Stoke Bruerne to Milton Keynes

2017 45  Stoke Bruerne to Milton Keynes

Fri 20th Oct   Stoke Bruerne

James walked to the “Canal Shop” to see what they were selling. It was closed, and there was no sign with opening times.  Peering in the window they seem to sell craft items – painted teapots, crocheted cuddly toys, candles, tea cosies, model canal boats etc.  Nothing useful like fire lighters or milk.

A coal boat came past (Southern Cross), and we flagged him down for 3 bags of Excel coal.

We had lunch on board, and then Kathryn came for a tea and a chat.  Apparently she is going to be interviewed for Country File on 12^th November. We should have got her autograph.

Kathryn

As tomorrow is forecast to be very windy later, we wanted to get going early. We therefore decided to save time tomorrow by filling up with water today, and going down two locks to the “Long Pound”. 

Into Stoke Bruerne

The museum and cottages

Southern Cross coal boat.

As we went down the locks, we had plenty of Gongoozlers, and two willing helpers at the second lock.  We noticed that it was considerably quieter than above the lock, where there were people passing by frequently with dogs or children.

Passing the Navigation Inn

The second lock down

The long pound

We walked back to the Boat Inn as it was getting dark. Both pubs were illuminated.

The Navigation Inn

The Boat Inn

We were there to meet Allen and Angela, ex neighbours from Weybridge, who now live near Northampton.  We had a pleasant meal with them, which was interrupted by some live music at the open mic night. We hadn’t known it was happening, or we might have been tempted to bring our instruments, but it was not our sort of music, so we kept our heads down.

Allen, Angela, Hazel

2 locks, ½ mile

Sat 21st Oct   Stoke Bruerne to Wolverton

We crept away quietly soon after 7am this morning, as we were hoping to avoid the high winds that were forecast for later in the day.  We had to do the remaining five locks of the Stoke Bruerne Flight.

An early start

First lock of the day

No shortage of water

Coal boats Towcester and Bideford beneath the locks

We had some good sunshine although the wind got stronger as the day progressed.

Sunny fields

Grafton Regis

Pollarded willow

Straw bales

Solomon’s Bridge in Cosgrove.

As we approached the lock in Cosgrove, we saw that another boat waiting. We hadn’t seen any other boats moving today, and yet here there two in the lock going down, and another waiting. It transpired that all three were travelling together, so we shared the lock.

Sharing Cosgrove Lock

The two that had been in the lock were tied together, and crabbing along very slowly.  After the Cosgrove Aqueduct, they pulled over to let us pass.  This aqueduct is also known as the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, and it is a forerunner of the famous one on the Llangollen. It crosses the Great Ouse.

Iron Trunk Aqueduct

Over the Great Ouse

We had hoped to moor opposite the Galleon, but the mooring was full of boats, including a CRT vessel that was moored at the stern, and sticking out into the channel.

CRT boat sticking out

We moved on past, and stopped just beyond Bridge 69, where there was some piling.  The three boats that we had passed came along later and moored up nearby.

6 locks, 6 ½  miles

Sun 22nd Oct  Wolverton

We had a finely timed day today. How do we fit in breakfast, church, lunch, and a music session in the Vaults Bar in Stony Stratford? Last time we were here, we went to church in Wolverton, and were late for the music session.  This time we decided to go to a church in Stony Stratford, and we chose Stony Stratford Community Church, who meet at 1015.

We took bus number 6 from the end of the path that leads up from Bridge 69. This brought us in to S.S. just after 9am, and we walked up the High Street to the Bull Inn, where we had seen breakfast advertised on their website, with the public allowed in from 0900. When we got there we could see people in there having breakfast, but all the doors were locked. We phone the place and asked to be let in. The guy on duty said they don’t open until 11am so we told him it was advertised on their website, and we had come for breakfast by bus from Wolverton.  He let us in although he was not convinced.  We  looked at the website again and we were definitely right.  Breakfast finishes at 11am.

We had a continental breakfast which we thought would be quicker, and it was very good value.  We were allowed to leave our instruments in a corner, as our music session was to be in the same establishment later, in the Vaults Bar.

We walked back down the High Street to the church, which used to be called the Baptist Church.  We had a warm welcome, and we spotted a notice about Noel and Tricia coming to sing there later.

Stony Stratford Community Church

Noel and Tricia notice

Part of the worship band

The service included communion, and the talk was about spiritual warfare.  We stayed for a coffee after the service, but had to make our apologies and rush off to the Vaults Bar.  We timed it well, as we managed to get seats with a table for our drinks and song files. The session was excellent, with many talented musicians, plus a band from Norway who sang Dubliners songs.   We sang six songs.  It finished at around 3.45pm.

Session at the Vaults Bar

We then went into the Bull Inn restaurant, where they had advertised a Sunday Roast until 6pm, and we were told there was no more Sunday Roast. So went for plan B, and went to the Passage to India restaurant where they were serving a buffet.

We caught a bus back to Wolverton and returned to the boat.

No boating today

Mon 23rd Oct  Wolverton to Water Eaton

The plan for today was get some shopping in Tesco in Wolverton, and then Hazel was to take a bus to Pets at Home for some cat biscuits, and James would take the boat round Milton Keynes, and we would Meet up at Water Eaton later.

We set off fairly early, and Hazel put on the washing machine as we went. This way it is powered by the generator, and not through the inverter. We only had a short distance to travel, through the interesting train building village of Wolverton, mooring up on rings in Wolverton Park.

Dawn in Wolverton

Robert Stephenson Bridge

Wolverton Train building sheds

Moored in Wolverton Park

We were looking at James laptop, checking out possible suppliers of Hugo’s cat biscuits (Hills Science Plan). Suddenly it crashed, due to low battery power. As it was plugged into the 240v circuit, this shouldn’t have happened. Then we realised that we had no lights and there were no indicator lights on the inverter. We also had no power for the water pump to work the taps.

We rang Milton Keynes Marina and Willowbridge Marina to see if they had a boat electrician who could help, but they both said no.  Our usual engineer Ed Boden was on holiday from tomorrow (it’s half term). We emailed some friends who were local to ask if they knew anyone who might be able to sort us out.  We put out a question on the Canal Ministries Whats App group to see what the cause might be. We have some knowledgeable people in Canal Ministries. 

James checked various things such as cable connections and fuses but could not identify the source of the problem.

We decided to do our local chores anyway, so James went to Wolverton Station to collect our pre-ordered tickets to Suffolk. He then went to various possible pet food suppliers, with no luck. He went to Tesco where Hazel had already started the grocery shopping.

From there Hazel took the bus to Pets at Home where she bought the cat biscuits. She then took another bus to Westfield Retail Park where she had learned there was a Poundland which does the new clothing range. Then to Central MK where she picked up a new bus timetable.

Meanwhile  James returned to the boat with the shopping, and packed away the cold stuff before setting off on the boat.  The battery charge warning bleeper stayed on instead of going off after a few seconds, another symptom of our problem.  James moved the key to the “off” position to get rid of the noise.

A little while later he moved it back to the on position to check the gauges, and discovered that the warning noise had stopped.  He checked a light, and found it was working. Brilliant!  He emailed the two local people plus Ed Boden to say it was now working.

He continued the cruise around Milton Keynes, and the photos tell the story.

Grafton Street Aqueduct

Fluffy head ducks – a strange mutation?

The march of the new houses

Artistic paintwork on a boat (Gulliver)

Black Horse Pub

Linford Wharf

Plaque at Linford Wharf

He stopped at Giffard Park to empty a cassette and dispose of rubbish.  The water tank was fairly full so he didn’t bother with that.  As he left, he met Out and About coming the other way.  “Hi Tudor!” he said. “You got it!” Tudor said.  That’s all there was time for as we carried on in opposite directions.

Art under the bridge

 Autumn Colours

At Fenny Stratford, there was a boat just about to go in, so James was able to share the lock with them. They were heading for the sanitary station, which we didn’t need, so they said they would close the lock and swing the swing bridge, so James was able to leave without having to finish off.

Fenny Stratford Lock

Another lifeboat

He moored just past Bridge 97and phoned Hazel to find out where she was.  She was in a cafe, but said she would catch a bus. James went to where she was intending to get off, but we had misread the bus map, and she was at a different stop, not far from Bridge 98. We managed to find each other, and returned to the boat.

We discovered that the electrics had gone off again, and this time, when we started the engine, we still had no electrics.  We managed to check our Whats App messages, and the consensus was that our domestic battery isolator switch may have packed in.  We decided to go to Willowbridge Marina in the morning and persuade them to look at our electric problem.

That evening was difficult, as we were doing everything by torchlight.  We had gas, but no water power for taps, showers or loo flush. We couldn’t charge our phones, check emails or watch TV.  We went to bed at 9pm.

1 lock, 10 miles, 1 swing bridge

Next: Trying to get the electrics sorted out before heading further south, hoping for Aylesbury by Friday.