Blogs

N Oxford Bridge 75

NB Harnser

First thing this morning CRT turned up to work a Calcutt hire boat and a boat offering training down the locked Calcutt flight. I guess the hire company has an arrangement to keep operating. Daisy’s Bakin Butty was doing quite

Testing times and mellowing

Pickingupducks

Holidays are designed to allow us reset time and in our case our break last week coincided with our floating home and office having her reset too. Every four years boats on the UK network require their owners to undertake

Calcutt top lock

NB Harnser

Well today did not go to plan. Last night was a lovely moonlight night with the Tawny Owls out calling to each other. The sun was out this morning and we set off at 1030 all the other boats were

S Oxford Canal Bridge 100 - 101

NB Harnser

No a bad drive to the boat, a bit of mist early on but that soon cleared, We did have a couple of holdups, a accident on the A146 had closed the road, but the old road, now only a

Blowing Boelo. 24th October

NB Oleanna

*Bancroft Basin to Shakespeare Marina, River Avon* **Pink sky in morning Sailors warning** We woke fairly early, had a cuppa. It was quite pink outside, but calm and dry. We decided to make the most of a window in the

Ahead Of Austen. 23rd October

NB Oleanna

*Wilmcote Bottom Lock to Bancroft Basin* Cuppa in bed. The weather was still calm, we opted to head off before breakfast to try to keep ahead of storm Austen. Waterproofs on just in case. **An interesting house** The approach towards

Two Days Into One. 22nd October

NB Oleanna

*Fleur de Lys to below Wilmcote Bottom Lock 50* **Lowsonford Bottom Lock with the Landmark Trust house alongside it** Another early start for us. With storm Austen on his way we were pondering whether we should make the most of

Eight years and two days later

NB Percy

... We are back where we started at Shebdon. It was the 23rd October 2018 when I arrived somewhat frazzled after bringing Percy From Fradley Junction to Shebdon single handed as Rachel was down south working. It was my heaven

The card games we play on the boat (and the free scoring apps Barry built)

NB Areandare

Pont à Bar (back on board)

NB Chalkhill Blue

Our first narrowboat was a 72' long, ex-hire boat which we loved sharing with our numerous children. Back in 2014 after I’d retired, Karen took a year off work and we rented out our Kent house while we moved on

Aunty Locks. 21st October

NB Oleanna

*Black Boy Bridge 69 to Lowsonford Top Lock 31, Fleur de Lys, South Stratford Canal* **Soggy soggyness** Another wet start to the day, at least we’d not had a disturbed nights sleep. We actually managed to get ourselves up and

Oops!

Pickingupducks

Blog is very short and very late this week because: We have been on holiday in North Yorkshire and Derbyshire enjoying sea, sand, and great company. Major birthday (Skipper) with family and friends party on a bigger boat than ours,

Soggy Stiff Knowle. 20th October

NB Oleanna

7*8A Damson Lane Bridge* *to Black Boy Bridge 69* Last night as we sat watching TV my phone binged for me to approve a purchase being made with my credit card. I wasn’t purchasing anything, I was watching TV. Earlier

Diverted Traffic. 19th October

NB Oleanna

*Lister Street Bridge to 78A Damson Lane Bridge* ***It’s an ok view, the trees aren’t big enough though!*** Up early again! Emails to sort, and a catch up with Frank before our locking crew arrived at 9:30. Christine and Paul

Making A Start. 18th October

NB Oleanna

*London / Sheepcote Street Bridge to Lister Street Bridge, Birmingham and Fazeley Digbeth Branch.* **Today’s M&S brunch had a Christmasy feel to it** Another early start, a cuppa, a brief chat with Andrew and Jac and time for a cuddle

The First Of The 60ths. 17th October

NB Oleanna

*Bumingham / London* **Bumingham shortly after sun rise** Another early start, this one even earlier than the last few, we were awake before the sun had lifted over the horizon today. Breakfast and the magic food bowl set. ***Not Again!

Westlife. 16th October

NB Oleanna

*Scarborough /Bumingham* Up early, a few jobs to be done in the house to leave it ready for lodgers. The freezer was the main job as it had been defrosted yesterday and needed mopping out. The drive back southwards was

A Day In Hand. 15th October

NB Oleanna

*Bumingham/ Scarborough* With a day in hand on our schedule, we decided to make use of it. Mick headed off before 8am to pick up a hire car. I pottered and got things ready for a day away, maybe a

Oh, BUM! 14th October

NB Oleanna

*Wolverhampton Tunnel to Sheepcote Street Bridge, **Bumingham*** **One day!** Whilst Mick tightened the stern gland this morning I chatted to Frank keeping him upto date on paperwork I’m doing for him and checking to see what other things he might

Will we fail?

Pickingupducks

You join us on the edge. On the edge of major change. On the edge of a major quadrennial event. We are at last, after a long journey to get here, heading into dry dock tomorrow. We will cruise in,

21 with 4. 13th October

NB Oleanna

*Autherley Junction to Urban Moorings to Top of Off Side Mooring Wolverhampton Tunnel* Up early, a check in with Frank who had been moved at midnight within the hospital. A list of things he might like when he moves to

Don’t Forget Your Drain Holes

The Sumpners Afloat

With Winter fast approaching and the likely periods of heavy rain on the way, I thought it would be good to highlight one of the most important routine tasks for all narrowboat owners – drain hole clearance. On most cruiser

Protection. 12th October

NB Oleanna

*Moat House Bridge 74 to Autherley Junction* Apologies that this is becoming a bit more of a diary at the moment rather than a boating blog. The blog has always been a way of recording our life afloat which includes

Rallying Frankness. 11th October

NB Oleanna

The Geraghty zoom conversations included Zack, Library banning, hose pipe dispensation, the final Waverely trip, and Ardingly Reservoir. Afterwards we pushed off with the aim of finding a mooring better for Tilly than last nights. **Frothy Man** Some days you

Funny Feet Locks. 10th October

NB Oleanna

*Hazelstrine Bridge to opposite Otherton Boat Haven* Five minutes late pushing off this morning! A boat came past us, it had slowed a touch to pass, but still had us all over the shop, as we discovered this was the

Three In A Line, In The Rain. 9th October

NB Oleanna

*Tixall Wide to Hazelstrine Bridge 96* A stormy night. Really quite windy. This would most probably have woken us both up at some point, but we’d normally have been able to get back to sleep. However, there was a tapping

Adventures: missed, mis- and mini…

NB Cleddau (Boatwif)

A team of C&RT volunteers had been hard at work all morning, cleaning, sweeping, scraping weeds from between the paving slabs, even grass cutting around the Wharf. After the long, baking summer this was a novelty – freshly trimmed grass

One For Each Bedroom. 8th October

NB Oleanna

*Tescos, Rugeley to Tixal Wide, Stafford and Worcester Canal.* Mick started sorting clothes for a wash this morning. Now that the weather has turned a bit chilly we both realised we’d only two pairs of jeans each. Having another pair

Chestnuts Roasting. 7th October

NB Oleanna

*Fradley to Tescos Rugeley* **Guess who forgot to put a blob of something on the cratcch poppers!** Rain. Not heavy, but rain this morning. The forecast last night had suggested it wouldn’t last long, the Met office app suggested it

All change

Pickingupducks

This week has been very different for us – 3 days helping with young family and now the Skipper is doing the same for older family. Amid this we have managed to catch up with old amd new boating friends

Two lumps of something and two Heros.

NB What A Lark

This mornings start was delayed.... But not for too long in fact. The sun came out and although it wasn't as clear as yesterday it was still fabulous. David had moved the car ahead to Bratch Locks. So when he

A goose and an almighty crash.

NB What A Lark

Time to pull the pins and make tracks or ripples I suppose. The lock just in front of us was empty and as David was letting off the bow rope, yes you've guessed it, a boat passed us by. ─────────────────────────

"It should be okay...."

NB What A Lark

It was time to leave Wolverley and really make the turn to return to Great Haywood. This trip had been not exactly cut short but trimmed, or shaved a few days. David had given me the option of getting down

Threads Of Remembrance. 6th October

NB Oleanna

*Alrewas to Fradley * **A misty start** A very misty start this morning in Alrewas, thank you Adam for the photo, I suspect we were still in bed with our morning cuppa when this was taken. Tilly still wasn’t enamoured

Furthest West. 5th October

NB Oleanna

*Shobnall Fields to Bridge 47, Alrewas* So glad we were only moored here for one night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice mooring but Tilly and I spent far too long here last year. When I say it’s a

Bewdley and a Bride

NB What A Lark

The next day after David had fetched the car, we did a quick flit into Kidderminster for food shopping and a bit of a snoop in M&S. It was only as we arrived in the car part of the retail

Cookley and a cave

NB What A Lark

I'm so sorry Reader for my absence but I will explain later, but for now I will resume where I left off that is to say after a couple of nights at the previously named "Wide Bend", just short of

Three Stamps. 3rd 4th October

NB Oleanna

*Cranfleet Cut to Aston Lock to Weston Cliff Bridge 10 to Shobnall Fields* **Saturday** **Morning view** Tilly had an hours shore leave whilst we had breakfast on board, she did a bit of self catering earning this mooring a stamp

OAC. 1st, 2nd October

NB Oleanna

*Stoke Lock to Sainsburys to Cranfleet Cut* First things first, someone turned eleven today and in so doing made me the youngest crew member on board! **O**ld **A**ge **C**at, 11, she’s reached 60 before me! She doesn’t act like an

South Bound, We Hope! 29th 30th September

NB Oleanna

*King’s Marina to Hazelford Lock, River Trent* **Tuesday** Our Sainsbury’s delivery arrived and Mick was up by the gates waiting to let the driver in. Shopping stowed. A new gas bottle was needed to bring our supplies up to winter

Setting The Plan In Action. 27th, 28th September

NB Oleanna

*Kings Marina / York / Scarborough* Sunday we dug out Tilly’s magic food bowl and set it ready to open in 8 hours time, topped up her biscuit bowl, then packed bags and popped the cheesecake into a cool bag

B24. 26th September

NB Oleanna

*Kiln Pontoon to King’s Marina, Newark* There were several jobs we wanted to do whilst still being on the pontoon. The dishwasher had a clean cycle, the wet dry vac was used to go through the boat and then retreated

Seasonal shifts

Pickingupducks

That is it. We have worked the last locks for a month or so (at least for our boat – we’ve already offered to lockwheel for some friends, gluttons for punishment as we are!). We are just 8 miles from

Frankness. 24th 25th September

NB Oleanna

*Kiln Pontoon, Newark* **Newark Northgate** This morning we were up and walking to Newark Northgate to catch a train northwards. Mick had a hospital appointment in Scarborough to attend and it would give us the opportunity to visit our friend

All aboard!

NB Herbie

Yes dear reader, we are still alive (not sure about 'and kicking') and Herbie is till afloat and we are on board for a week. CRT promised an October 1 update on the closure of the canal hereabouts and true

Ten Pound Pies. 23rd September

NB Oleanna

*Opposite Kiln Pontoon, Newark to Kiln Pontoon, Newark* Whilst having our morning cuppa in bed we could hear a boat across the way on the pontoon heading off. A peek out of the front blinds, it was the smaller of

Out Of Our Hands

NB Oleanna

**21st September** *Hazelford Lock* Today was a work day for me, a couple of panto meetings to fill the day. However the day started off with conversations with Chris who hosts the blog. His servers were having some problems, we’d

Cruising Back To Blogging.

NB Oleanna

Here’s hoping our blogging woes have all been sorted. One thing that will be a bit different for a while is that Mick will be updating our blog roll manually, as and when, rather than it being automatic. We also

The Sumpners Ashore – 2026 Tour 10

The Sumpners Afloat

**Week 10 – Sep 21st** **to 27th – Take me back to dear Old Blighty ** And yes – I can sing that song, verse and chorus! **Day 62 – Monday** – Our last Monday was a beautiful one –

Pont à Bar (boat painting)

NB Chalkhill Blue

**Monday 21 September** ──────────────────────────────── [][1] ──────────────────────────────── Feeling good to be back on board ──────────────────────────────── As is often the case when we book tickets to and from France, we forget the significance of the day we’re travelling. We often inadvertently find