Thursday 2nd May
Today we have travelled 6 miles, 3 locks and 2 lift bridges (including 193) from Cleeves Bridge at Lower Heyford to Aynho Bridge. When we were getting water first thing we saw 2 common lizards warming themselves up in a small patch of sun. They obviously weren’t friends though because one chased the other away by biting his tail!
We had a fairly uneventful journey albeit a bit protracted. I had to hang under the balance beam at Somerton Deep Lock for ages before I was able to get it to close. These single tail gates can be difficult but at 12 ft deep Somerton is a sod to shut! The very nice woman off the boat that was following us arrived just after I had done it. I was going to stop and help her with it when they came in but they had picked up a walker who was very keen on boats and was eager to help so we carried on.
Chisnell Lift Bridge (193) was better this time as it didn’t shoot up into the air when released so I was able to get to the right side to lift it and I had another person there helping as well. No dislocated shoulders today!
We were pleased to find a mooring below Aynho Bridge so we would have a chance to moor up and go in and ask at the wharf if someone could investigate our rattle. We didn’t want to go past and have to reverse up. Their engineer was off today but he can look at it tomorrow so we will go over in the morning.
We then went off to The Great Western where we sat in the courtyard garden. They seem to have a colony of masonry bees in one of their out buildings which caused some consternation to some of the customers sitting out there. However, masonry bees are unlikely to try to sting you and if they do their sting can’t penetrate human skin anyway. I found it quite nice watching them buzzing around in and out of their holes.
So, tomorrow we will hopefully find out the cause of our rattle and get it fixed. Then we will move up to the lift bridge and stop.
