Spring Bank Holiday - part four

Right! I have been admonished for abandoning Blog, so here we are again. This time at Bank Holiday Monday, which started off warm, but cloudy and it seems that the Cashmores on Beaurepaire are returning today. Not in any great hurry though, as they were still ploughing their way through an enormous breakfast at 9:30 when we paid a visit.

This is all leading to the modus operandum of David's turning the boat to face north again. It has to be mentioned that the cut at Braunston was particularly busy; boats passing every couple of minutes and a a bottle neck from time to time at the junction itself. Owing partly to the proximity of the Midlands Chandlers, water point and rubbish disposal. So I was not a little surprised when David decided that it would be quicker to turn by reversing into the junction, under one bridge and out again in forward gear through the other.

Some people are blessed with good timing and as the pictures show, he managed the whole manoeuvre without bumping into or jamming up any other boaters. There was some ribald teasing though about how much easier it would be if he had fitted bow thrusters. David gives me a lot of aggravation over the fact the Gleemaiden is fitted with them. Keeps telling me how embarrassing it must be to be seen using them!

Quite frankly, I am sure that the majority of working boatmen and boatwomen would have welcomed these handy appliances had they been around in those times. They did after all move from horse propulsion to steam to diesel. They were also quite happy to take on rechargeable batteries as well when they became available and use electric lighting.

That afternoon saw us sauntering up the towpath toward the tunnel after the sun had burnt off all the hazy cloud and the day got brighter and warmer. We were also surprised to see that the Admiral Nelson is open again after finding it closed on our last visit.

I should mention at this point that in 1997, Audrone and I paid a visit to Braunston (along with Oxford and Banbury) at exactly the same time of year. We were sitting at an outside table belonging to the Admiral Nelson drinking Scrumpy Jack cider and generally gongoozling as the boats negotiated the third lock of the six in the Braunston flight.

Afterwards (12years ago) we had gone for a walk, following the towpath as far as the tunnel and then across the hill to the other side. We were to say the least absolutely gob-smacked to watch boats being swallowed up by the Stygian gloom as they slipped under the entrance and disappeared into the hillside with steerers standing nonchalantly on the stern.

at the other end we watched fascinated as they emerged swathed in diesel fumes into the dappled sunlight. We wandered a little further down the towpath and stood on one of the picturesque hump back farm bridges and watched boats slide underneath. It was as were were returning to the Admiral Nelson that it dawned upon us that it might be possible to join this wonderful and mysterious clique of waterway travellers - if we only had a boat. . . .

So this afternoon's trip was more than a little nostalgic. But we realised how far we had come from these early years while photographing a boat as it emerged from the tunnel at the Braunston end, for our reminiscence photo file. Audrone said:

'Oh look, that boat has a bubble on the roof for the satellite dish just like Clarence has.'

At which moment I was more like Clarence the cross eyed lion in Daktari, as I squinted through the viewfinder (well actually at the LCD display - ed).

'It is Clarence!' shouted Audrone. And so it was. Derek and Sheila were returning from their cruise and as it turned out were intending to moor at Braunston for the night, before heading back to Brinklow.

Well, things have changed - we could hardly have had a meeting like that 12 years ago! We retired then to the Admiral Nelson and took a couple more snaps of them as they passed us again, passing through lock no. 3 on their way to moor. As it turned out they moored right opposite us at the Old Mill near the aforementioned junction.

We had every intention of having our evening meal at the Old Mill, but when we arrived at just after six, we were told that meals were not served after 6:00pm! How stupid is that? 'Oh sorry, its dinner time now and we've closed for the night.' Most of the time you arrive at 4:30 or 5:30 only to find the pub that you have stopped at is shut for the afternoon, but will be open again at six. We could have had a liquid tea, but opted not to and returned to boat for a simple meal. We were after all heading back first thing in the morning to avoid the traffic.

Above . . . . Sheila has just clocked the camera pointed at her from the pub lawn!

Now here's a funny thing; when we left the pontoon, we left behind Nerus and K2 still moored up and not looking like moving. Neither was there any boat moored behind us.

Come Tuesday, when we return, there is another boat installed in the spot behind us (most unexpected of course when turning in - you don't extra landmarks to appear when you have only been out for three days). And there was Steve from K2, giving us a hand tying up and coiling ropes.

'Going off? I asked. 'Oh no,' he replied. 'Got back from Braunston a couple of hours ago!'

I think I just looked stupidly at him. Firstly, we hadn't seen him at Braunston; secondly, we had left at 7:00am! Apparently Julie had a very early engagement.

Back at Braunston outside the Admiral Nelson (again, the Monday), a boat glided into the lock with one of those beautiful sounding classic engines beating away. I maintained that it was a Lister and Audrone marked it as a Russell Newbury. It didn't sound like K2 though, so I was determined to find out.

Looking through the open engine 'ole, I spotted the bold RN insignia gleaming brightly on the engine head. The skipper of 'Muchgigglin' explained the reason for the distinctive sound of the RN engines and given that this was a two cylinder 19 horsepower engine as opposed to K2's three cylinder engine, it was no wonder that it had such a slow beat - I think I'll know better next time.

When my curiosity was explained to the pipe toting skipper, he laughed and said that I owed Audrone a drink - so I bought us both one!

There is a sequel to this little yarn When we were back on Gleemaiden, we again heard the familiar thump of the RN approaching from under the bridge. As they drew alongside, they were hailed from the shore. It turned out that they had lost their mooring chain earlier on when it became jammed around the armnco railing, and now another friendly boater was returning it, having managed to prize it free with their boat hook. The said item was then passed back to them across Gleemaiden as they hove to outside the Old Mill pub opposite.