A busy couple of weeks with friends and family.

I'm afraid the blog has taken a rest over the past couple of weeks as I've been travelling with company and been too busy enjoying the good company to get around to writing.

After rejoining the Grand Union I spent a couple of days cruising up to Calcutt just above Braunston where I met up with Pete Billings and his boat Hyperion. We spent three days trundling along the south Oxford canal stopping overnight at Fenny Compton and Cropredy. Needless to say both evenings involved eating out in the local pub followed by a night cap back aboard one boat or the other.

Pete Billings and Newfie aboard Hyperion

 The weather was changeable as one would expect in October but between squally showers the sun shone through to brighten the beautiful countryside traversed by this canal.

Solitary Tree

Pete turned around at Cropredy while I continued on toward Oxford.

Medical update:
Having jammed a splinter under my left thumb nail last week I realised the nail would not reattach and thus removed it.  I was just getting over this experience when a day later I managed to crush my right little finger between the 16 ton boat and a firmly anchored lift bridge just beyond Banbury. Needless to say my finger lost this battle and after my best first aid attempts I visited Banbury A&E with a blood soaked bandage. After a couple of hours I left A&E with a fresh bandage, also becoming blood soaked, and instructions to rest it and keep it dry.  I spent a couple of days recuperating before moving off to reach Oxford as I had arranged to meet my brother who was joining me for a week aboard.  This stretch passes by favourite canal side property - this beautiful cottage at Sommerton Deep Lock.

Sommerton Deep Lock

Dave joined me at Oxford and we spent the next week cruising gently down the Thames to Reading where we turned onto the Kennet and Avon canal and continued up to Newbury. The weather was kind and the trip involved regular visits to local hostelries to refuel.

Reading can be tricky to navigate as the river Kennet can run quite fast and Reading lock has a strong weir along side it. While Dave was preparing the lock I took my eye of the ball and the bows caught the flow from the weir resulting in a very rapid 180 degree turn.  I had to reverse into the lock and turn around again in the calmer water above. A salutary lesson to treat rivers with respect.

Dave left on Tuesday just as the tail end of the hurricane crossed the country. His flight to the IoM was a little interesting while I was treated to a rather lovely rainbow.

Rainbow

After sitting out the winds I set off again yesterday and and now making my way across the K&A towards Bristol.  Progress on this canal is slow due to the number of locks and swing bridges. Yesterday I covered only 9 miles in 6 hours but did pass 11 locks and 2 swing bridges. Today was a shorter 4 hrs covering 5 miles and 10 locks.  There are another 60 plus locks between me and Bristol including the famous Caen Hill flight 29 locks in 2 1/4 miles which I will reach in the next 2 or 3 days dependant on weather.

But I'm not complaining when the scenery is as beautiful as this.

Peaceful