That Mr Berners Lee seems to have forgotten Warwickshire when he invented the internet. The signal here is awful, so no pics today. I'll try and paint a word picture for you.
Looking out of the window this morning at across the canal at Napton I can see the customary gang of mallards, mostly still asleep, half a dozen wagtails wagging their tails, a few magpies, some unidentifiable seagulls, probably albatross or gannet I expect, some rooks above the trees up by the windmill giving grief to a poor buzzard looking for rabbits, and a bunch a shaggy looking ponies.
The sun is shining and the sky is blue. I'm going to complain to the met office. I've spent all this money on waterproofs and packed bags full of jumpers and warm shirts and now they do this to me. Yesterday my scalp got sunburnt. I've noticed that since they moved their HQ from Bracknell to Exeter, the weather has gone very wierd. They seem to have lost all control. Were it not for the hedgerows bursting with haws and the leaves turning gold, you would think it was a June morning.
Our trip so far has gone completely to plan!! Better in fact, since we arrived at Watford locks and went straight down without having to queue. Not that our descent was rapid, for we were following a hotel boat and butty. The butty had to be manhandled through all the locks. Well, woman handled actually. The poor girls pushing and shoving were looking knackered. I expect they had to rush in and cook lunch for the customers as soon as they got down the flight.
Evening no1 saw us above Braunston locks having had a scary trip through the tunnel. We met no less than six boats coming the other way, some of them on the bendy bits where you haven't a clue where the sides are what with the oncoming boats blinding you with their spotlights. Rick will be delighted to know that as we passed one of them their was a loud crack and their skipper shouted "There goes another fender".
Dinner at The Admiral Nelson was disappointing and the beer was no better. Such a pity for a pub in such a great lockside location.
Yesterday we descended Braunston locks (no keepers in sight) paired up with a hire boat and it all went very quickly. There were pairs coming up the other way so no water was wasted save that from some very leaky gates.
A quick walk up to the village for supplies at the shop, then a bite of lunch and on in the hot sun towards Napton. Lots of boats moored up on the way with their crews sitting out sunbathing. Can this really be the end of September?
Dinner last night at the Folly was lovely, as was the beer. Such a nice atmosphere too. That's how to run a canalside pub.
HERBIE! Journeys on our narrowboat and the trials and tribulations of maintaining her.
4 comments:
I liked your description of the view at Napton, it brought back vivid memories of seeing it in a warm, sunny september, 3 or 4 years ago, complete with buzzard. Maybe son of buzzard!
I know what you mean about that tunnel and the oncoming lights - tricky steering towards them, half-blinded. Sounds like there was fender karma at work.
I gave a lift through the tunnel to a BW man of many years. He told me about walking though it when it was drained of water - fascinating!
Carrie
I don't want to be a pedant, but all right, I will be. Tim Berners-Lee didn't invent the internet, he invented the web.
And your problem with getting online isn't to do with the internet, but with the mobile phone 3G signal, which only provides you with a link through to the phone people who then connect to the internet.
(Apologies!)
Andrew
Granny Buttons
Serves them right for cruising with fenders down!
Dear Andrew
Think yourself lucky I didn't call it Mr Gates's interweb. I'm never one to let the facts get in the way of a good line. Had I blamed the real culprits - 3.com, I would have turned into a grumpy old whinger.
Post a Comment