Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE FELIS CATUS II YEARS

WORCESTER OR BUST

SUMMER & AUTUMN 1999

Click here for information about our boat, Felis Catus II

MAIN SUMMER CRUISE

Ian & I came up by taxi with the luggage. Wendy & Tilly followed by train, partly because Wendy's eye still wasn't right after the operation and she got ill in a car, and partly because Tilly wasn't at home when the taxi came.

We meant to set off this morning, but Tilly discovered that the inside of the pipe-bridge over the cut by our mooring is a good hunting ground, so she was away all day. She came back overnight.

Tilly was away again when we got up. With the help of some Electricity Board workmen, we got her out of the pipe bridge and managed to set off at 8:40 . Rain set in soon after the start and lasted most of the day. Quite a lot of traffic was moving, including quite a few wide boats (not only the wide hire-boats from Adelaide Dock). We shared some locks with nb Lazy Bones, then a lot more with a narrow-beam barge-style boat, Pigging Arkful. They stopped above King's Langley and we went on solo.

At Apsley Wendy left to go to Marlborough, as Dad is recovering from a minor stroke and there's a lot still needs sorting out. We shared the last lock with nb Albion, a time-share boat from Stratford Court Cruisers at Willow Tree. We moored at 19:54 just past the bridge where The Albion used to be. The pub building is now demolished.

We woke up later than planned & set of as soon as we could (08:48), with no breakfast. We shared a lot of locks with nb Persephone from Harefield Marina. We stopped at Berkhamsted for a chat with Lindy Foster, who's living on Old Possum while the house is being refurbished. Lindy was to be the next year's Mayor of Berkhamsted. There was no room to get in to Bridgewater Boats for a pump-out. They seemed to have quite a lot of boats in for the time of year. We stopped again pretty soon at Waitrose, where we shopped & took on water.

When we set off from there we were locking with nb Victoria from the River Wey - an efficient crew. At Bulbourne bridge we caught up with nb Braunston Tunnel from Blisworth Tunnel Boats and locked with them down the Marsworth flight. We paused at Marsworth BW depot for elsan & rubbish disposal, then went on to our regular mooring at the former Ship Stores, where we moored at 20:00. We ate well at the Red Lion. Their food times are every lunchtime, plus 18:00 - 20:30 on Tuesday- Saturday. We arrived there a bit after 20:30 but they were still willing to serve us.

During the evening Tilly brought in a shrew, played with it for a while and then took it out again.

Tilly was out at about 05:30 & stayed out all day. Ian thought he saw her in a nearby field. There were quite a few rabbits around, so we reckoned she was chasing them. Today brought a solar eclipse - not at all dramatic and surprisingly un-dark. There were some nice images on the cabin table focused by "pin-holes" between the leaves of the trees. Tilly came back about 21:00 and we shut her in about an hour afterwards, which didn't seem to trouble her.

After an 08:30 start we shared a lot of locks with nb Me-and-Er from Gayton. Tilly was quite content to stay inside all day (apart from a little sulk for part of the morning). At Leighton Buzzard we stopped at Tesco for a main shopping trip. The launderette here had closed, so the washing would have to go back to London with me in a few days' time.

We stopped again for a pump-out at Wyvern Shipping, Linslade, then went on, sharing locks first with a Wyvern boat and later with nb Xhodino from the Trent. At 19:39 we moored at The Plough, Simpson. Tilly had about three and a half hours out in the evening before we shut her in. She'd not eaten much all day, and we wondered if she ate too many mice / rabbits / cows the day before.

Another start slightly later than intended (08:58). The weather was dry for most of the day with a few showers and quite a bit of wind. At Cosgrove sani station we saw to water & elsan, then at Stoke Bruerne bottom lock we waited for a partner for the locks. It turned out to be nb Jeremy Fisher II from Godalming, whom Wendy & Ian had shared some locks with on the K&A a few years before. At 19:50 rain stopped play at Weedon, a couple of miles short of where we were aiming for. Because of the rain, Tilly didn't get out for exercise until gone 23:00.

Tilly came back around 05:30 and we shut her in. We started at 08:40. Most of the day was fine and sunny but windy, except for one big thunderstorm. While queuing for Whilton bottom lock, I dashed into the Marina shop for some odds and ends. We shared the flight with an elderly couple in a boat out of Whilton Marina. We ate some brunch on the summit just past Norton Junction, then shared most of Braunston locks with a group of Dutch girls on Wryneck from Alvechurch' s Gayton base. They stopped above the bottom lock, which we shared with Lady D.

We joined the Oxford Canal and suffered a tremendous thunderstorm as we approached Napton junction. Around then we crossed with a boat which I didn't recognise until too late as Mike & Krystina Wooding's Draco. On the Northern GU (Warwick & Napton section) we did a bit of partner-swapping down Calcutt locks. At Stockton top lock we waited about half an hour for a partner, then decided to go on singly. We'd arranged to meet Wendy at the Blue Lias, Stockton, and she arrived by taxi about 2 minutes after we'd finished tying up. We had a leisurely beer then decided to move on a bit. At 19:42 we moored just before the Two Boats at Long Itchington. Tilly came back at a reasonable time and we shut her in.

The weather was threatening but actually decently restrained. We started at 08:56 and ran single as far as the water-point at Fosse, where we gained nb Tardebigge as a partner. We stopped at The Tiller Pin, Leamington , where Ian went to the pub while Wendy shopped and I did some jobs on board. It's a good Sainsbury's there, but a very long walk because there's no decent provision for pedestrians.

We joined the former Warwick & B'ham Canal and locked up Hatton and Cape with nb Soulbury, an Ownerships boat with a very pleasant family on board and a Boaters' Christian Fellowship sticker in the window. At the Tom o' the Wood, Turners Green we stopped at 19:33, in time for our first barbecue of the trip. It looked like good hunting-ground for Tilly.

The hunting was possibly too good, as we didn't see her all day. We sussed out the pub - nice place, nice people but the grub's a bit up-market. Ian left at about 15:30 to go back to work. I was due in London the next evening for an Excalibur-stuffing session, but decided to travel in the morning. Tilly came back about 22:00 limping badly, so Wendy went to the pub to find out about vets. A cat specialist in Hockley Heath was recommended.

I set off for London about 09:00. Then Wendy had a difficult time getting hold of a cab firm who admitted to knowing where this place was, to take her & Tilly to the vet. This was odd, since Ian & I had no difficulty at all. The result was that she missed the morning surgery and had to book a cab again for the afternoon. The vet diagnosed an abscess between Tilly's toes, probably originating from a fight, together with a high temperature. He was also worried about how thin she is. They kept her in the vet's for observation and we were to pick her up on our way through on the Thursday. Wendy ate at the pub, having to negotiate a non-cheese veggie dish.

I arrived back in the evening and went to the pub, joined in a pub quiz and might have won if I'd known anything about pop music.

We started at 07:23 and passed through the Kingswood Branch onto the northern Stratford Canal. We had a good run up the locks, and moored just before Hockley Heath bridge. Wendy picked Tilly up from the vet, who was much more cheerful about her now her appetite has returned. We suspect she'd had the infection for a few days before she let us know, and that's what had dragged her appetite down. Hockley Heath has a pretty miserable collection of shops, apart from one partly-free-range butcher who also sells fruit & veg.

We continued, stopping at Stephen Goldsborough's at Waring's Green for a pump-out and to buy gas. The woman there told us that King's Norton is not a safe mooring. So we didn't stop at the junction, except briefly at the sani station. At 19:30 we reached Withybed Green, where we'd arranged to meet Kevin Maslin for a drink. The visitor moorings were pretty full, so we first tried mooring the other side of the bridge, but found no depth. Then we found there was just room between the last moored boat and the bridge, and plenty of depth. Kevin arrived as we were finishing supper, so we had a drink on the boat before he and I went off to the pub for another.

We got up later than hoped and were off at 07:27 through the rather nice short tunnels with no traffic. After the first lock of Tardebigge we waited for a cruiser, Bigiff, who fitted in behind us. According to our stated lengths, it should have been a tight fit, but there was actually plenty of room. However in one lock they did cill their outboard and bent the blade, but the chap was able to mend it. In part it was our fault, as I was adjusting our forward fender at the time.

At the Queen's Head, just below Tardebigge bottom lock we stopped for a rest and I went to the pub for something to eat. Bigiff was staying here for the night, so we went on singly. We took on water at Dunhamstead wharf then went on to moor at 19:06 at Tibberton wharf: a good mooring with rings & plenty of depth. We later found we were on the long-term moorings and the visitor moorings were the other side of the bridge. Actually the latter wouldn't have been any use to us either as they are 48-hour ones and we're staying rather longer than that. We barbecued and found a taxi number from the pub for me to go to Marlborough in the morning.

I went off early on Saturday morning to Marlborough (train from Worcester to Swindon changing at Cheltenham) for a couple of days, then back to London to finish dealing with Excalibur.

I arrived back early in the morning and we resumed the cruise at 10:58 with a tough run down the locks, much helped by the fact that Gary Sheering (of WRG and nb Pamela) was crewing for Brian Percy on nb Northumberland behind us. We were following Sid and Joyce on nb Half Past Four who were following some slow novices, so we all ended up helping the boat ahead. Gary seemed to be working three locks at once all the time. We went into Lowesmoor Basin, Worcester for gas, water and a pump-out at Viking's base (after a long wait). We also bought some diesel there, but didn't fill right up as we didn't like their price. Sainsbury's near the Cathedral wasn't much good - a rather back-to-the-fifties experience before free-range was heard of.

We continued to Diglis Basin and locked down the two wide locks with Ivor Caplan on nb Bilbo Baggins. There is a useful mooring pontoon in the river outside the locks, but I had a nasty fall because the ramp leading to it was very slippery. Then we were on the Severn with a very short distance to go to our mooring for the "National", near Sabrina footbridge, Worcester Racecourse. Most boats weren't yet on their right moorings, but we found our inboard neighbour, David & Audrey Smith's nb Muffin no.3 almost in the right place. There is another boat due to come between us and them, and probably two more outboard of us. We felt fortunate to be on one of the new WRG-built moorings with good solid bank and rings.

We were at the "National" at Worcester Race-course, with me doing all the usual things, enlivened by a race-meeting on Wednesday. It was very wet on Wednesday, but it started drying up on Thursday, and by the time the event opened on Friday it was dry underfoot except in the admin village. The boat inboard of us was nb Ceres, whom we were moored next to at Salford Quays last year. Also in the vicinity are Cromdale (Mike & Marion West), Chattel (the Randall family), Ben (Rupert & Alison Smedley), Fulbourne (various people including Huw & Marcia Davies and Dorothy Robbie), Stokie (John & Brioni) and Greyhound (Drew Burge).

On Thursday, Libby Bradshaw came to stay for the duration. Wendy went down to Marlborough on Friday, returning on Sunday afternoon. On Monday Wendy bought some coal from Stokie, which Thomas Randall ferried to us in his inflatable. She also bought some sirloin and venison steaks from one of the caterers, which avoided the need to shop in Worcester. Libby wasn't sure whether to come with us into Worcester on Tuesday or trans-ship to Fulbourne, since the latter's plans are uncertain.

She decided to come with us. We had a last-minute panic about Tilly's whereabouts, but she had simply found a new cave to hide in, in the back cabin, so we set off at 07:46, in time for our scheduled locking up into Diglis Basin. At Diglis sani station we took on water, but the card-operated pump-out wasn't working, so we decided to go on to Viking for a pump-out. Libby departed from us there to meet Dorothy. Above Blackpole lock we stopped for a rest as I was suffering a shortfall of sleep. It wasn't a good mooring - the ground was so soft the pins kept pulling out.

Then we went on as far as Tibberton wharf, arriving there at 17:15. This time we stopped on the proper visitor moorings and had a barbecue.

We made a misty, quite chilly start at 06:15, but it turned hot and sunny later. We went up the first 12 locks ahead of the Strudwicks on nb Pajant, probably frustrating them as they had more crew and were working faster than us. So we decided to let them past, and stopped at the Queen's Head. Wendy had to go to Marlborough later that day, and we worked out that by the time we'd got up Tardebigge all the decent trains would have finished, so decided to stay where we were. We lunched at the pub - very good. Wendy left for Marlborough at about 16:00.

DAY'S RUN 8.0 miles, 12 locks in 4 hrs 35 mins

Wendy took Dad to a hospital appointment (for a brain scan) then came straight back to the boat. I did various pottering-around things on the boat, and caught up with more sleep.

We planned to start early & try to get as far up the flight as we could in the cool of the morning. But then I realised we'd miss out on breakfast, so a slower plan ensued, with an 07:26 start after breakfast. We met only two boats in the flight. It was very hot work up the locks, so we stopped at the new pub, Tyler's Lock, by the second lock down - very pleasant.

The afternoon run was characterised by hearse-racers ahead of us and exhaust-pipe climbers behind us. At King's Norton junction we turned into the Stratford-on-Avon Canal and at 18:45 reached the Horse Shoe, Yardley Wood. We stopped none too soon for Tilly, who'd been agitating for some time to be let out. We tied up on a mooring we'd used before, snugged in to the North side of the bridge - about the only spot where there's depth and sensible bank. I went to the pub for a quick pint, but the pub's a bit ordinary and the music was loud.

After a start at 10:32 we stopped at Waring's Green again for a pump-out and chatted about the "National". The people from here had been there in a camper. Then we went on to The Boot, Lapworth, where we arrived at 16:24. We'd hoped to leave the boat at Briar Cottage, but they were full. Then we discovered that the 48-hour-mooring sign by the Boot has an arrow pointing one way, and there was room for us on the "right" side of the sign without obstructing the lock mooring. We decided to stay overnight for a last barbecue and a pint or two at the pub and travel home in the morning.

WEEK-ENDING BACK

We travelled a lot later than planned, as Wendy was a bit under the weather, and so we just made a short run from Lapworth to Turners Green, where we moored opposite the Tom o' the Wood.

We arrived on Saturday evening to find the boat tied on the wrong side of the canal. Her mooring pins had pulled out and she'd been rescued by the person from the cottage, who is a very long-time IWA member.

On Sunday morning we set off at 08:34 and shared locks down Hatton with a hire-boat. All went well until somewhere past bridge 31 on the Warwick & Napton section, when we were brought to a halt when an engine cooling hose ruptured. We tried bow-hauling in the hope of getting to Warwickshire Fly Boat Co. but progress was very slow, so we stopped above Welsh Road lock for another think. The hire-boat we'd shared Hatton with came along and took us in tow to just before Itchington bottom lock (at 19:38). We left the boat here and arranged for WFB to repair the engine hose. The chap from there came to the pub to collect the boat keys and gave us a lift to the station (he was taking someone else there anyway)

We travelled on Saturday morning and set off at 11:58, stopping above Shop lock to pay WFB's bill, collect our keys & buy some stern-tube grease. It was one of those "real boat people shops" with its doors open but nobody around until Wendy shouted, which attracted the attention of somebody who would have to leave their cooking to find the person who knew what we owed, so Wendy stirred the cooking while the person was fetched. Then Wendy forgot to collect our spare bunch of keys and had to back for them!

We went on through Braunston Turn where, just after the junction we met Stokie moored outboard of Gort. At some stage today we lost our stern line, we assume to an overhanging tree. We moored just past junction at 17:34 and ate in the Old Plough where we had a meet with some of the Cutweb crowd - Jerry & Mary Coleman, Stan & Judy Voets, Bill Davies & Dave Hearmon.

We made a late start at 08:42. John from Stokie helped us cast off. At Braunston Stop we passed Bill Davis and the Voets on Blue Heron. We shared locks up Braunston and down Buckby with The Way Cut and managed a good rhythm. At Whilton bottom lock we stopped to buy some odds & ends of chandlery, including a replacement for the short stern-rope which disappeared yesterday.

Then we went on, to moor at Blisworth village at 17:20. We got a taxi from the pub to Northampton station and thence back home. When we got home we realised Wendy had left her 'phone somewhere. We rang the taxi company in Northampton and established that they had it.

AUTUMN HALF TERM

We arranged to be picked up by a taxi at Northampton station which also bought us Wendy's phone. The towpath was very muddy and the boat covered with wet, slippery willow leaves. Wendy cleared one side. We had obviously pulled our mooring pins and had been re-tied. In future must remember to use piling hooks at Blisworth. We set off at 14:44. The tunnel was full of fumes, and we had a bit of a bump with another boat when Wendy was dazzled by their big headlight. We went down Stoke Bruerne locks in heavy rain, with no partner and only a few uphill boats, some of them rather daft, and moored immediately below the bottom lock at 17:39.

By morning the rain had stopped, and it stayed dry all day. We were slow getting up & moving, so we weren't away until 08:02, then we made slow progress - we suspected leaves on the blade. There were a lot of moored boats, including one called Purr Felis with a painting of a beautiful tabby cat on the cabin side. We were a "porpoise" ("There's a porpoise close behind us and he's standing on my tail") at Stoke Hammond and Soulbury Three. Wendy though this would change when we met pairs of Wyvern boats at every bridge'ole, and many on bends just below Leighton lock, but when we got to that lock we were third in a queue. We found room to moor at 17:15 on the north side of Leighton Buzzard town bridge. I went to London for Canalway Cavalcade Committee.

Wendy shopped while I was away. I came back in the evening.

We very nearly made our target of an 07:30 start, missing it by just 3 minutes. We were boating on our own until Seabrook locks, when we partnered a boat which moored above Seabrook locks, and was planning to lunch at Marsworth and head back. We felt a bit of frustration going up Marsworth locks. We could have waited a bit longer before starting up the locks, as a "porpoise" arrived soon after we started. We were going to wait, but a succession of downhill boats encouraged us to continue up until we finally managed to wait for the other boat to catch us up three locks from the top. They stopped at Bulbourne with what they thought was a blade-full.

As we were filling Cowroast lock, our erstwhile partner appeared and turned into the marina, so perhaps their problem had not been what it seemed. We proceeded, now teamed with Sealion, a boat newly-bought from Cowroast Marina. The new owners are experienced sea sailors, but the wife hadn't been on canals before, and the husband (now retired) only as a small boy. They seemed at first to want to hang back but after about 3 locks realised the benefits of sharing. We moored at the Crystal Palace, Berkhamsted at 17:51 and both travelled home.

Wendy went to Marlborough to take Dad from Savernake Hospital to Merlin Court nursing home. I had some work commitments. We both came back to the boat in the evening.

We started later than intended, at 08:30 but as a result managed a to get a pump-out at Bridgewater Boats (Roger obliging us although he was supposed to be on holiday). Then another boat, anonymous, possibly new, arrived and shared locks with us for the rest of the day. This one had also recently been purchased at Cowroast. It was going to be lived on by a student in London. The family were Hanna, Jim & Jill.

We stopped for some shopping at Sainsbury's, Apsley, and while we were there I had a 'phone call from Tim Lewis to tell us that Alan Russell, Chairman of IWA N&E London Branch and a good friend, had died of a heart attack.

We moored at the foot of Hunton Bridge locks at 16:17 for me to go home for an IWA South London Branch social meeting.

I had transport problems getting back to the boat, so we weren't able to start until 10:45, so a hard day's boating was called for if we were to get to the Hillingdon Canal Club AGM that evening. We found a partner, Flint, at the top of Cassiobury Park locks. They were having trouble with their gearbox and had turned back to return to their base at Bridgewater Basin. As their troubles increased, we towed them from Ironbridge lock (as dreadfully slow-filling as ever) to their base at the foot of Cassiobridge lock. Then we were solo again, until we shared Common Moor lock with Earnest, which was going only to Tesco at Ricky.

At Copper Mill lock it was very windy, the mill-stream was running very hard and there was a kamikaze canoeist to add to the hazards. At Widewater lock we shared with Daisy - yet another boat with new owners. They went into Harefield Marina. We arrived at our home mooring at H C C at 18:20 as it was getting dusky and had to juggle another boat's mooring to get room to tie up. I went to the Club AGM in the evening and put in my usual two penn'orth of woffle.

After some socialising at the Club, we went home.