Goodbye Oxford South.....for now.

I woke at 6:40 not long after sunrise, it seems to have become a habit now, it was dark clouds and very chilly, looking very much like rain, and so my first thought was stay put (at the mooring, not in bed!), however I put the TV on briefly to catch the weather forecast and he said ‘might be the odd shower first thing then a bright sunny day temperatures around 17’, so I thought I’d get moving.

At 9:30 I cast off and headed towards Braunston Turn.

Left for Oxford Canal North, Right for Grand Union, I'm off left.
A shame I couldn't get both bridges into the viewfinder.

After passing all the moored boats and negotiating the tight narrow bend with a bridge safely (why did they bend the canal there!), as nothing was coming toward me, the canal widens out to beautiful open countryside again, now there is a slight problem with beautiful open countryside when it’s chilly, and that is the ‘wind chill factor’, and by 10:15 I was shivering, and so I had to find a suitable spot and moor up temporarily to add layers, change ‘crocs’ to boots and have a cuppa. I confess at this point I nearly called it a day but I told myself to ‘man up’ and continued on my way, a little more comfortably.

I was somewhere along a nice straight piled section around bridge 82 when two boats approached and I noticed the second one was a fuel boat, I waved at him just as I came to a nice open section and shouted I would moor there if he could supply me diesel, he quickly went into reverse and as soon as I got tied up he was alongside me, lovely, I have been so lucky with these boats. 60 odd litres and 4 bags of smokeless to get me started as the chilly nights draw in, and it was kettle on for another cuppa, I actually gave him more business because the boater moored behind me came on deck and saw him so he took a load of him as well.

Boat behind me taking some fuel from Jules Fuels

I then had a little game of ‘chicken’ with a boat as we went under the M45, not really, he was a lot further away than the camera says and there was plenty of room.

I really liked this simple little bit of artwork/graffiti? Just a few lines but very effective.

Carrying on past the Barby Moorings.

Just past the Barby moorings there was a whole line of small plots of land with moorings, no houses, just gardens and moorings, the next three pictures were on those plots.

I quite like this name.

And how about this for a sunny afternoon glass of wine spot, no boat, they must be off cruising.

I couldn’t see if this was a home or just a project, I think it’s an old ambulance.

Passing The Old Royal Oak where evidently you can get 17inch plate specials, if you have the stomach for it!

I have moored on the 14 day visitor moorings at Hillmorton just before the locks and will stay here tomorrow as the F1 highlights are on TV and of course the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ launch is tonight, what? Now stop that, that’s unkind thinking I’m losing it, I like it, it’s ‘the journey’ from complete idiot with no rhythm to speak of, to competent dancer, well that and maybe admiring the skill of the female dancers J

After setting up the TV ariel I had a quick chat with the neighbours, as you do, and found out there was a small village store just a short walk away, I needed more milk, I don’t know how but I do consume an awful lot of milk, maybe it’s the twenty cups of tea a day and Weetabix, looking like a castle with a very large moat, for breakfast, anyway I bought another 4 pints and just one bottle of Shiraz, as you do.

Views from the side hatch

Totals Today: 8 miles : 0 locks

My thoughts on the Oxford South:

I thoroughly enjoyed the Oxford canal, beautiful and varied scenery with some really lovely remote overnight stops or busier visitor moorings at the popular places, lovely villages to explore and if towns are your thing Banbury would have all you need, I avoided Oxford, it’s not really what I am looking for but I am sure that some time in the future on a visit back down south I will stop there on my way to the Thames. If I have any criticism it would be the depth in some places and the need to cut back the overgrown banks, again only in some places, generally it was excellent and I am sure the depth and cutting back will be a well known theme to boaters.

Also I've just passed the 2500 pageviews, thanks to all of you who are looking in, I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoy doing it, the boating that is.