Fluffy lambs on the Northern Oxford - Braunston to Brinklow

(Boat Chalice - posted by Cath)

Pleasant mooring near Braunston's well known church spire.

Another beautiful morning. Alan and I walked Odin a short distance first thing then we had breakfast. Alan wanted to go into Tradline Fenders, but they don't open until 9:30.

Patient dog at Hilmorton locks.

I got on with things at the boat, when Alan staggered back with a new front fender for Chalice, which he and David spent some time adding new chains and fitting it to hang at the right height. So we didn't set off until after 11:00. We are not early starters, but that is really late for us.

Perfecting the scruffy boater look!

The old boatmen and women who worked their boats into Birmingham were told by the canal companies to travel back to London via the 'Bottom Road', which they hated. It went through the Midlands coalfields and was notoriously dirty and greasy. I have read that it was the 'Idle Women', the wartime volunteers recruited off the land that changed this. The women 'trainees' who stayed the course were articulate and educated, and decided that the whole thing was silly, so refused to do it - and the boat people followed their lead.

Not so much "Viking Afloat" as "Viking Aground"!

I've always thought that the name 'Bottom Road' reflects the different perspective of the boat people. It is the Northern Oxford Canal, the Coventry Canal and the Birmingham and Fazely Canal. The route skirts Birmingham to the East, then goes into Birmingham from the North East. To me, used to maps, this isn't a 'bottom road' - because the approach to Brum is further north on the map. The boat people, however, were illiterate, and because they were unschooled didn't know the conventions of maps. They had a different view of how the canals connected together. I don't know why they considered it the 'bottom road', but I'd be interested to find out why.

Trying to pull them off was far more effort than we had expected.

Alan also dislikes the 'Bottom Road', but not because it is dirty, the coalfields of Coventry and Nuneaton are long since gone. No, he doesn't like it because there are not enough locks. He gets bored steering the boat for a long time without the diversion of a few locks. So he wanted to go into Birmingham via Hatton - a long, flight of big, deep, double locks.  He was told by David and I that we are not going that way with Odin, not yet. Odin has made incredible progress, but we still need to keep a close eye on him. He wears a buoyancy aid and a harness when we are not on the move because he does occasionally wobble a bit still. He hasn't got the stamina to walk up the long flight while we work the locks, and would be a hindrance up the flight if he was in the engine room where he often lies on his bed while we are boating. Alan saw the sense in our argument, so we are travelling the Bottom Road - but I have agreed to do a lot of the steering. I consider this a delight with spring in full bloom and the lambs frolicking in the Oxfordshire fields. Whether I still think it is a good idea in the rain remains to be seen.

It would have been massively easier with "Sickle"!

The journey was largely uneventful, we stopped for shopping in Rugby, then had a brief interlude pulling a 'Viking Afloat' hire boat off the muddy bank where they had wedged themselves. We were not quite sure how they had got quite so stuck, it took both boats going at full chat with someone on the front with a boat pole to pull them off.

We moored near to Brinklow - the weather changes tomorrow...


Braunston to Brinklow

Miles: 15 (Chalice), 0.0 (Sickle), Locks: 3

Total Miles: 82.9, Locks: 39

Stoke Bruerne to Braunston - music in the tunnels

(Boat Chalice - posted by Cath)

Approaching Blisworth tunnel

Alan and I  took Odin for an early morning walk through the woodland path at Stoke Bruerne. He seemed quite subdued and tired. We checked him over carefully, and decided that he was just tired by all the excitement the previous day, although it was possible that he had managed to pull one of his back legs - so a very gentle day for him.

Cath's Dad Jim would doubtless have approved of his cornet being used here!

Straight into Blisworth Tunnel, where David decided to practice his cornet. The acoustics in the tunnel are wonderful, I've played melodeon in the tunnel in the past, but the sound made by the cornet is really rich. David has only relatively recently restarted playing a brass instrument having done some trumpet at school a decade ago. There were no other boats in the tunnel, so a quick and easy passage.

Clear run through Blisworth - nothing to pass this time.

Alan and I took turns to steer over the long pound up towards Whilton. At Stowe Hill I jumped off with Odin to allow for the call of nature, and he bounded about, showing no sign of the subdued dog of only a few hours earlier. It's very difficult to get the balance right. He's keen to get off the boat and bounce around, but doesn't understand how quickly he tires. We allow him off the boat for short, controlled walks - a little bit at a time, and monitoring his progress carefully.

 

Floating nest - somehow they seem to cope with a moving home!

Ryan Dimmock passed with his loaded motor "Southern Cross".

We worked up the Whilton locks with the cheerful crew of a hire boat from Braunston. The woman said "My husband's been saying he wanted to do this for years. I've hired this boat for our 30th Anniversary this weekend - I now wish we'd done it ages ago".

Starting to move up Buckby lock flight.

Rapid progress sharing with another boat.

Into Braunston tunnel, with a lot of diesel fog - we couldn't see the other end, and the one boat approaching us appeared to have a red headlight until it was close. David practiced cornet again, and was asked by the passing boat to play more. He is still re-learning the mouth 'embouchure', and getting the muscle control back, so makes the occasional mistake, especially on higher notes, but it's good to hear him playing. He has my late father's cornet - I'm sure my Dad would have thought playing in the tunnel was great fun. He once arrived to meet us on the boat, pulled his cornet out from the folds of his raincoat and serenaded us down the canal with 'Hearts of Oak', 'A Life on the Ocean Wave' and other nautically themed tunes.c9,

We stopped mid-flight to buy diesel and Calor gas grom Jules' Fuels

Braunston tunnel

Braunston locks are much easier to do than Whilton, being about only two thirds the depth, so much less work - but they took far longer than we expected, waiting for other boats. Odin happily trotted up and down, meeting other dogs, and lying in the cool shade by the locks. We found a nice mooring, overlooking parkland with chestnut trees heavy with floral candles, hedges filled with blossom, and the field dotted with fluffy white sheep. We headed off to the Boathouse for a meal, where Odin charmed all the waitresses.

Just one boat passed in Braunston seemed to appreciate the cornet playing!

Whilst piling works go on we had to use this dredger as our waiting point.

I do love this boating lark....

Stoke Bruerne to Braunston
Miles: 20.5 (Chalice), 0.0 (Sickle), Locks: 13

Total Miles: 67.9, Locks: 36

A nicely relaxed day, where all just went well.

(Boat Chalice - posted by Cath)

Crossing the modern aqueduct in Milton Keynes

It's been a really glorious day. Odin seems more calm about going boating today. He's not felt the need to rush around, just lie on the back deck, or on his bed in the engine room, and watch the world go by.

Glorfious weather in Stoke Bruerne's "Long Pound"

First thing we checked Sickle, locked her up on her mooring, and set off north in Chalice. Most of the journey is lockless, so we've steered around the east and north of Milton Keynes. The hedges are in full bloom, hawthorn and whitethorn, and the trees are full of birds and birdsong.

Water (and beer!) stop complete at Stoke Bruern's "Boat Inn"

There is a small lock at Cosgrove, then another long section without locks until you get to the Stoke Bruerne flight. Odin got off at the bottom of the flight, full of the joys of life, trotting happily up the locks. Not, luckily, thinking that he is OK to do 'the zoomies', or jump up, just trot along, and stop at the locks to talk to people. 

The sun shone all day - Stoke Bruerne tunnel pond moorings.

We arrived at the top of the flight of 7 locks at 4:30, filled the tank with water, and went to moor up - an early stop for us. Then we went for a walk in the woodland with Odin.

Odin has always been compledtely calm with horses!

Finally, it will be a meal in the Boat pub, and then off for an early night - we've all had a difficult few weeks and could do with a rest.














Fenny Stratford to Stoke Bruerne
Miles: 17.6, Locks: 8

Total Miles: 47.40, Locks: 23

Odin Goes Boating Again

(Boats Chalices & Sickle - posted by Cath)

Breasted up down Seabrook locks.

Since leaving hospital nearly 3 weeks ago Odin has had three checkups. One at the hospital, and two at our local vets. We had told our vet that we wanted to take Odin boating, if he was up to it, so on Tuesday 13th May, she checked him over again. She continues to be happy with his progress, so said that it was OK to take him boating, as long as we follow some fairly obvious rules:

• wear a buoyancy aid - because he's still a bit wobbly
• take it easy
• lift him on and off the boat - no big jumps

Happy dog!

Given what he has been through recently, is it a good idea to take him boating? 
At home we are carrying him up stairs - in the last day or so he has started to walk downstairs, but is very reluctant to go upstairs. He sleeps in our bedroom, and carrying even a small and cooperative Labrador upstairs is hard work - we are worried about what will happen if we trip.

Odin's chosen spot for much of Friday

He needs to be gently rehabilitated - short walks. We live in a quiet close, but the road that it connects to is busy, and he finds that disturbing at the moment, so it involves lifting him into the car, then driving elsewhere to take him for a short walk.

As he gets better he is starting to get bored, but doesn't have huge amounts of energy to investigate things.

Still happy dog!

On the boat he can be lifted on and off much more easily than carrying him upstairs. He can go for short walks between locks, when he's not walking he is watching the world go by from the boat. Our vet said that we can ring at any time if we have concerns while they are open, if they are shut, we can ring the Royal Veterinary College. If we are really concerned, then our son can drive to us in less than two hours to take Odin back to support services near our home. 

Yes, there is a small degree of concern about taking him away from our home, but to be honest, there was concern the moment we took him away from the hospital - how were we going to deal with it? We have to take him out boating sometime, or we will never go....

Thursday 15th May

We went down to the boat, loaded everything, and Odin was sick, not a lot, but he was sick. Fortunately the boat has carpet tiles - which were removed and scrubbed under an outside tap. Earlier in the day I had given him some dog treats - biscuits - the first he had had since being ill, and it looks like they are just a bit too much for his sensitive stomach. We spent the night on our moorings.

Friday 16th May

Slapton Lock

Because Odin was sick yesterday evening , we gave him a bit of the 'sensitive' tinned food, but the rest of his food today has been his normal Labrador specific 'kibble'. He hasn't shown any more signs of being sick. Hurray!

We set off at about 9:15, moving both boats. It's been a long day, moving two boats is always harder than moving one, it takes longer, and you don't get breaks from steering. Apart from waiting for locks, and a short stop at Tesco in Leighton Buzzard, we've been going solidly all day - finally mooring Sickle at her home mooring after 7 pm.

We may gloss over what caused us to briefly be going opposite ways!

It's been a glorious day. Odin had a few short walks on short flights of locks, and has watched the world go by from the back deck. He has been really good about not trying to jump off the boat at locks, and allowing us to pick him up to lift him on and off.






Cooks Wharf to Fenny Stratford
Miles: 14.9 (Chalice), 14.9 (Sickle), Locks: 15
Total Miles: 29,8, Locks: 15

A trip on a widebeam

I was invited to go on a trip on QEF Jubilee as the guest of a journalist who was writing an article on the boat for the magazine Towpath Talk.

QEF - Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People have recently done a major refurbishment of a widebeam boat which is now based in Hemel Hempstead and is available for hire to disabled people and their families and groups.  The boat is 12' 6" wide and 55' long.

QEF Jubilee at Fishery Lock, Hemel Hempstead

It is very stable, with eight berths including facilities for three wheelchair users.

There were representatives from QEF as well as my journalist friend; a journalist from Able magazine (Sophie Partridge - herself a wheelchair user); and a journalist from the local Hemel Hempstead Gazette, who was taking photos and videoing interviews. Additionally there were two crew for the boat, one of whom, Alan, trains hirers in steering and use of the boat.

Obviously, the boat has a great deal more space internally than a narrowboat, and is very stable. Clutter is kept to a minimum, but it is well appointed and comfortable.

Lift area at the rear of the boat - the steps lift out

There are two wheelchair lifts, one at the back, allowing access to the boat from the very large cruiser stern and another at the front, which raises the wheelchair giving a good view forward and allowing access to wheel steering or steering via a joystick.  I was impressed at how quick these lifts were, without being too fast for comfort.

Wheel and joystick steering at the front of the boat

This photo shows the seating area at the front of the boat, with the wheelchair lift. As at the back of the boat the steps lift out. The boat can be steered from front or back.

At the front there is also a roof slide immediately above the wheel steering.

Bedroom with hoist

The ceiling of the boat has hoists to assist wheelchair users to get into bed, or onto the sofas during the day, and for those with greater need there is a hospital bed and hoist.


 

Wet room/toilet

There is a disabled toilet and wet room, as well as a separate toilet.

Bunk room with two bunks

Accommodation also includes two bunk rooms.

The large cruiser stern, with additional seating

I was even allowed to try steering for a while.

The QEF Jubilee is particularly designed for families or for small groups of disabled people to travel with able bodied carers or friends. It is based just north of Hemel Hempstead on the Grand Union Canal.

You can find out more about it, and how to book at VASD

Pricing currently starts at £700 per week (Saturday to Friday) for low season, rising to £850 for high season. The boat is also available for day hire (including skipper if required). 

Thanks to QEF (and my journalist friend) for the opportunity to see this boat, and for a really interesting day out.

Planning 2014 Revisited!

(Posted by Alan)

Since I published our plans for events in 2014, we have been completely scuppered for the first part of the year by "Odin's" life threatening illness, major surgery, and hospitalisation over 2 weeks.

We have already missed our first planned event, are about to miss the second, and have already concluded that even if "Odin" makes the fastest possible recovery, we also still need to sacrifice at least one of the next two, and it has to be the one involving "Sickle", as it needs Odin to be able to make large leaps in and out of the cabin.  This is clearly a non-starter for some weeks, whereas lifting him on and off of "Chalice" is relatively straightforward, if required, and should ease him back far more gently into life afloat.

So the revised, cut down list is now as follows......

Missed or can't attend.

Fri 18^th – Mon 21^st April – HNBC Easter Gathering – Foxton ("Sickle & "Chalice")

Sat 3^rd – Mon 5^th May - Historic Tug Event - Black Country Living Museum ("Sickle" inside museum, "Chalice" outside)

Sat 17^th – Sun 18^th May – Rickmansworth Canal Festival ("Sickle")

Still Possible, if things go well.

Sat 24^th – Sun 25^th May – BCNS 24 hour Marathon Challenge ("Chalice")

[Our debut for this growingly popular event - if we can still get "Chalice" there in time]

Fri 13^th – Sun 15^th June – Stoke Bruerne Canal Gala (at least "Sickle")

Sat 28^th – Sun 29^th June – Braunston Historic Boats (at least "Sickle")

Sat 26^th - Sun 27^th July - Audlem Festival of Transport ("Sickle" and probably "Chalice")

[Sadly this means we can't do Linslade Festival, which we have been doing in previous years]

Sat Aug 23^rd - Mon Aug 25^th - Alvecote Historic Boat Gathering ("Sickle" and probably "Chalice")

[Event assumed to be on this date - no announcement I can find yet)]

Sat 13^th – Sun 14^th Sept - Stoke Bruerne Village at War ("Sickle)

Update on Odin - good news

Over the last couple of days Odin has developed an upset stomach - well, that's putting it mildly. He has quite bad diarrhoea. Then early this morning he was sick, not much, nothing that we would normally be concerned about, but in the circumstances it needed to be checked. So, he was not fed before we took him back to the hospital this morning for his check up, 5 days after being discharged.

He was quite happy to be back at the hospital, quite excited, and greeted the vet enthusiastically. We went through the discussion of progress, and the vet took Odin off - as we were told that there were quite a few people who wanted to see him again. After that he was examined, we had a further discussion, and we took him off home again.

The upset tummy is probably nothing to be worried about, he was on a whole range of different antibiotics while in the hospital, and this may well have affected his natural 'gut flora', and while we were told to give him extra food, it may be that this has just been too much for him. So, he's now on a week of 'recovery diet - a bland, but complete, food to help his insides to get back to normal. He has gained a bit of weight, so they are less worried about his low weight, so we will work to just maintain his weight for the next week, or at most, put only a little weight back on.

He is walking well - the vet said that his gait looks normal. There is still some cognitive impairment when tested for, but these things are likely to continue to improve, and even better, there is evidence of the return of the 'menace response' in his right eye. His eye shows a response when a light is shone in it, but he wasn't moving or blinking to any threat or menace - something approaching his eye - showing that he wasn't seeing in it. It's not completely fixed, but this is really good news, it means that he is likely to get his sight back on the right hand side.

Yesterday evening he was lively and wanted to play games - which we kept to only very tame while he still has a row of staples in his abdomen. Today he went for a short walk and obviously thinks that he is Superdog - it's only keeping a very close rein on him and watching him very carefully that we are stopping him from running around, walking up steps, or jumping into (or out of) the car.

He has the staples removed on Tuesday, 6th May. Every day our dog is more like the dog he was three weeks ago, before he was ill.