Harry a pink hippopotamus. We also gave out balloons to any children who asked. Many were so surprised that we didn't charge for them!

At three o'clock the people gathered for the Service, organised jointly by BCF and Banbury Christians Together. The generator started, the amplifier worked and we were joined by a six piece band to accompany the hymns. Our skipper spoke about the lawyer who wanted the secret of eternal life and Jesus' story of the good Samaritan. (To read Jesus' conversation with the lawyer go to the Bible in Luke chapter 10. )

By 4pm, the crowds were dispersing and the day was ending. We sat on board eating delicious jerk chicken from the Caribbean hot food stall and reflected on a tiring but worthwhile day.

Oh, I forgot. The theme of the day was 'pirates' and there were quite a few about. Three in particular were about nine feet tall! They were fun entertainment for the milling stream of people who went past all day.

Monday was spent returning to the mooring. With so many boats in town the two mile round trip took us over 3 hours.