Wigrams and onto the Oxford.

How do you manage to knock a lump out of a casting this thick? It's obviously old damage as it has been painted over more than once. I've seen at least three sets of G.U. paddle gear with similar damage.

Our last evening on the G.U. was illuminated by a superb sunset.

Next morning, as we watered at the top of Calcutt locks, steam tug Adamant hove into view. It seems that the hull is made up of two 19thC. Birmingham Joey boats and the engine is by Cochrane of Birkenhead, probably from the 1890's, and is a two cylinder compound. She was put together in the 1980's from the various parts.

She sank gracefully from sight with a fine plume of steam from her safety valves.

Wigrams turn with a hire boat setting off from the Marina. We turned south on the Oxford and moored at The Bridge pub.

A late brood, fourteen ducklings in September, I have my doubts as to whether they will make it before winter sets in.
We ate at The Bridge which is under new management. They have a smaller menu than before but it's good solid grub and their garlic mushrooms for starters are the tops and the new licensee's, Kate and Jim, made us really welcome. We enjoyed the evening.

Today we had a walk around the Napton reservoir, it used to supply the canal but has been superseded by back pumping and is now a nature reserve and fishing lake.

Great Crested Grebe, this was at the limit of the lens on the compact camera.

What's the collective noun for coots? A cacophany?

Back on the dragonflies again, this is an Emperor dragonfly that obligingly posed for me. It's Britains largest dragonfly, quite an impressive monster.
We're hanging on at Napton for a day or two as we're waiting for some mail that our daughter is forwarding to Napton Post Office.

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