CribBlog Oct-Dec
9 October 2014 Ann and Jim joined me for a couple of days.

They stayed in a bed and breakfast in Banbury. This was surprisingly close to the canal but beyond our feeble maps and sat navs being on a new estate unknown to technology.

We started just above Broadmore Lock

Above Broadmore Lock

Jim steps across

At Banbury Lock

King's Sutton Lock

13 October 2014
Moved on soon after Ann and Jim left me as I was moored to pins in rather soft ground and on the river Cherwell although very little stream.

In the Aynho weir lock

Somerton deep lock, at twelve feet one foot deeper than Denham Deep but the narrow canal makes it look deeper

Just shows what can happen if you wait for too long

7 November 2014
Not the Thames passage

I had moved myself further down to Bridge 228, Yarnton Bridge, which is just about the last place that one can both moor and leave the car before entering Oxford. This was to have been base camp for moving down the Thames and back to my permanent moorings in Northolt. No such luck though as I was striken with the flu and incapable of doing anything for over a week. This meant that I lost the last window of opportunity to do the Thames passage without lots of yellow and red stream warnings.

When I could move again, I winded and headed back up the canal mooring towards the end of the northernmost visitor moorings in Thrupp.

Ready for the Thames passage

What two weeks of waiting does, bow well full of leaves

18 November 2014
Thrupp to Enslow Wharf, Gibraltar

Somewhat scrappy pics of late as my camera packed up, though took a while to die completely. I'm very displeased with it it was a Nikon S6500. It took good photos when it worked but it didn't do that for long. It would just freeze up and could be [sometimes] unfrozen by removing the battery but now not even this works. Steer well clear of Nikon would be my advice. I have four spare batteries if anyone would like them.

The lift bridge going North from Thrupp, always a challenge for the single hander

Simple to open from the towpath side, just lift that handy lever, BUT THAT there is no way to secure it open from this side.

Unless you have a handy barge pole that is

Now you just need to creep through and mind you don't bang the sides

Approaching Shipton Weir Lock

Baker's Lock 40. They have removed all bollards from the towpath side of the locks on the Oxford canal. So you have to work wrong handed. These narrow locks fill a bit viciously unless you keep the boat well back from the topgate with a line