Kingswood

On Tuesday (August 9th), we tackled the Hatton flight. At the bottom lock we fortunately immediately met up with NB Prestige, from Rose Narrowboats. They had an effective fit crew and we had an easy passage up the flight only delayed by a slow single boat in front and a single boat coming down the flight that foolishly waited in a lock (rather than a pound) for another boat to join them. Three hours forty minutes broke no records. At one point we were averaging 9 minutes lock but the delays soon put paid to that. Lunch at the Hatton Top Lock Café was welcome and one of the crew felt the need to have chocolate cake.




Hatton - "The Thick"


Hatton BW Depot



The summit was short of water and we ran aground a couple of times. We turned onto the Stratford Canal at Kingswood Junction and immediately met Brian and Irene O’Neil on NB Rangitoto leaving the bottom lock of the Lapworth flight. Unfortunately, we didn’t have chance to catch up on their travels. It will have to wait until we meet up back at Yardley Gobion.

Saltisford

On Monday (August 8th)we went down Fosse and Radford locks and made it to Warwick. As we crossed over the railway, just before the Avon aqueduct, the driver of a freight train sounded us a greeting. It made us jump! We found a very convenient mooring in Saltisford Arm. After our extended stay earlier in the year it felt a bit like returning to base.

We visited the Lazy Cow for dinner. Good as ever even on Monday night. The London riots on the television gave the end of the evening a very surreal feeling.


Saltisford Arm with rain clouds

Welsh Road Lock (Bascote)

On Sunday (August 7th) we travelled from Braunston towards Warwick. The trip along to Wigram’s Turn was quite busy – summer weekends. At Calcutt the IWA Warwickshire Branch were carrying out a fund raising lock ransom. There was a small queue at the locks, not caused by the IWA.


IWA Lock Ransom - Calcutt Locks

Unfortunately, just past Ventnor Farm Albert’ s speedwheel suffered a small mishap. The threaded section that operates the mechanism became detached – unscrewed. As Edward put it, a bit of fettling soon sorted it out. Quite conveniently it rained over lunch. We went down Bascote locks with a Viking hire boat that also joined us going down Stockton Locks. We moored up above Welsh Road Lock – a nice quiet location.


Welsh Road Lock

Braunston

On August 6th, we had a short trip to Braunston. As we approached the junction a boat appeared from the Leicester Arm and failed to give way despite being warned by our horn and the crew in bow. They quite plainly misjudged the difficult turn and had to reverse back and try again. They followed us to the tunnel but their steering continued to be erratic. We left them behind as we went through the tunnel. We passed only three boats in the tunnel, which given the high season, was probably not bad.

NB Maggie May was waiting for us at the top lock. We had great journey down the locks and moored up by the marina in Braunston. In the afternoon our friends Anne and Edward Winter joined us. They are taking a week’s cruise with us.

Norton Junction

On August 5th we put in long hours. After an early (8 o’clock) start we managed to get to Norton Junction in the day. The weather was good all day and it was great cruising. The only negative was the idiots at Stoke Top Lock who “stole our water”. A crew had kindly seen us in the lock below and left open one of the bottom gates of the top lock. We watched the activity at the top lock carefully in case a boat arrived and we were dismayed to see it close as we left the lock below. Maggie ran up and found it half filled by the time she got there. She received an apology from the crew, who were not novices) but I am afraid that I followed it up to make sure they realised quite how stupid they had been (it would have only taken a quick glance under the bridge).

When were moored up at Norton, just below the New Inn, we were joined by NB Tarn, a tug-styled boat fitted with a Greaves 2YWM that appears to have been imported by Lawrence Hogg. They were returning to London from the IWA Festival at Burton. Despite its similar Greaves (R & H, India) lineage their engine had several layout features that were different from Albert’s 2YWM. That night we ate in the New Inn – Maggie had her usual half of Old Rosie.