Up & Back...

We  left Banbry after an overnighter and headed for Cropredy where, after a change of plans, we turned and had a sunny trip back to Banbry. A return on the same stretch of canal but like we told Dale, who is the sightseeing subject, it all looks different going the opposite way.

We moored for another night then today headed for Ayhno with a planned stop in the country.
The mid morning weather was fine but had a little bite in the wind. By early afternoon it was warm and sunny again.


Leonie and Dale doing the locking. I told  Dale the easiest way is to...

Put your Arse against the beam and push.....


Then I gave her a steering lesson that didn't last long as...

36 seconds later we were heading hard right toward the bank....


Leaving Banbry we passed a fellow NZ boater sharing the trip with her sister.....

On the seat with a fellow NB'er probably talking about the great taste of the fresh mushrooms we shared with them..

 

Out on the cut and leonies in control.. as usual...

Sharing her latest baking... chocolate rough... with Dale....


We moored up past Twyford Wharf with Kings Sutton in the distance and it was time...

To get the washing dry on the tow path.... and on the front of the boat...


But when the wind died  it was time to place the rack on.....

 

Top of the NB roof....


Leonie and Dale decided to walk to Kings Sutton. You have to back track to Twyford Wharf  to cross the river Cherwell then make your way across public walk ways...

I was doing some general maintenance on the boat then I stood up and looked across the fields and I thought I was....

 

Seeing, far in the distance, thanks to the camera zoom, a remake of the  "Great  Escape".

"The plan was to make the Swiss Alps by dusk"....


The washing dried so after a failed "Escape" it was....

 

Back to reality and the "Chinese Laundry"....


Which brings me to the reason why we did a quick Eweeee  at Cropredy. I needed a repeat of a prescription so went to the local doctors only to be told they wouldn't issue one, as we already have had at Chester and Audlum, unless I saw a doctor. That's was cool by me so the appointment time was for 5pm.
Didn't have to wait much past 5.20pm so into the Doc,s room I'm invited. Checks out what I need then says" no problem but we only do 1 week lots".
"Your joking" I say but he wasn't. How can a NB,er be expected to return every 7 days for prescriptions.
Anyway he relented and stretched it out to 28 days... Gee Thanks... Cost on pickup... 31quid....
So while I'm in the Docs, room I ask "can you check my blood pressure"
"I can but it won't do any good" he answers
Sort of silence cos I haven't heard that answer for that question  from a Doctor before
"really" I say...
"Yeah you would be better to buy the gear and do it youself, you know regulary because it can change"
"OOHH'' I say still sitting  like a Stunned Mullet
Now if I had a serious blood pressure condition self monitoring every day would be the answer, but I don't, just being there seemed like a good time for a check as it hasn't been done for 9 months.
So I left the Doc,s without the test, hope my Blow Off Valves working OK......

 

 

 

Mussheess......

Up at the crack of dawn, about 9.30am, and prepared to set off to take our NZ visitor Dale on a Tiki tour of the whole canal network.
Well at least a trip as far as Cropredy and return to Aynho.
The morning was mild but quite foggy  but when the skies cleared after midday it was quite warm.

Approaching Aynho Weir lock we spied several mushrooms in the farmers paddock. Quickly into reverse thrust with the intention of nosing into the bank alighting and picking a few fresh mushees then escaping back to the boat seemed like a good plan.
Then Leonie suggested as the lock was close she would walk back down the paddock while I showed Dale how to operate a Lock. No sweat.
And the plan was going awesome, I had the NB in the lock, Leonie was head down and arse up picking fresh mushrooms, when the farmer drove to and across the bridge above the lock to feed out some cattle.
Christ I said to Dale hope Leonie's back before he returns from dropping off the hay.
But no, the picking was too good, too easy, there must be a prize if she fills  the whole bloody bag.

The farmer returns and crosses the bridge then parks up his JCB then walks to the centre of the bridge looking down on me and Dale and two hikers who were just passing.
"Who's the Lady out in the paddock " he says, the hikers say they didn't know she wasn't with them, Dale looks at me I put the NB in forward" Fast' and exit the lock.
The next lock, Nell Bridge, is only 400 metres  further on so we'll wait there should be safe.

The story goes that the farmer then drove his JCB to meet Leonie probably realizing her bag would be too heavy to carry. After a short but pleasant conversation where Leonie even offered to share or forfeit the booty the nice farmer said " no, on yer way".


Leonie returns from paddock shopping..... caught up at the next lock....

It wasn't a Tesco drop off....


Not a bad sight....

 

 

3 Quid a kilo....


after a bit of cleaning they were ready for......

Eating with some ham, didn't have bacon, fried in butter...


Or.......

In a mushroom sauce....

Leonie gave some to the hikers when she caught up to them on the towpath, an Aussie couple on a hire boat and some kiwis on a boat in Banbury along with a pommie fellow boater in Banbury....

Tomorrow Truffles.....

The Palace and the Princess........

Continuing on from yesterday we moved to the Library room at Blenheim Palace.
The Oak flooring is the only original timber flooring left.
Oak trees were planted on the estate for milling and there are still original trees standing, each one numbered, 1200 years old..










The Oak flooring in the library..... they've got the ghost like  creaking....

We moved on to the outdoors.....




Capability Brown designed landscaping....

 

The hedge trimmers must have laser level eyes....

 

I reckon this architecture would turn heads in a spinal injury ward.....

 

Capability wanted people to look beyond the foreground sculpture.....   I did...

 

The lake was hand dug... took 10 years.... and two years to fill.... 45 hectares and up to 7 metres deep...

 

 Then we caught the train to the walled garden, butterfly house and the maze....

 

 Dale had just told this lady...

 

 

 She used her gold card and didn't have to pay.......  On a free ride......

The butterfly house had plenty of info and learning activities for kids....

Don't know the make or model of these..... I'm a slow learner...

 

 

Onto the maze which we were able to enter and then find the exit in reasonable time....

More "Amazing" hedge trimming.... in the foreground the word Blenheim is spelt....

So that was Blenheim Palace. Really is  worth a visit.....


Took Dale around the Cotswolds  but  Iv'e already done those photos....

Did come across a nice line up of...

 

 

A Mini Sprite and 3 Mini Coopers.....

 

 

And this mini..  instead of oil changes it's going to require regular clipping....

 

 

 

Been Blessed...... ???....

Leonie and myself travelled to Gatwick in the race tuned Focus to pickup our best's friend Dale from Napier NZ. On her  first visit to the UK she's going to spend a few days on the NB while we show her some Sights...

Being from the Tuwharetoa tribe ancestry and with a title of Whahine Princess it only seemed right that one of her first duties upon stepping foot on FirefireNZ would be to bless the boat, it seemed appropriate, and all that sailed on here ensuing safe travels..

We arrived from Gatwick about 8.45pm and after opening the rear hatch  and turning on the light I explained the safe way to enter the boat.
Hold onto to hatch handle with one hand and proceed to step down the 3 steps.
All good except theirs 4 steps and WHAM, BAMM  Dale ends up crashed face down on the floor jammed between the starboard inner wall and the bed base. In her own words like that she was anybodies....

Fearing the worst for broken bones, after all the NB wasn't yet blessed, a slow arising checked out ok.
Welcome aboard....

The next day a couple of bruises didn't stop the ritual...

Dale the "Whahine Princess blesses the boat.... Coffee with out milk or sugar was the closest we had to Holy Water....

Next day we took a trip to Blenheim Palace .......




What a Pad,   the birth place of Sir Winstone Churchill....

 

Once inside the outer walls  through the outer then inner walls...

 

The court yard is a reasonable size...

As can be seen here...

This dude was raking stones....

And only had 6,899000,463 rakes to go......


The build was between 1705--1722....

Built as a gift for John Churchill, 1st Duke Of Marlbourgh, for beating up the French at the Battle Of Blenheim 1704 the Churchill family have lived here for over 300 yrs...

Saved from ruin toward the end of the 19th century by the 9th Duke Of Marlbourgh marrying Consuelo Vanderbilt who's American family at the time were richer than the USA Government...

After entering through the front doors....

 

The entry hall features some impressive art on the ceiling...


Then looking toward the dining room.....

 

Behind closed doors....

 

The Churchill family  Coat Of Arms.....


One of the greatest leaders of all time....

Sir Winstone......1874 ---- 1965.....


And after a PPUUUSSSHHH.... and a bit of a SLAPPING.........

In this very room and bed was born Sir Winstone...

On through the palace and the State rooms are very impressive....

with amazing art works....

And furniture.....


And also Tapestries...

 

Commissioned and done in Belgium the complete set of tapestries were made by 200 males, not woman, and took 8 years to do.

They were also done working  from the back of the material using mirrors and working with a mirror image..

 

 

 

The Duke took artists to battle to do quick sketches which were then "couriered" back to the tapestry workers to get accurate battle scenes....

 

 

 

 

 

The marble fire place isn't to bad either...

 

 

 

In the Reception, food hall, this table extends across the room to seat.... 

40 hungry dudes.....


And if you win a battle then when you get back home to the "Missus".....

 

She has a little modest not over the top present..... silver and weighs 8 stone.....
Any bodies pension fund.....

Tomorrow more Palace...... like it or not....