BBQ at Colin’s

Friday…..another scorcher
We’re on our way to Hungerford, a lovely town, many independent shops, plus antiques.

We’ve hardly seen a boat moving, where is everyone?

Stopped at Kintbury for services and I helped a family from America thru the lock as they were a little disorganised. 
Mum said they needed to get a move on as they were due back to Aldermaston today ready to fly out tomorrow. Neither Clive or I thought they had much chance of arriving before the hire people shut for the night.

Still no boats around except the trip boat leaving Hungerford Wharf as we arrived, what a treat we got a 48hr mooring. Previously we had never seen any of these moorings vacant.

Just time for a quick shower before Clive’s cousin Colin collects us to go to his house for a BBQ.

Auntie Lou, Colin’s mum was there, she’s 90 and looking very well, Colin’s children Michael and Charlotte, and Janet, Colin’s partner, who we haven’t met before. 

It was a lovely evening and Daymer met Janet’s poodle Coco, neither were interested in each other, Daymer was more concerned about someone throwing a ball for her, I think she gathered all the balls in the house and garden before we left.
Janet and Colin took us back to the boat and popped in to see what progress we had made since last year when Colin was our 1st visitor.
The temperature had gone down so a good nights sleep for all.

Saturday……sun…overcast

By the time I had finished shopping the rain started, a thunderstorm in the afternoon made everything black and white.  It was on and off all day with brilliant sunshine and a lovely evening.

The Red Arrows went over us twice, very low so we were able to see them clearly but not quick enough to get a picture. 

During the day more boats started to pass and the moorings quickly filled.

Sunday…….bright…weather forecast says showers

After a late start we started out on our journey to the next winding hole, 4 locks and 2 swing bridges away.
At every lock there were either boats coming out ( so the lock was ready for us) or boater’s helping us thru before they came thru the other side. Showers and sunshine all the way.

After turning the boat we travelled with another boat back to Hungerford. This is nice so Clive chatted to the husband and I chatted to his wife. We took a 24hr mooring above the town lock and they went on to a 48hr mooring near where we had been. Still surprising that there were any spaces, we were prepared to move further the other side of town and put the gangplank out.

Off again

Monday 22nd August……We’re escaping Cornwall fever….and the wait for Clive’s angiogram.
It’s sooooo busy everywhere, it’s taking twice as long to get anywhere if you have to use your car so I hope this means that businesses are doing well near us.

We left rather late so it was a quick shop in Tesco’s, dinner and a relaxing evening. 

 Daymer settles very quickly, all she wants is a quick walk then play with a ball charging up and down the length of the boat.

We’re about halfway down on the right.

Tuesday…a scorcher 

Clive started to rip out the old basin and cupboard in the shower room so we had no water for most of the day. He seems to be coping fairly well and stops to rest frequently, he’s making a beautiful job of it as usual.

I of course was Clive’s gofor, drinks, food and brow wiping person.
We saw Derek one of the owners of the Marina wearing a Bee keeping outfit and as we were chatting he offered to give us a jar of honey, they have produced 40lbs, their first hive. Emma told us they had spent the winter doing a Bee keeping course and their swarm was from a very reputable person nearby.

Wednesday.….another scorcher…….I have to say far too hot outside to sit. We recorded a temperature of 34.5 outside!

Porridge with honey for breakfast, smashing.
Clive’s busy again, looks really good, but oh what a mess.
I washed the boat and burned my leg several times whilst walking along the gunnels. 

Clive’s quickly put an undercoat on our new (to us) gangplank.

Thursday……bright and sunny

A quick topcoat of Oxford blue on the gangplank and a general tidy, of course more food and water before we left the Marina.

As we leave we pass the boat belonging to Emma and Derek , the owners, it’s beautiful.

The exit is much easier to negotiate than Devizes!


Thru 5 locks and a swing bridge to our nights mooring. We got thru the first lock and as we approached the town lock two volunteers arrived to do it for us and then asked if we wanted them to do the swing bridge as well, of course!
It’s a misty evening.

A week with the boys !

Monday 8th August….
We’re away with two of the grandchildren for a short break on the boat. 

Grandsons Joel 10yrs and Noah 11yrs are great friends and followed us on our journeys earlier this year and have been badgering us to take them.

Clive’s made two chocolate cakes, I have plenty of stores and it looks like good weather so we hope to keep them occupied until Friday.

We arrived late due to road holdups so as soon as supplies and gear was stowed we were away to the 1st lock.

I’d forgotten to get the boys into the life jackets 😱, quickly got that sorted and we said that the boys could take turns helping me with the locks 😱.
We found a good mooring in the centre of Newbury at Victoria Park, the boys were very pleased as they could release some of their energy climbing up, down and in the tower etc whilst Daymer had a run around. 

I did try out the zip wire to make sure it’s ok.

 Back to the boat for dinner, a few card games, some TV then sorting the beds. The boys had decided between them that Joel was happy to sleep on cushions on the floor and Noah on cushions on the seating bench.
Tuesday………Up and away in a reasonable time after Clive cooking egg on (toast) as he calls it. I think the boys are ok with the food as we make frequent drink/biscuit/cake or crisps breaks to keep them going before either lunch or dinner.

Joel had asked if he could shower in the morning so we had to explain that at the rate we were using the water there wouldn’t be enough in the tank, neither would it be hot enough as the engine needed to be going for a while. The boys then went into a discussion about the toilet arrangements😝

We stopped for services at Kintbury, bacon sarnies whilst on the go so that we could get to a good mooring at Hungerford.

The mooring was a little difficult as we needed to moor before the town to allow us to turn at the winding hole the next day or we’d end up mooring above town and going for another 2-3 hrs the next day to allow us to turn. After a few tries we found a spot where we didn’t immediately go aground and we were able to use our gangplank, much to the amusement of the boys. I did try to explain it would be better to take their hands out of their pockets when walking across!

A walk to Tesco for more supplies……could the boys stay still for a minute!

We saw a gangplank floating past us, someone must have lost it, Clive did check the boats around us but couldn’t see any missing.
Wednesday……A lazy start to a lazy day. Clive was quite tired so we turned the boat, stopped at Hungerford services.

Then we saw the gangplank again floating by near the next lock, Clive slowed the boat and got hold of it with the boat hook as he said it was better than ours. This amused the boys, I felt like tying them up as they were keen to lean to far out of the boat to give a hand.

 On to a nice mooring and boys were happy to play games and watch a little TV and of course plenty of food.

Thursday…. A good start, again a stop at Kintbury services and then to a mooring the other side of Newbury, above town.

At one point I made the boys walk from one lock to another and we had a few laughs at my trying to throw a packet of Polos to them, (I missed the first time)! At one lock they both helped as the lock gates were difficult to move.

We met with a slight delay due to a boat with only one horsepower engine !

We saw this boat moored at Honeystreet last year and so it was nice to find out why the owner chose the name, their previous boat was called Joseph so when they had a new one built ‘son of Joseph ‘ seemed an obvious choice, Ephraim wasn’t long enough to fill the panel so Manasseh got the job !

As we finished mooring I saw an Ichthus fish in the window of the house no.22 that fronts onto the canal and a Christian Boater’s sicker.

We popped into town for supplies and a Costa for Clive and as we arrived back to the boat the lady from no.22 came out with her Bible to read our text and introduced herself, Jane a lay preacher for the Church of England. We chatted several times and we have an invitation to visit and please would we moor outside her house.

A evening walk for Daymer to Victoria Park and some energy releasing time for the boys.

Friday….. We joined with another boat, a hire boat with two couples on. It’s a little dangerous going thru the town lock going down the canal so I asked the boys to stay on board and then they helped by doing the last lock so that the couples stayed on board.

As we approached the marina I said to Clive that we should move over, wrong, we went aground…..the story goes on…..Derek (the marina owner) asked us to come alongside a boat outside so that he could come aboard as we needed to go to the rescue of the hire boat that had gone towards the weir and then got stuck…….to say Derek is good is an understatement. The boys unfortunately had to go below and didn’t think to look thru the windows to see what was happening.
Oh it was tiring but I think the boys may have enjoyed their time…….Clive and I can’t wait for our next boating visit.