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

Spring

Rain started play this morning, we sat tight till it stopped and got going at 1000 hrs .

Good name.

Liz was still in when we past through Windsor

Flower pot men at Boveney Lock.

Cormorant 

We met an elderly Welsh couple at Old Windsor Lock

 who will retire from boating this season, their boat is  up for sale. Although they did tell us they have given up boating three times before but after a few weeks off the water they usually buy another boat.

Windsor was packed with moored boats, it was a good job we didn't want to stop there this time. On the way down Sue had spotted a good mooring on a peninsula at the entrance to Windsor Race Course Yacht Basin, it was a bit tricky getting ropes to land, I had to wield the boat hook at the undergrowth to cut back the stinging nettles. Managed to get the stern line with spring on and the centre line. The bow line is attached to the limb of a tree but is not very sturdy but we don't really need it . 

Our private mooring.

Youngsters Dragon boating

The day is ending how it started with clouds  and breeze but no rain, tomorrow is expected to be a scorcher.

On a sad note I have just found out  that  John Freeman has died at the age of 96, he pioneered the fiberglass production techniques that allowed boats to be built conveyor belt style. We had a lot  of enjoyment in a boat built at his factory.

Seafarers

Got a text message from Nikita at 0200hrs saying they were both tucked up in bed on the Ferry.

We woke up without any sunshine for the first time in weeks'.

Sylar left  his favourite toy behind so Sue went to the village post office to send it to him. We left our mooring at Shepperton  after the rain had stopped around 1400hrs, we had to put jumpers on to keep warm. We had a call from my brother Alan as we passed through Penton Hook Lock and arranged to meet him at The Swan in Staines.

I had a glass of Seafarers Ale with Alan in the pub's patio area while Sue went into Staines for a few items. We got going through Staines bridge and then thought where should we moor for the night, the sun was shining by now and it was turning into a lovely evening so we decided to turn and moor in our favourite moorings just before Penton Hook Lock. The moorings are to grass and the owners of the houses on the towpath keep them neatly clipped, if you're not in the know you'd think they were private moorings. 

I set the satelite dish up for the first time in ages and promptly turned the TV off as I couldn't find anything of interest. Now while I type this Sue has caught eight roach and a bleak.

Oops how did that get on the boat.

Goodbye

Spoke to Steve the lock keeper here at Shepperton about the possibility of getting a permanent mooring at the lock yesterday. He said he would enquire for me. I thought no more of it until this morning he came knocking at the door telling me it's mine if I want it. We thought about it for awhile but as much as it would be nice to be back in Shepperton it doesn't fit in with our plans for the boat. Plus it was too expensive at £3500.

Mike came over with his dog Daisy and we went for a long walk along the river to Chertsey where the two dogs played in the river for a good half hour. We wanted to tire Sylar out so he would sleep on the journey home later.


Had to say goodbye to Nikita and Sylar this evening as they head back to the Isle of Man via the ferry from Heysham. We have had a wonderful couple of weeks with them but work dictates that Nikita has to return, hopefully she might  find work this side of the water one day and be able to visit more often in the future. Sue was a bit tearful as they left, she is going to miss her baby.

All packed and ready to roll

Sylar doesn't look too happy to be leaving.

Before Nikita left she bought me this belated father's day present. I'll have to get the bike's punctures mended now and get out hunting again.

Expensive beer

Well the most expansive beer  I have ever bought has gone up from £4.75 a pint at The Bishop in Kingston to £5.50 for a bottle of Guardsman at the Macdonald Hotel

Best boy Shivam

While us whom drove yesterday, have been up early and looking after pets, those that made use of the free bar have been laying in till midday.

Sylar looking pensive.

This afternoon we had visitors  my cousin Anita and hubby Michael along with Bob and Marilyn. 

We had a glass or two of vino on the boat, before we went to Thames Court for drinks with Jason , Priti and special small man Shivam.