We moved out from Napton, meandered north by Wigrams Turn, where the Oxford joins the Grand Union and the Grand also turns west to Warwick and beyond. From Wigrams to Braunston, the single canal stretch is both the Oxford and the Grand. Lock free, it is a lovely piece of canal. We turned right (east) at Braunston and moored up for a bit of shopping.
As we were mooring, we heard a "Hello, Elizabeth!" from a passing Tillerman on Promise Me Too and, after a few minutes, we both realised that this was another URC minister and wife who we knew from Oxford. A small walk out later took us to Braunston Marina where we caught up for a chat with them on the service point. We walked back from the Marina with maps for the western canal network and two new fenders.
We went on to the locks where we met up with It Must Be Five O'Clock Somewhere, another long narrow boat. We shortened their name to Five O'Clock for chatting sake and shared the 6 Braunston locks with this lovely boat and couple. A pleasure. Tunnel next, quite dry of drips as the ground above it was so dried out, then on to Norton Junction. This is where the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union heads north. Five O'Clock had moored up by then, but we headed for the Buckby locks to get through the top lock before mooring for the night.
Lo and Behold, as we got to Buckby top, our dear friend from Rugby Boat Sales was photographing a new boat for his brokerage. When he was finished, he joined us on Bella then we all traipsed off to the New Inn. Brilliant day!
