Banbury

It was a cold morning but with bright blue skies - still well above the freezing which the forecast had threatened for some places around here!

This was quite a familiar route now - we set off and soon arrived at Elkington's Lock, quickly followed by Varney's and Broadmoor Locks. the latter is the spot at which we first saw Take Five.

On then to Cropredy. As we crawled very slowly through the narrow section below the lock we could see a boat winding at the wharf just the other side of the bridge. We waited only to watch as a hire boat coming the other way pushed its way into the water point just as we were trying to tie up! Still, as we did not intend to fill up with water anyway, we managed to moor sufficiently to access the sani station and rubbish bins. As Mike completed the servicing, Christine popped to the bridge store for a paper and some milk.

Just after leaving Cropredy we entoured a large number of canoers - they seemed to be unaware that there was a narrow boat on the move. They turned behind us and at one point there were canoes going both directiopns with moored boats narrowing the channel. They did not seem to have any race marshals nor any awareness of safety considerations. To make it worse, just as we approached the bridge above Slat Mill Lock, we heard aa shout of 'Go!' and they all set off again at speed with little consideration for each other let alone where we were heading!

It became quite cold for a while but then the sun shone brightly and through the next locks it was definitely warm.

We moored opposite Castle Quay in Banbury - firstly to have lunch and then to visit the shopping mall. Christine persuaded Mike to look at shirts in Debenhams (we do not otherwise often visit one of their stores from Cornwall). He came away with three smart specimens! Christine also suggested that we call at Julian Graves to top up supplies and then she spotted an outdoor shop where she looked for - and found - new gloves and 'fleece' scarf.

As we came down through Banbury Lock and were just emerging a boat that had been tied up at the water point suddenly, without warning, pushed off right in front of us! A few bridges later we moored again at the best place to access Morrisons where we acquired enough provisions for the rest of the weekend and a bit beyond at home.

In the stretch above Grant's Lock we suddenly spotted nb Epiphany and paused alongside long enough to catch up with their latest news - we had expected to see them a little further south but they were returning to Banbury in time for some work and a re-paint that they had commissioned from Tooley's Boatyard.

With another boat suddenly arriving, we had hastily to bid farewell. At the next lock we offered to let them overtake as we planned to moor before the next one. The happily accepted. As Mike walked to the lock (just a few metres from the landing) he was amazed to see the crew from an all-female boat coming up empty the lock right in front of us! They claimed, when the man from the other boat went and complained to them, that they were only novices and did not understand what they had done . . .

Hence it was rather longer after we arrived at that lock that we eventually were able to work through - at which point Christine pointed out to Mike that the boat we had let through was the one which had pulled out in front of us at Banbury! We moored just before Twyford Bridge and, despite oddities with the compass, managed to obtain a good satellite. We shall have to watch Strictly after all!