Last Day.

 Yet another lovely day, if a little breezy when looking forward to slotting into our berth at the marina.

The local duck brought the kids round to see us and they were as engaging as ever. We got going hoping that a wide beam wouldn't come round the corner before we got underway. Yesterday evening we had two pass by. going towards the Junction. They always have a co-pilot as it is impossible to see down each side (as it is on a narrow boat without moving) and both couples seemed extremely nervous of the whole thing. We were thinking about how they managed to get here from Braunston as there points where it was quite tight for us to get through when a narrow boat came round the corner following them and he said that they had just collided with moored boats and carried on! I can't see what pleasure there is in moving them about the place. I think they obviously give a very generous living space and would be perfect on a mooring, but we get most of our pleasure in moving about the system and seeing our country from a different point of view. That wouldn't be the case if we had a wide beam.

Just before we went round into the Warwick and Napton Canal, or now the continuation of the Grand Union. Post points to Braunston, Oxford and Warwick.

As we came under the Napton Junction bridge that was obviously part of the widening scheme of the 1930's we met a boat that was off in the Braunston direction.

Are we on the Staffs and Worcester? This little building is tucked away near to the Calcutt top lock. I thought that it would be the valve house where the water from the reservoirs are let into the canal, but looking at old maps it would appear that the water is fed into the system on the Oxford Canal near the junction.

In the 1885 map extract you can see that it looks like the water enters the system to the south on the Oxford Canal. It also reveals that a little building was in the position of the one in the photograph all that time ago. What is it?

We went down the locks on our own waiting for one just coming up the middle lock. They left the top gate open of the middle but before we were in the top lock a couple of boats arrived at the bottom and drained the lock. We were able to swap when they left it. 

We soon turned into the Sunrise Basin of Ventnor Marina and headed for the service point there. When I later went to pay I was flabbergasted when I was told that it was £1-35 a litre WITH the moorers discount!! That is a ridiculous increase in price as the last time we paid it was 95p! Reading blogs etc it seems that normal prices at present ar a few pence over or a little under £1 a litre at the moment. And again I know prices are going up at the moment, but £1-35 is getting very close to the price you pay at a normal garage forecourt at not red diesel prices.

It seems the dry dock at Ventnor has started to be utilized by Black Swan. Have they moved away from Sawley Marina or just extending? What do folk think about their services? It would be very handy if required.

We will be back aboard around the middle of September.