Towpaths and Turnpikes

  • Some people’s behaviour can put a damper on the whole day.

    As we were leaving Claydon, we had another boat in front of us, so we resigned ourselves to cruising in convoy. We slowed down a little to create space between us, but there was another boat behind us, which made it quite clear that they wanted to overtake. There really wasn’t any point, as we…

  • We finally received the phone call we’ve been waiting for

    After promising ourselves not to be impatient, and after coming home from Mayday celebrations, we were ready to spend the day at home doing chores. But, joy oh joy, we got a phone call from Tooley’s to let us know that our boat is ready. So, off we went. We didn’t have much to take…

  • Yesterday was a brilliant day

    Mayday in Oxford – something everyone should experience. You have to get up early and leave home while it’s still dark, but as you approach Oxford, you’ll be one of thousands of people silently walking towards the centre of the city. Some will have got up early, while others haven’t been to bed at all.…

  • Don’t hold your breath – we haven’t left yet

    Yesterday we stocked up the boat with last minute things we need for our trip. Mostly fresh food, as Galveston is well-stocked with everything else already. Unfortunately our boat’s still in the wet dock, as the boatyard is waiting for a delivery of replacement rubber engine mounts. This  was one of the recommendations from the…

  • What’s wrong with Banbury?

    I love old towns, especially thriving old towns. Sadly, Banbury isn’t one of them – thriving I mean. Yes, there is industry, and yes, there is the historic boat yard and the new shopping centre and development along the canal. But the shopping centre is full of empty retail units and the canal-side development is…

  • Mysterious doors

    A few years ago Steve took the boat out on his own for a few weeks. He had no itinerary in mind, and no time limit. So when he came across a mysterious  open door in the passageway underneath the M40 he just had to stop and have a look. The doors are made of…

  • Not the Oxford canal again, we thought

    Oxford is our home, so to get to anywhere we haven’t been before, we need to take the Oxford canal as far as Napton. Over the past six years we’ve done that stretch over and over again. It gets a bit boring, taking the same route, but guess what? Open your eyes and even a…

  • Oxford to Banbury- stage 1

    We had flowers thrown at us, as we passed by the genteel homes of the Oxford folk of Jericho. Thus started our journey. What a wonderful endorsement by our family that what we’re doing is a good thing. birders will be able to tell us what type of birds sat on the tree as we…

  • Ready to go

    Our bags are packed, we’re ready to go… for our first three-month leg of our gap year