We're now well on our way down the Grand Union towards London, having left Braunston as soon as Easter was over.
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On our way to London |
The holiday weekend saw an explosion of boating activity on the cut - over the winter we've become used to seeing only the occasional boat passing, but suddenly it was like being on a watery M1! It was lovely to spend time with various grandchildren while they were off school, and as always to see friends while still close to home.
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Roger with Jim and Norma |
Most days we have made the effort to get up early and set off after just a cup of tea, getting several miles and/or locks under our belts before mooring up for a well-earned brunch of sausage and eggs. The weather has been mixed - some glorious sunny days, interspersed with cold rainy hours when we needed to dress up in full wet-weather gear. The trees have burst into leaf, the flowers are blooming,
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Daffodils in a canal cottage garden |
and as for the wildlife .... love is in the air,and we've spotted many besotted couples, be they ducks, moorhens, geese, swans,
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Nesting swan |
and even a pair of herons,
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Heron attempting to swallow breakfast |
usually solitary sentinels on the bank.
We travelled from Braunston through Weedon, Stoke Bruerne, the long and very leaky Blisworth Tunnel (1and 3/4 miles) past the juntion with the Northampton Arm, bringing memories of our trip on the River Nene last autumn;
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Milton Keynes |
Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard,
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A sunny morning at Berkhampstead |
Berkhampstead and are now at Hemel Hempstead, having resisted the temptation to divert down the Aylesbury or Wendover Arms. We met a working boat selling fuel halfway to Hemel,
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Buying diesel from a passing boat |
and took the opportunity to fill our diesel cans while waiting for him to vacate a lock!
We've seen lots of interesting boats (an increasing number of wide-beams the nearer London we get)
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A floating forest |
Look out for a new section ( to appear shortly) featuring unusual boats which have caught our eye.
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Disaster... |
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An aptly named boat... |
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