Through and south of Banbury

We passed through Banbury and after getting water progressed to the Tramway moorings.  These are much improved with a hard edge, more popular now with more boats and still a 14 day mooring which is good for shopping at the local supermarket.  We plan to stay a bit longer than usual here.  In the past we hired cars to go home and now we get on a train because they are safer and less stressful.  The station is only 10 minutes walk from here and an hourly service gets us south.
My dear 91 year old mother had spent 3 weeks in a care home and quote:-“..did not like it one bit.”  While Ann stayed on the boat with Molly I went off on the train and with my brother’s help got mum back in her own house.  We arranged for care help to call every day.  I stayed several days trying to rearrange mums way of life for a better future.
Back together on the boat we moved slowly south.  There is a small holding by Nell Bridge lock where we found Bob n Jane on Hobo.  We have known them since our early days on the Kennet and Avon canal.  The little farm has pigs, sheep and hens.  They sell free range sausages, eggs, pork chops, legs of lamb etc so is well worth a visit.  They also sell pots of the Buffalow Ice cream from Napton!

Another day we drifted on down to Aynho and beyond.  It was at Aynho that we found a boat called ‘Bones’ and met Mortimer who writes for our boating magazine Canal Boat.  We swapped places at the water point as she continued her journey north.
When other commitments require more attention our activity on the canals and internet are affected.  It is nice to know that there are people, friends and 'followers' out there that we have got to know through this blog and also some that we just meet on the cut.  Phones, emails and blogging are all means of communicating equally well but there is nothing quite like real people when you see them.