Ho-hum

Thursday 16th August; Thrupp to Aristotle Bridge, Oxford

The promised rain woke us up at 5.  Our mooring was unfortunately under trees, so it was a bit drippy, but it didn’t keep us awake for long.  We sat it out – no rush to get going early.  It was approaching 11 when we heard merry masculine chatter coming towards us; the first day boat was on its way for a day out, looking suspiciously like a stag or birthday group.

The window was wet but the rain was easing off, and by the time we were ready to move it had stopped.  The boat moored in front beat us to the off – this was our mooring, on the bend – they had bagged the straight bit!

A few years ago we moored a bit further back and watched a kingfisher hunting from the stern of the boat moored opposite.  I did catch sight of one today, streaking down the canal as we approached the facilities wharf and the lift bridge.  We passed the Milly M but Maffi seems to have been in foreign parts!  We made full use of the services before Dave pushed off and executed a perfect turn to pass under the bridge and we were off on our way to Oxford.  There was plenty of space near the Boat by this time.

We missed the visitor mooring between bridges 223 and 224, thinking it was by the bridge, but that is permits only and the water point.  So we carried on down through Roundham lock.  We have not been impressed by the level of maintenance on the South Oxford, either locks or offside vegetation, and it got worse later.

We moored for lunch before Kidlington Green lock, then I walked back to the bridge to go up to Kidlington.  It’s quite a trek, but there is a good range of shops.  We passed the hotel boats Duke and Duchess – it will be a long job to get them both through Roundham lock with a paddle out of action.

Then we started the long slow drag into Oxford.  Long stretches are dedicated to long-term and Agenda 21 moorings, which are the rural residential moorings in the Oxford area.  Then there is a series of lift bridges, all of which which need a CRT key to release the lock so the bridge can be lifted.  At Drinkwater, the first one, someone was struggling to get her key to turn so she could open it.   This bridge has a bit of a reputation, she said, and the boater who lives on the offside had come to their rescue the previous time.  We tried my key, then both steerers turned up and between us we tried 5 keys.  We applied different levels of weight (you have to push the handle down before you insert your key) and eventually Dave joggled the thing sufficiently for it to suddenly come free.  I thought the other boat’s name was entirely appropriate to the situation ….

It was our key that worked, so they went through first.  Then it was simplicity itself to close the bridge and remove the key!  The next one has had the lock removed completely, after it had become impossible to use.  It is heavy and not well balanced, so although I could heave it up I couldn’t quite get it beyond the equilibrium point so it would stay up.  Luckily a tall elderly gentleman who was passing helped to raise it completely and kept his stick there just in case!  Then it was past the entrance to Duke’s Cut, the short cut through to the Thames, and then the last lift bridge which worked the way it was supposed to.

Once through Wolvercote lock, we started to look for a suitable mooring.  Oxford does not pay a lot of attention to the approach by canal.  It says ‘Welcome to Oxford’, but this is one of the moorings, 7-day I think  ….  you can see the post by the fence.  The railway is directly behind the fence.

Lovely, isn’t it?  A bit further on a College Cruiser was moored on something nearly as bad.  What a shame for their last night.  They should have gone on to Aristotle Bridge, which is where we were hoping to moor.  Dave held the boat on the 7-day mooring at Frenchay bridge while I jumped off and ran down to check for space, phoning back to give the all-clear.  Here he comes.

 

Check out those reflections!  no filters or anything – just my phone.

It’s a good spot.  Quiet, with a little park for Meg.  After we had eaten we strolled down through Jericho and had a beer at the Old Bookbinders.

6 miles, 4 locks, 5 lift bridges (1 open, 1 electric)