Wednesday 10th April
Yesterday we did a recce mission to Banbury on the bus. The bus journey took 15 minutes and cost £4-30, how do they work these prices out? We mainly wanted to suss out the location of moorings in relation to B and Q which we had a growing shopping list for, including having some paint mixed. We took the RAL codes in so we could order the paint and pick it up today but apparently their new machine doesn’t recognise RAL codes. They said could we provide a sample of the colour. I said I would paint a bit on a piece of cardboard and we would take it in today.
So today we have come by boat, the 3 miles and 3 locks from Cropredy to Banbury. We moored first near bridge 163, the footbridge which goes more or less straight to B and Q and went off to do our shopping. We took in our sample but being gloss it was too shiny to scan so after some discussion with several members of the paint mixing team (including a lad called Matt!) it was decided that they couldn’t do what we wanted. They suggested we went to the Dulux Decorating Centre behind Kwik Fit. We did get the other items we required including a new shower head, 2 mop heads, 2 hose connectors (we keep leaving ours at the water points) and a pole to put the tv aerial on. Bet you’re fascinated!
After returning to the boat with our purchases we set off to go to Tooley’s. Passing Sovereign Narrowboats (who are notorious for their flexible opening hours) and finding them open (they were not open yesterday when we walked past) we decided to go back, get the boat and get some diesel, in case they weren’t open when we move on later in the week.
Having got diesel and water we reversed up and moored up again. Then we set off again to go up to Tooley’s and see if we could get some paint there and we wanted a diesel siphon. We couldn’t get either but the chap there also suggested the Dulux place for the paint and said he uses Dulux Weathershield on his boat. So off we went to the Dulux Decorating Centre, gave them the RAL codes and got the paint mixed in minutes, brilliant!
We did a couple more things in the town by which time it was well past time for a pint so we went in The Exchange. While we were in there we decided neither of us could be bothered to think about what we wanted for dinner or go to the shop and buy something so we had a meal in the pub instead! We will go to Morrison’s tomorrow.
I have also got to find a hairdresser willing to tackle my bush faggot hair. This is my last chance to get it cut before the wedding.
