Gas Street Basin - BCN

We set off at 5.30 and reached the bottom of Aston locks at 0800, we reached the top lock at 9.30 and began Farmers Locks at 1000.  We finally reached the top lock at 1145 and went around to The Distillery (Fiddle and Bone)(Sherborne Wharf) for diesel and a pumpout. 

David put the boat into reverse to get it away from the towpath and the clutch cable broke!  We managed to get the boat back under St Vincent's Bridge and moored up to await Richard to come and fix it for us. 

So at 2.30 we eventually moored up at our pontoon in Gas Street.  Knackered and happy to be back home.



A decopaged fawn.  Matted onto lilac and pink card and fixed onto patterned paper before gluing it onto a white card base with pink flowers for decoration.

Curdworth Top Lock - Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

We slipped the moorings at 5.45 and set off towards Birmingham.  There were, orchids on the towpath (though probably not for long as the grass needed cutting), foxes, a cuckoo and lots of gulls.  We stopped at the top of Curdworth locks at 9.15 to rest up for the day ahead.

 Here is a little French girl with her hat boxes standing in fron of the Eiffel Tower.  I edged the patterned paper with ink and wrapped a blue floral ribbon around the top, adding a bow and flower.  This was stuck onto a light blue card blank along with the cut out girl who was added with dimensional foam.

Fazeley Junction - Coventry Canal

One of the many stupid signs that CRT have littered the towpath with.

We bagan the locks at 0600 and did them all by ourselves and moored up just before Fazeley Junction at 1145.

There wasa RCTA floating market at the junction proper and I went down to see who and what was there.  Unfortunately it rained soon after.

A get well card, a decopaged Forever Friends bear fixed onto some patterned paper and matted onto silver card and then onto a white card base.  Flowers and a sentiment were added as decoration.

Atherstone, Oxford Canal

 As we arrived into Atherstone it began raining and as there were already 3 boats waiting to go down the locks (7.30!) we decided to stay.

We are not very far away from where our daughter lives, and so they brough the grandchildren out for a lunch in a posh Italian restaurant just outside Atherstone. 

A beautiful (if I can say so myself) christening card.  The topper comes ready coloured and I just die-cut it into shape and die-cut another in green and stuck it partially behind the topper.  Then flowers and leaves were added as decoration.

Bridge 24 - Oxford/Grand Union Canal

Yet another early 5.30 start.  we reached Hawkesbury junct around 8.15 and moored up at 10.15.

A toadstool home.  I could live in one of those!  This one was printed out and coloured by hand.  I added a glossy varnish to the cap (see where the red ran?) and then matted it onto some green card.  I then matted more card onto more green card and fixed it to a red card base. 

The sentiment was made on the computer and also matted onto green card and both were fixed with foam tape to make then pop out.  Daisies were added as decoration.

Hungerfield Bridge (35), Oxford Canal

We were off again at 5.30 and stopped off at Tesco's in Rugby and then it was on to Hungerfield Bridge for the rest of the day.

The old lock stones and the new ones.

And a leaky lock.

Here is an engagement or romantic card.  The couple were a digital download and pre-coloured (colouring is not my forte)

I die-cut the labels and matted it onto blue card and then made 2 panels with printed papers and matted them as well.  Three pink roses with leaves were added to the bottom of the label and 3 pink pearls to the top right hand corner.

Bridge 88 near Braunston, Oxford Canal

The buffalo at Napton Locks, always a lovely sight.

We set off at 0530 and reached the bottom lock at 0745.  The advantage of doing the locks early are there are no queues, the disadvantage is you don't tend to meet anyone coming the other way either.

Just as we were approaching the bridge at the junction at Braunston we recognised the boat coming towards us as Rainbow, old friends who we sometimes manage to meet up with, but usually going in the other direction! 

Sunrise on the Oxford Canal

A Flower Fairy card.  This is the Forget-Me-Not fairy.  I have made it a "baby" card.  It is decopaged and matted onto green card then onto a blue card base.