This years cruise started at the end of April. We had hped to get out earlier than that, but having decided to sell our house in Eastbourne, we needed to get that settled before leaving the basin. Completion on the house was 30th March, which was what we had hoped for, but not expected to happen.

We left Birmingham heading for the Stratford Canal and the Lapwoth link to the Grand Union Canal. Our friends Derek and Debs joined us to help with the single locks, which was very useful and much more sociable. The weather was not kind and we had rain, sleet, snow and sunshine! We all neede our wooley hats and scarves to keep warm! I think they still enjoyed it though.

Our first trading spot was at the Two Boats, Lonf Itchington, where it was good to renew contact with the publicans John and Sammy. Our daughter, Lucy, also joined us there for a few days.

Trading at Braunston, Stoke Bruerne and then back to Blisworth before heading onto the Leicester line for the Crick Boat Show at the end of May. We decided to go on passed Crick and up to Foxton, as we had time to spare. Here we opend for business n the Friday and Saturday, then had a day off for sightseeing as Mike and Lynda had joined us for the weekend. We visited the Rushton Triangular Lodge and then Lyddington Bede House, both English Heritage properties and very interesting.

The Boat show went well, but was very tiring and difficult, as we had to stransport all our stok, gazebo and display stands from the boat to the show village. The marina allowed us to bring the boat in to unload, which was a great help.

From Crick we had a limited time to get down to London for the Paddington Floating Market, but we managed to stop at Marsworth and Berkhamsted for a few days trading. Andrew also did a quick trip down to Eastbourne to check on the student house.

When we were nearly down as far a Uxbridge, Andrew slipped n the boat and ended up with 9 stitches in his foot. Unfortunately I didn’t think to take photo’s, or I would have posted those here!!

It’s funny what you see sometimes along the Grand Union canal.