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Thursday 21/7/17.
We left early from Banbury, with me pushing the boat off and getting going about 8.00am. The day was a bit grey and cold, with some rain as we motored from Banbury back north toward Napton. Jane and I made up when I joked with her;
"Well one thing we've learnt on this trip, is that we can't live together!"
Jane could have taken it the wrong way, but she smiled and we had a mutual hug and we were mates again. After working our way through locks we had done previously, we passed through Cropedy without stopping and got to Fenny Compton Wharf where we filled up with water. There was a bit of stress with access to the water point, as one idiot had moored up on the water point and another boat was there with engine trouble. After a bit of stepping between and over boats, by me and good driving by Rowan, we managed to get partially into the Wharf and so to the water. Having resupplied, we cast off and found a mooring spot further north and tied up, before walking back to the Wharf Inn for a half pint of San Miguel and later a superb steak and ale pie.
Friday 22/7/17.
I untied the boat and got it moving at 7.30am from Fenny Compton, as we figured there might be some pressure at the locks, with a lot of boats heading toward the marina. Rowan and Jane were still getting dressed and breakfasted as I started the boat moving with the day dawning fresh and clear. The sun peeked hesitantly over the fields, put off by the cold but clear day. I enjoyed being at the tiller alone, albeit getting progressively colder, as I knew there were no locks to contend with for awhile. We made good time, despite a few narrow twisty bits and a few boats coming the other way. Rowan and I shared the boat handling while the girls did a brilliant job on the locks and we were a pretty fast, well oiled team. One lock had a broken paddle on one door and a partly jammed one on the other door, so it made for a slow transit. By the time we got out of the lock there were two boats waiting behind us and I laughed to myself thinking that we were going to get a clear run at the remaining locks without waiting! Schadenfreude!
Anyway six hours and nine locks later we were at the bottom of the Napton Locks near the Folly Pub. We had planned on a beer as it was about 1.30pm, but were a bit worried that boats behind us would get a better mooring for overnight near the marina, so we went on to the Bridge Pub. Having moored up on the bank and walked back to the Bridge Pub, we discovered that it was empty and obviously hadn't been operating for awhile!
Back on board we discussed the options and decided to head into the marina at Napton, as we had to have the boat back by 9.00am on the Saturday. With a bit of help from John ( a helpful Napton Narrowboats guy) we manoeuvred the boat in stern first and tied up. It was good to be back in the marina and being early we could get our cases from the base and do some packing. After packing and showers we walked up the road to the Kings Head and had the best meal on the canal that we'd had. I had an amazing Lamb Rogan Josh dish with tiffin tins, samosa, meat balls and garlic naan! It all seemed pretty fitting for our last night together.
Saturday 23/9/17.
We organised our taxi a bit earlier than we had planned and by 9.00am we had said goodbye to "Constance" and each other. Rowan and Jane headed off in their taxi to Banbury, en route to walking in Cornwall, while Hett and I took a taxi to Rugby, en route to London. We had a garrulous taxi driver who pointed out Rugby School where Wade Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it, creating the game of rugby! He also pointed out Guy Fawkes House and various other bits of Rugby.
We caught the 9.53am train to London but had to stand all the way, getting into Euston at 10.50am. I was feeling ready to come home, whilst Hett was looking forward to London and in fact would have liked a week there! By the time our taxi from Euston deposited us in the quiet mews at 70 Cheval Place, Knightsbridge, just off the Brompton Road, I was feeling more enthusiastic about London.
The flat is simple but expensive! The bedroom and bathroom are downstairs next to a garage and the kitchen, dinning and lounge is upstairs. Compact but functional!
Having settled in we headed off up the Brompton Rd, past Harrods to the underground for an expensive ride (9.50 pds each) to Covent Garden, where we were booked to see Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre. We wandered about the Covent Garden markets and window shopped, before diving into a pub for a beer and some wedges. Kinky Boots was fun and we had great seats in row B. The choreography and costumes were fantastic and at times it was easy to forget that most of the glamorous dancers were in fact guys!
Sunday 24/9/17.
After a bit of a lie in bed by me, we wandered down past Brompton Oratory, where Hett's sister Bunty was married and admired the Victoria and Albert Museum. We found a little French cafe in a side street and had a relaxing breakfast, enjoying the sunshine and balmy weather. Then Hett headed off to the V & A while I visited the Science Museum. They were both fantastic and we spent a few hours there's before wandering up to Kensington and Hyde Parks, where Hett visited Kensington Palace while I lay on the grass reading a New Scientist magazine. I was struck by the number of Arabs and women in full hajib, or is that purdah? In some of the cafes in Brompton Rd there were even guys smoking hookah pipes! I assume it was just tobacco they were smoking but who knows?
I'm not sure what we will do on Monday but I'm going to take it easy and probably catch up on my reading! I'm looking forward to leaving here early Tuesday morning for the thirteen hour flight to Singapore and after a two hour stopover and five hour flight, getting home Wednesday lunch time.
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