Well, the ¡Ola de Calor! (heatwave) is due to calm down from Wednesday, so we have decided to wallow here in Willoughby for a few days. It’s still pushing 30 degrees in and outside of the boat. Leaving the bedroom around 28 at night – it does cool to 22 later but it’s still “all-too-much”. Where are we? Just a mile or so outside Braunston on the North Oxford canal – very ruralated. (That’s my new Pam Ayres-like new word)
As you can see, we started in Yelvertoft and have almost doubled back on ourselves to Willoughby. Tomorrow, Hilmorton locks (busiest on the whole system), take on water then either stop there or move on to Rugby, I think Viv wants to visit M&S at Idiot’s, sorry, Elliot’s Field shopping complex but it needn’t be. We will then head for Hawkesbury junction (or Sutton Stop) before entering the Ashby Canal. Making a b-line for Stoke Golding and our favouritest pub of all time – the George & Gragon – owned and run by the Church End brewery.
The other night we moored up fairly early on – just behind these guys
And the next day, they carried on with their pile driving – putting in new Armco. Good to see them doing this and an interesting bit of kit. Noisy though.
After the long day coming thru Braunston, we had earned ourselves some Cava but it wasn’t chilled enough, so we used our frozen granite cubes to help plus Steve’s science idea of making a freezing mixture (ice & salt) and it seemed to work, although the cubes did make for nucleation points, increasing the amount of bubbles and flattening the Cava – better drink it quick then and lo, we did.
An evening visitor in the adjacent field, just yards away. A Hare-y moment! And two more from Viv: Hare today, gone tomorrow . . . + Hare’s to the next time . . . (Henry Hall’s theme tune)
So we shuffled our boat along from the workmen, to a quieter and more serene spot.
Toby always seems to get in the shot! Bliney, 29.3 inside the boat Roll On deodorant.
