Narrowboat Just Heaven

We walked back into the docks in the morning and met Teresa (who was queueing to see Gok Wan !). We wandered round to the area by the lock and found Jim with his cannon. He was all dressed up in authentic clothing of the era.

We got a text from Nikki to say that they were coming to Gloucester as well and would be there in about 40mins so we decided to walk back to Hempstead, get the boat and come back up to Llanthony pontoons where we could have a pumpout and top up the water whilst waiting for them.

They arrived while we were still pumping out. After we had finished we arranged to moor breasted up with another boat across the other side of the channel. Meanwhile Jim had fired his gun with a tremendous bang, which frightened Izzy!

We wandered around a bit more with Nik & Paul, showed them where the Gloucester Quays was and then decided that we ought to start back up the river.

I checked with the Llanthony bridge keeper that it was OK to go through and he said he would clear it with the lock keeper and we set off. Coming through the docks with all the activity was very different! We hovered in the centre for a while waiting for the lock to open, but it didn’t. I called the keeper and he said to wait 20mins as there was a boat coming up. It was difficult to wait in the wind, so we moored up temporarily right by Jim’s cannon.

We intended to overnight at Lower Lode but there was no room, or at any of the other mooring spots below upper lode lock. So we went through upper lode and up the Avon to below the lock. It was busy with both narrowboats & cruisers and by 8 o’clock there wasnt any room and some late comers had to moor up three abreast. The weather was still hot and after a meal we went for a longish walk along the Avon and back through the town of Tewkesbury.

Saw a Mandarin duck on the way up the river to Tewkesbury.

Comments(0)

Another gloriously sunny day. We moved back up to Hempstead as we knew there would be no space in the docks, but we wanted to be within walking distance.
In the morning we walked into town and had a look around the new Gloucester Quays “designer outlet” shopping centre. Heddi spent quite a while choosing an outfit for next weeks outing to Worcester races.

We walked back to the boat for lunch and during the afternoon two more tall ships came passed.

Yesterday Pauline brought us some “Blakeney Red Sider perry” as a present. We sat in the lovely evening sunshine drinking it - really scrummy!

Comments(0)

Sister in law Pauline was due to visit for lunch. As she would be coming via Gloucester and we would also be heading that way on Friday we decided go part way to meet her today, so we went up to Parkend bridge. Pauline arrived mid morning and we took her on a short trip down to Saul to top up with diesel. She even had a go at the helm!

We came back and had lunch on the canalside in the sunshine. Just as we had finished lunch we saw coming up the canal one of the boats for the Tall Ships event, followed by an old lifeboat.

The weather was still really warm and in the late afternoon we went for a walk across the fields to Epney on the banks of the Severn and then back again across the fileds by a different route.

Comments(0)

Back up to Splatt bridge as we had planned a a barbecue with Teresa and Lins in the evening and it was a much more suitable mooring. On the way back up the canal we saw a duck-like bird that we didnt recognise. Smaller than a mallard and a sort of mottled greyish brown. We consulted our book and identified her as a Garganey. She had with her three ducklings. The RSBP site says that they are scarce. We thought that this one was probably an escapee from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which is only a mile or so away as the crow, or garganey, flies.

Got in the car and off to Tesco in Cam for supplies.

The weather improved gadually through the day, and though not warm by the evening it was OK. Not sure why we have the umbrella up as it wasnt actually raining

Comments(0)

We had arranged to meet friends Mo & Jim in the evening at the Tudor Arms Slimbridge so we did a gentle chug back down to Patch bridge. This time we moored on the Sharpness side of the bridge where access is easier. We saw two goosanders on the canal, never seen a goosander before.

Some of Heddi’s friends from school, Rachel & Steve and Tracey came with their small daughters for a visit. Unfortunately the weather changed and it was cold and wet. We took them for a short trip to Purton and back. Steve and I stood outside getting wet, while the women stayed inside warm and dry!

They left at about 12:30, we had lunch then did a few jobs around the boat until the evening when Jim and Mo arrived. We havent seen them for over a year and so the evening was spent catching up on various news. Jim is involve in a Civil War re-enactment, living history, group and, coinidently, was going to be involved in the ‘Tall Ships’ event in Gloucester docks on Saturday. We had orininally thought of leaving Gloucester early Saturday morning, but decided to delay until later in the day so we could see him in action firing a cannon!

Comments(0)

We decided that, being a bank holiday, today could be busier than yesterday so moved up to Splatt bridge near Frampton on Severn where it was much quieter and there was a good mooring with plenty of space on the grass for barbeques etc.

About 11:00 daughter Nikki, son in law Paul and grandaughter Izzy joined us and soon after freinds Jo & Eric also arrived. We took them all for a short trip to Saul, where we topped up with water, and then back to Splatt bridge where we had a picnic lunch on the grass beside the canal.

Eric hadn’t been on a narrowboat before and didnt know what to expect, he was most impressed and is now hooked!

After they had all gone we decided to walk back to Slimbridge to retrieve the car. Instead of taking the towpath we consulted an OS map and worked out a route across country with part of the way following the old Cambridge Arm. It didnt go entirely to plan and we got lost a bit but we got there in the end!

We ate on our own in the evening in lovely warm sunshine.

Comments(0)

Moved down from Hempstead to here in the morning, arrived to find only one vacant mooring. It’s not ideal for our planned family barbeque, but it will have to do.

Daughter Liz, son in law Simon, grandchildren Josh, Becca, William, Leo & Jess and father in law John all arrived at about 1:30 for the barbeque. Unfortunately where we were moored the bank was fairly steep and the grass verge quite narrow so there wan’t much room for the barbeque/picnic. There was a constant stream of walkers, cyclists and dogs going right past us. The weather was very hot and we were glad when later in the afternoon the tall willow trees gave some shade.

During the afternoon Heddi’s sister Caroline, her partner Stuart and daughter Cloe came to see us with their two enormous dogs. They have their caravan nearby for the weekend.

It was very busy with both boats and cars all day. There was chaos on the road and the water when the bridge broke down and wouldn’t open. It is a new hydraulic one which replaced the old manual one only a month or so ago. The sensors on one of the barriers failed and indicated the barrier was up when it wasnt. An engineer was called and for a couple of hours he had to stand with his hand in the mechanism operating the sensor manually!

In the evening Jan & Mike visited. Mike brought with them some excellent curries that he had made. We sat outside in the cool of the evening to eat. It was much quieter with only a few passers by on the towpath.

Comments(0)

For some reason we both had a sleepless night, so we decided to get up early, have a shower in the BW sani station and then set off about 7:00. Down through the two staircases and out onto the river. We were a bit early at Lincomb lock as the lockie doesnt start until 8:00. The weather was great all day and we had a great trip down. The plan was to stop at Ashleworth, but the Upper Lode lockie said that there was a high tide due tonight which would top the Maisemore wier. The moorings at Ashleworth are fixed, not floating, so we carried on to Gloucester.

Gloucester docks were jam packed full with boats for the forthcoming Tall Ships event so we carried on the Hempstead. Moored up at 17:30 and finished off a bottle of pink Champagne which Heddi had had for her birthday.

Comments(0)

We had moored JH by Sandfield bridge during the week, so on Saturday afternoon we parked the car where we had left it previously and set off at about 3 o’clock. We got to Gloucester about 5:00. I called the lockie and he said to moor up in the docks as he was waiting for some boats coming down river. We moored up and had a cup of tea in lovely sunshine. I wandered over to the lock in time to see two cruisers coming round the bend. I could see why he was waiting for them, there was no way they would have been able to stop in that current!

We exited the lock and immediately the current hit us. I was going at 1600rpm and hardly making any headway. All up through the narrow winding stretch the engine was working hard but we were doing less than 3mph. I began to think that we (& the engine) cant do this for the next two days. When we reached the parting with the main river it got easier, I reduced to 1400rpm and we were doing 3.0 - 3.2mph. At around 7:00pm the pub moorings at Ashleworth came into view, we decided to stop there as Haw Bridge was nearly another hour away.
Ashleworth is a lovely little place, smashing little country pub (£3.00 for mooring). We wandered round the old Tythe Barn, the church and had a look at Ashleworth Court.
Before we went to bed I noted the river level on the mooring support, so we could see if there was any difference in the morning. At about 4:00am I got up (as you do!) and looked out the window. The level risen about 2 inches, not good! But by the time we set off at 7:30 it was back to the same level as the night before.

Comments(0)

We were at Saul Festival from 3rd - 7th July, part of the ‘cutweb’ contigent.

We were two of the many ‘green tee-shirt’ volunteers, our duties were on the Information desk.

The weather wasnt very clement, but a good time was had by all.

Pictures by Angela Faull & Andrew Dyke

Comments(0)