A Life on the Ocean Wave
(or more correctly the canal wave)

Youth Club Annual Canal Boat Holiday

16 children plus 4 adults set out on Monday 4th April for their annual canal boat holiday. The weather portents were not good and, indeed, as we pulled away it started to drizzle. After a brief stop for a snack lunch at Chieveley we pressed on to Braunston where we were to pick up the good boats Chiltern and Merlin. We piled the vast amounts of clothing, food, utensils, sleeping bags, pillows etc into the boats and were soon ready to start out on our four day trip.

After removing a pair of trousers which had got wrapped round our propeller we set off towards Napton and the start of the Oxford Canal. The canal is very windy in these parts and it was hard to stop grounding on the sharp corners and shallow side banks. However, we made the Napton flight in one piece which allowed us time to squeeze into our cabins on the boats and to decide just who would sleep where. The boys, Gareth, Daniel and Fred were all neatly tucked up in Chiltern's forward cabin whilst the female side of the crew, Lara, Melissa, Abi and Sophie Allison filled the centre cabin leaving the rear one for Fleur and Daniella. Adults had to make do with a put-u-up in the main eating area. Merlin had an all girl complement with Megan and Sophie Wickland, 3x Rachels (Palmer, Pheely and Shier), Gabi and Kirsten. Tony skippered Chiltern with Jane as his Bosuns Mate whilst John and Candy Williams shared those positions on Merlin.

We started to go up through the Napton flight when it started to cascade with rain. Grass turned to mud and a bitter wind drove the rain into our faces. After two locks we found a boat ahead of us to be high and dry as some fool had let all the water out of the pound. We walked on in the pouring rain to the top lock and refilled the pounds allowing the stranded boat to go on and for us to finish another lock before mooring (aground!) for the night.

On Tuesday we pressed on towards Banbury with an occasional crunch here and there, one of which dislodged the marmalade pot and broke it! After that the cry was often heard when the likelihood of crashing occurred "Watch the marmalade" which sent Fred into paroxysms!! We did a ten hour stint that day arriving in Banbury at 7pm. Thankfully it had not rained all day but a shrewd wind and a modicum of sun had put a rosy glow in most cheeks. All the children took turns in helmsmanning under instruction and young Daniel showed particular prowess in this area.

On Wednesday we had to turn the boats whilst the children went shopping in Banbury and then went swimming. By 1pm we were all shopped out, swum in, and ready to start the return leg. This was relatively uneventful with the same bridges and banks receiving a share of clatter as we tried to manoeuvre these 70 foot monsters round the Brands Hatch of a course.

We arrived back at Braunston on Thursday afternoon and began to get ready for our last night dinner in The Admiral Nelson pub. The ladies/girls all dressed up to the nines and we set off on the half mile walk along the muddy towpath towards the pub.

Several presentations were made during the course of the meal including hardest worker to Daniel and some gifts for Jane and Tony and Candy and John. In fact all the children had done remarkably well considering the weather and the difficulties of navigating such boats on such a course and they all deserved an award. It is said that, if you can steer a 70 foot narrow boat on the Oxford canal, you can take a narrow boat anywhere! But the finest achievement was that they all got on so well and learnt so much about what makes one another tick.

At the end of it all the children said they'd had a super time with good company, plenty of excitement, good food and games every evening (no television!) All vowed that they wanted to repeat the exercise next year if anyone would have them! Offers to Jane and Tony c/o Friday nights in the hall!.