Due to demand and the enormous interest shown in the boat trip for music lovers I have organised during June, I have been persuaded to organise another trip in September. The itinerary will be the same as for the trip in June, and wherever possible we will host the sessions in the same venues. The original trip was fully booked up within 24 hours of broadcasting the details of it on social media, so if you are interested in coming along with us, get in touch as quickly as possible. Here are the details of this trip which again will comprise of two separate, but contiguous, week long trips.

Week 1 - We will leave the boatyard at Napton, Warwickshire on the lunchtime of Saturday 17th September. 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 only four locks, one of which is only a stop lock, in each direction, on the entire journey. We will return to the boatyard at Napton on Saturday 25th September.

Week 2 - We will leave the boatyard in Napton, Warwickshire during the afternoon of Saturday 25th September. We will travel along the South Oxford Canal in the direction of Oxford. Along the way we will pass many sites of interest and great beauty along the route including Banbury, and we should have limited time to explore the delights of Oxford. We will return to Napton on Saturday 1st October.

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, inc 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 venues for the sessions are to be confirmed.

The boat has five cabins all accommodating two people in each cabin. However, we will not be using the forward cabin as a sleeping area as this would involve converting the seating area into a bed each evening and then converting it back again each morning. Therefore places are limited to eight people on each trip.

All beds are of the fixed type with sprung mattresses. None of the berths are of the bunk type found on many multiple occupancy boats. Two cabins include a king size bed, there is another cabin with twin single beds that can be combined into a double bed and a further cabin that has twin single beds. Each cabin has a 240V electricity socket and all bed linen is provided.

The boat is fully equipped with regard to safety, and incorporates central heating, which hopefully we will not need to use, electric shower, two fresh water toilets and fully operative galley including cooker, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, sink, pots, pans, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. The lounge salon has LCD TV and a CD/DVD/Mp3 player. The boat is also equipped with mobile Wifi. However, TV and Wifi reception can be variable depending upon where the boat is at any particular time.

Public liability/third party insurance and a damage waiver for the boat is included in the cost of the cruise. Vehicles are parked at the marina in a secure car park free of charge, but with the usual disclaimers regarding liability. Holiday and personal insurance is at your own discretion.

Total cost including
Boat Hire & Food
17th - 25th September £250 per person
25th September - 1st October £250 per person

First come, first served! The original holiday was booked up within 24 hours of being broadcast on social media. You can contact me by sending me an email to cneil727@yahoo.com