Silent Lions

Sonning Lock comes quickly after the bridge




Once through the lock there is a boring stretch of water up to Caversham Bridge. We stopped at Tescos along the way which is just past the uninviting entrance to The Kennet and Avon Canal which will eventually take you through Bath and on to Bristol, we will explore this canal another time. The Cafe on Pipers Island has been modified from a semi shambling shack to a modern two story restaurant.
Once under Caversham Bridge apart from  a few handsome homes on the north bank and the setting up of Reading Festival on the south, there isn't much of note.

Pipers Island Restaurant

Caversham Bridge

Reading Festival site

Present owners have lost interest in this boat. I remember it as a smart Thames cruiser, unusual in that it has a catamaran hull.

Was a bit of squeeze in Mapledurham Lock as the African Queen hotel boat came in behind us.

Once through the lock the rolling countryside of the Thames Valley greet you 

We hired one of these Caprice boats on the Shannon a few years back, great boat, great fun and a good way to get to know the real Irish and their culture.

Whitchurch Lock would be our last lock of the day. It is just a hundred yards or so upstream of the toll bridge that connects Whitchurch to Pangbourne the fee is 40p for a car but I expect that will increase dramatically as there are plans to pull it down and build another bridge starting in October this year.

Whitchurch Toll Bridge

We are now moored outside of Beale Wildlife Park it was the fourth mooring spot we tried to get into the others had wasp nests in the bank.  BWP is a popular mooring spot especially for those who have youngsters in their crew.

Nikita loved to sit on these lions at the entrance to the park when she has 4 years old.

Sonning

This mornings weather was quite windy, and cool when the sun ducked behind a cloud. Sue went back into town for a paper and something for tomorrow's meal. There was a regatta on the Henley course today so the river was restricted to passage along the north bank, we had to thread our way past the downstream traffic and competitors making there way to the start line.

For Marsh Lock on yesterday's blog please read Hambledon Lock, Marsh Lock was the first of todays two locks the other being Shiplake Lock.






Shiplake Lock

We have now moored at Sonning village which is spoilt by the busy B478 that goes through it.
The first time we moored in this spot  we had my old mate Joppo his wife  Carol and young family come on board, sadly Joppo is no longer with us.

Uri Geller the spoon bender
Jimmy Page guitarist with Led Zeppelin
Glen Hoddle ex England footballer and manager
are all residents of the village.

We have to pay our mooring fee by posting £10 through a slot in Uri's garden fence.

Uri takes his security very seriously, eight camera's watching every movement, while looking after his security they also look after ours.

He also has a sense of humour.

Rather an eccentric place is Sonning , how do they post the letters. Apparently some old fellow has fun putting this in all sorts of unusual places , he did have it on the church tower but was told to remove it.

Last post is 5pm.

St Andrews Sonning

Sue had a little snooze this afternoon while I had a walk around the village and had a glass of Summer Ale in The Bull Inn.

The Bull Inn

Cormorant 

Pie eyed Pirates

Overcast day as we set of this morning at 0845hrs. No other boats were moving so we had the river to ourselves for awhile. Before Marlow Lock is the Scouts Boating Centre

and after the lock is Marlow's impressive suspension bridge


After stopping at Hurley Lock to fill the water tank and dump rubbish we were overtaken by Mr Inconsiderate without a nod or wink in our direction Sue ran through the cabin and on to the front deck and bellowed "Good Morning" this was met with a "hello" back. Well that's a start.

As we waited for Marsh Lock I walked up to the lock chamber to see three hired day boats with young men and women dressed up as pirates and sailors in the early stages of intoxication.They are having a jolly time. I saw whisky, beer, wine and champagne bottles, I do hope they get back to base safely, no one was wearing a life jacket. Two of the boats are pictured below the guy on the back of the first boat is firing champagne corks at the second boat. I expect they will be mooring at 'daddy's pile' for a BBQ.

Through Marsh Lock and we are in Henley and we decide to moor on the  meadows before the Bridge. Hang on there is somebody cheerily waving at us from the fly bridge of a moored boat as we pass, no it can't be, it is, someone we will never call Mr. Inconsiderate again. He's been 'Festina'ized and is now a happy boating chappie.

Neatly clipped bush's in Henley.

We had a stroll into town to find Waitrose for supplies. Then got the deck chairs out on the bank for some people/boat watching although it got quite windy and cool to the point where we got back in the cabin for me to blog and Sue to cook the tea.

Moored Henley

Mr Inconsiderate

This mornings wake up to view

Left our mooring at 0910hrs and the day was going to be a scorcher. At Boulters Lock there was a inconsiderate skipper aboard an old Broom 37 who thought it OK to queue jump. I let it go as we are in no hurry. Once we were all in the lock the keeper who had put the Broom 37 on the starboard side behind a Broom 33 while we were put on the port side and now a little ahead of Mr inconsiderate. The Lock keeper made a point of telling us to hold lines until the first  Broom was clear and leave the lock in second position. Mr Inconsiderate had other ideas and pushed past us again while his wife was trying to tell him the lock keepers command. He zoomed down the lock cut and disappeared into the distance past Cliveden Islands as we tickovered our way to the next lock. Who was waiting on the lock landing Mr Inconsiderate. He knew he had been an arse earlier as not once did he look around or make eye contact his boats name is White Velvet  Douglas IOM. !

"Festina Lente" Mr. Inconsiderate at Cookham Lock.

Bray Studio's looking shabby

Bray Marina

We have had a couple of boats lifted here. It's a nerve wracking experience.

Monkey Island Hotel link

Below is a selection of beautiful homes on a stretch of river bank from Bray to Maidenhead

Above belongs to Rolf Harris

1300hrs and we have moored at Cookham till the morning.

We didn't have much room to manoeuvre.

We have had a wander around the village

Holy Trinity Church was shut to visitors.

Sue outside The Crown

Walk from the pub back home.

This evening we are going to walk back into the village for our tea in the Bell and Dragon or the Kings Arms or maybe both. ..............

...in the end it was the Kings Arms as we viewed both menus on line and the Kings arms won.

Pulled beef and ale pie for me and sumer salad for Sue

Grebes