Grand Union Canal, Crick to Welford (for Christmas) 12.12.13

Grand Union Canal, Crick and up the Welford Arm (for Christmas)

Well here's the last write up of our last little bit of cruising until we stop for Christmas. We've not been far, the weather has been dreadful, weve swapped the sharp frosty mornings with the beautiful winter blue skies and the low but bright sunshine for lots of rain and strong hard winds, grey rumbling skies; it's been a stormy old December.

There's not many boats moving about now, the hire boats have virtually stopped but there's a few like us, moving only a few miles when the weather allows. Smoke billows out of chimneys as boats rock with the wind against the banks but inside boaters are cosy and warm sheltering from the wild weather outside.

Moored up at Crick, we decided to make a move...

Thursday 12th December 2013

It was a beautiful winters day today, we've not had many of them this year! Not too cold, sun shining and blue sky. What more could we ask for! We moved the boat away from the bank and headed towards Crick Wharf on the opposite bank. Here we filled up with water, and we were away. We went at a slow speed, enjoying our short cruise to Yelvertoft in the cold winter sunshine, taking in all the brown winter landscape around us. 

Looking back at Cracks Hill towards Crick

The landscape is bear and the reeds have all died off

It wasn't long before we arrived at the 14 day moorings by the water point, there was one boat, Lady Arwen, already tied up but we slowly glided into a nice spot behind them.

Moored up at the 14 day moorings at Yelvertoft

We moored the boat against the bank and chatted to the owners for a while. After warming up with a lovely cuppa soup and lunch we took Kavk out for his usual afternoon walk but struggled to find anywhere to walk him off towpath. So he had to be content with the towpath. After all ,he is a boatie dog!

Back at the boat we settled in for a lovely quiet night in. On Friday we decided to move on straight away, we couldn't find and good walks for Jack, and we are always happiest when he's happy! So we set off up the canal to our next destination..... we still hadn't decided where, well know soon enough!

The sun was desperately trying to come out but the grey clouds were winning today, it was cold and grey, but not yet windy. 

C&RT workers hide up from the weather as they take their morning break at 9.30!

We started up the engine and made our way through the still waters until we came across a CRT workboat dredging and filling in banks. But it was only 9.30am and they were already on a tea break, sitting inside cradling mugs of tea!

A proper winter scene on our way up the canal to Welford

 We headed on, hats, gloves and scarfs hiding any spare raw skin away from the cold, and now windy, winter weather. The woodsmoke smelt nice from the chimney, the wind billowing it around the boat sometimes sending it straight at you full in the face!

Autumn leaves lay on the ground, the trees all brown and bare.....

The countryside is brown and bare, all the colours of autumn are laying on the ground now and covering the surface of the canal as we slowly go through the layer of dead leaves, making our way the 3 miles to our next stop.

We make our way through the layers of dead leaves that lay on the surface of the canal

There's been no other boats moving today, not seen a soul, we like it like that!

We pulled over a few hundred yards before the huge and very busy Bridge 30, the A14 bridge near a place called Elkington. 

Lovely spot just before the A14 bridge, peaceful and quiet too!

We moored up by bridge 28. We couldn't hear the traffic from the A14, there were great dog walks over huge hilly fields and we could park the car there too!

The view on one of our dog walks, the A14 road in the distance

We can also get Internet, telly and phone signal too! Happy days! After a great, but very windy, walk with Jack we returned home not seeing another boat on the move or a person the whole time.

After a lovely quiet night we were up with the frost and out walking the fields with Jack. We headed off into Crick to do some shopping at the local Co-op. We had a quiet day in, just nice!

On Sunday 15th December we woke early. I was going to Suffolk to watch my grandson, Jay, perform in the local village panto, Treasure Island. 

Jay (centre) makes his debut on the 'big stage'

Jay peering out from behind the fruit filled afro

I left early and the 111 mile journey was good. We had a lovely day, Jay remembered his lines and we all enjoyed a mountain of pizza and chips from the local takeaway. I stayed the night with Donna and we had a lovely day shopping in Diss on Monday.

I'd promised the boys I would pick them up from school but at 3.20 pm the sky turned the darkest grey I've ever seen, came over as black as night time. But I couldn't let them down, off I trudged down to the school and yep, we got drenched! Soaked right through. Only one thing can make that right, a hot steamy bath. And it's already been run for me! How lovely is that!

I left Donnas after my bath and a good warm up and went to see my son Deane, had a lovely couple of hours with him and my two other lovely grand kids, Lexi and Leo.

I eventually got home at 11pm, Paul had walked Jack up to the car to meet me, he was so excited (so was Jack!!!).

On Tuesday 17th December, after a good night's sleep, we walked Jack up the hilly pheasant laiden fields, although there had been a shoot the day before and there wasn't nearly as many birds about. 

The sun came out and so did the remaining pheasants hiding in this field!

But Jack still managed to find a few stray ones hiding out in the hedges. The sun was shining and the canal was quiet and calm, so tempting, too nicer day to sit here, we wanna cruise!

So we decided we'd set off for Welford. 

Looking back into the low winter sunshine at the beautiful glisten on the water

It was a beautiful cruise, the contrast of the weather the day before was massive, this was a cruising day for sure!

Going under the busy A14 with a cute canal bridge in the distance..... two different worlds!

We left about 11pm, sun shining, cold but stunning. The fields are all planted with crops now already sprouting through the soil, hills spring up from around corners, reeds that line the banks have all died back now and landscapes can be seen through the once leaf laiden branches of now bare trees and hedges.

One of the beautiful old bridges makes a lovely winter scene

Its a lovely day for December

After a mile and a half, just before the Welford Arm junction, we spotted a boat we thought we recognised. I slowed Happy Daze down to tickover just to be sure .... and it was! Our friends from Willy Watts marina at Ringstead, Mo, Ricky and Poppy their little dog! We pulled over and were immediately invited on their boat for coffee. After a couple of hours catch up we set off again on our way, waving frantically back to our friends, none of us knowing when we'll see each other again, but sure we will one day. 

Our friends, Mo and Ricky peer out the side hatch as we leave for Welford

It was cold now, the sun was still shining, but this time of the year doesn't give us much heat. We wrapped up again and a few minutes later we were at the junction turning right down the Welford Arm.

We turn right heading down the Welford Arm .... 

... the faded sign shows the way

It's only a mile and a half to the end but it's a beautiful part of the canal. 

Trees line the canal here, the sunshine finding its way onto the canal

It's even more beautiful in the low winter sun shine, shadows and sunshine making patterns across the water as the sun goes down behind the landscape of the now bare trees lining the canal.

The little lock at the end of the arm is only about 3' deep, grassy meadows surround the canal now

As we get to the end of the arm it's all familiar to us, we spent a bit of time here last year and had a bit of work done on the boat at Welford Wharf, highly reccommended!

And above the lock its just as beautiful

We only met one boat all day today, it's very quiet on the canals. I do the turn around at the end of the arm and reverse into one of the two 48 hour mooring spots.

We moor up in the 48hr moorings but its quite close to the 'poo dump' station

Once we'd settled in, Paul's brother, Hugh, came over on his way to work and took him to Crick to pick up the car.

We left the 48 hour mooring, in the distance is Happy Daze on the 14 day moorings!

We stayed at the 48 hour moorings for a couple of days, getting water on our way to the 14 day moorings (these are 48hr moorings in the summer but change in October to 14 days) in Welford, only 50 yards away! Here we settled down, we weren't going anywhere this side of Christmas!

Settled in our little spot for Christmas, we're not moving far for the next two weeks!

Over the next few days we food shopped in Lutterworth and went to Rugby to do the last of our Christmas shopping. Boats came and went, a few hire boats having an alternative Christmas on a boat!

The weather is pretty horrendous most days and nights, we were getting beaten up by the wind and rain most of the time. The boat banged and rattled against the side, stuff on the roof safe now with extra bungee straps holding down the solar panels which were flapping up and down in the gale force winds. Paul even had to get up and go out in the middle of the night to put extra fenders down!

On Sunday 22nd December I left the boat (unfortunately Paul had to stay on the boat to look after Jack) to go and have Sunday lunch with the sibs. 

My 'sibs' and their offspring.. from l to r ... Jack, Milly, Courtney, George, Pete, Bev, Mark, Matt, Jo and me!

We all had a brilliant time, great food, good banter, fantastic company even though I was nick named 'Mrs Brown'!

After coffee and cake at Milly's I headed back to Matts in Cambridge where I had left our car and drove back to the boat from there.

Wind and rain lashed down on the boat, bashing it against the side of the canal

Monday and Tuesday bought more gale force winds and lashings of rain. It's a stormy old winter that's for sure. Boat bashing about again, more fenders down the side! Paul went to see his son and we all went to visit his mother and brother.

Christmas visiting done for now we had a relaxing Christmas Eve in the boat having visited the local pub, the Wharf Inn, for a burger and chips dinner.

Christmas Day arrives along with more wind and rain, more huge storms today. We set off early and walked Jack over the sheep meadows and by 9am we were ready to make the 111 mile journey to Donnas for Christmas. Car packed to the top with presents and food and drink and Jacks stuff and duvets and pillows, we set off.

We had a good journey arriving at the prearranged time of 11am. 

Presents still lay under the tree all in their pretty christmas wrappers

The boys waited until we got there to open their presents, which seemed to go on all day. 

The boys opened their main presents, a laptop and an ipod!

We had a fabulous dinner, huge and Christmassy! 

Plates piled high we enjoyed every mouthful, Donna cooked an amazing dinner!

Even Jack had some presents to open!

We ate too much, drunk too much and by the evening we had piles of lovely presents and then the Guitar Heros came out! We had a lovely day, Donna did us proud.

Paul getting into the spirit of Christmas with Guitar Heros

On Boxing Day we went to visit Deane for the morning, more lovely presents and a very excited little granddaughter, Lexi, opening her 'nanny boat' presents. 

Lexi trying out her new roller skates ....

... and Leo trying to make his escape from Grandad Grumps!

Leo was about most of the time, crawling about and getting into everything, hes only 7 and a half months old! When we left Deanes we went to Millys and had the afternoon with her, more food and another excited little boy, Jack 5, surrounded by opened presents!

Friday we got all our stuff together ready to leave. 
We were taking Yogi, Donna's little chihuahua/Pomeranian doglet home with us for a week while Donna visited some Scottish relatives on Calvin's side. We made the 2 hour journey home in the afternoon and arrived back in Welford at the boat just before it got dark. First job, light the fire, get some heat in the boat. After unpacking the car we sorted the dogs out and settled back in.

Little Yogi settles in after a long car journey

The weekend bought more wind and rain, the boats moving about bashing on the side, rain hammering on the roof of the boat. Yogis nervous at the best of times but the noises freaked him out, shaking and looking very worried!

Monday 30th December we had to go to the supermarket, stocks were low and we'd eaten all our Christmas chocolate! We went to Rugby and got home in a couple of hours. 

A rare sunny and frosty morning as we take the dogs over the sheep meadows

Dogs exercised, fridge is full, wind and hammering rain outside again but the boat is warm and cosy. Sorted!

We went off to see Les at Welford Marina, he did some work on our boat last year and was brilliant. We'd spoken to him about needing a BSC, we needed to find an examiner in the next few weeks and he sorted it all out for us.

The sunset looks beautiful over the now still and calm waters.... but for how long?

On Tuesday there was a knock on the door at 8am and it's Les letting us know that Monty the Boat Saftey guy would be with us by 10am today! How's that for service! I took Jack out for a walk and Paul did the nessesary checks before he got here. He was only here about an hour and after checking everything possible he let us know the boat is safe for the next 4 years, it passed first time! Yeha!

Several boats have left their mooring spots, a few have slotted into their spaces. It's quiet here, peaceful and friendly.

... and here's a little robin to wish you all a Very Happy New Year!

We stayed in on New Years Eve, watched the amazing fireworks on the telly from London, raised our glasses at midnight. Then went to bed!

Wednesday, 1st January 2014 ..... Happy New Year!!!!

Grand Union Canal, Braunston to Crick 24.11.13

Grand Union Canal, Braunston to Crick

Sunday 24th November 2013

Happy Daze nestled in on the 14 day moorings in Braunston

We all had lunch and endured a few hours of Tractor Ted and CBeebees on the telly! Milly and little Jack, love him, went home on Sunday afternoon, 130 miles later and the'yde be home!

Our place on the towpath in Braunston, opposite (out of the picture) the Boathouse Pub

Paul pumped out the loo when they'd gone and I took Jack out once more. We stopped here only one night, it was quiet enough, the extractor fan from the pub did stop eventually! This was the Grand Union main line, it's busier than where we'd just left, more people walk the towpath here, there's boats moored all along the towpath, boats moving about during the day and even one went past at 11.00pm!

The weather is really great for autumn, it's cold, crisp and dry. A lovely day to go cruising! 

We called in at the water point to fill up the tanks, and empty others - as you can see, its Paul's job!

So on Monday we set off all wrapped up against the cold, just going 150 yds down the canal to the waterpoint to fill up with water and to empty our toilet Paul pumped out yesterday into the chuckit!

All done, another quick stop at the rubbish bins takes two minutes and were off up towards the flight of 6 Braunston locks. Slowly making our way through Braunston we pass the large Braunston Marina, full to leaking with boats. 

We cruise past Braunston Marina....

Boats moored all over the place as we look for somewhere to tie the boat while Paul gets the lock ready

Onwards to the locks we pass another hire boat marina, and surprise, surprise hire boats everywhere. They've even used the lock mooring bollard to tie one up to, leaving not much room at all to tie up our boat at the lock. We get in at some sort of an angle, and we wait for a boat to come down the lock.

Now it's our turn and I take the boat into our 'first for ages' wide beam lock. 

Leaving the bottom lock of 6, we wait for the next boat to come through, and they join us for the rest

Were soon up the top of the lock, and there's a little canal shop by the lock. I go in and take a look, there's lots inside, but nothing I really need right now, best save some money. As were tied up on the side of the pound there's another boat about to come up the lock and they're on their own too. So the lady comes over to ask us to wait for them in the next lock.

We glide in to the other locks easily, going up side by side

We go up the remaining 5 locks with our new companions from Crick, lovely people, a cheery wave at the top sees them on their way towards the tunnel while we pull over on the 48hr moorings just above the locks. 

Just entering Braunston Tunnel, we really shouldn't have put that extra log on the fire when we left

After our lunch stop we decided to carry on through the tunnel and moor up somewhere on the other side, there's nice moorings between the tunnel and Norton Junction. Here there are no dog walks, and theres nowhere to park the car either.

The tunnel wasn't far, its only just over a mile long, it's dry today, there's no cascading water coming down on us and there was no boats coming our way either. 

Coming out of the tunnel the other side

So we had a great run through and on the other side we went on a couple more miles and moored up between bridge 9 and Norton junction.

We were cosy and warm after our cuppa soup and warm by the fire

We knew this area well, were familiar with the dog walks here, in fact we've stopped round about here on quite a few separate occasions. We love the views, the lovely grassy (now empty) cow meadows, the woods that run along the off towpath side of the canal. We can get the car to bridge 9 and there's several parking spaces right by the bridge.

It's very cold now, I got chilled through today, and as we pull up in our chosen place we head off in and get the kettle on and cuddle a cuppa soup!

View from the bridge towards Happy Daze on a very quiet and peaceful stretch of the canal

After our lovely walk with Jack we settle in for the evening. Were happy with the day, the suns been shining although it's been cold. It's been a fab autumnal day. We've dumped poo and rubbish, filled up with water, got through 6 wide locks and one tunnel and cruised 4 miles and now we're nearly at Norton Junction! We stopped the coal/diesel work boat as it went past us, they were laden with supplies for all the boaters braving the winter out on the cut! So we stocked up with coal and diesel, making a note of when they were coming by next.

The coal/diesel/gas/wood...... boat comes past us and with a quick shout they stop to sell us supplies

On Tuesday it was icy and cold. Paul went off on his bike to Braunston to collect the car. This involved a 4 mile cycle ride back along the towpath and as the towpath didn't go tthrough the tunnel, he had to find his way over the tunnel! So within a couple of hours he was back. 

This new water point is well and truly frozen on the outside anyway! 

Cold and wintery now as we look down at the view from the boat

We gave Jack a winter hair cut as well today, took a couple of hours but he was so good, and looks such a smart little dog again. 

Jack with his new haircut under his cosy warm purple coat!

Wednesday 27th November we went to Woodford after our dog walk. I had an appointment with the doctor and we were going to visit the Island, and in particular, my good buddies Lyndsey and Anna. We had a lovely day, everyone was lovely. Had delicious pumpkin soup for lunch and Paul walked a very happy Jack around his old stomping ground! He was very excited to go back and visit! We didn't leave until it was dark and stopped on the way back for a yummy KFC for tea!

Autumn on the Grand Union Canal

Thursday was jobs day, Paul has now converted the bedroom telly to run off 12volt, and changed it from freesat to freeview with a new Maplins digibox! So we now have two working tellys, both running from the same arial, both running off the 12v batteries! Happy days! He also serviced the engine, changed the oil etc. a job that's not pleasant but has to be done!

Friday we walked Jack in the morning and at lunch time walked him again as we were leaving him on the boat for the afternoon. We were going shopping and were going to Kettering to meet up with Lyndz and Anna. We also went to the tip to dispose of the used engine oil. Shopping done, we'd got everything we needed, caught up with the girls and we drove off home. It wasn't long before we were trudging down the pitch black towpath dragging the heavy shopping trolley behind, shopping bags cutting into our shoulders. Finally we were back on the boat and a very happy Jack was waiting to greet us! Paul wasn't feeling very well so he took himself off to bed and I had a quiet evening by myself. On Saturday 30th November Paul wasn't much better and although previously we had decided to move the boat, we stayed put so Paul could get some rest in the warm boat. We didn't do a lot today, little jobs around the boat, typed up some of this blog.... I've done lots of walking with Jack as it's been a lovely sunny and bright day.

The sign says turn left....

Sunday 1st December (Happy Birthday to my wonderful grandson Callum who's 10 today) it was lovely and sunny, not a drop of wind and not really too cold either! Paul's feeling much better today, so I got up early to walk Jack and by 8.30am we were ready to make a move. 
We were heading up the Grand Union Leicester Line, it's a sharp left at Norton junction. We've got 7 locks in a flight to do today, the Watford locks. Watford as in 'Watford Gap' services, not Watford, London! So we set off early, the sun low in the winter sky.

Here's Norton Junction, and were turning left down the Grand Union Canal, Leicester Line

It was only minutes before we turned sharp left at the junction on to the Leicester Line and under the footbridge that was once a swing bridge.

Turning the sharp turn to head under the footbridge on the Leicester Line

In the early morning sunshine we head the couple of miles to Watford locks and it takes about an hour to slowly glide through the still waters of the canal. We don't want to rush it today, so we creep along slowly, we just want to take it all in.

We cruise through some beautiful woodland....

... the sunshine give it a magical feeling, warm and glowing....

... and around every corner there's more beautiful autumn colours

As we go under this road bridge, the low winter sun hits the water and reflects right under the bridge

We absorb all the wonderful countryside all around us, all the different colours and sounds of autumn. We cruise past Watford Gap Services, it's full of busy people trying to get somewhere fast! But not us!

C&RT workboats stacked up with fences and tools wait for tomorrow when they make a start on winter maintenance on the flight of Watford locks, good job we're going through today!

... Paul tugs the boat in as we fill up with water before going through the locks

At the bottom of the locks I fill up with water at the water point while Paul goes off to book in with the lock keeper. As four of these locks are in a staircase, there's no passing between locks so the lock keeper has to know you are coming up or down so you can take your turn. Normally it's about an hour's wait in a queue here, but today there's no one waiting at the top to come down, and just us going up! Surprising as they're closing this set of locks for winter repair tomorrow for two weeks!

Entering the first of 7 locks at Watford

Paul winds the paddles down and up ahead the next lock is open and waiting for us, thanks to the Lock Keeper!

We set off into the first lock, the second one was empty and open for us, thanks to the lock keeper. So into the second lock, and then the 4 staircase locks. 

The flight of 4 staircase locks. See the red and white paddle posts....
 REMEMBER."Red before white, you'll be alright: White before red, you'll end up dead!"

This is where there are no pounds of water between locks, you use the water from the lock above to get you up to the right level. There's red and white paddles to lift and they have to be done in the right order. There's a little rhyme people use to get it right, "Red before white, you'll be alright, White before red, you'll end up dead!" So now we know! Well we survived the staircase locks, we got up the 4 locks quickly, one more single lock to do and we were at the top, takes you right under the bridge of the M1.

The very friendly lock keeper as we enter the last lock, he's still helping us!

Completely crazy! The M1 bridge as traffic hurtles over the canal, probably not even knowing the canal is here!

We went on half a mile into the countryside and we left the busy road behind us. Just lovely old fasioned fields to our right, a few cows and even fewer sheep were grazing. But this area is called Watford Park, and there are footpaths all over the fields just beckonning us in! 

Our beautiful little spot away from the noisy M1!

So we pulled over on some armaco, struggling a bit as it was quite shallow at the sides. But we got in, slightly tilting on one side, but were in! And it was just as lovely to walk these lovely fields, Jack had a fantastic time, loads of room to run his little socks off! 

Just had to put this lovely picture in of Jack, he had an amazing time playing with monkey, and the autumn leaves!

It was quiet here, hardly anyone about, no boats going past us at all as the locks at Watford were now closed for winter repair! 

Watford Park, we explored the fields around us, so lovely, and they're there for the public to walk!

What a beautiful spot we live in...

We explored the fields, got some wood from under an old oak tree. The farmer came by in his truck and questioned us about the wood. After a short conversation about the wood belonging to him and although the land can be walked on "it's not public wood" he said... he let us take what we'd got, and we promised not to take any more!

Jack in the woodland as the sun rose over the park one side of us...

... and went down the other side of the canal. 

We cycled to Norton Junction on Monday 2nd December, only 3 miles but the towpath was fairly tricky, narrow, muddy and on a slope! But we got there fine, bought the car back to the bridge and went home for lunch. After a walk with Jack we came back to the boat, I stayed in the boat while Paul fished, caught a few small ones apparently.

C&RT workers drain the pound of water between the top lock and flight of 4 staircase locks for maintenance

Happy days as we get ready for our next mini adventure to the tunnel and Crick.

As we come round a bend and under the bridge there's the tunnel, all ready and waiting for us...

Tuesday 3rd December we set off again. We headed the short distance to the tunnel, only about a mile. We entered the notoriously wet mile long Crick Tunnel, umbrella at the ready, only to find it was only slightly wet and dripping at the far end! Yippee!

Inside the tunnel there's evidence of a lot of water running down the walls in the past, but not today, dry as a bone

Coming out of the tunnel, the bridge up ahead indicates where Crick Wharf starts

Out of the tunnel we came to Crick Wharf and went past the 14 day moorings opposite. We went under the road bridge, we had planned to stop opposite Crick Marina on the 14 day moorings there, but in the winter they become winter permit holder moorings only, the whole stretch, so we had to carry on. We only went on about a mile further and the other side of the footbridge to Cracks Hill there were some rings just before the winding hole. 

The boat moored up, and Cracks Hill in the distance

The view down from half way up Cracks Hill

We pulled over and tied up. This'll do fine, we'd got a great view of Cracks Hill, walks all around us, no neighbours, but also nowhere to park the car! So we decided to only stay here for one night, we'd move tomorrow and find somewhere we could park the car near to us as we needed to do some Christmas shopping! But here was lovely. 

We were welcomed by this sign in the entrance to a sheep field!

Nearly up the top now, everything's looking very small down there... 

We made it, its a long way up!

We went off to explore the Hill, climbed to the top and had a wonderful view from the top! Could see for miles, all the green fields all around, Hillmorton masts and even Rugby!

We had a lovely quiet night, not a sound! On Wednesday 4th December we woke up early, we were on a wood mission, we spotted some lovely hawthorn yesterday that had been chopped down and was piled up just a field away from the towpath! So we headed off in the half light of the early morning and managed to carry three bits each! Really heavy solid wood! After our walk with Jack and our wood mission complete we decided we would move the boat back to the 14 day moorings opposite Crick Wharf. The ones we went past yesterday! 

This was a lovely little spot here, opposite the Wharf, but it was really quiet and peaceful

So I turned the boat round at the winding hole and headed back towards Crick Marina. At the third entrance to the marina I turned the boat round again, this time I went in reverse and backed up the rest of the canal, under the road bridge and reversed into the moorings, still heading in the right direction to go onwards to Welford!

This was a fine place to stay, not a great view but we can get the car by the canal here! Opposite was Crick Wharf, and a boat we knew well. It belonged to Neil, the ex manager at Welford Marina and the joiner who put new doors on our boat last year! After having a good long catchup with him he suggested if we wanted we could park the car in his car park, much safer there. We obviously obliged!

We walked over the fields that went over the tunnel entrance....

Looking over the tunnel entrance down to the canal

The sunsets over the opposite side of the canal, looking like a massive fire!

So thats what we did, and stayed here over a week. It was a lovely place to be, we managed to go into Rugby a couple of times to do some christmas shopping, we went to Kettering shopping, Paul went to visit his mum and to collect our license that had already been processed and had arrived in the post. 

This was Jack's favorite field of the moment!
He loved chasing the smells, and occasionally the pheasants, out of the long grass

And we had wonderful walks here too, the lovely sheep fields, the long meadowy grass and the deer fields made this a lovely place to go walking.

The deer were very inquisitive, but wouldn't come any nearer

They just all stopped and stared at us as we walked alongside their field

We left Crick on the Thursday 12th December, we were on our way to Yelvertoft, and then on to Welford where we planned on stopping for a couple of weeks over Christmas. The weather was good, a little grey and damp, but it could have been worse,  at least it wasn't wild and wet or windy! 

This is the autumn landscape as we leave Crick, Cracks Hill up ahead.... been here before I do believe!

We're now on our way to Yelvertoft.... that's yet to come. Catch up with the next blog soon!

Last entered Friday 13th December 2013