Hawkesbury Junction and the Oxford Canal -Week 2

This is an amazing junction of the Coventry and Oxford canals in a U bend (the most acute bend imaginable) framed by a bridge forged in Derby in 1837. There is a pub called the Greyhound, right where the action takes place so if you crash the boat or have to do a 60 point turn, everyone outside the pub can be your audience! Of course there was another boat to negotiate already coming through the lock at the junction, but Richard was not put off and managed to get the 61 ft around the bend after a couple of shunts and passed the boat without a scratch. Disappointingly we didn't hear any applause as the vintage style engine we have in the boat is very load at the stern!

The sun blaized down as I grappled with the lock after the turning.
The Oxford canal was very pretty in comparision with Coventry but we had issues when trying to moor as the side of the canal was slanted meaning getting close to the bank was impossible, so we carried on further to see if things improved. At Brinklow there was a picnic area so we moored there with no problems.
We passed through Rugby and then Hillmorton locks, where we had a strange experience with 'impatience'. I will elaborate; a guy on a boat waiting to come down the locks tried to open the gate that Richard and the Lock keeper were sitting on, waiting for the lock to fill! The Lock keeper says it happens all the time and he just shrugs and smiles. Some people have just got to 'get on'.

Scooby looks at the bridge over the Oxford canal where the new 'cut' passes the old arm. Apparently the original canal was shortened in the 1830s by around 15 miles, but the old parts still remain in use as marinas and for local businesses.
The bridges were all beautifully made and kept in remarkable condition.
We spent the next night at Braunston where a visit to the marina where we nearly bought the first boat but the survey said 'no'! was a must. Richard bought some new stern buttons and I did another load of washing! How very interesting. It was nice to visit somewhere we were familiar with from a different perspective.