Monday 20th August 2007
Ansty - Braunston (19˝ miles, 3 locks)
We cruised down to Stretton Stop before breakfast and were relieved to see that the boatyard at Rose Narrowboats was open since we needed a toilet pump-out within the next day or so. I also asked for a gas cylinder, but was informed that they couldn't take the old cylinder since it was Flo-gas rather than Calor. This was the first time we had needed gas since buying Sophie-Jane No.2 last May.
Apparently, Flo-gas is really common, except on the canal network, so we decided to sign-up with Calor to rent one of their cylinders. I shall go through the same process again with the other cylinder when that is empty, before returning both cylinders to our nearest Flo-gas dealer....
Then it was on to All Oaks Corner where we stopped for breakfast with a family of swans.
By the time we were approaching Newbold, there was quite a procession of boats in front. The boat behind me was in a bit of a hurry so I let him pass so he could hassle the boat in front. Maybe we need the "keep two chevrons apart" rule on the canals as well.
At Rugby, we moored by the park and went Tesco shopping and then set off for Hillmorton Locks. I wondered if we would get there in time for lunch at the famous café, but we missed out on two counts. First, we had arrived at five past two, and second, they were closed on Mondays - in fact, from memory, they seemed to be closed most days of the week....
On the way to Braunston, we got stuck behind two hire-boats. They kept dropping children off at one bridge hole and picking them up later, swapping between boats, running aground, driving diagonally and crashing into banks and bridges. I don't think it occurred to them that they could have let us past. It took hours to reach Braunston where we got the last mooring by the marina entrance.