Twyford and near Twyford

Or Tarvers Lock, as some people call it.

What counts as a CRT ‘move’

Two stops within two CRT assets, (a bridge and an overflow), meaning as CRT logs things, this counts as a ‘move’.

Mooring at kings sutton lock
Tarvers Lock

It’s less than a mile, and no doubt, if you spent a whole year doing short hops…, the powers that be would deem this to be against the spirit of the ‘Continuous Cruiser’ aspect of a licence.

Since this time last year, I’ve probably done 3-400 miles.

Nowadays, that makes little difference. If your movement gets ‘flagged’ by the computer, you’ll be getting a communication.

Moving more than one ‘asset’ means that you’ve ‘moved’.

At Twyford

I see boats here that have been here since I last visited in May last year.

Continue reading “Twyford and near Twyford”

Banbury long stay moorings

Or it seems that way. Because it’s a little bit out of town it’s a little less popular and people tend to squeeze and extra week or so out of it. I like it. And that’s what important.

Mooring at Southam Road, Banbury
Mooring at Southam Road, Banbury

In the winter it can be very muddy. It’s not winter anymore. Today is set to be the hottest May day ever, so not much mud.

It’s a nice spot. The reservoir is over the field at the back. It’s about a mile to walk around the perimeter. If I fancy a walk during the day, I go over there.

Grimsbury Reservoir on a sunny day
Grimsbury Reservoir on a sunny day

The devil will find work

For idle hands to do. I haven’t. Found work that is. There’s been at least 3 instances where I’ve been offered paid work after an interview, then the people haven’t got back to me. I’ve got to assume this is normal, as it has been in the past.

I’ve had to find alternative areas of pursuit to spend my day. I don’t have to claim JSA anymore. That only lasts 6 months. The government means test and currently I have too much savings to be eligible for any help. At all. It just means I don’t have to apply for dead end jobs I don’t really want to do. That used to take some time, but was fruitless, in the end.

I’ve been programming an offshoot of my site using AI, namely (Gemini and Claude Code). The level of knowledge and expertise at your fingertips is undoubtedly game changing from a programming perspective. I’ve been programming in PHP, HTML, CSS and Javascript. Previously, I’ve worked with all but Javascript which I found to be complex and unwieldy to the eye. The level of complexity is way in excess of what I’ve been able to program myself in the past and simply has the effect of making sites seem intuitive, light and functional.

There are some caveats: AI isn’t always correct. There have been numerous times where it’s removed hours, even days worth of code in the name of making a page render, or ‘work’. It continuously forgets what tasks it’s performed in the past on your behalf.

Sometimes, AI just flat gets it wrong and starts looping through the incorrect set of conclusions over and over again. That’s why I use 2, Gemini and Claude Code. Claude Code is possibly a bit better, but has certain drawbacks like a very stingy usage limit for non-paying customers.

Programming AI is a little like teaching, if it doesn’t understand what you’re saying, you need to give it the same information but phrased in a different way. A way it can understand. Phrasing and re-phrasing until it comes up with the correct answer.

Perhaps you can have a look at a preliminary program I’ve made.

Forge of Empires – Ascended buildings checker

It’s for a tablet game I play called Forge of Empires.

If you play this game you’ve be familiar with the concept, pretty meaningless if you don’t. It runs on a database and some very simple queries that run to parse a page uploaded by a user.

I actually need to do some re-jigging of my environment, (in-game), and whilst I’m on the dole, I’ve decided to build an AI tool to do it for me.

Once it’s up and running, I’ll post it on here and you can have a look at it.

I enjoy programming. It takes patience, attention to detail, creativity, plus it gives a great sense of achievement – when you get things working!

Boat moving

Between Cropredy and Banbury.

Some nice person has left some knitwear on the locks.

Continue reading “Banbury long stay moorings”

Here… near Cropredy

Not quite in the village as yet. Located out in the wilds.

Life is very quite here. I have the geese. The fields. The cows and the crows.

Varney's lock - Oxford canal
Varney’s lock – Oxford canal

There’s the odd boater who stops beyond the bridge and the odd boater that stops with me here, before the locks.

There’s a fair bit of traffic coming through. That’s through from the marina, Cropredy Marina or the locks. Claydon.

A few every day. Weekends more busy.

It’s very peaceful here.

Fenny Compton - Tunnels
Fenny Compton – Tunnels

I actually moved down four weeks ago, but due to time restraints and some technical problems, haven’t got round to writing and uploading.

Fenny to Cropredy

Although people stop in between. It doesn’t appeal personally, to little mobile and solar. No roads. No shops. No nothing… Better to enjoy passing through…

Continue reading “Here… near Cropredy”

Bonnie Journey – Cosgrove to Fenny Compton (44 Miles)

Taking overnight stays in Gayton, Norton Junction and Napton along the way!

Moored at Grand Union Iron Trunk Aqueduct
Moored at Grand Union Iron Trunk Aqueduct about 100 yards from the aqueduct itself.

Back out in the sticks

Spring is here. At least in theory.

Whilst my stay around Milton Keynes, in the winter, was fine. It’s really not somewhere I’d continue to add my patronage to.

The idea of the boat, as I see it, is to provide the luxury of modern living detached from civilization, which it does quite well.

Milton Keynes is one of the biggest social housing projects in Europe. Although they throw trees, parks, shops and other attractions in, there’s no getting away from that fact.

I’m glad to be out of it and back out in the sticks.

Cosgrove's Ironstone Bridge
Passing under Cosgrove’s Ironstone Bridge in spring

Day 1: Cosgrove to Gayton in the Fields

A bad day weather wise. Wind and hail. Not ideal.

Just one set of 7 locks to get through at Stoke Bruerne, and the tiny ‘stop-lock’ at Cosgrove.

A view across toward the River Tove - Cosgrove
A view across toward the River Tove – Cosgrove

As I came out of Cosgrove, the weather was a little sunny. This soon changed as I got underway, and by the time I’d got my fuel and was ready to get underway proper, the bad weather really set in.

Continue reading “Bonnie Journey – Cosgrove to Fenny Compton (44 Miles)”

Turning of the tide

I tried to move, but couldn’t. Ended up back where I was. The CRT sent me an overstay notice. I moved back. Down into MK. Again.

First I went. Then I came back.

I don’t really like to do that, but currently, whilst I’m in the dole, I have to attend to collect my money. That’s a fortnightly signing, and whilst I’m still doing it, I don’t want to move beyond the general vicinity. So that means staying around MK.

Further up is all well and nice, but you’re out in the countryside.

I’m back here

It’s where a was for Christmas. Not a bad spot.

I’ve got a couple more weeks, during which time I may find something employment wise. To keep me busy.

Continue reading “Turning of the tide”