Farewell to Patience

And so, farewell then, dear Patience.
After ten years of interest, challenge, friendship, peaceful retreat, security and adventure, Patience today changed ownership and we walked away leaving her in her usual home at Welford. Now she's being cared for by Malc while John and I will move on to other projects. Not without regret, we have wonderful memories of adventures (exploring all the Cambridgeshire rivers), mishaps (a log in the prop, acres of weed, a suddenly dead battery), triumphs (our processing along the Cambridge Backs), scenery (everywhere, sunlight and dappled shade, mooring under the church at Fotheringay) and just great pleasure.
Here, in yellow, is where we got to.

If you've ever been tempted by narrow boating, do give it a go. We found that a serviceable boat can be bought for around £30,000. It should cost about £3,000 pa to run including insurance, servicing, fuel, mooring, registration with CRT and general maintenance. We split this between the two of us, which meant half the cost and twice the friendship and support. And I would say, as a clueless mechanic, make sure at least one of you knows bit about engines, plumbing and electrics. That's John.

And so it ends.
And there's no need for John to worry about sudden dying batteries, unexplained engine noises, or water in the bilges.
And there's nowhere for me to retreat to when I need to revive my spirits, nowhere I can cruise contentedly in the green dappled shade or sleep peacefully while Patience rocks me gently to sleep.

Thank you Patience, and goodbye.

The Leicester Arm - Welford to Foxton

Welford is on a short arm off the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union. We've often been up to Foxton Locks (see previous blogs) as it's just a three hour trip to the top lock with good moorings, interesting museum, attractive scene and the only lock is that at the end of the Welford Arm.
This time we thought we'd go further north and maybe venture into Leicester itself. However there are negative comments about the canals around Leicester, suggesting yobbish behaviour, broken windows, damaged locks - none of which we have any proof for, but tended to put us off. The general opinion was that Kilby Bridge was a useful and safe place to stay and by mooring there for two nights we could avoid the suburbs and more locks, while having easy access by bus to Leicester.
And so it proved. Foxton Locks was unfortunately busy with boats heading for the Crick Festival so we were queued at the summit, then again in the central pond while eight boats went up. It took just short of three hours to get to the bottom - including a challenging couple of minutes while Duncan conducted a complete circle in the central pond, whisked around by undercurrents. Or so he said.

Memo to users of Foxton Locks: the ten locks are deep but the paddles are easy to wind and the gates well balanced so the two flights are less exhausting than they first appear. However the locks are fed by side ponds which recycle the water and while economical on water use there is a danger for spectators (and there are always spectators at Foxton) of falling in (it has happened ...) and the inrush of water causes treacherous currents which can drive a boat in odd directions in the pound.

Anyway, we eventually moored just north of bridge 62 (see above) and enjoyed first a thirst-quenching pint at Bridge 61 then a pleasant meal at the Foxton Locks Inn. Tomorrow we would be in unfamiliar territory as we aimed to pass through 12 locks and a tunnel from Foxton to Kilby Bridge.

Crick to Braunston

Wednesday 24th September. Heavy rain overnight clears early and by the time we've passed through Crick Tunnel the sun is out. Before we know it we are under the M1 and queuing to go through Watford Locks. If we had a Ladybird book at about Bridge 5A it would show a fast train on the west coast railway line, the M1 motorway and Services and the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union canal (plus a plane flying above) all in the same place, for they almost interconnect here, near Long Buckby.

As we go under Bridge 6 I recall eating terrible fish and chips at the restaurant there 20 years ago, now renamed Mango Lounge and closed.
It takes an hour to get through Watford Locks (staircase, 7 locks, 16metre fall) ...

... even with a helpful lock keeper, then we reach Norton Junction at 1pm and, not pausing for lunch at the tempting pub to the left we charge on to the right and  on the Grand Union proper.

 Through the Braunston Tunnel for 20 minutes and we approach that boater's mecca of Braunston itself, though there are still 6 locks to go through before we reach the moorings by the marina. So it is 3.45 before we finally moor up, 10 miles, 13 locks in 6 hours 20 minutes including 30 minutes waiting at Watford Locks.
In late afternoon we wander up the hill away from the canal and into the village. Down by the canal it feels like a full-on canal village with hundreds of boats, busy comings and goings, two chandleries, eating places and various shops - but in the village itself they live a separate life, it seems.

Bridge over the Junction of The Oxford and The Grand Union

The Junction facing south down the Oxford Canal

Bridge on The Grand Union at the entrance to Braunston Marina

Under the bridge at the marina entrance

In the evening we stroll back up the towpath to The Admiral Nelson, widely recommended as the best for food and we entirely agree. Here is a view as we entered the lock on our way down.  It's a good place where we were well looked after and well fed.

Back to Patience, torches in hand, and we notice that Winter Moorings commence on October 1st. Clearly we are nearing the end of the season, when only hardened liveaboards stay out on the water. So we light our little stove, newly renovated, and our thoughts stray towards winter.

Welford to Yelvertoft

A short overnight excursion to Yelvertoft, which is a village just 3 hours away from Welford and so easily manageable for a quick trip.
It also has a useful pub, The Knightley Arms, which does good food and beer at fair prices. We've been there a few times recently and find good service and well cooked food. The lads in the snooker room can be a bit noisy for quiet diners like ourselves, but it's great to see so many people enjoying a village pub.
As a measure of its merits we felt able to take our wives there for an evening meal, and they were not disappointed. Picture of wives suitably wrapped up against a chill breeze at the extensive moorings nearby.

The next suitable mooring-with-pub is Crick, which tends to get quite busy, but has more facilities. Between our moorings at Yelvertoft and those at Crick you pass the newish Yelvertoft marina.

Here we are approaching Yelvertoft Marina to use their winding hole. It's quite a new development, with all mod cons including wi-fi for residents and they also seem to be adding a slipway.

A successful weekend just boating up and down and pleasant non-strenuous walks along and across the towpath.

Oundle to Wadenhoe And Back

With warm weather expected followed by a cool change, we took Patience up river to Wadenhoe on Wednesday and back on Thursday. This gave her a breath of fresh air, a bit of leisurely exercise on a sparkling and clear river and a change of scene.
Wadenhoe is a charming and attractive village, preserved by a Trust, and our interest is focused on The King's Head and its garden which rolls down to the river, near the lock. So popular is it that we had to moor alongside another boat for a while, with river edges at a premium.

On arrival at Wadenhoe and tying ourselves to another narrow boat, we headed up the slope to the bar for our choice of beers.
In the afternoon, torn between going for an improving walk or relaxing in the shade down by the riverside, we opted for the latter, while swimmers and canoeists floated energetically to and fro.
In the evening we indulged in some great food at The King's Head.

Thursday dawned misty on the river ...

... but we headed off for our walk (a modified version of the walk at Walking World id=5874 bypassing Sudborough but including Wadenhoe) of 7 - 8 miles roughly following the Lyveden Way to Lyveden New Bield (National Trust) where we found more of interest than we had expected...

... including a very pleasant coffee shop, useful information centre, replanted orchard, moat, lake and entry to the never-completed Elizabethan house built for Sir Thomas Tresham.

Our walk in bright sunshine took us across fields and through woodland, with no traffic, hardly any other people, and a sense of surprise that we were so far from the non-stop frenzy of the A14.

With deteriorating weather expected on Friday we headed home to Oundle reinforced by a substantial lunch at The Kings Head, very satisfied with our little trip.

The Bargee's Pail

Referred to in this month's Waterways World, The Bargee's Pail is a variant on a basic slow cooker, much like a medieval stew pot, with food suitably wrapped cooking slowly in a simmering cauldron.
It is the recipe of the Pail that is interesting.
Rose Prince's article in The Daily Telegraph describes a layer of diced swede in the base of an earthenware pot, followed by slices of pork belly, then a layer of parsnips and one of carrots. Cover the contents in water then add a rolled piece of suet pastry covering the meat and vegetables to keep the heat in. The pot goes into the bucket, covered by a lid, and the whole thing simmers over an outdoor fire.
After an hour and a half, add the potatoes, a large knob of butter, a strip of smoked bacon, garlic and thyme among the vegetables. Finish with a second layer of suet pastry. Everything should be cooked after two and a half hours.

The Bargee's Pail featured in Waterways World is much the same as the description above though it features chopped apple on the top and a bottle of tea to the side!

A response to this article refers to a "fireless cooker" which is an insulated chest containing a hot slab of metal providing enough heat to cook a meal slowly. The "Hangi" or earth oven works in the same way. My wife would set off on her annual Guide camp with a meal of barley rice cooked on our stove and placed in a haybox - an old tea chest insulated with straw - which would be cooked ready for the evening meal once the tents had been put up.
And it's this insulation which is the appealing thing for me. I don't like having the gas on for extended periods. It generates water vapour, or too much heat in the cabin in summer, or both, and is wasteful. A heavily insulated container means you can leave it on deck to literally cook in its own juice.
On the other hand, if you're out on the bank for a few hours and in a position to have an open fire, The Bargee's Pail would be a good choice. You can also cook baked potatoes in the embers or a stew in a Dutch Oven which is ideal for a long slow wood burning fire.
So for me The Bargee's Pail in an insulated container rather than over an open fire is economical, safe - and very tasty!
You might, however, prefer a small pressure cooker - 3 litres capacity, costing £20-30- which would be compact and efficient enough for a narrow boat. Add to that "80 Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker" by Richard Ehrlich. Both can be obtained from Amazon and would provide a quicker alternative to the Bargee's Pail.