Crick Show - Day 1

Boats moored for the Crick Show

Today was the first day of the Crick boat show. We headed over the scaffolding bridge built to link the moorings with the show on the other side of the canal. noting that this was the only facility provided for those of us mooring for the show! The show was pretty much the same layout as in previous years, with an array of fabulous new boats and lots of people wearing weird clothes and silly hats! We talked to people about all sorts of fascinating things including - led lights, alternators, engines, umbrella holders and cakes. Angela invested in a beautiful vintage alloy windlass, and I bought a small switch to turn of the red indicator lights on our electrical panel, which light up the bedroom like something you might see in Amsterdam - allegedly! We ate fish and chips while watching various dance troups perform on the stage in the food court. Recharged with saturated fat, we looked at a number of shiny new boats and some second hand ones in the adjoining marina - just need that lottery win to be able to do anything more than look.....

Going nowhere

Passengers on a neighbouring boat

We have spent a lazy day at Crick, found the shops and walked the towpath back to the Crick tunnel. Graham dismantled the alternator to try to increase our charging rate.

View from mooring across to show marina

We have watched the marina and surrounding area being prepared for the show - there are far fewer boats moored for the weekend than last year- not surprising as the towpath is overgrown and nothing is provided in the way of facilities - dreadful given the cost of the mooring!

It turned cold this evening

For the first time this trip we lit our fire and what a difference it made! The temperature soon reached 23 degrees froma chilly 14, so we were lovely and warm. We are looking forward to the show tomorrow.



Wet and Wild

Graham in torrential rain

We refilled the water tank before setting off from Welford where we spent the night, and returning to Crick. The weather forecast was pretty dire, so we put on waterproofs and set off. Initially sunny, then a few showers, and then the heavens opened! The picture above was taken just before the worst of it, and apart from admiring my ridiculous attire, you may notice the innovative cruise control - a bungy holding the throttle open! We made it to Crick and found a nice spot to moor, very close to the marina entrance. Alas the water was very shallow, and we were unable to get very close to the bank. A guy from another boat took the rope we threw to him, and held the boat in as far as it would go, while I sprang nimbly ashore - before sliding back down the bank and into the water! It was only about a foot deep, but it was still cold! We managed to secure oursleves, obtained a decent satellite signal and a hit and miss internet connection - we are here for the next 4 days, so these things are important!

TV signal- no internet delays publication



Thirsty cows

After a very peaceful night we set off in broken sunshine for the staircase of locks at Watford- this would be a new experience. En route we came accross a heard of cows drinking from the river. They took absolutely no notice of our boat.



 

Not so cute - more ugly really

We had to que at the bottom of the lock staircase for quite a while and as I walked for miles to find the lock keeper to book Banjo in Graham was communing with this fabulous Muscovy duck. There were four boats ahead of us and two behind. The two directly in front of us were lovely exhibition boats heading for the show at Crick.



The queue for the Watford flight



Angela in mid flight!

It took over an hour to start up the staircase but was not too difficult and the lock keeper was very helpful

  

Its high up here!

The locks were single and very deep. We went up 46 feet very quickly.



Almost at the top

 

Passing another boat in Crick tunnel

The Crick Tunnel appeared very shortly. We followed one boat through and were followed by a boat.There were interesting stalagtite formations on the walls and it was, as usual, very wet. As we neared the end of the 1.500 mtrs we passed another boat.

  

A boat following us in Crick tunnel.

After the tunnel we journeyed through Crick and looked at the mooring spaces for the show. Although a lot of boats had already moored we decided to carry on and travelled a further 11 miles along the Grand Union and then the Welford Arm. It was after 7pm when we arrived but we found a lovely spot to moor, managed to get a paper and a TV signal for the Apprentice- brill, but no internet access and therefore not able to publish the blog



Watford Gap Service Area

Still very windy this morning, but much brighter. We weighed anchor and set off , but moored up again after about 100 yards! A guy was trying to get his ancient 'butty' (a large iron hulled narrowboat without an engine, usually towed by a powered boat), across the canal to the pub, using only a pole. He was banging into other boats as he was driven where the wind blew him, and had earlier banged into us! With help from a passing boat and a man with his dog, he made it to the pub.

A flock of geese flew by...

Not our usual photos of geese but with their rotating wings spinning rapidly these ornamental geese were fun.

We passed through some pretty villages in bright sunshine and saw some truly fabulous houses and gardens.

Leaving the top lock of the Buckby lock flight

We stopped in a village called Weeedon, to look for a shop to buy food. An interesting village having 2 take aways, 4 pubs, several antique shops and a bridal boutique, but nowhere shop selling food. As we reached the bottom of the high street, we realised that we were facing the A5, and across the road was the hotel we had stayed in last year - small world. Anyway, we crossed the A5 and bought a few things from the BP garage. We then hit the Buckby lock flight - 7 locks in quick succession. Several of the pounds between the locks were very low and I hit the bottom in mid stream at one point, as Angela headed on foot to the next lock to empty it. We made it to the top which is alongside a pub garden, where onlookers watched us fighting the wind to get Banjo into the lock.

The view from the window tonight

We found a really nice spot to moor for the night, but could not get a tv signal by aerial or satellite. So, we moved a bit further along, stopping about a mile short of Watford Gap services! No signal here either, so we have been sleeping through a DVD!

Blown to Bugbrooke

Angela makes a new friend before breakfast

As I was preparing breakast I heard a loud tap on the window. This beautiful and very cheeky swan was asking for food so I opened the window and spent the next 5 mins hand feeding him. He was very gentle in taking the bread. 

Let me in!

Graham photographed him paddling like mad to reach the bread.

 

Halfway through - only another 20 mins to go!

 The Bilsworth Tunnel is an amazing feat of engineering. We were early so we did not see another boat but the 2,800 mtrs of it are very dark and wet. It took us about 40 mins to get through.

We're all wet, but the end is in sight

On exiting the tunnel the wind became increasingly strong. We moored at about 9.30 in Blisworth to get provisions and set off in search of the only small and expensive shop. Living in a town full of large supermarkets and having cars we take them for granted. After quite a hike we got almost what we needed dragging it back in our shopping trolley which has come into its own (wouldn't normally be seen with one but it goes with our strange,crumpled attire!) Grant, a friend of Graham's joined us and brought croissants which were lovely. He travelled for part of our journey with us in ever increasing winds making the boat difficult to manouver. We ran the gauntlet of the cold windy conditions until Bugbrooke where the heavens opened and we beat a hasty retreat indoors. Fortunately the wind has abated and tomorrow looks better.

Floating Christmas Tree

View through galley window - Stoke Bruerne

After a wild, wet and windy start to the day we lost the wet but the wind made for interesting steering. We shared a tier of locks with a boat called Ediburgh Castle whose occupants had just had an encounter with a fisherman whose net became entangled in their prop- he certaily showed his displeasure!

Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum

After 12pm the sun came out and it was warm. We spent a very pleasant interlude at the canal museum and wandered down to peruse the Blisworth Tunnel entrance in preparation for tomorrow's trip though its 2,800mts.

Tunnel entrance

After a coffee and a lovely piece of cake we decorated the front of the bow cratch with a string of coloured solar powered lights which worked beautifully after dark

Coloured lights on bow

We had to move the boat to get a satellite signal but no signal for internet and therefore could not post this blog at usual time- hope it was worth waiting for!