A fine company of visitors

So another early turn for the visitors, I hope they don't come visiting for a rest!  Just after 7am today and the engine started.  Now today there was only four locks to do, here was the first of them.  I wasn't going to fight Amanda to do this one as she derides such pleasure from them.  She is a most hard working and experienced deck hand....

So just go see what she did today;

David L just at the ready to help as my David reversed through the narrow space here. (Not required today)

Amanda at the ready to lock wheel.

My favourite pub in the early light under the beautiful 187 yr old bridge

Now in the picture above, on the far left you can see the old pump building that housed the pump.  It was designed by a Mr Thomas Newcomen.  David and I had a large surprise when visiting friends on their ocean going yacht in Dartmouth harbour, we went into the Tourist Information Centre on the quayside and they had a mini museum behind the desk giving space to Mr Newcomen's achievements, also an engine of his, removed from the pump house in 1968 from Hawkesbury Junction.  You can read more about this man HERE.  Scroll down to the " Surviving Engines" section.

She REALLY is a pro... but had a senior moment here today.

Sutton Stop, so called after the Sutton Family who lived here and whom several members became lock keepers during the 1800's.

Through the lock and onto the top of The Oxford canal.

This really did turn out to be the best of the day.  The sun was shining, the sky was uninterruptedly blue.  It didn't last, the sun went in and the wind picked up.
I made breakfast which was bacon and fried egg sandwiches.

Hardly any traffic about as you might expect that time on a Sunday morning in October.

Winter hats adopted.

I made a batch of white chocolate and ginger crunch for the fine company.  We ate quite a bit after breakfast and before I poured the sparkle.  Going through Stretton Stop, the odd place where there is a hire boat company and a wee foot bridge over the canal.  I was inside fetching but the drinkers had knocked over a glass flute, these glasses are actually plastic so are they still called glasses?  Well anyway, before I could get on deck to see what all the laughing was for, Amanda had jumped ship, grabbed a broom, washed the floating glass and grabbed it... and was running back with it.

Chocolate and ginger crunch.

Successful flute fisherer's.

Endless fun with Selfie Sticks to be had.

Arriving at Hilmoreton locks.

Actually I didn't do anything with this windlass.

The workers

We met an unfortunate hire boat here, really struggling with their boat as it had picked up wire around the prop.  The hire company had said that they had enough time to return to their base the next day, but I thought that rather unkind as they had no speed whatsoever and pulled the boat into the lock by its rope.  That would have ruined my holiday.

On and down into Braunston in the rain, Amanda and I retested to the warm cratch next to the stove..... no point in us girls getting wet and colder now is there?

The men disappeared to fetch hidden cars and Amanda and I cooked lamb biriani with sweet potato and butternut squash. Rather good and that will definitely be repeated.

This went past here, new owner but the former owner had one of the most widely read narrow boating blogs, HERE.

The new owners of No Propblem, I hope they have as much fun on her as Sue and Vic.