Quick Jump Forward

Friday 5^th September

The intention was to write this blog on a daily basis but today we met up with a couple of people that made me skip a few days to bring you right up to date with what’s happening.

I had intended putting in a picture of Bugbrooke Marina featuring our newly painted boat.

Brigid filming Polgara

And the lace that Brigid made for our ‘four poster’ bed.

 

But events took over and by the time we had gone through most of Buckby locks on Wednesday, (very heavy locks) cooked supper and watched The Hobbit we didn’t have time for the blog.

Buckby Locks

On Thursday we set off through Buckby Top Lock and then ventured through Braunston tunnel. Had to pass four other boats in the tunnel but only ‘shook hands’ with one of them (bumped). At Braunston No. 3 lock we saw that The Admiral Nelson was serving up Fish & Chips for lunch.

The Admiral Nelson

 

So we moored in Braunston, had a brisk walk back to the pub, and, after quaffing ale, decided to stay overnight on our mooring.

What has all this to do with the people we met?

Well, on Friday we set off and turned left at Braunston Turn toward Oxford.

 

Most of this stretch of canal we have travelled before but after Napton junction it was all new to us – that is if you discount passing through 30 years ago – anyway, memory’s not that good at the best of times!

 

At around lunch time we had to start through Napton locks. The moorings below the locks were crowded out and we thought that we might have to tackle all six locks before we could stop. However, once through the first lock, we found that there was a temporary 48 hour visitor mooring so we stopped there for lunch at The Folly Inn.

The Folly Inn

 

A lovely place full of charm and character with lots of antiques and pictures thrown all over the place. As soon as we walked in the bar the Captain says to me: ‘You know who’s sitting over there?’ ‘No, where?’ ‘Don’t look round, they’re right behind you.’ Eventually I manage to pick up my pint, casually turn and, careful not to look directly at them but squinting out of the corner of my eye – I probably looked like Dick Deadeye from Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore at this point – who should we see but Timothy West and Prunella Scales! Well, that decided it for us! Long lunch, hang around and see what they were up to. When the film crew came in we discovered that they were filming a new canal series. For some reason they didn’t want us in it and were on the point of asking us to move out of the room when they started filming but we had, by then, decided to do some filming of our own.

 

Look who's crossing the road

 

Still, lunch was quite interesting listening to luvvie conversations with the crew and when they all bustled off to set up cameras, etc., the Captain managed a few words with Tim. (You can see that we were all close friends by then!?) He told us how one year they had ventured through Northampton only to be stuck on the Nene for the season because of low levels on the Northampton arm, the locks having been closed.

Timothy walking back to ...

 

Prunella waiting patiently

 

I must say that I felt sorry for Tim and Prunella since the crew wanted to film, from inside the pub, a shot of Tim walking down the path towards them. So there are the two stars of the show sitting in the garden for about half an hour while the shot is set up. Tim then walks down the aforesaid path accompanied by hoots of laughter from Prunella shouting out: ‘How far are you going?’ after which they sat around again until Tim wandered off toward the canal to talk to the boaters and help work the lock. I’m sure there must have been more action going on and I know that there were people waiting in the Inn to be interviewed. Oh well, just have to wait and see what comes up on the television.

 

Chatting to walkers by lock

Had a lovely meal back in The Folly in the evening which fully made up for our walk in the afternoon to the top of Napton Hill. We had wanted to look in the church but it was locked. There was a helpful notice saying that we could get a key from the shop but, since the shop was at the bottom of the hill and we were at the top, we didn’t fancy the idea!

View from top

Having nearly suffered cardiac arrest on the way up the hill, we bounded back down and met up with a small group of school children at the war memorial who were choosing names of soldiers who had died in the First World War. Their project was to make poppies, put their thumb print in the centre and write in the soldier’s name. They were part of an after school club and the lady looking after them said that they were going back for a meal that she had cooked for them.

On the verge of the main street there were also plaques and trees in memory of soldiers who had died in the Second World War.

It might be quite a challenge for some but I would recommend a visit to Napton-on-the-Hill – only, if you want to see inside the church, collect the keys from the shop on your way past.

Having now written the blog I don’t know when you will see it. We are at the bottom of the hill and there is no mobile signal where we are!