Day 45 .... 27.06.13. .... Top of Caen Flight

Nice sunset last night

Set off in good time with another boat to go up the Caen flight together. 

all went uneventfully until we met a hotel boat which has a wide beam and added a bit of spice to passing each other during  the extremely short distance between the locks 

......... close fit but O.K.

near the top of the flight we started to get some good views again, which do not really show up well in the photo

Passed a couple of other narrow boats

..... the chap in the life jacket is a Canal and River Trust volunteer who helps people if they need it.  All very chatty and great if you are short-handed.

The lilies are just beginning to come into flower and the side pounds here are going to look stunning in a week or two.

Now we find ourselves at a 24 hour mooring and we then go on the run through Honeystreet and  Hungerford  where the O2 signal seems to run out and so there will possibly be a break for a couple of days.  After Hungerford should be O.K. We shall see.

Day 44 ....26.06.13.... Bottom of Caen L0ck

On the way again .................................

Went and turned at a winding hole and after three days of non-movement

it felt good to be on the move again.  On the way back up to Devizes and ultimately the Thames.

The lilies are going to be out in a week or so and will look splendid. 

Back into the routine of going UP a lock for a few days before we go down into Reading.

..... all the plants by the canal edge are looking great.  There has obviously been a superb effort made to naturalise a large number of plants ...... and it seems to be working.

went in to a village called Rowde for a paper ..... locals, so we were told, are called Rowdies.

Amazingly tonight has been the first night when we have been able to sit out on the back comfortably for an hour or so.  Summer ??????/ 

Day 43 .... 25.06.13 .... Bath by Bus

We've decided that we are going to turn around and go back up to the Thames and North tomorrow and since a bus route passes here on the way to Bath decided to catch it   .......

the first time I have ever used my bus pass, a nervous moment and lo and behold I did not have to pay !!! Quite relaxing really, although I felt the driver was going a bit fast !!! Amusing group got on it  

Day 42 .... 24.6.13 .... Bradford-on-Avon

Due to the fact that a lock was broken and we did not know how long they would take to repair it, we had decided to cycle the 9 miles to Bradford-on-Avon.  Maggie no problem ..... moi slightly nervous .... weather perfect and not too hot.

..... on arrival we were not disappointed. This is the canal before it joins with the Avon and continues on its way down to Bath and Bristol.

...... on walking in to the town centre we came upon this ancient tea room so had some tea etc!!

The town is situated on a hill and so.. looks quite a mixture of Cotswolds and continental.

...... was amazed to come upon this shop. Any long lost relation I wondered? 

some great little alleyways going off the main streets. 

The old bridge over the Avon even has a tiny little gaol on it as a warning to visitors. 

This 13th Century Tithe Barn was amazing ....... 50 metres long.

 Got back to the boat in one piece and went to the Three Magpies for a restorative and watched the last thirty minutes of Nadal being beaten at Wimbledon.

Tomorrow going to see if I can use my Bus Pass to go to Bath for the day prior to turning around and heading back to the Thames and North.

Day 41.... 23.06.13 .... Sells Green, Wilts

A somewhat grey and colder day with a wind in our face......... not so bad for June !!! Wimbledon is starting tomorrow....

...... stopped at a water point and the grapevine on the canal said that a lock was broken about three locks down and so

 ......

.....got out the trusty bikes again and went for a recce further down, where we found that it was indeed broken and, being a Sunday, we are not sure how long it will take to be repaired.  There are about 14 boats stopped. In both directions.

.....  on our bike ride around the area posted a birthday card to little Edward in Downton .... 

....and discovered that Victorian Birthday cards were obviously smaller than 21st century ones.  Apologies for a folded card. ( should have got my drill out .....these are valuable)

Shall see what transpires voyage-wise tomorrow.

Day39 ..... 21.06.13 .... Devizes

We were not planning to go anywhere before going to the Wadworth Brewery where for health and safety reasons we had to don these rather fetching hi-viz waistcoats. 

It was an interesting tour. They still have a cooper to make the barrels and a paint shop for the signs ..

 THey also still haveshire horses to deliver the beer and do shows.   Unfortunately the horses were in their stables having just finished deliveries around Devizes.

........ and lastly tasting the beers.  Maggie found a stout they made called Corvus which she really liked !!

We had seen that there was an arts festival going on in Devizes and there was an Irish Folk/Rock band playing in a cellar bar of the Bear Hotel.

The Roving Crows ... good line-up of guitar/bass/fiddle/trumpet (unusually) and drums.  Very good evening's enertainment

Day 40 .... 22.06.13 .... Caen Flight, Devizes

The Caen Flight is a series of very close locks, 16 to be precise, which go down from Devizes.  James and Deborah came over from Salisbury and as you see from the photos really put their backs into it!!!

The teamwork was balletic in its synchrynosity !!!!!..... if there is such a word

and we got down hill in pretty good time. Two and three quarter hours ..... an OAP record 

The weather was sunny one minute, threatening the next but there was no rain fortunately.

This shows what it was like!

A couple more pics of a pair of extremely fit OAPs !!! 

Both showing a good rotational arm movement!!!

......and here is the view at the bottom of the hill !!! And the poor things had to walk back up the hill to their car !!! 

...... but not before having a bite to eat and a de-briefing !!! Don't they look serious !!!

Day 38 .... 20.06.13 ..... Devizes 2

Well the day came for Maggie to have her haircut on the boat 5 boats behind .......

and a very good job was made of it ...... Devizes on a Thursday is market day

and it was very busy with every kind of stall you would want ranging from fruit, meat, fish, ironmongery, fabrics and cheese.  Lovely to see something like this still exists in this country.

a great cheese stall .... we could have been in Normandy.

 Also an inside market of all kinds of crafts.  It used to be a Butcher's Market in the Middle Ages. 

It is amazing that the Army theme gets all over the place in this area.  Was surprised to see this arrive up the way from us. Well no ... perhaps I shouldn't have seen it  !!! Perhaps from the air ????

.......and finally an evening view of where we are, in the unexpectedly calm town of Devizes!!!

Tomorrow a visit to Wadworth Brewery followed by a re-stocking of some of the vital items of life !! Cannot remember what Catherine calls it ... .is it revittalling ??? 

Tomorrow is the longest day.  Should be sitting on a ridge with my ukelele but shall be content to examine the craft of beer-making.

Passed a lovely sign on a boat yesterday "Slow Down Please .... let the rats do the racing"

Day ??? ... 18.06.13 .... Honeystreet

Something has gone out of kilter here. I thought I had posted the day that James and Deborah came out for a meal at The Barge Inn (18th) but it does not see to have got posted so here is an out of sync version.

We had a good meal and the pub food and the ambience was great.  Well done James for remembering the venue and area so well !!!

Following the meal a gentle musical interlude ....... father's 1920's Chamberlain of Leicester banjo (for the

 enthusiast)

A final photo of the three of us by Deborah ...... great picture ...  but I never knew James had such a big chip on his shoulder. Apparently a 2000BC sarsen stone!!