Five on a boat to Oxford - part 7

It was one of those beautiful, misty autumnal mornings when we set out up to Banbury. There's a good Waitrose there, so we made full use of that, and of the services at the wharf. Then it was a slow glide back into the Oxfordshire countryside.

Bourton Lock, then Cropredy, where our progress was slowed by a large number of junior members of the Cropredy Canoe Club paddling ahead of us. The weather was fine for the time being, and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Broadmoor, Varney's and Elkington's Locks led us to Claydon Bottom Lock, below which we moored. It had been a very uneventful day, though very pleasant, the weather good, the countryside glorious.

The icing on that cake was the email from Janet Richardson, editor of Towpath Talk, and the attached review of "Moving home with our feet under water", which would be printed in the next edition.

I was very chuffed!

On Thursday, we made an earlyish start up the Claydon flight. There was one boat in front, and Mike went ahead from time to time to help them through. There was one behind us, and several on their way down, but we reached the top in good time, though not entirely dry, the rain coming down on and off, sometimes quite heavily.

Fenny Compton Tunnel, overhung as it is by plant life, required us to stop and wait for an oncoming boat - this one without tunnel light! - before we carried on to Fenny Compton Wharf,

then the Griffiths Bridge hairpin bend and the Stoneton wiggles, after which we moored under the pouring rain to have lunch. NB Quercus arrived not long afterwards. They were fed up with the inclement weather, and were going to stay for the night. We, made of sterner stuff! carried on, however, and finished our day after bridge 123 at Priors Hardwick, the ghost town. Away from the spookiness of the town, we were in a lovely, remote and quiet spot.

The rain continued.