Introduction

Hello and welcome! Thank you for visiting and therefore supporting our blog!
Please have a look at our website www.chamberlaincarryingco.co.uk
Facebook page ~ Chamberlain Carrying Co
You can also view examples of my hand painted canal art (Roses and Castles) on my Facebook page Canal Art by Ruth.
If you would like to contact us, please use the icons below each post or you can email us using chamberlaincarrying at yahoo.co.uk and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we are moored and have a signal on our dongle! Mobile: 07754 003834
We hope you enjoy reading about our lifestyle and thank you again Ruth and Richard

Stoke Bruerne to Fenny Stratford (17 miles, 8 locks)

Wow, what a great weekend we have just had at the Cosgrove Canal Festival !


Raymond and Nutfield on their way to Cosgrove in the top lock at Stoke Bruerne

The weather had been awful with hail on Friday night and then showers on the Saturday morning, but the crowds supported the festival all the same.  Saturday evening the organisers had collected pre-ordered food which was still hot and delicious!
A good time was had by all and many thanks to those who came to see us in our Gift Shop on Echoes.


There's always a lazy one!


And another!  Stitches are now out, but more antibiotics for another week! (See Lister story)


A case of hit me if you dare!  I have fenders and am not afraid to use them!

We travelled in the beautiful weather down through the locks at Stoke Bruerne and on to Cosgrove, splitting the journey into 2 small chunks with some painting time in between.  Unfortunately, the brakes have given out on the car, so we had to leave it behind, somewhat abandoned, to be scrutinised later on our way back in a few weeks!


Love it or hate it!


Beautiful bridge on the edge of Cosgrove village Cosgrove Bridge 65


Pretty Cosgrove


Passing over the old Iron Trunk Aqueduct over the River Ouse

We said our goodbyes (nearly everyone would meet us again in a week for the Linslade Festival, further along the canal) and set off this morning in order to complete the journey through Milton Keynes and moor in Fenny Stratford for the evening.


View from the aqueduct


Flats having some work done in Wolverton


The Wolverton Train Mural, recently refurbished, looks amazing on this long bend


Aqueduct carrying the canal over Grafton Street, New Bradwell


Pretty canalside pubs


Gorgeous parkland


We can still see you!


Milton Keynes Marina entrance


Exquisite properties


Love this miniature greenhouse on the roof of the boat!  Great idea


Gliding through Fenny Stratford and it is busy!

At around 1pm, we arrived at Fenny Stratford and managed to squeeze into a gap before the lock. Too be honest, I think we must be so tired after the weekend, we have done nothing all afternoon.  No painting for me and no 'spannering' or 'brassoing' for him.  And so it should be!  
Hopefully see many of you at the Linslade Canal Festival on Saturday!  Please come and say hello!

Foxton to Stoke Bruerne ( 39 miles, 14 locks)



So we say goodbye to our loyal and loving companion of the last 14 years.  R.I.P. Scooby.

Everyone who knows us will have encountered old Scoob with his wobbly legs and permanent position at the helm of the butty or the motor boat.  We were given him as a pup and gradually realised that he had issues with his front legs.  The vet could break his front legs and reset them, but he would get arthritis when he got older, or we could just see how he coped.  We decided to do the latter and he coped very well until more recently, when he just couldn't hold himself up for long, or walk any distance.
We went over to Mum's this week and decided he had had enough.  He didn't even want to play with his squeaky toy, which was always something he wanted to 'kill'.  But he had given Mum and our youngest Ryan, lots of joy in his final weeks in his 'retirement' home and that's what matters.


Lister recovering well, still wearing his inflatable collar, wondering what all the fuss is about!

Meanwhile, our other dog, Lister is hopefully going to make a full recovery following his mauling by a Rhodesian Ridgeback cross a month ago.  He has had some stitches removed, but the central section of his scar is still open when he stands or flexes his muscle. The vet says this will just scar over and he should regain full use of his shoulder, but we are still not able to take him for his walks or let him bounce about.  It doesn't seem to hurt him at all now, but he still has to wear his vet collar to protect the wound.  Back to the vet on Monday, but we have a feeling the vet will want to leave the central remaining stitches in a little longer.  We'll have to see.


Beautiful, if not a little overgrown, Grand Union Leicester Section

We had travelled back to Norton Junction from Foxton a couple of weeks ago and then all the way down to Stoke Bruerne again.  The eagerly awaited Annual Cosgrove Canal Festival is next weekend (19th -20th July), so we only have a short distance to do before we get there.  Please help support the Buckingham Canal Society, by coming along.  I'm sure there will be plenty of stalls, trade boats and I'm told the village hall will be taken over by exhibitors as well, so a good weekend is in store!