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)”

[Video] Escaping Milton Keynes for the Iron Trunk Aqueduct

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Finding Serenity (and a Mooring Spot) at the aqueduct

There is a specific kind of peace found at the Iron Trunk Aqueduct (the Cosgrove Aqueduct) that you just don’t get inside the Milton Keynes city limits. Standing on this 19th-century cast-iron masterpiece, you’re literally suspended over the River Ouse, looking out over the Ouse Valley Park, maybe 100ft above the floodplains below.

While the towpath here offers some of the best views in Buckinghamshire, closer to the road is also a hotspot for “serial overstayers.”

In London, when CC’ers are about to move or find somewhere new, boaters swap mooring locations by agreement on Watsapp.

Good luck on finding a spot down there.

Highlights of the area:

  • The Structure: A rare example of a cast-iron trough aqueduct, a marvel of Regency-era engineering.
  • The Tunnel: Don’t miss the 1919 brick tunnel (the “Hobbit hole”) that lets you walk directly under the canal.
  • The Vibe: High-altitude views (for a boat!) and deep-countryside quiet.

[Video] Slithering Snake crosses road in Turkish mountains

Snake crosses road just before I cycle over it!

Unexpected Roadblocks in the Turkish Mountains When you are cycling through the stunning mountain passes of Turkey, you expect to see breathtaking views, tough gradients, and quiet roads. But sometimes, the local wildlife demands your attention instead. In this short, unedited clip, a rather large snake takes its sweet time slithering across the tarmac right in front of my bike.

Encounters like this are a thrilling reminder of how wild the Turkish countryside can be!

An analysis: Sinking of the Bayesian – killing 3 birds with 1 stone or natural disaster?

Ian Carroll, YouTube investigator/sleuth type takes on the sinking of the Bayesian which happened in very suspicious circumstances.

⚓ The Bayesian Sinking: A Tragic Anomaly or Something More?

The August 2024 sinking of the luxury superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily remains one of the most talked-about maritime disasters in recent history. In this breakdown, creator Ian Carroll highlights the staggering sequence of events that led to a massive wave of internet speculation.

At the center of the tragedy was British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, who had recently been acquitted in a multi-billion-dollar US fraud trial involving his company, Autonomy. The yacht trip was meant to be a victory celebration. However, the internet’s attention was caught by a bizarre string of coincidences:

  • The High-Profile Victims: The tragedy claimed the lives of Lynch, his daughter, Morgan Stanley International chair Jonathan Bloomer, and prominent lawyer Chris Morvillo.
  • The Co-Defendant’s Fate: Just days before the sinking, Lynch’s co-defendant in the fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, was struck and killed by a car while out for a run in the UK.
  • The Darktrace Connection: Lynch and Chamberlain had deep ties to Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm specializing in AI surveillance and defending against “zero-day” exploits.

The Reality Behind the Mystery While the timing feels pulled straight from a spy novel, official investigations point to a tragic intersection of bad luck and extreme weather. UK police thoroughly investigated Chamberlain’s death, finding no foul play in the traffic collision. Meanwhile, Italian authorities attribute the sinking of the Bayesian to a sudden, violently localized meteorological event—likely a downburst or waterspout—that overwhelmed the vessel in a matter of minutes.

Whether you lean toward a “three birds with one stone” theory or the terrifying reality of freak natural disasters, the loss of the Bayesian remains an incredible and deeply tragic story.

Taken from my page https://www.michaeltyler.co.uk/list-of-dead-bankers-2015-conspiracy-update/

List of dead bankers 2024 – conspiracy update

miniClip of a Steatoda (false widow spider) as it eats mate

Steatoda – false widow spider eats mate

🍽️ Bad Romance: A False Widow’s Idea of a Dinner Date

If you thought the modern dating scene was tough, spare a thought for the male Steatoda spider. Captured right here on an everyday brick wall, this short macro footage shows a female False Widow partaking in a bit of post-courtship snacking—by literally eating her mate.

Usually, a male spider approaches a female’s web with extreme caution. He plucks the silk threads like a guitar string to signal, “Hey, I’m a boyfriend, not a bug!” Unfortunately for this little guy, his partner decided he could be both.

While their infamous cousins, the true Black Widows, get all the Hollywood press for this behavior, our common False Widows are fully capable of the same brutal “sexual cannibalism.”

Why do female spiders eat their mates?

  • The Ultimate Protein Shake: Producing egg sacs takes a massive amount of energy. A male who hangs around too long after the deed is done is just a convenient, protein-packed snack.
  • Bad Timing: If the female is already hungry when he arrives, romance goes straight out the window.
  • Evolutionary Sacrifice: Biologists say his sacrifice gives his future offspring a better chance of survival. (Though we highly doubt he sees it that way).

Next time your partner steals a chip off your plate or complains about your restaurant choice, just remember this video. It could be much, much worse. You could be a male Steatoda.

Taken from post https://www.michaeltyler.co.uk/back-in-twyford-wharf/

Back in Twyford Wharf