2 For 1 For 1

Monday/Tuesday, 26th/27th September, 2011.
Braunston to Stoke Bruerne.
21 Miles 15 Locks + 4 locks to turn round.

Monday.

We left Braunston around 9.30 and found another boat waiting in the first lock of the Braunston flight, this was good timing as British Waterways are asking boaters to share these locks due to water shortages, we went up the six locks together, we met two hire boats coming down at one lock with the crew opening the bottom gates for us, some hireboat crews know exactly what they are doing.  Through Braunston Tunnel, it was the driest we have ever known it with no water coming down the ventilation shafts or through the brickwork.

I spotted this wide beam on Sunday but didn't see it come past,but it must have done as it was at the top of the Braunston Flight. 

We stopped on the visitor moorings at the top of Buckby locks  for a late breakfast/early lunch, I also filled the water tank and emptied the cassettes. There was a Lockeeper on duty trying make sure boats shared the locks, again, due to water shortages however he must have missed the hireboat crew who came up the top lock on their own, tied up on the lock moorings and went to the pub for lunch. 

Convenient mooring for the pub.

With the top lock full we went in and waited for another boat, one soon arrived but wanted to fill the water tank so we had a 20 minute wait, the hireboat crew were watching closely whilst eating their lunch outside the pub, when the other boat had finished filling the tank they headed for the lock, one of the hireboat crew jumped up and came to see what was going to happen as I don't think he knew two boats could fit in the same lock.

We went down the rest of the flight with the same boat and carried on to Weedon for the night,  there's a Marstons 2 for 1 Pub next to the Canal, the Heart of England so we decided to have a meal there, we went in at 6.05 and ordered a starter and main, on the next table was a elderly gentleman who was on his own, when his order arrived there were 2 X Steak and chips on separate plates, well it was 2 for 1 with no mention that there needed to be 2 people dining, he polished off the first plate and then slid the second one into position and enjoyed that one as well.

No such luck for us as, having waited 30 minutes for the starter and then another 45 for the main we enquired where it was, the waitress returned to say that it was just being " Plated Up", (sounds like an industrial process), another 10 minutes past and still no food, then another member of staff arrived to say it would be another 10 minutes, "No it won't mate we're off", they didn't charge us for the starters, I think they were too embarassed.

Tuesday

After a quick stop at bridge 32 so that we could get to the "One Stop" shop in Nether Heyford for milk we had a very pleasant journey, sun shining, blue skies and very little wind, through the Blisworth Tunnel, (this one was very wet) and back out into brilliant sunshine.

Always plenty of Gongoozlers at Stoke Bruene top lock.

We went down 4 of the 7 Stoke Bruerne locks to where we could wind (turn around) then back up 2 and moored in what is known as the long pound below lock 2, we will be here until after the weekend.