Sunday 23rd December 2007

Location: Napton, Warwickshire, Oxford Canal

Today: 7 miles, 1 locks. Total distance: 961 miles.  Total locks: 621

Very cold day. Reasonable t-mobile gprs reception here.

Went out for a meal in The Mill House a couple of nights ago. I wouldn’t bother going back there again. The food wasn’t great, it tasted as if everything had been cooked in burnt cooking oil.

Nb Gosty Hill passed by around 16:30 on Friday afternoon and we filled up with diesel from them. Their diesel is now up to 59 pence per litre. We also bought 5 bags of Taybrite (£7.20 per 25kg bag) to keep us going for a while. We have been burning around 65kg of coal per week in this cold weather. The coal usage would be even higher if it were not for all of the logs we burn as well. Iain and Alison on Gosty Hill are tremendously hard grafters. Iain was telling me that they had promised some deliveries in Napton so after leaving us they would be carrying on in the dark for another  two to three hours so that they could make their promised deliveries. As far as I am concerned, they deserve every penny of profit that they earn.

There has been ice on the canal again this last few days. I am sure that the weather has been much colder than it was at this time last year.

Decided to move on to Napton for Xmas so we pulled the pins around 10:00 and headed west through the ice. It was a lovely crisp morning but turned very cold mid afternoon. We took on water at Napton bottom lock then moved up through the lock and moored up in the pound. It’s a nice spot here with good views across to Napton on Hill. We will probably have a meal in The Folly pub as we have never eaten there before.

Xmas eve
Walked up to the village shop with the dogs to pick up the papers and a few odds and ends. They close at lunch time today and don’t re-open until Thursday morning.

It has been a quiet day today, only about 5 boats have passed by, most heading south west.

Took the dogs for a nice walk up the lock flight in the afternoon but got back to the boat worn out.

Off out to the Folly pub this evening for a meal, it is only about 150 yards away from the spot we are moored at. Will report on the food tomorrow.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone reading this…….

Well, we ate at the Folly pub last night. A strange place. The building is an old house and the rooms form the various parts of the disjointed bars.
The food was OK. Might eat there again but wouldn’t rush back.

Current mooring - here for Xmas

Very bright moon on the evening of the 23rd

The Folly pub

Xmas day

Archie & Mabel

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Material Copyright © 2007 Ernie Williams
This page last modified on: 23 April, 2014 4:16 PM