Victor: Object achieved

NEARING our objective of Banbury, like many of you I should imagine we saw the Tesco Extra on Google off-side just North of the town, with an handy winding hole just after.

But it was of no use as there is absolutely no way to get to it, nowhere to moor and no bridge.

A helping hand

So it was right through Banbury to the winding hole, but once again we had our Alan Tilbury join us, this time at Cropredy where again he proved most handy with our having to shop and then to go through Banbury to turn. So keen was he that though we were in a queue coming back through the town he went forward to help all the boats through the lock.

It was no mean feat Alan joining us before 9am, as he had travelled all the way from Margate that morning! A competent boater having hired from way back in the distant past, so his help is always appreciated.

Not so sensible

It being a Sunday there were plenty of people, but alas not canal-side, but on the footbridge over the waterway, crossing from car park to shops, but there were very young children alone in small canoes weaving amongst the moving narrow boats, that I did not think so sensible. One boat was heading straight for them yet the children had their backs to it, but luckily heard it and dashed to the side.

For ourselves we sounded the horn and crept along the side. But it was all very dangerous considering the high number of narrowboats about and their being difficult to see being so low down.

Definite no-no

We had been warned not to moor in Banbury so did not, especially being told that six boats had had their ropes cut—not undone, but actually cut—and pushed away from the edge. Even in the middle of the day we had a youth banging on the hull. A definite no-no.  Otherwise, though we stayed awhile on that Sunday, as the picture shows there were few visitors, just those around the lock, most people on the footbridge en route to and from the car park.

So it was back retracing our route, and this time—without the fog—see the vast marina of no name North of Cropredy.  It was definitely bucking the trend, with very few empty berths, more than likely those of boats out cruising.  In fact there were two marinas—a smaller one with its own entrance by the side of the larger.

Only two all day

This time we had a very strict look-out for visitors, but alas it rained for most of the five hours cruise, so only saw a couple with a Labrador.  Rather made a mess of Cart's calculations of visitors, but perhaps those who conjure the figures don't know about rain!

But at one long stretch of deserted towpath we noticed both going down and coming back, after close inspection we actually discovered a footprint, as shown above, so though we thought absolutely no one must use that out-in-the-wilds towpath, someone must have, so one more added!

And the poster in the frame at the top of Napton Flight, did cause a chuckle, but I must admit we did see a lady pushing a pram up the two miles flight, which meant 1.258 to go over the two miles—yes I did count a baby in the pram, though I did not see one, but I must give Cart the benefit of the doubt, after all. Every little helps (sorry boss) and it all adds up to the 8,846,153 that we are told visit the waterways every day, yes my friends, every day!