Banbury and the rest day

Overnight in Banbury, almost in the middle of town...if it wasn't for the ambient light, we would have thought we were in the middle of nowhere, the place was as quiet as a couple of mice. Knowing that we were forced to have a rest day...we slept and slept.
We started out the day with a cooked breakfast and a list of jobs. Laundry...done. New allen keys...done. Fixed throttle...done. Top up groceries...done. Dave even had time for a massage...the ouchiest ever he tells me. Now he smells like tiger balm while he's cooking one of his famous chillis for our dinner. But a happier badger all in all.
Banbury is an interesting town. I only had a brief wander. Just up to the cross and back. I wanted a day with a novel and iPod in my ears. So I had a lazy lazy day...yay!

So, of course what do you blog about when you've done nothing to blog about?

Dave will tell you that I can always find something to talk about so here goes.

Okay firstly a few general boaty things.
Most people we meet on the canal are lovely. They are helpful and generous to strangers. Knowing that they may be in need of help and generosity at some point the future. Dave leant a spanner to a passing boat whose tiller screw had come loose and was given a beer in thanks ( a butty bach...very yummy apparently). Most folk slow down to pass moored boats, even to pass while cruising, and take great care to share the canal with respect to all.
However, there's always one or two who make us growl. Two boats had decided to moor at the approach to a lock...making people moor up further away than needful and lengthening the locking process for everyone. Yes it's nice to have rings or bollards to moor on...but they are on the approach to the lock for a reason and not to moor at overnight! Grrr
Don't moor right next to a bridge, most especially if the bridge is on a turn in the canal.
Be patient. Nothing happens quickly on the canal. No point in getting impatient, locks fill and empty at their own pace , boats move at two miles an hour, so slow down and enjoy the process. Take a stroll and look at the scenery, feed the ducks and swans, don't rev your motor and scowl at the boat in the lock...go and help or smile and wave...makes for a much better day.
I can't emphasize enough however how many good people there are on the canal. While being flooded and stuck in Banbury, a small community is developing with boaters sharing the latest news and passing it down the towpath. Reminds me a little of a festival campsite.There's a chap moored near Kings Sutton who is using YouTube and Twitter to keep us updated on conditions.
I've always relied on the kindness of strangers.

Boat names
We have been fascinated by the imagination and range of names that adorn narrowboats.
All manner of birds and flowers and herbs become quite elegant boat names, heron,fern and thyme, women's names, especially Emily and Sarah and Jane and for some reason cartoon characters like Marmaduke and Scooby doo. So many names like driftaway floating around, and long weekend. Oh and bad puns as well...we met a lovely couple who named their boat Gibson Beans....give it some beans...oh dear. I will let you know about any truly dreadful puns we see.

Lastly
Things the canal has eaten....continuing count
One windlass
One mooring pin
One mug

Wish us a fine evening