That was my comment as we backed away from our berth in Cropredy Marina for the last time. “Sounds like the first line of a book” commented Heather over the walkie-talkie. Well, a book might be a bit of a stretch I thought, but the start of a blog might be possible.

This is probably the right time to back track a little.

 

The first half of 2016 has already been quite different. I left the company I worked for the last 22 years, we started working on relocating to be closer to parents and I started my own company.  But before we complete the last two, I am being allowed a sabbatical, whilst Heather finishes her notice period and the first year of her part-time nursing degree, and Kate finishes the first year of her Performing Arts BTEC. For the next 6 weeks or so, our narrowboat, Heron, has become my home. Sam, our dog, and I are moving our second home from Oxfordshire to Cheshire, although, I have a feeling that Sam is not going to help with the locks. As a result, we are going to take our time

as we travel along the Oxford, Coventry, Trent and Mersey and Macclesfield Canals, with side trips up the Ashby and Caldon also possible. You could call this a preparation for our ideal retirement, although if we still haven’t to sell our house in Wiltshire by the autumn, Heather and I will be living on the boat a little earlier than we planned.

 

 

 

Today was the day we started this adventure with a gentle first day. Gentle for several reasons. But mainly because I was assisted through the 8 locks up to Fenny Compton by Heather and Nick. I had bribed them with the promise of dinner at our favourite local waterside pub, the Wharf Inn.  I know this stretch of canal intimately now, as the trip out to Fenny has been our favourites whilst we’ve been moored at Cropredy.  Heather and Nick took a taxi back to the marina after dinner, and then it was just the dog and me.