What are you doing in Northampton, Tom?

Well ... yes ... when last we wrote we were in the Saltisford Arm, in Warwick. During our time there, we've been on a couple of short (2 - 4 day) trips; with visiting friends. Of course, Warwick Folk Festival is in there somewhere, too!

Now we've decided that a cruise to THE FENS is top of the (current) priorities list; so for a few days or weeks the landscape is going to be similar to this ... minus the trees!

We'll hope to visit the historic city of Cambridge, the ancient cathedral at Ely,



and - hopefully - visit our friends Patti and Roger Pitt ... even though the St. Neots Folk Club will be closed for the month of August. The real reason we're doing this is that neither of us have ever spent any significant time in this out-of-the-way corner of England.

We've travelled back down the Grand Union Canal, almost to the Blisworth Tunnel; then turned East along the Northampton Arm. Almost immediately we were faced with a flight of 17 locks. Happily they are 'narrow locks'; little more than seven feet wide. For a narrowboat with a crew of just two, this is totally different from the 14' locks to which we've become accustomed over the past 14 months. However; during our various 'FLOAT TO THE FESTIVAL' trips; we operated plenty of these narrow locks, and much prefer them to their wider cousins. For a start: one crew-member ashore can operate both sides of the lock ... 

Remember ... one hand for the ship, and one for y'rself!

We've got a few 'domestic' issues to deal with; so we'll be in Northampton for 2 or 3 days; then we'll proceed down the River Nene to Peterborough, and out onto the MIDDLE-LEVEL NAVIGATIONS. Think of Humphrey Bogart towing the African Queen and you'll get the picture! "Leeches; I hate 'em."

It will (probably) be about 2-3 months before we get back to Warwick; returning the long way around. Of course; during that time; we've got festivals in The Netherlands and Bromyard. We'll try to keep the (b)Log of the Narrowboat Moonstone updated along the way.

All for now, Tom.