Monday 7th November 2005
Lower Shuckburgh - Brinklow (19½ miles, 3 locks)
We set off at 6:45am just as the sun was rising. The weather was perfect, chilly in the shade but beautifully warm in the sunshine. We turned left at Braunston to follow the northern section of the Oxford Canal.
At Hillmorton, Ivor and Mel Batchelor on Mountbatten were working down the locks. As a working boat, they were on their way to Hawkesbury and back to Braunston, supplying diesel, coal and kindling to the permanently moored boats. The cabin at the rear looked so small, with half of it being the engine room. How did they cope with living in such a small space? People have this romantic view of life on the canals and how wonderful it would be to earn a living whilst cruising, but it doesn't appeal to me. A couple of months ago we visited Oxford, by car, and walked up to the canal where we met Martin Reed with his Oak and Ash hotel boats. He seemed particularly miserable and grumpy so I guess his dream is turning sour. I believe he was originally in the Ownerships scheme.
We stopped by the park at Rugby for some Tesco shopping and then carried on towards Newbold, where British Waterways and the local council have spent £195,000 on creating the "circles of light" which were switched on during the Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. We spoke to some of the locals who didn't seem too impressed at where their council tax was going.
Jen and I are actively involved in two amateur drama groups. With 25 years experience in theatre lighting, I felt that they had been overcharged. I would quite happily have designed and installed it for a mere £194,000....
We moored for the night just past All Oaks Corner, about a mile before Stretton Stop, and ate a delicious stew which Jen had been cooking for several hours on top of the coal stove.