Cropredy (and a 30 foot cruise)

We had visitors coming on Sunday so we moved the boat all of 30 feet to the other side of the cut.  To get to our current mooring means walking through Sarah’s garden and past some of her windows so we didn’t think it right for visitors to be traipsing across her property.

Our mooring for Sunday below Cropredy lock

As my back was a lot better, Karen and I took Buddy for a longer walk than of late and also had a look round the festival fields.

It's hard to believe that a week ago this field was crowded out with festival goers and the other fields full of tents, motorhomes and caravans

At one of the entrances to the site stands the Jonah oak which has plaques to various Fairport crew members who have died over the years.  It’s called the Jonah oak after John Jonah Jones who was their tour manager for many years and died in 2003.

The Jonah oak and some of the plaques

The plaque for their soundman, Rob Braviner who died at a rather young age

Soon after lunch, Steve popped in on his way home from the family camping trip in the Yorkshire Dales.  They had all had a great time even though we hadn’t made it!  

A couple of hundred yards down from where we camp is Janet’s Foss, a waterfall where the local farmers used to dip and wash their sheep.  There is a small cave to one side and history has it that Jennet, the local fairy queen, used to live here and hence the name of the waterfall.

We have never seen fairies there but we did put our last dog’s (Diesel) ashes in the top of the waterfall and all the family have a few moments there on each visit.

Janet’s Foss where we scattered Diesel’s ashes five years ago

Later on in the afternoon, Trevor and Brigitte called in on their way home from visiting their son Benoit in Manchester.  They also had their other sons, Edouard and Dominic with them and Lola, Edouard’s girlfriend, so it was rather a full boat. Unfortunately, it had started raining so we had to stay indoors.  As Brigitte and Lola are French they were all very interested in hearing our plans for moving the boat to France in about 18 months.

With Trevor and Brigitte

I shall move back across the water on Monday and start getting ready to visit my eldest daughter, Sophie, in Hamburg during the week.