29
April to 1 May 2005
Calcutt to Banbury & back
(42 miles, 52 locks, 26.6 engine hours)
Our long weekend away with Kirsty, Steve & Toby. Originally, the plan was to go out on 28 April but work intervened and Steve could not get away until Friday 29 April. We hoped to go to Banbury and back, but with the later start we would just get as far as we could before winding.
Since
they were last on board, Toby is even closer to walking unaided and I'm
sure it won't be long before he is happily toddling about the boat. He
doesn't mind wearing his life jacket at all - I am sure it helps that
the dogs wear theirs all the time. Plus he seems to quite like the dog
cage!
The first part of the trip was our usual Calcutt to the Folly Pie - but we went past and on up through Napton Locks. I really do like these narrower locks and canal much more than the wider canals. We left at around 1.45pm and moored up near Bridge 122 on the Oxford Canal at 6pm. Fed and watered Toby, put his cot up in the back cabin and he settled down for a good night's sleep. We enjoyed a leisurely meal and some good conversation.
Saturday
morning saw us upping pins and away by 9.45 - Steve and I walked along
the towpath with Toby and the dogs, whilst Kirsty and her Dad took care
of steering Per Angusta. The green and red contraption on the roof is
Toby's trike which got a fair amount of use this weekend. The weather
was great and we all benefited from the sunshine.
We stopped for a long lunch break at Fenny Compton and left at about 3.15, getting to Cropredy about 7pm. Next morning, Kirsty Steve and Toby set off for a morning constitutional along the cut - we were to follow once we had filled up with water. That's when we discovered a slight problem - we'd left the connector for the hose back at base! Ian tried holding the hose on but ended up with cramp in his hand and very wet.
We got into the outskirts of Banbury and turned the boat just before Bridge 163 opposite Spiceball Park. We were on our way home, trying to time it so we got to Marston Doles for sometime between 3pm and 6pm as the farm there was doing cream teas. Unfortunately, (or fortunately for our waist lines) we didn't manage to get the timing quite right and we missed out on tea.
We
got back to the marina at about 6pm, having done 52 locks; Toby , despite
his young years, got the hang of the locks and was keen to help out all
he could. We all enjoyed our 4 days on Per Angusta and she worked out
just as we hoped and planned she would with guests on board. We are looking
forward to more great family trips.