Friday 4th August 2006
Stockton Top - Radford Semele (5¼ miles, 19 locks)
We arrived at Stockton Top Marina at 1:30pm, but didn't get away until 3pm because Hawksmoor had been one of the first boats back into the marina the previous evening and was completely boxed-in. Eventually, the other boats started to leave and we were free at last.
All the other Ownerships boats seemed to be heading towards the Oxford Canal and there was no sign of any boats to share Stockton Locks with us. We didn't mind, our experienced locking crew got us through the flight quicker than if we had been sharing.
Just before Bascote Locks, I spotted a heron up ahead on the bank and Jen and Rosemary sat at the bows with the camera at the ready. In the end it was Rosemary who got the best action shot, looking like a bird of prey about to pluck its victim from the water, but even I know that herons don't eat raw duck.
We moored before the bottom lock at Radford and walked into Offchurch to eat at The Stag's Head. Excellent food, beer and wine with a bill to match. If we carried on living the high life at this rate, our holiday money would be gone after a couple more days.