Milton Keynes to Weedon - Cruising Up the GU for the Last Time!

Campbell Park may never look the same again

It struck me on Sunday that two weeks yesterday Quaintrelle will swing briefly through the air on the end of a crane, then drop on the back of a lorry and head to France.  Gulp.  I don’t know if I’m ready…….  But before I get my knickers in a twist and come over all emotional, how’s the last week been??

We were becoming institutionalised and enjoying our mooring at Campbell Park, so much so that we couldn’t be bothered to move on and stayed until Saturday 12^th.  We might have stayed longer, but we needed water…….  Wednesday was spent doing boat jobs and getting started on our Christmas shopping and on Thursday we spent the day at the cinema.  Having gone to the 12.30 showing of Arrival, which we really enjoyed, fab film, we left the cinema and noticed that there was a 16.50 showing of Girl on a Train which we hadn’t seen and wanted to.  So we toddled off to M&S for some food shopping, grabbed a bite to eat at a fast food noodle place and headed back to the cinema in time for the picture starting.  We had indulged in a large bag of PicknMix for the first film but felt a second would be too much, much to Mike’s disappointment.  Having read the book, we expected to be disappointed as films are rarely as good but we did enjoy it.  Not as good as Arrival, but most enjoyable and I thought Anna Freil was a great alcoholic!

Friday dawned bright so we set off southwards to Fenny Stratford to get water, dump our rubbish (which was sitting in a bag on the front deck and had provided a midnight feast for some little furry friends), wind (turn) and come back up again.  NB Betty had moored up behind us whilst we were at the cinema on Thursday and we managed a quick chat before we headed off and I suppose telling them we were off to France in a couple of weeks is when it started to sink in.  “You must be really excited??!” they said.  “Yes.  I think so.” I said feeling more unsure than excited, to be honest.  They were keen to hear of our plans as they’ve been thinking about going over to France, so I hope we do meet them over there at some point.

At Fenny the fast water tap had us filled up in no time and we continued on to the winding hole turned and came back down the lock.  We moored up with just enough time to get the other side of the boat’s blacking touched up before it got dark.  

Rather than wind right above the lock, it was such a nice afternoon we cruised to Water Eaton to wind

This time of year often presents looking glass conditions on the canal - lovely.

As it was forecast for rain most of the day on Saturday, we decided to stay put and get on with some more tasks, a major one for me was to sit (and hopefully pass) my CEVNI test.  The CEVNI is like a highway code for European Waterways; signs, light signals, sound signals on land and other craft, so that even if you don’t speak the language you will understand instructions and what other vessels are doing.  Mike did his online a couple of months ago whilst I was in the throes of swotting for my VHF Radio course, but once I’d passed that, I had no excuse.  So Saturday was the day.  I’d been having fly study sessions with the book, but it wasn’t really sinking in, but I sat and went through it all again, then got bored so went online and did a couple of practice tests I found.  Then I did the formal practice online with the school we registered with, passed both parts, so with sweaty palms and raised heartbeat I logged in to do the exam for real.  It’s multiple choice and timed and you get two shots at it, so really I needn’t have worried – there is just enough time to flick open the book (if you’ve marked the pages well enough!) if there’s one you’re not sure of.  I got 13/15 for the first section and 15/15 for the second – woooohooooo!!!!  So from that respect, we’re all set to go……

On Sunday, we left Milton Keynes for the last time, stopping en route at Bridge 86 to walk 15 minutes to the Waitrose at Oakridge, or Oakville or some other name beginning with Oak… It’s a new small town within the boundaries of Milton Keynes, full of new houses and streets with a shopping centre in the middle.  Back on board we continued our journey for the day, passing through Campbell Park for the last time, which even if we do ever come this way again, may not look the same!  On one of our forays to MK Centre, there was a large stand showing plans for the development planned for Campbell Park; houses, shops and restaurants and a marina.  We were gutted.  The thing we like about it is that there’s nothing there, it’s a park and a well-used, well-laid out, well-kept park for that matter.  I hope it doesn’t go ahead, but suspect it will.  Anyway, I started to feel a bit maudlin and emotional as we passed through and felt that way most of the way up to Cosgrove in the winter sun, passing a few other winter boaters on the way.  All was quiet at Cosgrove and I did a quick 20 minute run, getting back in the almost dark, whilst Mike emptied the rubbish.  It’s very different boating after the clocks have gone back.  In the summer, we’ll boat on sometimes til 7/8pm but if not, usually stop around 6ish.  We then do some jobs and before we know it it’s time to start cooking dinner, hoping to eat around 7.30/8pm.  Now we’re moored up by 3.30/4pm and it’s dark, so my stomach is looking for its dinner by 6 o’clock……  We don’t get up any earlier either to make use of the daylight.  I think we’re getting worse!!!  I struggle to get my arse out of bed anytime before 9am…..

There were about 30 of these guys racing from Giffard Park to Leighton Buzzard - 15 miles!  Too much like hard work....

More mirrors on the outskirts of MK

Cosgrove

Monday morning was overcast and drizzly, but before we headed out of Cosgrove (for the last time….), Mike touched up some paint work and I went to post a letter.  I’m glad I did, because I found the Horse Tunnel that goes under the canal, which I thought was brilliant.  We’ve passed through Cosgrove many, many times, but only stopped twice recently, so hadn’t really explored the village, so I’m glad I had seen this.

The canal is at the top of the steps and the houses you see are on the opposite side.

The tunnel leading to the other side of the village and the Barley Mow pub

Although it was a bit damp, it was very mild so not altogether an unpleasant cruise up to Stoke Bruerne, where we stopped for water at the bottom of the flight and made use of the time sitting to have some lunch.  Jules Fuels were there so we took on some diesel (for the last time…..) hoping that as we lingered, someone else would appear to share the locks with.  They didn’t and we headed off up on our own.  There was quite a bit of traffic coming down however which made it easy for us as all the locks were set in our favour and gates were left open for us a couple of times to.  The top lock was our last UK lock.    Then Mike remembered that it had also been our first lock when we set off in June 2014 – very fitting.

Right time and place to get some fuel

Approaching what had been our first and is now our last UK lock

The best Indian Restaurant on the UK Canals - Spice of Bruerne - red brick building.

Whilst cruising we chatted a lot about what we still need to do for France and what will need packed up and how we’ll stop stuff shifting about on the boat when she’s mid-air.  My next task is to make the Blue Board – further details can be found at CEVNI.

For the first time, we didn’t go to the Spice of Bruerne for a curry  - and it would have been our last time……. (see the theme here??)…. as we had food we needed to use up. 

This morning we were up a bit sharper, 8.50am, and enjoyed breakfast outside on an extremely mild morning for November.  Mike touched up a bit more of the paintwork and I got us ready to set off, not looking forward to our first obstacle of the day, The Blisworth Tunnel.  It was with great joy that I thought, “This is the last time…….”  As we entered the tunnel, we were surrounded by mist and I couldn’t see where we were going so had to take it steady.  It was really spooky and I was imagining all sorts of ghost boats following me, but about a quarter of the way through it cleared and we could see the pin prick of light at the end of the tunnel.  We managed to pick up speed in the new section in the middle which is nice and wide, so were through in 27 minutes again and enjoying our morning coffee as we progressed northwards to Weedon.

The entrance to Blisworth Tunnel at Stoke Bruerne

Where did this mist come from???

Always glad to reach the new section in the middle as it's nice and wide - and see the end of the tunnel!

Lime glistening on the walls of the old section

No, not last night's supermoon, it was too cloudy to see it where we were.  End of the tunnel getting closer..

Popping out into daylight and still water at Blisworth, 27 minutes later.

And Weedon is where we are now and where we’ll be until a week on Sunday when we’ll head south for seven miles to Gayton – and the crane – gulp!!  So this may well be my last entry written on UK soil!!!  Unless I can find something interesting to write about Weedon Boatyard for next week...........   Yikes!!!!!