Grand Union Canal. Welsh Road to Warwick.

Well, that all went splendidly!
We did one of our famous whistle-stop tours of southern England with military precision. In fact it was a re-run of last year but without Ken or the snow. It’s so lovely to visit people at Christmas, the happy faces when they open their front door, their houses lit up and decorated and oozing excitement all over the place – we can’t think of a better thing to do!

We got back to legend on Christmas Eve with just enough time to get the fire going and the inside warm before Anne turned up. Perfik.

We were all awake at 6am with bulging stockings, acting like kids and giggling “He’s Been!” at each other. After a breakfast of mostly chocolate pennies we watched the sun rise.

Then, wearing Santa hats, or in Anne’s case her new hot water bottle cover, we cast off and dropped down the 6 lock to Leamington, wishing everyone we saw a Very Merry Christmas. Ann-Marie conjured up mince pies en-route while Anne threw herself into the role of first mate.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

We’ll make a boater out of her yet!

On Boxing Day we walked up to the two aqueducts, down the steps to the river and along the bank into Leamington where, along with lots of other happy smiling Chrismassy folk, we strolled around the Jephson Gardens.

This little chap couldn't have got any closer, then he posed for photos.

Anne went home in the afternoon and the following morning we did a very short move to The Moorings pub which was an easier place for the kids to find as they were visiting in the afternoon. Another batch of sausage rolls and mince pies accompanied more present swapping; people have been so thoughtful, we never knew how many small, useful things there were that we didn’t have.

2 days later we were off again, but again not very far. This time we took the boat across the aqueducts, and moored up behind Warwick hospital. As we were going over the railway a train was approaching so we waved like mad at the driver who made our day by not only waving back but by blowing his train whistle as he went underneath us! How cool is that?!

We had a mooch into Warwick between rain showers; it’s a lovely town with lots of old timber framed stuff to look at.

New Year’s Eve saw us up in Derbyshire in Buxton. We should have been there for a party last New Year but our host – Wiltz - had been rushed into hospital just before Christmas so it never happened. That made this year all the more special. Thank you dear friends, wild horses couldn’t have kept us away and we had a brilliant time.

We’re staying here for a while, till we either run out of water or firewood or get bored. We’re going up the infamous Hatton 21 in a couple of weeks, the Cape of Good Hope is between here and there; 2 locks, a pub and a water point beside a wooded bit. Mmmm. Might stop there.