Too much excitement!

Woke up this morning and although the sun wasn't shining it was dry and very warm. Actually last nights emergency mooring looked very pleasant in the cold light of day!

Arrived at my second lock to a guessing game - were these cows right? You know the saying and the clouds were very threatening.

Well, they weren't and the day stayed dry all day long. Very exciting day though. Here's a picture of Somerton Deep Lock....

....little did I know when I entered the lock and took this picture what drama lay ahead! I arrived at the end of 6 boats. The lock seemed to be painfully slow filling with more water coming out round the gate than in through the top paddles. Well, when I entered - it gave up completely! I got three quarters up and then stopped. Several boats had now arrived and we decided to drop the boat again, open the gate and attempt to shut it again. The gate simply would not shut tight. We poked and prodded and felt all sorts of lumps and bumps that appeared to be stopping it but simply couldn't shift them. Eventually I phoned BW who told me they would get straight onto it and ring me back - they never did to this time! In the meantime, I suggested flushing some water through. It is in a long pound and is fed by the Cherwell so water wasn't a problem. None of us thought it would do any good but in the words of the boat behind, "It's all good fun messing baout with boats and locks anyway". Low and behold - it worked!! Whatever was blocking it vanished and the gate shut tight - we were back on our way. I didn't phone BW back as I felt they ought to come and check it anyway and they never bothered to phone me back either!

However, at the next lock, Aynho Weir, I met this going on...

Apparently they were testing to see what force it took to open the gates. I enquired further. The first test they did took 80KG to open it. "What should it be?" I asked, "well, 30 would be the norm." came the reply!! They also tested to see how much torque was needed to open the paddles.

I never did find the results for that one but they handed me a piece of paper explaining what was going on.

Quite innovative - a star rating for each lock and canal in terms of usability!

I like the sentence that says, '... you might of encountered stiff gates and paddles....'

'Might of', 'MIGHT OF' everyone knows it should be 'might have'!! I spend my life correcting the children with this one and it really bugs me!

Anyway, I did spot 2 brand, spanking, shiny new lift bridges on the way.

All very nice but I still find this is my favourate type of lift bridge....

Moored this evening in the town centre of Banbury. Good 3G intenet signal and even a good satellite signal - things are looking up! All in all, a very pleasant and exciting days cruising. Tomorrow - even more excitement as I pick my way through the first day of the Cropredy Convention!