Leighton Buzzard to near The Globe Inn.

We are now moored halfway between Leighton Buzzard lock, and The Globe Inn having cruised 1.27 miles, worked 1 lock, in 1hr 35mins. Stopped at Tesco's on the way for food shopping. We passed Carrie's NB Blackbird, but she was not around. A few jobs to do over the weekend on the boat, replace the broken circulation pump for the back boiler, grease the UV joints and rear bearing, check oil level in the gearbox, start to clean out the bilge under the boatman's cabin floor, polish the engine, and anything else we can think of in the mean time. Suggestions on the back of a post card please.

Great Seabrook to Leighton Buzzard.

Hi Friends.

After a really lovely cruise this morning we are now moored near the old railway bridge of the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway, having cruised 5.35 miles, worked 7 locks, in 3hrs 10mins.
Having walked into town and bought a few bits and bobs, we had a very welcome visitor call on us. Carrie off of NB Blackbird joined us onboard for a coffee and a good old catch up on news. I do love a good old chinwag. Thanks Carrie for coming to see us.

Monday 24th November.

Slapton to Below Seabrook Locks, near Cheddington, 2.3 miles and 5 locks.

With the wintry weather being so unpredictable at the moment, to wake up to a dry, grey morning was pretty acceptable. We had heard rain thumping on the back cabin roof during the early hours, so we were both expecting it to be a wet start to the day. Having crawled out of a nice warm bed, I got both of the fires going after they had been dampened down overnight. A few twigs soon got them both springing back into life and once more the cabin was nice and warm. Having done all the usual morning things, we were ready to set off from our mooring at 9.45am. The breeze was already getting up and the sky was darkening overhead, so we had to hope that it would not pour down.
The first lock of the day was Slapton Lock (7’1”) and with no one around to share it with we were on our own once more. We did encounter a Wyvern hire boat at the top, but he was taking on water. A long this stretch of the Grand Union Canal, are some stunning views across the Chilterns and Dunstable Downs. On Dunstable Downs you get a fabulous view of the Whipsnade White Lion, which at the moment is looking a little grey, probably due to all the wet weather we have been having.The lion was cut in 1935 and is over 480ft long. It is certainly very impressive looking even from the canal. He looks like he is the protector of the Downs. You can also see Ivinghoe Beacon. As we headed onward towards the Ivinghoe Locks, we were really aware of the wind increasing in speed, with wide open spaces to the locks Hadar was certainly getting blown around. Having opened the gates to the first of the Ivinghoe Locks, another boat was coming down to the lock; at first I did not recognise the boat or its owners. I got chatting to the lady who had come to work the paddles with me, along with a very friendly Spaniel, who thought I was now his best friend because I kept throwing his stick for him to chase. As the boat drew up on the lock bollards it soon became clear that it was N.B Nobby. We had seen the boat before in passing but had never had the chance to chat to Ian and Allison, so it was lovely to be able to introduce ourselves to each other. We sold them some coal and spent a while chatting on the towpath about our boats and their old engines.N.B Nobby is a beautiful looking boat built by Barry Hawkins and it is clear it is their pride and joy. Like us Ian and Allison are continual cruisers and are heading for Braunston for Christmas. We will no doubt see them again near Braunston for Christmas, when we make tracks back. Now as many boaters know, when you meet up with other boaters and get chatting, you always pass on any news. Allison asked where we were heading for and I told her the Aylesbury Arm. She very kindly informed me that there was a stoppage at Lock 7 from the 17th November till the 5th December, so that has now changed our plans of going up the arm, not that we have any hard and fast plans. As continuous cruisers it never pays to make to many plans. So having spent some time nattering we said our goodbyes and wished each other well before leaving for the locks once more. We decided that after the first of the Seabrook treble locks we would stop for lunch as it was 12.15pm. Having moored up, it was plain to see that the weather was beginning to close in and the wind was getting ever stronger, so we made the decision not to go any further today, after all we are in no hurry to be anywhere. Keith also wanted to check online about the lock stoppage on the Aylesbury Arm, which proved to be correct, so we will not be going up to Aylesbury this trip, many thanks to Allison for the information. The thought is that we will now go up to Marsworth Junction, wind and take a very slow meander back to Braunston for Christmas, but nothing is set in concrete, so we shall see.

Tuesday 25th November.

Below Seabrook Locks to Below Marsworth Locks.

It is a month now until Christmas, what a dreadful thought huh?
How many of you are actually ready early for the festive season?
We have absolutely no plans whatsoever for Christmas, the only thing we do know is that we will be heading for the Oxford Canal. All’s we have bought so far is the duck for Christmas dinner, so it shows how ready we are. To be honest Christmas is so over rated; it is all about spending lots of money and over eating. Somewhere the meaning of Christmas has got lost in the translation, and therefore holds very little excitement for us these days. Ok enough about Christmas.
Paddy and I stepped off the boat to a bright, crisp frosty morning, it was really bracing in a wonderful way. So we walked up past the second of the Seabrook locks, Paddy enjoyed a nice run off of the lead, whilst I just enjoyed the fresh, clear air that a frost always brings with it. Once back on the boat we had porridge and a cuppa, before getting ready to set off at 9.55am. The second of the Seabrook Locks was ready for us with one of the gates already open to welcome Hadar into its chamber. Now due to a heavy frost, it was a little slippery under foot, so care had to be taken when shutting the heavy gates.The Grand Union Canal Locks are really magnificent locks, even if at times the gates can prove difficult to open and shut. Of course the work is made much easier if you are sharing with another boat, but we had not had that luxury since arriving on the Grand Union.Keith and I manage as we have a pretty good system for working the locks, so with us both doing our jobs, it takes us no time at all. Having left the Seabrook treble, I saw a boat was coming in the opposite direction, through the swing bridge, so I left the lock gate open for them and walked on up to the swing bridge. After the swing bridge we got flagged down by a boat wanting coal, so we pulled in to unloaded 5 bags of Taybrite for them. Just as we were sorting things out Sid and Doreen on N.B Elidir came past heading in the same direction as us, so we agreed to share the locks up to Marsworth Junction, where we would both be using the sanitary station and winding. This was our first opportunity to share locks with anyone on this trip which was great. On the approach to the first lock, we noticed something floating in the canal; it turned out to be a deer, which was very sad. Doreen worked the first lock whilst I went ahead to set the second.Doreen and I enjoyed a good natter whilst doing the locks, and discovered that we had actually seen each other earlier in the year, either on the Grand Union or the Thames, neither of us could remember which one it was. You see so many boats and meet so many people sometimes it is hard to remember. On leaving the second of the locks, there is a lovely lock cottage dating back to 1909.Just the sort of place I would love to live if I did not live on the water. It has some stunning views across the valley, where you could watch the seasons change. Both boats left the lock and we were both heading for the Marsworth sanitary station, they needed water and we needed to empty the loo cassettes and get rid of rubbish, so we agreed that we would pull in first, whilst they winded and then we would swap places, but when we got to the sanitary station there was already a boat moored up taking on water. It was Steve and Maggie on N.B Zygnema. We first met them in Paddington Basin back in May, so it was wonderful to catch up with them again. We managed to pull in, in front of them, and got chatting after we had done the jobs we had stopped for. Steve and Maggie bought some coal off of us as they reckoned we were £1.50 cheaper than the marina they had bought from before, which is a lot of money when you are buying six bags at a time. Having caught up on all their news, N.B Elidir had winded and was ready to come in for water, so Keith cast off and took Hadar down to the winding point, whilst I continued to chat with Maggie. Once they were filled with water, they were on their way and we left Sid and Doreen to fill up. We headed back to the Marsworth pair and stopped at the first of the pair, to wait for Sid and Doreen so we could share the locks back down, but after half an hour and lunch we thought they must have decided to stop for lunch themselves, so carried on down the pair of locks and moored up for the rest of the day. With the engine turned off, we were able to get out of our winter clothing. I then stoked the fires, washed down the gunwales, brushed the mats and hung out the mog and dogs bedding before settling down to a coffee. Not long after Sid and Doreen on N.B Elidir came past going back to their winter mooring. We will surely see them again on our way back to Braunston. The day has been a perfect one; we had great weather, good company and a few laughs along the way that is a perfect day in anyone’s book.

Wednesday 26th November.

Marsworth Locks to North of Leighton Lock, near the Globe Inn. 8.7 miles 10 locks.

A dull, overcast day with practically no wind was the best the day could offer, but we made up for it with a lovely days cruising. I will not bore you with all the details of the trip. But we did do a couple of the locks with N.B Faraday, who we had met a couple of days previous, when they flagged us down for coal. You really need to cruise the Grand Union Canal to appreciate its stunning beauty even at this time of the year. Like many boaters we get asked so many questions about life on the water, but today I got asked one that was a first for me. The question by a gentleman walking the towpath with his dog was “Don’t you get fed up with looking at the same old fields, trees and with the weather”. I looked at him a little stunned and said “How could anyone get fed up with, the stunning beauty of this canal or any other canal for that matter”. After he went on his way, it got me thinking about what he had said and there is nothing that would change what Keith and I have right now. Every day we see something new. I would have loved him to see the sights we saw today. Not only did we see the stunning scenery, we watched as a Heron perched on the handrail at Horton Lock, it did not attempt to fly off even as Keith bought Hadar in to the Lock, when it did move it only flew a yard or two to the wall of the bridge, watching us all the time. I bet he has never seen that. We saw a squirrel whilst moored outside of Tesco at Leighton Buzzard, a couple of Kingfishers on route, but the best sighting of the day was the Muntjac deer from our overnight mooring near the Globe Inn on the outskirts of Linslade. Keith spotted it first in a field opposite our boat and called me out to look, and there it was walking across an open field. Sadly the photograph is not very clear, the camera found it hard to focus in the fading light.

This is the first sighting we have had of a Muntjac so were pretty excited. I shall be listening out for its distinctive bark later on. So having seen all of that and having met some nice people along the way, how on earth could we get bored?
Before we stopped for the night, we did stop off in Leighton Buzzard, as I need to go to Argos to buy a new pair of earrings. A few days ago I lost one of mine and therefore needed a replacement pair. I don’t know about anyone else who wears earrings, but I feel undressed without mine. I have been wearing earrings since I was 9 years old. I am not one for continually changing my earrings, I buy one pair and wear them until I either lose them or they break, then I buy another pair. But it has felt odd without them in.
Once we had moored up for the night we took a walk down to the Globe Inn to see what their menu had to offer, and to book a table for dinner. Keith remembers the Globe Inn from his early days on the canal, when it still had stabling for the boatman’s horse; these days that stabling has been made a part of the Inn.

Monday 17th November.

Cosgrove to Giffard Park. 4.8 miles.

A grey old morning greeted us, with spits and spots of rain falling on the waters surface. This was as good as it was going to get. The usual morning procedures took place, most important of all was Paddy’s walk, which this time took us up towards Cosgrove Lock. Cosgrove moorings warden is Hazel, and she keeps a close eye on anything that goes on during a boaters stay between bridge 65 and north of the aqueduct. If you have any problems with the moorings you can go and chat to her, she also makes an effort to drop off a letter to any new boat mooring up, letting them know which boat she lives on in case you should need her. Hazel also keeps an eye on the boats that use the winter moorings, which are reserved from the 1st October. Before we got ready to slip from the mooring, I had to brush of the mountain of leaves which had settled on the boat's roof over the weekend. They made for good camouflage. Having uncovered Hadar from her leafy blanket we set off at 9.20am, destination Tesco at Wolverton. We crossed the Great Ouse Aqueduct and passed the site of Wolverton’s medieval village, before mooring up to walk to Tesco which is only a short walk from the canal. The moorings are over shadowed by new apartments being built. Having done the shopping, I put the food supplies away whilst Keith moved the boat through Milton Keynes. Sadly the weather did not brighten up at all, although the rain did lie off for a short period. If it were not for the golden leaves still left on the trees, it would have been a drab old journey. Just after Stonebridge to our left is a disused Windmill that can be clearly seen from the canal. Through the trees we could now see the many lakes which hug the canal on our way to Giffard Park. These lakes are also home to a wildfowl centre. Before reaching Giffard Park we past Stantonbury and Linford Wharfs, murky weather closed right in and heavy drizzle started coming down. We decided that we would stop at Giffard Park, after a boater flagged us down for three bags of coal. It seemed as good a time as any to stop with the time now being 12.50pm. We unloaded three bags of coal for our customer and I then made us some soup with crusty bread for lunch. Having eaten lunch, I went on the hunt for a post box. It did not take me long as I asked a young woman walking her dog if there was a post box anywhere near, and she pointed me in the direction of bridge 78, where the Giffard park pub is situated. I walked to the bridge and there I found not just the pub, I also found a post box, post office and a One Stop shop for any provisions needed. You can see the pub from the canal but there is no signage to say that there is a post office etc hidden behind the hedge. There is also a BW sanitary station to hand, which is always useful. The rest of our day was taken up with doing the boat chores, or brushing mats and washing floors. At this time of the year the wooden floors get dirty very quickly, especially with Paddy running in and out with wet feet. People seem to think that because you are on a boat, there is nothing to do, as far as housework (boat) is concerned. It is just the same as living in a house. You still need to do washing up, tidying up, dusting etc. The dusting tends to be more with two fires going. So with all the chores done and Paddy walked, we could settle down to our evening meal. I made a homemade Steak and Ale Pie using Puff Pastry. I was never sure which ale to use so went for a Newcastle Brown and it worked really well. The meat, onions and mushrooms were left cooking all day in the back cabin stove. So when cooked the meat just fell apart mmmm. The good test of a nice meal is that Keith clears his plate. It was very nice although I say it myself. After that I made up the back stove fire, before damping it down for the night. We then sat and watched K19 The Widowmaker, with Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford on Film 4 and I’m a celebrity get me out of here on ITV1 before heading off to bed.

Tuesday 18th November.

Giffard Park to Fenny Stratford. 5.4 miles.

What greeted me as I got off the boat to walk Paddy, did not bode well as far as the weather was concerned. It was drizzling heavily, which I find is the worst kind of rain, as it tends to totally soak you. But never the less Paddy needed his walk, so we headed off along the towpath, meeting up with a couple of Greyhounds and their owner. Once he had done his business, we were back onboard Hadar and drying out, whilst eating breakfast and enjoying a cuppa. We were in no hurry to leave, so were prepared to see what the weather did. As it turned out the drizzle soon stopped and the sun came out, so we set off at 10.05am. What strikes you is the amount of countryside there is, despite the fact that it is all part of Milton Keynes. There is a lot of parkland along with the many new houses that have gone up over the years, merging Fenny Stratford and Bletchley with Milton Keynes. There seems to be some confusion as to what season we are in at the moment, because we saw a number of trees with blossom on them.We were fortunate as always to see plenty of wildlife about. These included a Kestrel looking for breakfast, rabbits, sea gulls, cormorants, and this young heron, who was in two minds as to whether he should fly off or not.We arrived at Fenny Stratford at 12.10pm and moored up before Fenny Stratford Lock on the 14 day moorings. Having eaten sandwiches for lunch, we took a stroll up to Fenny Stratford Lock, which has a swing bridge across the middle of it. The walk into Fenny Stratford is about ¼ of a mile. When we got there we immediately walked into Pollards, a really old fashioned Ironmongers shop. It was absolutely fabulous, and we came away with a few bits and bobs for the boat. There is also a Londis, chemist, pharmacy and many other little shops. We carried on walking and found ourselves in Bletchley, which I guess is a round a mile’s walk. It was quite a surprise as to the amount of shops it has, which included the good old charity shops. In one of the charity shops we managed to find a shower head to replace our one which we found out last night was leaking, all for £2.50, what a bargain. We had a lovely time wandering around the shops. We even wandered into one of the butchers there, to look at what meat they had on offer. It included, pigs trotters, cows feet, oxtail, ox tongue and all the usual joints, but all at great prices. We must have been out for a good couple of hours. We want to go and visit Bletchley Park on our next visit, as the war years do interest us both a lot.

Wednesday 19th November.

Fenny Stratford to Leighton Buzzard.

A beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine to begin with, no wind and really quite mild for the time of year. When it was time to take Paddy for his morning stroll, I opened the side doors to the engine room to allow him to get off the boat, and was over powered by the scent of fermenting apples. We had moored underneath a crab apple tree, and where they had dropped onto the towpath and been trodden into the ground by walkers, the apples were fermenting giving off a pungent smell. Now I know what it must smell like when making cider. At 9.25am we slipped our mooring and headed for Fenny Lock and swing bridge. One of the lock gates was already open for us, so I set about working out the locking device for the swing bridge. You are supposed to use your BW key to unlock the device, pull up the handle and push the bridge. That is easier said than done when you’re a shorty like me. The unlocking was no problem, it was the pulling up of the hand and pushing that was more difficult. I did not have the height needed to pull the handle all the way up. The gentleman who lives in the cottage by the lock came out and gave me a hand. He told me that I have not been the only one struggling with the new device. BW needs to come out and revise the situation.I did get it sorted in the end and Keith manoeuvred Hadar into the lock. Having wound the paddles up and opened the gate, Keith then moved Hadar out of the lock and on to the sanitary station moorings, whilst I shut the swing bridge and lock gate.At the sanitary station, we did the full works, emptied both loo cassettes, got rid of rubbish and filled up with water. We were then on our way leaving Fenny Stratford and meandering through picturesque countryside, being accompanied by the railway and the River Ouzel. It was not long before we reached Stoke Hammond Lock, where we picked up some rubbish on the propeller whilst waiting for another boat to exit the lock chamber. Having got Hadar in to Stoke Hammond Lock, I filled the lock chamber with water. Keith then checked down the weed hatch to see what was caught up. He decided it would take too long to clear in the lock, so we bow hauled her out of the lock and on to moorings, where he then delved in to the icy cold water, to take off 3 pieces of green hose pipe, rope, plastic bags, and a piece of matting.Not long after Stoke Hammond we were at the Soulbury Three Locks and the Three Locks Inn, which is looking a little sad these days.It could do with a paint job outside and the broken seating replaced, not to mention all the odd curtains up at the windows. It is a shame to see it looking so forlorn, even since earlier in the year it has gotten in a visibly worse condition.
After leaving the Soulbury locks, we continued through beautiful open countryside alongside the canal and the River Ouzel. Out in one of the fields sheep were grazing happily, but they were not alone, this was a field where rabbits thought they were sheep.We saw dozens of rabbits along this stretch of the canal and they were clearly not bothered by our noisy engine or the sheep. As we approached Leighton Lock, small groups of school children were walking a long the towpath with teachers filling in paperwork on clipboards, so we gave them a wave and they waved back with great enthusiasum. By the time we reached Leighton Lock one of the groups had caught us up and the teacher was explaining to the group how we would negotiate the lock. It was not long before we had the whole group watching us. This was not the time to make a cock up of the procedure. The children asked me “Do you know the number of the lock”. I explained it was number 27 Leighton Lock, it is written on the board behind you, which got them all laughing. We then left the lock and waved goodbye to the school party.They were doing an environmental study on water, and had already been to the sewage centre, lucky them I thought. It is nice to see children learning about the canals, maybe their generation will treat the canals with more respect than some of todays generation do. We passed by the Wyvern Shipping Company hire boats, before entering Linslade and Leighton Buzzard. Most of the moorings by Tesco are permit holders only, they only offer two spaces for visiting boats, so we carried on under the road bridge and found a spot on the 14 day moorings, there are no rings or piling so we had to put in a mooring pin for me, Keith found a piece of rope which had been left around the concrete piling to tie on to. So we stopped at 2.15pm after a really enjoyable run.