Holiday for one or another?

I have been busy, but not with blogging. We went to visit our granddaughter in Kent over the last weekend and the Best Mate has stayed down there to spend some time with her and the family. So we are now boys alone in Banbury. And we are boatless!

We have lent the boat to a couple who were once boaters, were intending to buy a share in a boat, but things didn't work out. They needed a break from a stressful job and so we have lent them SONFLOWER for a holiday. I showed Stuart the ropes on Monday morning and I hope that they are now heading north. They have targeted Stratford. However, the weather doesn't seem too good to be doing 118 miles and 183 locks in nine days. Who knows what they might achieve. That, however, seems like stress in itself to me! They have just sent me a text message to say they are relaxed, and at Marston Doles. (18 miles, 12 locks) That would take me two days!

On Monday we got a phone message from some friends who used to moor and work in Banbury but now moor and work in Birmingham. We had had a chat a couple of months ago and had heard that they were having their boat blacked at Tooley's late in September. We had offered them the boat while this was undertaken as Tooley's do not like people staying aboard! Now they had arrived and the boat is going into dock on Thursday! The other friends who could have lent them their boat are on holiday in Malta and return at the end of the week.

It isn't late September yet is it?

We had a lovely evening last night catching up and drinking a beer together and I told them that our boat, which they had passed on its mooring in the afternoon, was no longer there but was heading north!

Today, I arranged for them to stay in someone's spare room and I met them at lunch time. "Thanks, but no thanks",they said "We have booked into a local B & B, we need a holiday!"

We're on our way.

The rain stopped on Thursday evening at about 5.30pm. We slipped the mooring, backed to th turn and we were on our way over the familiar territory northward. The sun dipped gently to the west and by a rosy sunset we were working through Slat Mill lock and we moored in Cropredy as the clock struck nine.

Early to bed, early to rise. The crew were happy to be aboard again and we slipped into our routine. The candles were flickering to make the saloon glow with a beautiful light and we retired in expectancy that tomorrow would really be the start of our holiday cruise.

I was up early as expected to a glorious morning. We slipped moorings before six and Eeyore and Piglet had worked through six locks before the rest of the crew had got out of bed. We stopped for breakfast at Fenny Compton and then with full enthusiastic crew enjoyed the meandering top pound past the ancient furrowed meadows and the earthworks of Wormleighton medievil village. Round the huge horseshoe meander of Wormleighton Hall and the beatiful view over the fields toward Southam. Our first sight of Napton Windmill in the distance reminded us of the deceptive serpentine path this canal takes. It would be six hours before we were passing beneath Napton on the Hill.

The full crew worked through Napton Flight. Two way traffic to enjoy. Everyone was smiling. Holiday hirers who had had days of waiting for the floods to subside were enjoying sunshine and movement. Americans, Dutch, Danish and true Brits were all enjoying the English sunshine today.

We moored at the foot of Napton Flight end rested after 31 lock-miles. We looked forweard to dinner at the pub by the Canal.