Monday 21st July 2008

Explored Devizes after walking Bill right to the bottom lock (29) again.  Lovely town with lots of interesting buildings and every type of shop you could need including a laundrette.  Even got onto the internet at long last and posted all of Junes chapters.  In the Artichoke for early doors and a takeaway curry from the Taste of Bengal - excellent food.

Tuesday 22nd July 2008

Took my laundry in where they charge £10 for a service wash - slightly different from Seend PO.!!!  Found a lovely cafe with tables outside and Bill and I had coffee and a shared pannini, Bill being fussed over by everyone passing for being so well behaved (proud dad puffs out chest).  Got back to Beau and who should come up the flight and tie up behind me but Steph on Nb Whichboy together with Bess.  They had come up with another couple, Helen and John and their dog Grace on Nb Saul.  All met up later in the Artichoke and had a great evening.

Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Nattering to Helen, John and Steph we met the BW enforcement officer Craig, who I last met in Bradford on Avon.  He Knows about David and is happy for me to dawdle along.  Went back to the coffee shop again and later found a shop that sells everything from a pin to an elephant, well almost.  Got myself a new mop and a new bath mat, however, no sooner got them back than the mop disintegrated on first use and the mat is an awful colour so they'll have to go back tomorrow.  Later met up with the gang and went on the Wadworth Brewery tour, fantastic and well worth the effort.  Sampled many of the beers on the way out.  All met up later in the Artichoke for a very jovial evening.

Wadworth Brewery is one of the last breweries still to use horse drawn carriages with shire horses to deliver their beer to pubs within a two mile radius of the brewery.  We were lucky to see the magnificent horses, which ranged from 17 hands 3 to 18 hand 2 - massive beasts, as they go on holiday next week to a local village where they each get a pint of beer from the local pub and then caper about like mad things for a fortnight.

Wadworth Brewery also is the only brewery to have their own, in house, pub sign painting department which was fantastic and I was told that they would take commissions to paint signs on narrowboats.  They also have the only full  time brewery cooper making and repairing their barrels though he wasn't he today.

Thursday 24th July 2008

Was going to move on today, however, after returning faulty bits and doing a grand shop I decided to catch up on a few thing while I have internet access so will move on tomorrow instead.  Fantastic open air market here on Thursdays with excellent veg, meat and fish.  Took Bill for a walk down the towpath and into the Artichoke for early doors. It's also Dave the landlord's birthday and his wife, Ruth, had bought him a hat that looked like a birthday cake complete with candles. Excellent. Happy birthday Dave.

Friday 25th July 2008

Walked up to town to get milk and papers and had a coffee and a bagel for breakfast.  Set off for Horton Bridge (No 134) and the Bridge Inn Moorings at 12pm.  Slow cruise past many moored boats including one that had pulled it's mooring spikes out and slewed right across the canal effectively blocking it. Luckily there was a boat in front of me who were able to sort it out, it would have taken me ages on my own.  Tied up outside the Bridge Inn at 2pm.  Popped in for a couple early doors and saw Stuart, one of the landlords, and a bunch of other boaters.

Saturday 26th July 2008

Walked Bill right down to the next swing bridge then up through the fields to see if there was a shop in Horton.  Sadly not so walked back through the fields, over the swing bridge, and up into Bishop's Canning and guess what, there's no shop there either! Just a pub, The Crown, and a church.  On the way back to the boat saw three guys flying a model helicopter which was fantastic.  Which reminds me, there have been two massive Chinook helicopters, the ones with the double rotors, have been ferrying soldiers all weekend to a massive army exercise on Salisbury Plain which isn't far from here and you can even hear the crump, crump of heavy artillery or tanks firing.  Apparently over 6000 troops are involved, the largest exercise for many years.

Sunday 27th July 2008

Fantastic weather again today so walked Bill all the way back into Devizes to get the papers - cor didn't seem that far on the boat!!! about 5 miles altogether.  Read the papers and into the Bridge for 2pm.  Great afternoon with a gang of boaters and bikers.  Also had a call from Mark and Nicky on Nb One Way Of Life just below Aldermaston and heading this way - eek I can feel a hangover coming on!

Monday 28th July 2008

Walked Bill over the road and around the meadow.  On the way back a red dear doe calmly walked right in front of us across the field and down the path into a corn field and into the woods.  Set off for Honey Street by 9.30am  Lovely cruise in excellent weather and only two swing bridges to contend with.  Had a few beers with a bunch of boaters and an early night.

Tuesday 29th July 2008

Short walk this morning before we set off for Pewsey Wharf.  Only a short cruise but great weather again.  Once moored took Bill on the long nature trail paths into town and back.  Called into the Waterfront to see Graham (Shag's Bar) and to see when Jane, the moorings officer for BW, would be in so that I could talk to her about my impending trip to Sunderland when Dave goes into hospital.  Saw her at 7pm and everything fine with leaving the boat here.

Wednesday 30th July 2008

Another short cruise today to Wooton Rivers, again in wonderful weather.  Early doors in the Royal Oak with other boaters from the visitor moorings.

Thursday 31st July 2008

Nice cruise to Great Bedwyn today ready for Henrik and Susanne's arrival tomorrow.  Buddied up with another boat with father, John, and son, Andrew, and did 13 locks and the Bruce Tunnel (500 yds) in pretty good time.  Walked via the fields to the Three Tuns and back via the Cross Keys.