Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE FELIS CATUSYEARS

SOME SOCIABLE BOATING

SUMMER 1981

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	At Easter, while FC was still being worked on, we went on foot to the C.A.N.A.L. protest rally at Little Venice. This was in protest against the Blisworth Tunnel problem and other protracted closures which seemed to be dragging on for years without any apparent moves by BW to do anything about them. The event was in some ways a precursor of Canalway Cavalcade, a regular festival at Little Venice that was to be launched a couple of years later.

We did a certain amount of refurbishment at Uxbridge, then took her up to our friends Mike & Lindy Foster's boatyard at Berkhamsted over a long weekend, where Mike F was going to do some work on the engine. So our main summer cruise started from there.

A LONG WEEKEND HEADING NORTH

The boat had been put back in the water the previous day. We found it moored outside the General Elliott. Alan fitted new air outlet trunking for us. We set off at 17:09, went down to Cowley to use the loo-point, took on water and did some carpentry and major cleaning. Mike did some carpentry on the back deck, Ian sorted out the Elsan and its compartment, Wendy cleaned the ktichen area and spare bunk. Then we headed North, and moored above Widewater lock at 20:42. Wendy cooked.

It was a very hot & sunny day. We started boating at 06:49, a fairly civilised starting time, so saw five heron. before Batchworth lock, where we watered. I did more carpentry on the back deck, which now felt safer. We had breakfast on the move. and continued to above Fishery lock, mooring there at 17:18. Ian set off home after dinner, which I served outside on the back deck.

We left for home having arranged for Mike F to do some work on the engine & fridge, and Lindy was finding us some saucepans. Ray Dunford was here and we aranged another meeting with him.

THE MAIN SUMMER CRUISE

We came up from home and did some major shopping. We were still sorting out things in the boat after the sinking and the following work. Mike F would do the engine work later when he's got the right bits. None of his second-hand fridges was suitable, but we got the old one working. Lindy had found us some good, heavy saucepans which she insisted on donating.

We set off at 11:05 in company with Ray Dunford and others in Albion for a pleasant climb to the summit. We stopped at the Grand Junction Arms, Bulbourne, which had a new landlord and was still welcoming but now useless for vegetarians. Ray & his crew decided to go backwards down the Wendover Arm. We continued on the main line, now in company with cruiser Amon Ra (people Margaret & Dave) & Cowroast hire-boat Peace (whose crew was well-disposed but unbriefed by the hire company). There were good downland-and-cornfield type flowers down Marsworth flight. At 17:35 we stopped at the Ship Stores, Marsworth for the night, where we were joined once more by Albion. We went to the Red Lion which was still very good for vegetarians.

I cooked breakfast before the start. We visited the shop, then set off at 11:05 in company with Albion. We had mostly a good road , since a number of Autrant (a since-defunct hire fleet) and Dunstable & District Boat Club boats where heading south. Ray used his traditionally-painted loudhailer to convey the message "Oy, somebody! Our glasses are empty back here". Wendy did a snack lunch on the move. Ray left Albion at Leighton until next weekend.

Planning to come back and meet him again, we locked down Leighton lock with trip-boat Leighton Lady. By 15:38 it was raining determinedly and we decided to stop at The Globe, Linslade. I cooked dinner. The rain gradually abated to soft mizzle. There was good birdsong, and excellent reflections showing subtle shades of green very clearly.

We locked through Fenny & Stoke Hammond with trip-boat Empress of Milton Keynes, steered by a rather miserable old biddy. We crossed Amon Ra at Stoke Hammond. Our overnight mooring at 17:56 was again at The Globe, Linslade , where I did a lot of tidying in the cabin while Wendy cooked, then we had dinner on the back deck by the light of the oil lamp.

We started at 07:35 and cruised to Leighton Buzzard for some leisurely shopping, then lunch at the Golden Bell, where civilisation seemed to be faltering a little - there were no longer flowers in the ladies' loo. We set off northwards again, intending to moor for the night somewhere below Fenny Stratford, but changed our mind when Tom, one of our BW friends at Soulbury, (a) asked me to paint a bucket for him (he said he'd leave it the Three Locks for me to collect, but never did!) and (b) said that the Three Locks had changed landlord and was now much friendlier to boaters. So we moored at 18:28 below Soulbury locks and discovered that he was right about the pub. We 'phoned the parents but got no reply from Ian's 'phone. Wendy cooked.

We overslept. Wendy cooked breakfast before we made a start at 11:01. At the sani station before Fenny Stratford lock we found that the new tap wouldn't fit our hose. Continuing northwards we saw a lot of heron. We took on water before Cosgrove lock, then winded. On the way back we saw a new (to us) chandlery at Wharfside Boatfitters (John Woolard) & bought a couple of rope side-fenders. As we continued, I painted the back door-panels.

At 18:24 we moored at the Black Horse, Linford, with Calabrese and had a pleasant chat. Then Amon-Ra (Dave & Margaret, who we'd met a few days before) joined us as well, now on their way back from Stoke Bruerne. Wendy cooked, then we went to the pub with Margaret and Dave. We 'phone Dave B & failed again to 'phone Ian for a rendezvous for the weekend.

We made a lazy start again at 09:16. The weather forecast was good for my painting. We winded at Linford wharf. In front of Linford church we saw what appeared to be a fair field full of love-in-a-mist (but was probably chicory, Wendy discovered on consulting Keble Martin). Odd that we'd not seen it the previous day, despite having commented on the lovely view of the church. Light? Angle? Time of day - do the flowers close in late afternoon? We stopped before Wolverton aqueduct and Wendy served breakfast.

There were lots of visual bonuses today : ducklings, cygnets, heron, kingfisher, an amazingly tall and leggy foal and some wonderful reflections near Yardley Gobion. Wendy did a snack lunch on the move. I finished painting the cabin door-panels. We winded before Stoke Bruerne bottom lock and came back to moor at 19:22 at The Plough, Simpson. Wendy served an outdoor dinner once the weather had cooled. This was a nice mooring except for a loudspeaker at a greyhound track or something.

06:41 was a civilised starting-time. We stopped before Soulbury locks for Wendy to serve breakfast, then we lazed about. I varnished the panels I'd painted the day before and cleaned and varnished the rally plaques. Later we worked up the locks with two other boats before Wendy did a snack lunch on the move. At Leighton Buzzard we went shopping, then saw Ray & Hazel on Albion and decided to follow them back to the Three Locks, mooring at the top of the flight at 20:31 and enjoying a combined dinner on the back deck with Ray & Hazel, then going to the pub and at succeeding in 'phoning Ian.

We had a lie-in before starting at 09:49. Wendy did breakfast on the move. We went up to Stoke Bruerne, winded at the winding hole and moored near the museum, where we loafed around again for a while before heading back to moor again at 19:39 at the Barley Mow, Cosgrove. Wendy did dinner, after which we went to the pub to meet Mr Butler (Dave's father) who was giving Dave a lift home.

We had breakfast before starting at 10:25. At Wolverton station Ian left for home and I adjusted the engine tick-over. We went on to the Black Horse Linford, for a pub lunch, then did some more painting. Setting off again, we locked up Soulbury with Maid of Kent (Peter & Audrey, whom I was later to get to know better in the Thames Barge Sailing Club). We moored at 19:15 above Soulbury locks and had a good supper at the pub.

We set off at 06:29 and went to Leighton Buzzard, where I went home & back (I don't recall the reason). Wendy did some shopping, launderetting & bilge-cleaning. I was back at tea-time and we set off to moor at 18:48 below Soulbury locks . There was still no sign of Tom or his bucket at the pub.

We slept in and decided to have breakfast before starting in case Tom showed up with the bucket, but he didn't. Setting off at 09:23 we found the engine was still erratic on low revs. The banks between Soulbury & Stoke Hammond were thickly lined with thistledown and the equivalent from willow-herb. We were sped through Stoke Hammond by a BW bod who wanted to lower the pound above to take out a decaying boat. We went through Fenny lock with Mary Anne. I did a lot of painting this morning.

We stopped at Little Woolstone and had an excellent lunch at The Barge. Then we continued north, used Cosgrove sani station and took on water. I did some more painting until the rain began. We moored at The Navigation, Castlethorpe , at 17:24 and took a pleasant walk into the village, then enjoyed beer & skittles at The Navigation before coming back for me to cook dinner.

It was breezy & drizzly, but not too unpleasant, as we set off at 07:19. We saw heron & kingfishers. There were no gongoozlers at Stoke Bruerne top lock! Once again we winded at the winding hole before Blisworth tunnel and moored near Stoke Bruerne museum. I was painting some decorated ware, when a reporter from BBC Radio 4 You & Yours came over (at David Blagrove's suggestion) to interview me about the tunnel closure. In the afternoon we went down the flight, with lots of gongoozlers, some of them helpful. At 19:04 on a pretty evening we moored at the Black Horse, Linford. Wendy cooked. We turned in early as we planned a long day next day if possible.

We set off at 06:16 in a lovely golden, hazy morning, when we saw many heron, one with a fish in his beak. At Wyvern Shipping, Linslade, we bought gas, then continued to Leighton Buzzard for shopping and a pub lunch. In the afternoon we found it very shallow from Leighton to Horton, & windy. Anglers had apparently been breeding like rabbits. For several locks we failed to catch up the boat ahead of us but they waited for us at Seabrook Bottom. They turned out to be Argo with an energetic crew, which helped us a lot. We stopped at 18:29 at the Ship Stores, Marsworth, in company with Ship of Fools (David & Anne), from our home mooring.

Marsworth narrow locks

It was a slow start as Wendy had a migraine. I did breakfast before we started boating at 10:11. At Marsworth junction we turned onto the Aylesbury Arm. We found that the towpath and lock landings were much improved, but there were too many anglers on the latter. Wendy shocked a couple of anglers by the vigour of her language when the boat clung to the bank inconveniently. At Aylesbury basin we bought diesel, watered, and used the loo-point. Wendy joined the Aylesbury Canal Society.

Aylesbury Basin

On the way back up the Arm we saw more finches than in the rest of the cruise so far. There were stud farms here with beautiful playful foals, including two lively golden ones (palominos?). We were hit by heavy cold rain as we came up the last flight of narrow locks to turn onto the main line and back to the Ship Stores, where we moored at 20:17 in failing light. Ship of Fools was still there and we arranged to start late tomorrow and go up to Bulbourne with them.

We set off at 10:11 and went up the locks breasted with Ship of Fools, with Ann at the helm of the latter, simultaneousl;y keeping an eye on their toddler, and the rest of us working the locks. The run was made all the easier by our being joined by a small High Line Yachting hire-boat with an experienced Welsh crew (nice people) who had cut their teeth on the Llangollen five years before. The soggy jungle side of the locks was full of poppies, feverfew, moon daisies, knapweed, scabious, cow-parsley, yarrow, orange-tips, dragon-flies. At the penultimate lock we stuck in the bottom gates because of some rubbish caught behind them. We flushed out and went single for the last two locks.

Tringford

At the Grand Junction Arms, Bulbourne, we made a beer stop with the High Line crew. The pub is now spectacularly useless for vegetarians, so I did lunch on board. In the afternoon we took a trip down the Wendover Arm to Tringford stop lock and back, mooring again at the Grand Junction Arms at 18:02. There was good birdsong. We could hear chaffinches, although we'd not seen any. I painted the red bits on one side of the boat.

We set off at 08:39 and, as arranged, were with Ship of Fools as far as Cowroast. The cutting ws very pretty with meadowsweet, herb robert, white campion, thistles of many kinds, nightshade (both flowers and berries) and the berries of cuckoo-pint. Saw several huge fish (pike?). At Castle wharf, Berka, we found that Lindy Foster was unwell. We did some shopping for her and fed Reuben, then cleaned ship rather sketchily and headed for home.

Castle Wharf, Berkhamsted