When Cal Guy Jnr is “in town” his interests influence the agenda. First off** was a local outing to the Bedford Kite and Motor Festival. Wow, who would think so many shiny, much-loved vehicles could be gathered on Mill Meadows right beside the River Great Ouse. There were so many vehicles to look at, so many which were obviously their owners’ pride and joy.

There was a pause to look at a line of minis:

and at beautiful cars, shining and gleaming in the sunshine!

Then, taken aback at the very summery looking VW campervan,

memories flooded back of a 1966 green and cream campervan, faithful conveyor of a family around the Scottish highlands and islands, of overnight camps in the Lake District between Scotland and west Wales, of a fun vehicle for after school picnics in the woods – and once as an emergency Open University tutorial room.

On a ferry going “over the sea to Skye” in 1980

Across the river at Russell Park there were kites (sometimes scuppered by the strong winds)

Some seriously expensive models - a Lamborghini Aventador

Sierra One, four wheeled star of The Bill

A sound system on wheels

And while the bands played on at the bandstand

the dragon boat crews raced. Pairs of boats, each with a twelve strong crew, competed in time trials and then in quarter, semi and the Grand Final when, if the commentary was correctly understood, Bedford Academy Pirates lost to Gilbert Hitchcock House (healthcare staff).

It was a great event: boats, cars, kites, music - and a couple of ice creams!

Where can you see more cars? The Coventry Transport Museum was under consideration, but then details of the British Motor Museum appeared via a Google search. ‘The world's largest collection of historic British cars’ is the tagline. And the location of this museum at former RAF Gaydon had its own appeal. The pilot log book was checked: “Yes, flew there at University Air Squadron summer camp in 1968…” the Captain revealed.

Display panel inside the British Motor Museum

Gaydon is in Oxfordshire midway between Banbury and Royal Leamington Spa. The airfield had been taken over by British car manufacturers and it is now the development site of Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin. The purpose-bult museum displays over 400 British made cars, from the earliest to the more recent, from those with a film star past, to those which are downright curiosities.

One of the two buildings where the car collections are displayed

Cal Guy Jnr busied himself with his camera, a large smile across his face. “This is my sort of place,” he breathed.

“Oh, are you in seventh heaven, then?” Boatwif asked.

“No,” was the prompt reply, “EIGHTH…”

A car that had had a seriously big adventure

And somewhere among it all was, well, a Monkton Moment*. Who would have expected a Pembrokeshire garage sign to end up here in middle England…?

Cal Guy Jnr’s top picks:

Afloat, afloat

From the glories of motoring to a cruising life afloat. Cleddau had a crew of three for a five night trip between Crick and Weedon Bec (and back).

There was a sharp left turn out of Crick Marina. (Moored up beside the towpath was nb Puffin, a droll reminder that the day before Techno Son-in-Law had made it to Skomer Island to spot the puffins. Presumably no smoker puffins were observed…)

Through Crick Tunnel for an overnight mooring near Bridge 9.

Is Cleddau too small to accommodate a Californian now…?

There was a first refresher on the tiller before Cleddau cruised down Watford Locks. Here Cal Guy Jnr was happy wielding a windlass.

Along to Norton Junction, with a swing left for an overnight mooring above Buckby Top Lock.

The locks were busy, with a number of heritage boats travelling along the Grand Union towards Braunston for the Historic Narrowboat Rally.

After cruising down two wide locks Cleddau was joined by four South African hire boaters.

At the bottom the Captain spotted a boat with an Australian flag – at such moments a map of the world is useful…

Onward, to Weedon Bec, Cal Guy Jnr at the tiller.

Destination Weedon Depot on Saturday.

Construction of The Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon started in 1802 during George lll’s reign, as protection from an invasion by Napoleon. The 19th century buildings were used by the British Army for small arms and ammunition storage right up to the 1950s.

On a Saturday morning classic cars were lined up near the entrance, ready to depart for an event somewhere.

The place looked mostly deserted. Huge buildings face each other across the canal that used to transport ammunition-laden boats into the armoury. But visitors might spot that various businesses now occupy sections of the massive buildings. Behind the main row, up on the right, there were signs of activity – a retail outlet for American clothing, a clutch of motor bikes, a few fancy cars.

Yes, Gasoline Juice was open to Saturday fans happy to view cars and motorbikes, to sit surrounded by artfully arranged iconic pieces of transport memorabilia

and to digest coffee, cake – and pizza…

Next door is a record and CD outlet (investigated briefly)

before a plunge into the delights of Building 1, collectibles right across the ground floor

and books and board games across the top floor. (Purchases were made…)

Later the boat was turned round at Weedon Wharf and the northbound return journey started the next day. Weedon’s new housing was left behind, as was the A45 bypass. Onward, past a community of moored boats and these ecclesiastical figures beside Bridge 18 (?).

Onward, towards Whilton Marina and the bottom of the Buckby Flight. The upward passage, was shared with some experienced hire boaters on a Gaydon-Banbury-Gaydon trip. After the third lock a good Monkton Moment* had been established (see below).

Some cloud cover was keeping the heat down; there was a triumphant feeling to having cracked off those locks, all that was needed now was a top up of the water tank at the water point. “There’s no water,” commented some towpath walkers, “nor at the tap round the corner, nor in our marina. It’s all shut off…” With the heat building the crew made haste to find a shady spot on the Leicester Line.

Watford Locks on a Monday morning. No queue at top or bottom, but a lock keeper keen to create a second Monkton Moment*. Cal Guy Jnr worked his windlass all the way up, steered into the top lock and from there on up to Crick Tunnel.

Moored back at Crick Marina, there was a question: Would sleep in the heat be easier in a brick house than in ‘the Cleddau tin can’?

Cruise stats since last post: 21 miles, 28 locks, 2 tunnels

*2025 Monkton Moments* (Monkton Moment*- a reference to / recognition of Cleddau’s Pembrokeshire connections) – now 4: Hire boater at Buckby Locks “I taught history at Milford Haven Grammar School after going to Aberystwyth University”; Watford Lock keeper: “Oh, Cleddau Bridge; I had a friend who had a house at Pennar that looked down the Milford Haven.”

2025 Towpath Dinners: 2 now 5

Towpath Pimms: 1

Cruise total for Crick - Weedon Bec - Crick: 21 miles, 28 locks, 2 tunnel passages

Stats to date for 2025: 170 miles, 114 locks, 10 tunnel passages, 4 swing bridges

*Correction: “first off” was a lunch at Danish Camp where the food and drinks choices suit and where there is riverside entertainment too.

Gasoline Juice: https://www.gasolinejuice.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooaC-zJICmcDU_GqWzTLxyFlzHK963rX79QGWiuAUVot5Qixfrc

Dragon boats, narrowboats and motor vehicles

Inspections…