Northern Oxford Canal:Bridge 89 Braunston

The first day of our spring cruise, hopefully reaching Bristol.  There are still some yellow boards up on the Thames, but with levels supposedly dropping we are hopeful of passage from Oxford.  We should have left yesterday but events transpired to prevent that.  I use the web based canal travel planner to work out cruising legs, stopping places etc.   We want to be in Bath on the 12th May and given the plan worked out to leave yesterday, we left Brinklow a day and half behind schedule.   The wind was bitterly cold with showers forecast and by Hillmorton Locks it did rain.   Not at all pleasant in your face.   Pat injured her back 6 days ago and although improving does not feel in full lock working mode yet.   So a volunteer lock-keeper at the bottom was welcome, but we were on our own for the next two.   Just walking ahead and opening gates is an enormous help and greatly speeds passage and as I am not one to insist on remaining on the boat we were not delayed at all.  So we carried on, but by 6pm we had had enough and made up half a day.   Quiche and salad for supper.   As I was so cold it took a full bottle of wine to get back to normal.