Tuesday 5 March 2013

A gull, some spring flowers and a few sheep.

Jill found the requisite crockery yesterday and she bought a griddle pan AND a new set of kitchen scales plus some egg poachers, how I spoil her. The worrying thing is that she also bought a new set of bathroom scales, I feel another diet coming on.
Having acquired all these goodies yesterday we set off this morning to retrace our steps to Braunston and the Grand Union.

There was plenty of water coming down Banbury lock and on a lamp post by the bridge over the lock tail

was a black headed gull in his/her summer plumage.

Below the lock the old foundry still fills the air with the tang of molten metal, it must be the last bit of heavy industry beside the Oxford. As we approached the narrows where the old lift bridge once was I commented that I hated that particularly narrow constriction; to which Jill replied, "You surprise me, you always manage to kiss it," she can be very cutting at times. We winded down by Tramway moorings and headed north.

The old lock cottage at Bourton lock is still empty and what was once the loveliest garden on this stretch of canal now shows only a few spring flowers fighting through the weeds.



Eileen, the last inhabitant of the cottage would be heartbroken.
At Cropredy there is a small flock of these chaps:

any latent shepherds out there have any ideas? My best guess is Soay sheep, or something of that ilk.
After enjoying the best day of the year so far, meteorologically speaking, we are now moored just above Varney's lock watching the sun go down and listening to the mewing of a pair of buzzards who are performing their aerial display.

Watch this space.............

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