Return to Barton Marina.

Our plan was to move up to Alrewas come Saturday, after catching up on washing and shopping. Than on Friday we discovered that the whole section from Barton lock to Wychnor lock was to close today until the 26th of this month. This would mean we would be stuck at Alrewas for nearly a month. This would make getting rid of rubbish in this time impossible, as there are no bins in Alrewas. With this in mind I phoned Barton Marina where we were due to over winter from the 1st of December and asked if we could go in early. They kindly agreed, so on Saturday morning we entered the marina for the winter. This is the end of our second season, in which we visited the southern rivers and canals. To sum up, the Thames was a pleasure to cruise even the tidal section from Brentford to Teddington Lock. We had mixed feelings about the Kennet and Avon canal. There is some lovely scenery and some nice places. On the down side it is hard work in parts and some of the locks neared some work to make them work as they should, add to this the sections that are down to the width of one narrowboat due to over grown reeds. If something isn't done soon we will loose this canal and that would be a great shame. The Oxford canal was a chance to relax again after clearing the lines of permanently moored boats from Sheepwash to Dukes Cut. I know this makes money for British Waterways but too many spoil a nice canal. So now it's baton down the hatches and sit out the bad weather until March, when once again we will leave Barton and do all the little bits in the Midlands that we have missed, Like the Caldon, Sratford on avon, Worcester an Biirmingham canals and of course the BCN.