Leaving Friends & Moored In Fenny Compton

After spending a really lovely week in Cropredy Marina with our friends Kevin & Shirley and having lots of fun with them playing games enjoying some lovely meals and drinking too much it was time to say our goodbyes.

Shirley, Kevin,Sharon & Me

A big thank you to you both for taking us shopping and just being great friends. So on Saturday the 23rd we slipped our lines and left the Marina.
Kevin & Shirley met us at the bottom of the Claydon 5 locks and locked wheeled us through the locks in double quick time, 30 minutes from bottom lock to the top lock. So again we said our goodbyes at the top lock with the knowledge that we will be seeing Kevin & Shirley again soon.

Kevin & Shirley Lock Wheeling For Us.

Me & Shirley

Closing The Gate At Claydon Top Lock

A Wave Goodbye, see you both soon.

The weather was good with the sun making an occasional appearance and had a very enjoyable cruise up to Fenny Compton where we are staying for a few days.

One for our farmer friend Phil he likes tractors

These swans with their 2 signets have adopted this Canada goose 

 We will be making our way to Napton then on to Braunston. We are hoping that my niece Hannah and Mike and there little girl Elsie-May will visit us on the 6th February.

 A few Pictures I took from the galley window of the birds at the feeder

A lovely Pair of Blue Tits 

Great To See Two Robin's Together

Time Travelled Saturday 3 Hrs Distance Travelled 5 Miles 8 Locks.

Total Distance Travelled 1053.5 Miles 

207 Locks (Broad )521 single locks and 18 tunnel's, 10 Massive Lock

Total Tunnel length 10957 yards   

Total Time 563.5 hours  

We Are Loving It so Much

On The Move Then Iced In At Cropredy

Sunday morning we woke to a rather grey morning. As our friends kevin & Shirley from N/B Jenny Wren had arranged for us to moor in Cropredy marina for a couple of days we set off around 10.30 down to the winding hole below Banbury lock.

We had a very nice cruise up to cropredy and were a little surprised to find ice on the canal in some exposed places but it was very thin.

We arrived at Cropredy at 1.30 and moored next to Kevin & Shirley. We had been invited for a late/ very early christmas dinner aboard Jenny Wren. Kevin & Shirley have only had christmas day of in the last 3 months due to there work so sunday was there christmas day and we were very pleased to have been invited to join them.

Christmas Table Laid

Me & Kevin Hats And All

Sunday night we had a hard frost with the temperature getting down to -3 in the cratch of Tacet. The marina had a sheet of ice over it and no boats moved on the marina however one boat was breaking ice on the canal but going very slow as the ice was quite thick. We had another hard frost Tuesday night down to -2.7 the marina is well and truly frozen solid. We are booked in to stay till Friday but may have to stay until the ice goings. We are very lucky to be in the marina as we are hooked up to electric and are safe and warm.

Frosty Start to The Day

Frosty In The Marina

Cropredy Church

Frozen Oxford canal

Rather Icey on The Side Of This Bpoat

Frozen Cob Web

Time Travelled Sunday 3 Hrs Distance Travelled 4 Miles 6 Locks.

Total Distance Travelled 1048.5 Miles 

207 Locks (Broad )513 single locks and 18 tunnel's, 10 Massive Lock

Total Tunnel length 10957 yards   

Total Time 560.5 hours  

We Are Loving It so Much

Squirrels At The Fat Balls

Well we are still in Banbury beginning to feel like its our second home, however we will be moving on this sunday back to Cropredy to meet up with Kevin & Shirley for a couple of days.

We have been feeding the birds whilst moored here and Mr Squirrel also helped himself to the fat balls which we didn't mind as it's been very cold here for the last couple of days with frosts overnight making for a very crisp morning.
So here are a few photos of Mr Squirrel on the towpath towpath near to Tacet.

The Best  Of The Bunch I Think

Enjoying His Fat Ball

I Think He Heard The Shutter Go & He Sat U For Me

Another Nice Photo I Think

Easy Reach To The Fat Ball's 

Very Agile This One

Just A Quick Up Date

Well we are still in Banbury and having a very relaxing time. 

We had Kevin & Shirley round for a meal on Thursday. It was one of the Hairy Bikers casseroles which Sharon prepared and cooked in the Wonderbag. 

It was fantastic and enjoyed by all of us.

We woke to a frost this morning but by the time we were up and ready to take a photo or two it had been melted away by the sun.

Just a few photos of the visitor we had outside the Galley window today. Lovely little Robin. 

This couple were enjoying the ride on Spiceball Park. I did ask permission from them to post it and they agreed to it, thank you, they wanted our blog site so they can have a look.

Just Outside The Galley Window

I've Got The Last Berry

As Close As I Could Get

Funnily Enough I Am Reading This Book Know

A Rather Soggy Toepath

A Couple Enjoying The Day

Eddy And His Best Garfield Impression

Friends & Family Visiting

Tuesday the 29th and we had are usual cup of tea in bed before setting about tidying up a little as our friends Roger and Anita were coming to see us for a couple of days.
At around 1.30 they arrived and we had lunch and a really good chat. Roger and Anita have shares in Dragonfly the boat we had shares in before we brought Tacet.

Roger & Anita with Their Daughter Ellen
This Photo was Taken At Shardlow In August

That evening we went out for a meal at the olde Reindeer pub in Banbury which was ok but not great !!!.
Wednesday we all went for a walk around the town and look for some bargains but found nothing we wanted.
Just after lunch we had to say goodbye to Roger & Anita, its always a little sad when family and friends go but we know we will be seeing then again when our adventure ends.

New years eve and my cousin Johnny arrives around 3.00 PM. We knew Johnny birthday was soon but we discovered it was actually on New Years Eve and it was a very special one ( he can get the state pension now ). Johnny and I went for a few drinks that evening and returned to Sharon and Tacet to see in the new year. So with a bottle of bubble opened we toasted in the New Year.

New Year's day and we decided as it was a nice day to go for a cruise up to Cropredy and then back, so at 9.30 we set off. We had a really lovely cruise and I showed Johnny how to work the locks and as he has his own boat  ( plastic one) he took to handling Tacet easily.

Me, Sharon And My Cousin Johnny

Me And Johnny

I Think We Locks !! Great On New Year's Day

Johnny Learning How To Work A Lock

On returning to Banbury we found the mooring we had left was still free so we are moored back in Banbury in the same place as we were over christmas.
Saturday after having a good breakfast we had to say our farewells to Johnny and hope to see him again soon.

We have had a truly wonderful christmas time with our son's and fiancee visiting us and then friends and my cousin.

Time Travelled New Year's Day 4 Hrs, Distance Travelled 7 Miles 6 Locks.

Total Distance Travelled 1055.5 Miles 

207 Locks (Broad )513 single locks and 18 tunnel's, 10 Massive Locks

Total Tunnel length 10957 yards   
Total Time 564.5. hours  

We Are Loving It so Much