A short while after breakfast in Brothers in Farms, we set south for the Groxford (the Grand Union/Oxford canal shared section), preparing to turn towards Warwick. The shared section ends at Wigrams Turn, where the Oxford continues south and the Grand Union sets out west. We do love the canal sign posts.
And we are always grateful that it is into a double width canal we turn; you can see how much visibility there is if anything is coming out (not!).We travelled through the Calcut locks and moored up by the
Boat, at Birdingbry Wharf. On the 21st, we travelled through the 9 Itchington locks/Stockton flight and 1 1/5 miles in what Pete happily noted in our journal - 1.5 hours for 10.5 clicks!! We couldn't move too much, as Elizabeth was unhappily working on a document due the next day. We moored up by the Two Boats in Long Itchington and Elizabeth settled in to work. Harumph. On the 22nd, we had the most frustrating canal communications EVER. The document was due at noon. Could we get comms? Orange was out of reach, Vodaphone had no spots at all, and Virgin only just connected. Elizabeth finally had to take the laptop and walk into Long Itchington in search of a signal, carrying open lap-top with phone attached. She found a field, struggled with only just a hope of a signal, spotted a pub and went in search of WiFi. None there, she was directed past a duck pond to an early opening pub with comms. Document send in a flash at 11:40. (*&%*%&£$&!!!!) We were both in dark moods which suited the darkening day, but as ever, the canal carries us along and we settle down. We went through the 10 locks in the next 5 1/2 miles letting the lock work take our frustration. Nothing like pushing against heavy lock gates to get rid of a bit of surplus energy!! We moored up in Radford Semele and took ourselves to dinner at the White Horse. In the afternoon, Pete scared away a few bully Swans by hissing and finally rapidly opening and closing the golf brollie (our side hatch awning!) - his wings were bigger than theirs!
