We started the day on Wednesday (22/09/2021) with a big circular walk with Vera.
We walked down from the junction with the two footbridges, crossing over the Grand Union Canal Bridge 2 and across fields and footpaths back across Bridge 1 and arrived at the Gongoozler’s Rest Cafe which operates from a narrowboat.
We had sausage and bacon sandwiches for breakfast here, with brown sauce and complementary chips.
Braunston seems to be the home of traditional wholesome food and even the Braunston Fryer boasts that their fish and chips are fried in beef dripping!
On the way back to the boat we took a picture of Hilary and Vera on the Horseley Iron Works Bridge to match the ones we have of Hilary with Herbie (our Golden Retriever) and Hilary with Cadbury (our Chocolate Labrador). Vera was not as good at striking up a pose with her paws on the bridge rail and had to peer through the bars.
We set off at 11:00 along the Oxford Canal. We saw another narrowboat with a motorbike aboard. It must be a challenge to get them on and off.
And another one. Zulu had a Triumph motorcycle aboard.
At Napton Junction we ignored the Wigrams Turn onto the Grand Union Canal to Birmingham and continued to cruise towards Napton. You can just make out the signpost on the left in this picture.
Wigrams Turn Marina was opposite the footbridge over the start of the Grand Union.
The sun was still trying to come out as we passed Napton Narrowboats where we had picked up our holiday hire narrowboat “Sophie” for the last week in September 2019.
We had a good view of Napton Windmill as we came into the village as well as a bleating brown sheep who had got stuck in a bramble bush. It did manage to get free by the time that we moored up after Napton Bottom Lock at 13:30 hrs.
We met our friend Nigel and we went to see the Potting Shed at the Folly Inn. Starting out in February as simple covered area to provide a safe environment for drinkers during the pandemic it had metamorphosed into this splendid bar and kitchen.
Under all of this clutter at this end there is actually a stage to be used for live music.
A blue tooth sound system has been incorporated so that music can be played from Spotify on a mobile phone. At the other end there is a bar and kitchen. Flower pots have been transformed into lampshades.
A wood burner provides a cosy heat on cold evenings.
We would be able to sit in here tomorrow evening. Only the new contactless payment system had to be configured before the bar could be up and running.
We walked down to the Napton P.O. Store but it had shut at 17:00 hrs. We walked back via Napton Cidery.
Steve stocked up with 6 bottles of various ciders and we also got some wine and Pipers Chorizo crisps.
Nigel provided us with an evening meal in Napton Lock Cottage and at 20:00 we returned to The Folly Inn for Ukulele Night. We were all given song sheets and were soon singing along to the live band on stage.
Nigel joined in with his harmonica and loaned his own ukulele to a friend at the next table. Later there was an open mike spot and our new best friend Gerry Goode, the singing boatman, took to the stage to belt out a blues number.
We didn’t get to bed until gone midnight.
On Thursday (23/09/2021) we awoke to this view from the bedroom window.
This morning we walked down to the village store/cafe for cooked breakfast at 08:00 when it opened. We spent the day at leisure on the boat writing blogs, reading books and watching “Manhunt“ on catch-up. Steve took Vera for a circular walk along footpaths through the fields by the canal.
Series two, Manhunt II: The Night Stalker, sees Colin Sutton investigate the real life story of a notorious serial rapist who terrorised south east London, with writer Ed Whitmore adapting the ITV series from Colin Sutton’s diaries. Martin Clunes is once again playing real-life London Metropolitan Police detective Colin Sutton.
In the evening we dined in the garden of The Folly Inn.
Since the pandemic began nobody has been allowed to drink inside the actual pub and the large garden area has been developed for a safe eating and drinking environment from an infection control point of view.
As it got dark and cold we were able to move into The Potting Shed.
We sat with some friends of Nigel who were on a 2 week holiday on Napton Narrowboat Laura and they regaled us with tales from 45 years of narrowboat holidays.
We returned to The Duke at 21:00 and retired for an early night after Steve and Vera had a final walk along the tow path.
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