Not a terribly useful proverb this year! Up on the summit pound, it was positively Baltic. Setting out from Claydon on a 11 mile lock free cruise, we swiftly beat a retreat to The Wharf Inn at Fenny Crompton for a warming lunch: it’s a pub, restaurant, shop, hairdresser, launderette, and it’s really handy for the substantial Cherry Picker farm across the road.

Even though the May was thoroughly out, a short walk had the Captain’s best friend in warm woolly knitted hat and gloves, warm fleece from the Isle of Skye, thick knitted outdoor jumper from the Isle of Harris, cotton top, T-shirt and heavens knows what else to keep the cold wind at bay. Michelin woman takes on the warm Oxfordshire spring evening…

Climbing up on the Ladder Bridge over the canal afforded a splendid view of Napton on the Hill disappearing under another ominous wintry looking cloud.

We’ve got quite used to large military helicopters hedge-hopping and appearing out of nowhere, and having spent a lot of time in the Scottish hills, so seeing fast jets flying below ground level is quite common.  Nevertheless, large transport aircraft training for nap-of-the-earth flying are a decided novelty… unconstrained by Rule 5 of the ANO this chap was decidedly low, but at least the cloud-base was not an issue and visibility was good here: more than can be said for the Dakota pilot near Banbury the other days.

And the summit pound is dominated by this radio mast, which the canal winds round and round, so a sunset view from the boat seems appropriate.