Friday 4th November 2005
Stockton Top - Birdingbury Bridge (0.1 miles, 0 locks)
We left home after an early lunch, aiming to arrive at Stockton Top Marina by 3pm. Our daughter Lucy was supposed to have taken her driving test the previous week, but it was postponed when she arrived at the test centre due to two of the examiners being off sick. The new date was for today at 1:40pm.
We were just approaching Banbury when she rang us to say she had passed. We had every confidence that she would, and had actually left her a set of keys to Jen's car on the assumption that she would. How trusting (or stupid) is that?
When we arrived at the marina, Hawksmoor was boxed-in and there were plenty of boat manoeuvres taking place so we were unable to leave until after 4pm. I bought a 25kg bag of Taybrite smokeless coal and then discovered that there was at least that amount already in the bow lockers. There then followed the shortest trip we have ever made, mooring up just past Bridge 21, near a gap in the hedge so that Jeannine and Tony could transfer their things when they arrived. We weren't expecting them to arrive for another few hours, so Jen and I walked down to "The Blue Lias", but it was too early to get a drink. Whatever happened to twenty-four hour licensing?
We had originally planned to route-march Jeannine and Tony down to "The Blue Lias" for food, but decided it might be rather too interesting in the dark. Jen and I returned to Hawksmoor via "The Boat Inn" where we had a drink and booked a table for later.
After Jeannine and Tony had arrived and settled in, we had an enjoyable meal at "The Boat Inn".
I'm afraid I cheated with the picture above - right location but wrong time. It's actually the sunrise from the following morning before we set off.