AYNHO
The night before we arrived in Banbury
David was up at his usual time in the wee hours of the morning and he was
feeling the rocks and bumps of very strong winds. I just snoozed right through
it.
We took off at our usual time in the
morning having only 4 locks to get through. We were cruising right into the sun
which at times blinded us. We didn’t know what was ahead of us.
The first time we were in Banbury we moored just below a large grocery store so that we could stock up on supplies at the beginning of our trip. This time we cruised right downtown and moored in the center of it. We were tied up just in front of a huge shopping mall that had thoroughfares to all parts of town. We were surrounded by bright lights, restaurants, bars. and pedestrian bridges. Quite a whole new experience for us.
After a walkabout we felt quite comfortable
in Banbury. The old part of town had charming shops and pubs. We found a
Salvation Army store and bought some books and a t-shirt for David. I pointed
out this narrow alley, and as we turned the corner, there was a wonderful butcher
shop. The perfect find for my husband. We stalked up on sale items and bought
our first Banbury Cakes.
Banbury Cakes began in the 13 century when
the crusaders were returning from war with spiced fruits. It is an oblong shaped
puffed pastry filled with spiced fruit and topped with powdered sugar. David is
in love with them. We stocked up before leaving. I’m still a scone kinda gal.
We visited the Banbury museum and were disappointed with the lack of information on the canal. You would think it would be a focus since it runs right through the commercial center of town. There is a lift bridge which you have to crank up and a lock that you go through on your way through town. It seems so odd to be working a lock while people are going bustling along going about their daily business not at all bothered or interested in the arrival of another boat.
We went to a pub for an appetizer and beer.
We brought out the cribbage board and had a game. Curious onlookers have asked
us the name of the game. Those who recognize it share memories of playing with
their grandparents or watching their parents play. Made me want to start
teaching our older grandchildren.
David finally had a decent night’s sleep of
10 hours! We woke up to rain and wind and decided to stay another day in Banbury.
We walked to the grocery store in the pouring rain and got what we needed and
more. Luckily, it was a short walk so carrying everything back to the boat wasn’t
too bad a chore.
On our way to Banbury David spotted a
paddle boarder for the first time. We
have seen kayakers on the canal and many boats have kayaks on the top of their
canal boats. We spoke to a gentleman at a pub who told us he was an avid
kayaker. One time he was chased down by
a swan and after he managed to jump out of his kayak, the swan continued to
peck at the side of the kayak. He said that the beak of a swan has been known
to break bones.
At one time Banbury was the home to General
Foods in the UK. This was of great interest to me because my mom worked at GF
in San Leandro for many years.
This morning we took off before sunrise and
found the Boaters’ Facilities to take care of business. David was having some
difficulty with the wind as he maneuvered through moored boats on both sides of
the canal downtown. He was glad to fill our water tank so the boat wouldn’t be
so light at the bow.
Lots of Lift Bridges Today
The locks along our journey today were
extra tough. One of the gates would not open all the way. Both David and I used
the long pole to try and dislodge anything that might be causing the problem,
but the lock was much too deep. I finally closed it as far as I could and then
leaned heavily on it while David barely squeezed through. You don’t want to get
stuck inside a lock.
It rained for the last half of our 6 ½ mile journey to Aynho. We walked up to the one and only pub, The Great Western Arms, hoping tor a celebratory meal and drink. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of food. They had a 3 course menu special and somehow I managed to save enough room for another sticky toffee pudding. It was a lovely way to bring in the new year.
Bringing in the New Year
Tomorrow we will be where it all started in Lower Heyford. We will be meeting up with our friends, Mike and Diane, who are renting their own boat for the month of January. They fly into London tomorrow and will stay in town near the marina. We hope to connect for a welcoming sometime tomorrow evening. They will pick up their boat on the 2nd , and we will then head up the Oxford Canal together. Can’t wait to share some of our favorite discoveries.
We received some devasting news while in
Banbury that our dear friend, Geoff, had passed away. He was a big part of our
Lillian Belle adventures and was always willing to lend a hand with the
never-ending maintenance on such an old vessel. We had some great adventures
and laughs together. He will be missed. Rest in Peace, dear friend.
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