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!