Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016

Subject: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: Rivermusic
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 08:43 PM

The second of the two canal boat trips organised for this June is now fully booked. However, there are still four places in two double cabins available for the first trip starting on the 4th June. Cabins with king size, double or two single berths are available. The details are as follows

We will leave the boatyard at Napton, Warwickshire on the lunchtime of Saturday 4th June. We will travel east along the Grand Union, and then north up to the Ashby Canal as far as its navigable terminus at Snarestone. Along the way we will pass Braunston, Rugby, Coventry and Hinckley before returning to Napton. The route is very leisurely encountering aqueducts and tunnels, but it is virtually lock free as on the entire journey we will only encounter four locks, one of which is only a stop lock, in each direction. We will return to the boatyard at Napton on Saturday 11th June.

Crewing the boat, working locks etc will be optional and always with guidance and, if necessary, instruction from an experienced narrowboat skipper with commercial boating experience. Food for meals, including full breakfast, lunch and the majority of evening meals is provided for on a communal catering basis.

Each evening the boat will moor up close to a welcoming canalside hostelry where the option to enjoy a delightful session of music and song in a relaxed atmosphere will be available. The type of music will depend upon who is booked on the boat, but any style and genre will be welcome. The sessions will be advertised prior to the trip and other participants will be encouraged and welcomed. The venues for the sessions are still to be confirmed.

Total cost including
Boat Hire & Food
4th - 11th June £250 per person

For further details contact
Neil Cardwell 07887 607008
Email [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: Rivermusic
Date: 22 Jan 16 - 07:17 AM

Can anyone recommend any of the following pubs along the Oxford Canal Northern Section, Coventry Canal and Ashby Canal with regard to them possibly being amenable to the idea of having a bit of music in their pub one night during the first week of our trip?
The Boathouse at Braunston,
The Rose & Castle, The Boat, The Ansty all of which are in Ansty
The Lime Kilns Inn at Hinckley
The Globe at Snarestone
The Corner House at Bulkington
The Barley Mow, The Boat Inn at Newbold On Avaon

Similarly does anyone know of any pubs along the Southern Section of the Oxford canal that would be good to get in touch with on the second trip during the holiday? I have already been advised that The Folly at Napton would be very good, are there any others that anyone knows of?

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: Rivermusic
Date: 23 Jan 16 - 12:49 PM

I have been asked how can there be a king size, a double bed and two single berths available if there are only 4 places available. The answer is that there are two cabins available, one has the king size bed in it, the other cabin has two single berths that can be converted into one double bed.

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 16 - 07:12 AM

The Barley Mow at Newbold was very run down when we visited about 3 years ago. If it's still open, it must be better.

I've not really tried the Braunstone pubs much, as it gets very busy and mooring can be a problem, so we tend to motor on past.

The Lime Kiln is an oddity, split level with a downstairs function room. A fairly basic locals' pub, we thought, but it was mid afternoon on a weekday when we visited.

The Folly at Napton is very good, but is mainly a food place and gets very full- pre-booking is advisable.

I don't think there are any accessible pubs between Napton and Fenny Compton, where the Wharf is good, but again gets very busy with diners.

Then there's nothing till Cropredy. The Brasenose used to be quieter than the Red Lion, but was a bit odd when we last went in (a few years ago) with with leather armchairs in the bar.

After that, Banbury with a lot of choice. South of Banbury, King's Sutton is a mile's walk from the canal but worth it. The Great Western at Aynho is very welcoming. Lower Heyford has the Bell. We struck lucky here last year, on a wet dark Monday evening- they'd had a beer festival at the weekend and were selling off the remainder at £1 a pint!

If you're lucky with the weather, they all have a lot of "outside".

In line with national trends, all these pubs are aimed more at dining than at socialising. The Red Lion bar is the only one on the South Exford that's aimed at drinkers that I can remember. And don't forget that these days there's very little continuity in pubs- the situation as of last July may well have changed totally by next June.

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: Rivermusic
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 10:52 AM

Thanks for your input re the pubs, not sure we'll manage a mile long walk carrying instruments though!

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 04:58 AM

May I point out the existence of the Songs of the Inland Waterways website. There are one or two singable songs on there (among the 200 or so others).

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 07:09 AM

Regarding venues
if you do Facebook you might try a shout on
Musicians on the Cut
or the county folk pages
Leicestershire
Warwickshire
Oxfordshire
etc

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 07:55 AM

This would be so tempting if it did not conflict with Pig's Ear Folk Ale. Any plans to arrange another event later in the year?

Subject: RE: Canal Boat Holidays With Music June 2016
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 29 Jun 16 - 05:51 AM

We spent a delightful week on the second of the two June trips, cruising down the South Oxford canal from Napton to Oxford and back.

Each evening, we moored close to a pub where we were made most welcome. There was lots of good music, sometimes just us but others where we were joined by local musicians, including a lady with a musical saw. Another couple, in their own boat, joined us each evening shortly after the start of the trip and we even had a travelling audience who followed us for a couple of evenings.

The weather was a bit variable, from sunny days calling for shorts and sandals to torrential rain with thunder and lightning but at least the rain was warm and didn't dampen the spirits.

I hope the September trips go well and people have as good a time as we did.

DC