Uncharted Territory At Last!

As we got ready we noticed boats passing us, going towards Honey Street. Hooray, Lock 51 was open this morning, thanks to Mr BW seeing boats through. We went through just as the rain descended hard. He told us that the BW boat with the workmen was coming from Crofton to mend the gate. So we say “Good old BW” – this time! We found the workboat the other side of Bruce Tunnel so they were really on their way.

We continued up the other 3 locks with no trouble in sunshine and showers. We moored for lunch before Crofton top lock, by which time the rain clouds seemed to have disappeared. The railway line is parallel at this point and as John is a train “enthusiast” we were able to do some train spotting. We had unfortunately missed seeing a steam train as it passed last night due to the bushes between the canal and railway, but we sure heard it!

By now the sun was really shining and it was quite hot. So we set off into “unknown territory” for Epiphany. All the Crofton flight locks should be left empty so they were all “against” us. We did not meet any boats coming up but took turns until I took over the tiller – no stamina, out of practice. By the end of our holiday I shall have built my muscles up again!

I was snapping, using my camera – took 79 pictures! I certainly will not be uploading all of them on to the blog but eventually they will be on the website, when John has a chance to upload them. For now they are somewhat reduced on the blog due to mobile Internet restrictions! Everywhere is so green and the yellow flags are in abundance on the banks.

Lock 60 is where the Crofton Pumping Station dominates the view to port. We had some help from the bystanders with instruction from John!

It was time to moor up which we did just below the lock. It is a very pleasant location, by the side lake. The trains will not run at night so it will be very quiet! The sun still shone and John spent the evening on his laptop in the bows! We may visit the Pumping Station tomorrow. For now it is time to concentrate on “Hustle” before I upload this.

How Far Can We Go?

Well the best laid plans and all that! My camera arrived at 11.30 am - funny 10 am as promised! "The van keeps breaking down Guv, it's a hired one". I have heard some excuses before, however the retailer is refunding our £5 confirmed delivery charge!

Time for an early lunch before we go. So then we were off in the pouring rain, all togged up in wet gear, turning left out of the marina onto the Kennet and Avon. Next stop....? There were only a few boats on the go. We saw some Foxhanger's hire boats and one or two private boats. Amazingly the sun came out at about Allington Swing Bridge and we took off some of the wet weather gear, - hats and jackets, but not trousers in case it rained again. Oh ye of little faith!

We passed all the usual places - Lady's Bridge (1880 built to keep the Landowner, Lady Susannah Wroughton and attributed to John Rennie) Wide Water (the swan family was still there with all 5 signets), Honey Street, Pewsey Boat Club moorings and the Wharf heading towards Wootton Rivers.

I was playing with the camera so took some experimental shots of various things; the white horse at Honey Street (1812 and a copy of the one at Cherhill), some typical canal landscape views, boats etc. It is great playing with the zoom and options as it has more of these than my last one. If there are any good photos when I down load them I will give you a taster!

Then - "Oh what a bummer" - an Anglo Welsh hire boat called out that lock 51 was closed just as we approached bridge 111. Out came the Nicholsons and yes, lock 51 was Wootton Rivers bottom lock. There were one or two boats moored after 109, one in my favourite spot.

We managed to moor just after this, avoiding the stinging nettles but using the plank. John wandered up to the lock to investigate. It was locked! About half an hour before we arrived so another boater said. He had just made it up. The boat moored above the lock suggested that a hire boat had bashed the bottom gates in an attempt to open them. They are extremely leaky and will not open unless the paddles are fully up.

BW are coming tomorrow to assess the damage so here we are wondering if we were meant to turn right out of the marina! If it is temporarily repaired do we go up and risk not being able to return? Can I commute from here to work if we get stranded? Maybe. I shall let you know!

Still in Marina - Let Us Out!

Water, water everywhere, above, below and in the pipes! We are waiting for delivery of my new camera, promised at 10am. It is now past 11 am and no sign of the van. A certain computer retail sales outfit of which we are business customers is supplying it. So far we are not impressed with their customer service as it has been a real hassle to get the camera.

We ordered it by email, then had to follow up with phone calls, called in at the Bury HQ to pick it up as arranged last Friday and the order had not been processed. However on Tuesday they assured us a Wednesday am delivery - ho hum!

Still I suppose sitting with my feet up, blogging, passes for relaxation! The marina are moving boats around and we will have to avoid 2 which are sitting across our bows temporarily. I think we will have to ask the guys to move them as going for'ard may consttiute too much of a contact sport!

We have no plans for our cruise. Just turn left out of the marina. The only thing we agree on is that we will aim to get beyond Crofton Top lock. In other words "To boldy go where no man (Epiphany) has gone before".

John is now having an email dispute with the camera supplier about the so called promised delivery - yes we have 2 laptops, his and hers! It is the only way, otherwise I would have to book time on his. I will let you know how this saga ends. Proof of a happy ending will be some wonderful photos I hope!

Finally, just wondering how the launch of Aethelburh went on to the Ouse at Earith. I hope the weather is not spoiling John and Barbara's pleasure and excitement.

Arts, Bourton (Great) and Canal

Bank Holiday Monday dawned sunny but cold in Great Bourton where we were staying with our friends John and Carolyn. If you follow our blog we introduced them way back when Epiphany was still at Colecraft as they visited to take photos to keep us up to date. They also came with us on our Maiden Voyage.


Crossing Dundas Aquaduct - two Johns and Epiphany!


Carolyn was well wrapped up, sitting in the bows on a cold sunny November day.

Back to the present! We spent a really lazy morning reading and chatting. The sun peeped out and tempted us out into the countryside to look at some of the art exhibitions in the area. One of which was at Cropredy, one of our favourite places on the Oxford canal and a few minutes away from Great Bourton. Needless to say we were drawn to the locks and watched four narrowboats going down the two locks there! It must be something to do with canal water in our veins we decided! Narrow locks look strange after the wide ones on the Kennet and Avon. We look forward to taking Epiphany up there and onto other familiar canals in the system.

We had a great time but we are now really glad to be back home. It is wonderful to really call Epiphany home. Tomorrow it is out onto the canal and time for our real holiday. I am having a new camera delivered tomorrrow as an early birthday present. I will try to blog our journey and hope to get some really good photos to share!

Crick Show Sunday - Yuek, Wet As It Can Be And More!

For once the forecast was correct. The rain "empted" down. It was cold, it was muddy and it was windy! However there was not so much mud as last year and wellies helped but were not vital.

Just a reminder of the show in the sun on Saturday before I continue!


A quick wander around the indoor stands in the marquees and I was ready for a hot lunch. On Saturday we had Cornish Pastys from The Cornish Pasty Company, based in Cornwall? - no Portsmouth - but they assured us they were made "somewhere in Cornwall, near the border I think" and sent up frozen to be cooked freshly! OK, we were game to try a large one. Not bad but definitely not a large one, more of a regular size in Cornwall! So Sunday it was curry day, plus a beer in the beer tent - anything to stay dry.

In the afternoon I was in the dry and warmth as Barbara one of the owners of Aethelburh had the "Uno" stove going, warm fin rads and hot cups of tea. Ange, Rachel and I tried to keep the ouside crew, including the other owner John, (3 Johns again - John Aethelburh, John Epiphany and Jon Bath Narrowboats, Richard Clarke, Dave, Dan and then Pete) happy with coffees. It was freezing and despite the awning they were like drowned rats.

Del and Al from "Derwent 6" came by as did Don Williams from Bute Cartograpics and "Rivendell". It was great to meet you guys! So wet and cold we visited "Petroc" for drinks and nibbles. It was great to catch up with Geoff and Gill and their daughter Emma.


They had had a good two days with interest in the boat. We were certainly warmed through by the time we left! So for us it was goodbye to the Crick Boat Show for another year. Did we enjoy it? Yes to a point! We think there were not so many chandlery-type stands, there were certainly lots of boats and boat builders and we really enjoyed the opportunity to sing Bath Narrowboats praises.

Crick Show Saturday - Dry! (Mostly)

Saturday was our first day at Crick Boat Show. As very satisfied owners of a Colecraft/Bath Narrowboats canal narrowboat we offered to do a stint on the BN stand. Regular readers will know this, forgive me for repeating it again!

Saturday morning was dry and we spent it touring the stands. We specifically wanted to catch up with friends on "Petroc" which was one of the show boats for Darren Aldridge.

We called in and made a date for drinks on Sunday evening. Just along from them was J D Boats with "Double Six", a Shareboat, (we had a share in their "Twelfth Night") and one of their boats built for a customer. We had a chat to Judy Matthias, but Jim Matthias was busy selling! We also wandered along the towpath and recognised one or two boat names.

The afternoon we spent at the BN stand, some of it outside Aethelburh and then I was able to relieve some of the inside crew! We met up with people from the Bath area, from Devizes and from Cornwall too! At one stage there were owners from 6 of Bath Narrowboats builds there, all very satisfied customers. The boats are - "Minty", "Salix Alpha", "Dog House" (last year's show boat), "Salix Alba", "Epiphany" and "Aethelburh". We really must start a BNOC.


"Aethelburh" is a wonderful example of truly bespoke cooperation between Colecraft, BN and her owners and has a very high specification. Unusual features include a Heritage "Uno" stove, which provides the heating, hot water and cooking facilities; a dual pump out system (for French cruising); solar panels and an owner designed "open living space" incorporating study, saloon, dining area and rear galley. Despite the variations in design she is of the usual high standard of finish that the guys achieve for all their owners.


There was a lot of interest and we were all kept very busy explaining the features of the boat and sharing our satisfaction and delight in our boats and the expertise of the Bath Narrowboats Team

Bank Holiday Traffic Blues

It has been a busy Bank Holiday weekend. We had a terrible trip up to Lancaster with jams on the M5 and M6 all the way through the Midlands. I suppose it serves us right travelling on the Friday before a BH weekend! How I long to take Epiphany up onto the Lancaster Canal the slow and peacefull way.

It was great to see Craig (our son), who does he look like?

However it was too brief, but this trip completed the last of the move by leaving his stuff with him. I had my short "cat fix" by cuddling his cats. Brandy (short for Brandywine - now I wonder where that comes from?!)

and Took (also the same source!).


Then it was a trip back on the M6 - still horrible - to Crick via the toll road and the M1. I never mind paying the toll as it means a traffic clear trip. We caught up with the guys (and girls) from Bath Narrowboats, had a quick look inside Aethelburh (the show narrowboat) and then off to The Royal Oak in Church Street, Crick for an excellent chinese meal. We finally arrived at our friends near Banbury at around 1am, absolutely shattered. What a day!

Exclusive Preview

John visited Bath Narrowboats' workshop this morning. It is 15 minutes away, just down the road from Devizes. He was able to watch as their Crick Show narrowboat, "Aethelburh", owned by John (another one!) and Barbara, was pulled out of the shed. John gave us permission to put up some pictures of her.


Her owner John was watching! Maybe feeling as we had with Epiphany, heart in mouth and a little nervous, but trusting Jon Langley (yet another "John", but without the 'h') and his staff to look after her!


Then it was up to the crane driver, using his skills and Jon L's directions to get her safely onto the lorry.

It was important to make sure that no knocks, bumps or slips damage the paintwork. As with any new narrowboat, but particularly a show boat, she has to look her best and Bath Narrowboats make sure to deliver a show boat to all owners!

"Aethelburh" has an interesting stern, a cooperation in design between her owners, Colecraft the shell builders and Jon L.

Safely on the lorry, she just needed the slings to be removed and to be made fast on the lorry and job done. Next stop Crick Boat Show!


I couldn't resist adding the final picture of Jon and his partner Rachel, who often makes the owner soft furnishings, as she is an accomplished seamstress. Some of their new owners have copied our curtain idea (in bedroom and saloon) on Epiphany and Rachel had to pick my brains!

"Love is ..... making boats together".

We Have Done It!

At last we have both moved. Another car load, but not so much this time, and John has said goodbye to Cornwall. We are settled in our new home!




Epiphany is rather overloaded as we have lots of spare food to be stored. The larder cupboard is totally full of tins, packets etc. The fridge is chocablock with opened jars and sauces. The freezer is packed so will be cheap to run for a bit.

The stern bunks have a box and some bits and pieces to be put away. However we can take our time to sort this all out. At least the boat looks reasonably tidy.

On the roof we have a roofbox - bought for a trip to France years ago and it has not been used since. We have moved with it before, little dreaming it would eventually come in very useful. At the moment it has logs in it but it will eventually store a spare wheelchair and bits and bobs!

So now we start "living our dream". It is wonderful to think that we can just unhook, pull in the ropes and in less than 5 minutes we can be cruising on the Kennet and Avon canal and we take our narrowboat home with us.

Unforunately we have to travel to Crick in the car, but maybe another year? Don't forget to visit stand LB8 and have a look at the Bath Narrowboats show boat "Aethelburh". John will be watching it craned onto the lorry tomorrow morning for the trip to Crick. We will be there Saturday and Sunday.

I will finish with a view from the car park!

Good Morning on Wide Water, Good Evening Berth

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. It was a lazy morning for us both; reading, catching up on emails and watching the Moto GP. After lunch the swans knocked at the swan doors for food. I gave them a crust as a bribe so I could photograph them! We winded and set off back towards Devizes.

Everyone was out enjoying the sunshine, walkers, anglers and boaters. It was really quite hot, no wind, lots of birds singing, in fact almost paradise! Friends and acquaintances waved and chatted to us as we passed, including narrowboat owners on “Sunseeker 2”, “Blake” and “Angels Payment”. We took our time and moored for dinner at the Bridge Inn, Horton; eating on board and then went in for a drink.

We arrived back at the Marina about 9.55pm. Thank goodness for light evenings. It took us about an hour to moor, hook up power and BT, water up, empty the cassette and generally settle back into out berth. So back to work tomorrow for me and back to Cornwall for John. On Wednesday we both will be finally fully settled here and our "new life" begins in Devizes and on the Kennet and Avon canal.

Out And About In The Sunshine

A two-day cruise! Sunshine and showers on Saturday. We left Devizes Marina about 10.15am. It only takes a few minutes to unhook the shoreline and BT line. Big John did that whilst I popped to the nearest food shop. This happens to be the German one beginning with L, so basic provisions are cheap, although I might not be able to understand the instructions!

So off we set, onto the Kennet and Avon canal - no plans, just that we would see where we got to. We had decided that going down 2 locks to the Black Horse in Devizes would not take us far enough. We could moor in the basin but then had hours to kill before locking up on Sunday! So we cruised towards Honey Street.

Some of the "local" narrowboats had moved. Some were surprisingly in the same place. Maybe they have moved since April and come back?! (Ha ha, I don't think so). Waved to Chris and Debbie on "Blake", moored past Horton with "Angels Payment" (Dave and Angela) and continued on through the occasional light showers.


We decided we would moor on Widewater, just after Lady's Bridge. The swan nest was still there: Mummy, Daddy and 5 cygnets.


There were only two or three other boats, unoccupied. It was beautiful so we decided to stay, relax and enjoy the peace. We were slightly aground so had an interesting list to port, but hey, who cares.

I had a few jobs to do, such as watering the geraniums and tidying up.

A few boats passed as we watched the FA cup or at least John did; I read a really good book. It is the best book I have read for a while and is to be recommended - "The Secrets of Jin S'hei" by Alma Alexander. We spent a really restful night, the best sleep for ages!

Still Moving

Big John brought up a car-full yesterday! Miraculously most of it has been stowed away on Epiphany. Finding the nooks and crannies on a narrowboat, that is a skill in itself! Just one more trip back to Cornwall and we will both be installed in our new home.

We had a visit from some new Bath Narrowboat customers today. Their shell is in the BN workshop at Sells Green, just outside Devizes (see our website menu and follow the link!). They came up to the marina chandlery to see if they had some ovens (among other things) to look at. They recognised Epiphany as they had looked as our website and came over, mainly because they like our coachwork colour scheme. John invited them aboard, asking them to ignore the mess as he had unpacked the boxes!

They saw our oven (Stoves New World GG720) and decided that it was the model they wanted so didn't have a wasted journey! The visit also confirmed to them that they had chosen the right boatfitter in Bath Narrowboats as Epiphany is of such a high standard. Yes, I am unashamedly advertising for BN!

So, lets hope for a good weekend so we can get out onto the Kennet and Avon; we definitely feel like a short cruise!

Arrid April, Monsoon May Lead to Joyous June

Oh dear, weather again! I ponder whether the weather will give us a joyous June! We will be on the cut for my birthday so let's hope so. I am particularly annoyed by the rain today as it is affecting the satellite signal and I am sure I will miss the most exciting bits of the F1 race when it goes down.

Yesterday I cleaned, washed and tidied inside the boat, today is a day of rest! I have heard one or two narrowboats coming into the marina from the K & A canal. Obviously it is not too pleasant to be cruising today so they have made for home.

I have to feel sorry for any hirers in this rain as it can really spoil a precious holiday on the canal. However I remember many a holiday when we had to get back to base no matter what. Big John was always the one stuck on the tiller - he maintained he enjoyed it!

It is really great to realise that we will not have too many time constraints now, owning our own narrowboat and choosing when and where to go.

Wow - distracted. A great start for Lewis Hamilton! Lucky Alonso. Masterful Massa? At least I didn't miss that! The satellite god in the sky is on my side after all! Time to enjoy the race.

A Boatwoman's Work Is Never Done!

Typical! The weather changes once we move aboard! Actually we don't mind. Epiphany is warm and cosy and I have lots of jobs to do both on and off her. I am also trying to have a mini break before starting work in Devizes. I like housework on a narrowboat! LOL

Having said that, we are really looking forward to getting out on to the Kennet and Avon Canal to explore further than we have managed so far. In 2001 we cruised from Dundas to the Thames and back toNewbury so it will be great to see if our memories are true!

We remember travelling through the Oracle at Reading like royalty as it was quite new then and lots of people were there waving to us and gongoozling. The long range forcast for end of May/June looks good so Big John informs me, hmm, let's wait and see!

It is "empting down" in Cornwall - has been dry here this morning but the sky now looks threatening so rain is on the way. It will water the geraniums on the roof anyway.

Latest Update - Better Late Than Never

We are on board! Sue (NP) has reminded me that I have been absent from our blog! Thanks for the good wishes. Yup - too busy moving I am afraid!

We have been sorting out the convolutions of a land line connection to BT, the permanent electric hook up, stowing away our goods and chattels and trying to get everything organised so I can stay as BJ returns to finish emptying the house. We managed to sell much of our "big stuff" last Saturday, but the nick nacks remain plus loads of books!

I have a job lined up now so all things look good. Once BJ comes up we will get out on to the cut, hopefully for two weeks so the blog will include travels at long last! Until he comes up I will not have broadband so no pics for a while unless he adds them from Cornwall. Note I didn't write "home" as Epiphany is now definitely home and really feels like it too. I will try to keep blogging!