It was grey and looked like rain again this morning. We set off after a bit of light woodwork constructing a support to make lowering the roof simpler, and headed towards the Claydon lock flight. There wasn't much traffic about and as we reached the first lock, there was only one boat in front of us.

 A cute mosquito

 As we approaced each lock, there was generally a boat coming the other way which meant that the locks were set in our favour. We spoke to several other boaters, and a common theme of conversation was the problems we would encounter in Cropredy. The forthcoming festival has apparently attracted a great many boats and there were many tales of traffic jams and long delays. We had no real alternative than to continue on into Cropredy. When we did arrive in Cropredy, it was hard to understand what all the fuss was about. There were a lot of moored boats, but it wasn't too bad.

 A cute butterfly

 A pretty canalside cottage

 Angela amongst the thisles in an abandoned lock keepres cottage garden

The weather improved eventually and the sun came out. We were entertained by a group of lads on a hire boat who all seemed to be working to maximise the chances of falling in. They were zigzagging from side to side bouncing off one bank and crashing into the other. Finally, when setting off from the lock moorings, they accelerated quickly but were still tied to the bank causing the boat to lurch violently to one side. We were happy to leave them as we headed off in the other direction!

 Two donkeys waiting excidedly for their tea

We reached Banbury and found a good spot to moor right in the centre.We went on a hike to the nearest food shop - Morrisons this time - and returned with supplies. Tamlyn, Luis, Dan and Kaitlyn arrived soon after and we enjoyed supper under the new hood with rain falling outside - finally, all of the problems with getting the hood finished seem worthwhile. Tam and Luis have left now, but Dan and Kaitlyn will be travelling with us for the next few days.

Traffic Jams

 Back on the Grand Union Canal briefly

The forecast for today was dry and bright, but the sky was black as we prepared to set off. We decided to leave the hood up as rain seemed inevitable. We set off and soon reached Braunston Junction which was manic. There were boats moored on both sides of the narrow canal, leaving only room for a single boat to pass - much stopping and starting and frenzied manouvering to avoid heavy crunches! We squeezed our way through and turned right onto the Grand Union Canal, heading towards Oxford. Moments later we recognised a boat called Kaydee coming the other way - it was Bill and Babs from Kecksy's Farm where Banjo is usually moored. We last saw them on the River Lee near Waltham Abbey back in May. They had been to Bristol and were heading back home in the opposite direction, taking the Grand Union back south.

 A cute foal

 A crowded holiday boat

After leaving the Grand Union at Napton junction and joining the Oxford Canal again, we reached the Napton flight of locks by early afternoon and started to hear tales of woe from oncoming boaters. The water levels on the Oxford Canal are low and so British Waterways have stated that this flight of locks will only be open between 9am and 4pm, to save water. This means that boats arriving at the flight after 4pm have to wait until 9am the following day to move, leading to queues. We were lucky and only had a couple of boats ahead of us, and every lock in the flight had a boat coming the other way which meant that all the locks were set in our favour for once. As we left the top lock, there were over 30 boats waiting, and the locks were about to close! These people have a very long wait ahead.

 Napton on the Hill

 More horned beasts

 Beautiful afternoon

Once clear of the locks, we cruised along through some beautiful rolling countryside in brilliant sunshine, passing several boats heading in the direction of the queue!

Tonight's mooring

We have moored up in the middle of nowhere amongst fields and trees with only the birds and things creeping through the undergrowth for company. Tomorrow we will reach Cropredy, the site of next weekend's folk festival, headlined by Fairport Convention, and where there will be a large number of boats and general mayhem. Hopefully we will squeeze through and head on to Banbury, but there are 13 locks between here and there and some inevitable queues.....

It rained overnight, but the back deck was dry - the hood works! After breakfast we investigated a rattling sound the engine developed yesterday. It turned out that one of the engine mounts was loose, which we duly tightened. We set off with the hood up, but in the knowledge that we had a tunnel coming up and we would need to lower it before we reached the entrance. We set off in light rain, and after a few miles, we stopped to drop the hood. We then reached the tunnel only to find it was bigger than any we had seen and the hood could have stayed up - grrr! Not only was the tunnel wide, but it was illuminated with couloured floodlights lighting up the roof.

 Cute horned beasts 

A vintage working boat and its butty followed us into the locks

We reached Rugby and stopped at a Tesco superstore to take on provisions. It made quite a change to have so much to choose from after a succession of visits to village Co-ops! We carried on through Rugby which turned out to be quite attractive - the canal skirts round the north and east of the town and is flanked by trees for most of the way. We had rain for most of the journey but by the time we reached the first lock at Hillmorton, it was fairly bright and dry.

 Angela in the rain, viewed by me from the dry covered deck

 As we entered the first of the three locks, the heavens opened and Angela bravely left the shelter of Banjo to operate the locks. It rained heavily for the rest of the afternoon, but eased off as we found a quiet spot in the country to moor for the night.

 This cow seemed fascinated by us as we moored

 The working boat and butty pass us by 

 Cows heading off into the sunset 

 Tonight's mooring 

Tomorrow we plan to join the Grand Union canal again at Braunston, before heading onto the South Oxford Canal, which will be the last canal we see before we move onto the Thames.

A hot sultry day

 An interesting British Waterways Yard

As it was a slightly cloudy start and the forecast was rain we put up the hood without the sides. Just before we set off, we saw a kingfisher whizz by. The sun broke through by 10am and we put the hood back down outside Springwood Haven Marina.

 A cute sheep

 Enjoying the sun in style

 Enterprising young rafters

The day got progresively hotter and by 11am we came across these lads who has made rafts out of builders merchants bags filled with polystyrene- very enterprising.

 Bizarre riverside scene

Charity Dock  was very interesting, with mannequins, fairground horses and all manner of statues. The above is a mere sample- fascinating!

 Turning onto the Oxford Canal at Hawksbury Junction

Important to get this turn right as, like many junctions, there were many people enjoying a drink in the sunshine and watching the boats.

 The old pumping house behing what appears to be an old police station

 A cute calf

 Straight channel with the M6 in the distance

 A bridge to nowhere

We had a heavy downpour at 4pm so quicky put up the roof cover- the rain was very welcome as it cooled the temperature from 30degs to 25 degs. It didn't last long though and by 5pm it was bright and sunny again.

 G taking it easy at tonight's mooring

For one of the few times on this trip we sat on the bank in the evening sunshine, watching boats go by and being delighted by a family of moorhens.

 Another cute chick with doting parent

This little family were delightful with doting parents and three black fluffball chicks. There was also what we guessed to be a big sister who was lending a hand with the babies.

Sunset

A lucky day - 13 locks and 13 miles

 Crossing the River Tame on an aqueduct

We jumped up at 06:00, ready for an early start to try to beat the crowds to the next lock. By the time we set off, a couple of boats had passed us, but it was otherwise quiet. We travelled towards Tamworth in a cool breeze passing through some lovely countryside. We reached Tamworth and turned off what had become the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, onto the Coventry canal.

 A queue for a lock but we are in front!

We reached the first lock of the day with only one boat in front of us. By the time we left the lock, the queue had grown to 3 boats, and it was still only about 08:00. We had expected Tamworth to be somewhat urban or industrial, but it was quite different, with pretty gardens, parks, and lots of trees.

 A very cute and tiny moorhen chick

 Traditional working boats

 Pooley Fields Heritage Centre

We saw this brightly coloured wheel which looks as though it probably came from a mine, but there was nothing on the canalside to give away what the site was about.

 Horses!

This field had several shire horses in it, one of which visibly jumped at the wash from Banjo as we passed by. Can't be much fun being a horse in a waterside field if you are scared of water!

 A dancing white goose chick

 Tonight's mooring near Nuneaton

We stopped in Atherstone to take on water, and to nip to the shops, lured by a sign telling us that a shop was "1 minute's walk away". Angela stayed with the boat while I went in search of ice creams. After a 15 minute walk(!) I reached - you guessed it - another Co-op! We pressed on and finally came to rest just south of Atherstone, a few miles north of Nuneaton. A lovely quiet spot with views over the countryside with only the occasional train in the distance disturbing the silence.

Another beautiful sunset

We plan another early start and long day tomorrow as we push on towards Braunston and the start of the Oxford canal.

Few miles but hood completed

 A cute moth

We awoke to a morning which was dull and cool, and was heralded by clattering noises from behing the hedge next to Banjo. It soon became much noiser as a pile driver started up - we were moored next to the site of a new marina, and construction was in full swing. We moved off after breakfast, heading for our rendezvous with Hoodman.

 A fabulous house in Whittington

We moored in a spot in Whittington, which was near a bridge and which had somewhere for Hoodman to park hs car. We then called him, and gave him the details of how to find us. After about an hour, he duly appeared and got stuck in to what was forecast to be about 1.5 hours work. While he did this, we headed into the village to get some food fom yet another Co-op, returning to the boat to find work still in progress.

 The butty Australia, being towed by Kangaroo

Many boats passed us as work progressed, and we recognised many of them from the festival in Burton on Trent. Progressively, we were losing the advantage we had gained in setting off on Sunday, with the consequence that we would probably be behind them at the next lock. We perhaps shouldn't have worried too much since Hoodman was still working into the early evening! Finally the hood was finished and we bade Hoodman farewell, with a few helpful suggestions about work scheduling and communications!

 A strange door in a bridge

We set off at about 18:30, and travelled a few miles in the evening sunshine, with the aim of stopping just short of Tamworth.

 Cruising through a firing range

We passed through some beautiful woodland marred only by warning signs about the dangers of entering the firing range! We steered clear...

 A canalside pillbox

 The completed hood

We found a mooring in the country and tied up. By this time Banjo was covered in swarming flying ants. They were everywhere and started to swarm on us if we stood still. We re-build the hood which we had had to remove to pass through a succession of low bridges, and you can see it above in all its glory. We have a lot to learn about the handling of the hood, but it should make travelling in heavy rain a bit more pleasant. We plan to kick of early in the morning, putting in a long day to try to make up some lost time, and to slip past some of the boats which passed us today.

Hoodman

And finally, we include, by popular request, a picture of the illusive Hoodman. It isn't very clear, but like Bigfoot, he is notoriously difficult to capture on film!