Inactivity

 Its been another scorcher of a day today , we did plan to move on after Sainsbury's had delivered our groceries but in the end decided to stay put. Sue and Nikita walked into Shepperton to pick up some bits for the dog while I sat on the river bank watching the boats go by.

A surprise visit today from our nephew Jason and fiancee Priti, we are looking forward to attending their wedding next weekend. We all went to Thames Court for refreshment and a catch up. After our visitors left it was back to my favourite inactivity,  watching boats cruising by.

Thames Court

Some good art under a Windsor Bridge which I forgot to put on the blog the other day.

I was up at 0700hrs walking the dog and ended up here outside my parents old house.

We have moved and are now moored at Docket Eddie Lane and we are going to walk to Thames Court.

Had to move from our mooring when a guy got his electric guitar and amp out and started to kill some Elvis songs. It's now 1600hrs and we are moored outside Thames Court. 

Thames Court is where we had our leaving do when we moved to the Isle of Man 16 years ago.

The Thames part of my blog has become a cruise down memory lane.

Ali G

Got going early this morning

Liz is at home to see us off.

Heron

Stopped outside the Slug and Lettuce in Staines for supplies, I was brought up in Staines (so was Ali G

The Swan opposite

We are now moored just above Penton Hook Lock and we have taken Sylar onto the island where I fished when I was a lad. Some friends and I once went all night fishing here and to keep warm we lit a bonfire, I fell asleep to close to the burning embers and awoke to find my parka alight. I notice there are No Fishing without a weir permit signs up now and the small dirt tracks on the island have been opened up to wide pathways for walkers.

Jack Lilley

I had an elderly friend Jack Lilley whom I sold a Freeman 22 and he would tell me how he hated these signs on the Crown Estate stretch of the river.

 Jack you see was a WWW2 veteran, a motorcycle dispatch rider who was evacuated from Dunkirk. After the war he started a motorcycle business which is still going to this day. It was his firm belief that he should be able to moor where he liked on the perfect for mooring banks of the Crown Estate land " I fought for that land I can moor there" he would tell me. I agree with him.

Changing of the Guard

The Watermans Arms wasn't serving food last night so we had a quick drink and went on to The George Inn another dog-friendly pub where we enjoyed excellent food. It wasn't till I got back to the boat and looked at my receipt that I found our drinks had not been included in the bill. I am now panged with guilt so I might have to go back today and put matters right.

These guards are so young.

Changing or the guard at Windsor Castle 

As I was standing at the side of the road waiting for the guards to march past I tried to remember the last time I watched The changing of the guard. It must have been when I was a schoolboy even though I lived most of my life within ten miles of the castle and was a frequent visitor. The band started playing and the guards marched and it brought a lump to my throat and a watery eye. The guard changes at 1115hrs each day except Sundays, the roads are closed to traffic as they march back to barracks it's a wonderful sight and I will make sure I witness it again next time we are in Windsor.

Glyn and Christine joined  us in the evening for a meal at The George 

Queen Vic

I was off the boat by 0545hrs with Sylar this morning for a long walk in the cool early sun. First we had a little play in the park then along the embankment and into town, the councilmen were hard at work already clearing the rubbish and cleaning the paths. We walked up to the Guild Hall and back through the train station, I liked how they have turned this area into a cosmopolitan bistro village, all I can remember being here last time I was here were toilets, a souvenir stall, and a shop selling tartans. Over Eton bridge and along its rows of antique and art shops we trotted and then into The Brocus where Sylar found a mate to play in the water for half an hour, we continued through the field and past the funfair that yesterday had been busy setting  up for the coming fortnight of noisy entertainment and along the opposite bank to where Festina Lente is moored curtains were still shut so we retraced our steps and stopped to play in the park for a while before arriving back at the boat at 0800hrs with a tired and hungry puppy.
Map

I've been dog sitting most the rest of the day while Nikita has been at the hairdressers and Sue has been shopping. Sue and I walked into town when Nikita returned as I needed to buy a replacement brush and some rechargeable batteries for the DAB radio. These Dab radios eat ordinary batteries (Decimate All Batteries)

We are going to  The Waterman Arms an old favourite of ours to see if it has changed any.

Queen Vic is front of the house.

We were frequent visitors to Windsor in our old Thames cruising days as it was a comfortable weekend jaunt from our moorings at firstly Shepperton Marina and then Penton Hook Marina but today is the first time I have felt like a tourist.

Windsor

At play in Cliveden

View across the river from Cliveden.

 Sculptured log seat

 We got out from under the trees at Cliveden with a little difficulty. A branch swept the roof and we lost a dustpan brush over the side which sank out of sight. Through Boulters Lock  where there was only one solitary gongoosler to watch our manoeuvring competency. We spotted Rolf Harris in his garden  among the million pound plus bankside homes in Maidenhead. In  Romney Lock the  skipper on the boat behind left it in gear the result one slightly bent tiller on Festina Lente.

Roux brothers establishment.

Wild fauna in the countryside

Hotdog cooling down

We have got a good mooring spot in Windsor outside the leisure centre in the shade of some tall trees. As I write this the girls are in town hunting down a hairdresser and handbags to match shoes. Sylar is under the table sleeping, all this swimming is exhausting for him.

Swan Upping

 Before we left this morning I spent 20 mins down the weed hatch removing fishing line and burgee from the propeller.

 The Bounty this was just a shack open only at weekends selling warm beer last time we were here, apparently that burnt down some years ago and now it's grown into a very popular eating establishment even the patio and garden tables are reserved after 1830hrs!

Cliveden estate gardens lead down to the Thames, Cliveden House was purported to of played a part in the spy scandal known as the Profumo affair.

cormorant

The pageant that is Swan Upping  in progress  for Her Majesty followed by a film crew aboard Argonaut.

Peace is a shady spot and a Kindle.

The Swan uppers passed our mooring for tonight among the trees at Cliveden,  I'll expect a knock on the door for a mooring fee as this land is run by the National Trust.

Bourne End

I was up walking Sylar at 7am, there are some pleasant walks over the weir and into the fields beyond. He found a discarded Frisbee and carried it for an hour around Henley's parks and back to the boat. I had my breakfast alfresco on a park bench then we set off under Henley Bridge

Tamesis on the other side of Henley bridge

The green boat is a Broom 30 and has been moored in the same spot for 30 years to my knowledge

The Henley regatta course.

 Temple Island marks the end of the racing course

She has the best view of the course.

Goose guards

All Saints Church is next to Bisham Abbey where the England football team train.

Smart launch.

Stragglers

Larger locks on the Thames

I visited this hut 25 years ago to gain my VHF license

Sylar's gang having fun in the water.

So quaint.

Former Abbey now a private residence 

We tried to moor at Marlow but there wasn't room so we pressed on and moored at Bourne End. Where we took it in turns to entertain Hotdog by swimming, sitting in The Spade Oak garden or walking. This evening I took Hotdog for a walk into the village and stopped off for a quick chat with fellow blogger Ken