Stocking Up

Thursday/Friday 23/24th September 2010
Braunston to Buckby Top Lock
4.5 Miles 6 Locks & 1 Tunnel.

Thursday.  As we were about to un-tie our ropes this morning another boat went passed, I enquired if they were going up Braunston Locks, which they were, I said we would share with them and followed about 2 boat lengths behind, we past the Marina and under the bridge, then, without warning another boat pulled out from their mooring and got between us and the boat we intended to share the Locks with, they made some excuse that they thought we were mooring up, anyway they ended up grabbing our Lock, not to worry another boat was now behind, nb Ruby, so we shared the 6 Locks with them.
Ruby is a 39 ft Chinese manufactured boat from a company called East West Marine and sold by Whilton Marine, they are a strange design in that the cabin sides are vertical where normally the cabin sides slope inwards towards the roof, to clear the arch shape of bridges, tunnels and the overhang of the gates when entering a Lock,  the owner of Ruby was certainly aware of this when negotiating the Braunston tunnel, being very careful when meeting another boat.

We moored at the end of the 48 hour mooring before Buckby Top Lock and close to the New Inn  pub where we will be eating tonight, I spent the afternoon washing the roof of No Direction and Jayne organised a Tesco delivery for Friday.

The meal at the New Inn was excellent and there was a good atmosphere as well, we got back on board just in time to miss the rain, so a good night all round. 

Friday.  The wet and blustery weather from last night stayed with us this morning, all the other boats on the mooring moved off, the Tesco van arrived on time and pulled up right next to No Direction, much to the amazment of two hire boats crews who were watching, the supplies came straight in through the side door onto the table, so the cupboards, freezer and fridge are now full again ready for our stay at Stoke Bruerne where we will be for the Village at War Weekend at the beginning of October.

Dad,s Army at last year,s Village at War Weekend.

Reading the publicity on the website the replica Mk IX Spitfire looks exciting, for £35 you can sit in the cockpit, fiddle with the controls, start the engine and even fire the guns, sounds a bargain to us old age schoolboys.  The Spitfire reminds me of chap I used to work with, Martin Lawson who spent many weekends as a volunteer at RAF Coningsby helping to maintain a Lancaster Bomber, for his birthday his family managed to organise a flight in a two seater Spitfire Trainer, we never heard the last of it.

Martin,s at the rear.

There will also be a number of Historic Working Boats at Stoke Bruerne including Nutfield and Raymond  and with 2 pubs including the famous Boat Inn it should be a good weekend.

The weather for Saturday looks OK so the plan is to move down the 7 Buckby Locks and on past Weedon for the weekend.