Cookham passenger collection.

A Thames fuel boat pulled in behind us last night, so this morning the diesel tank was topped up  before pulling the pins and heading to Marlow lock. Strangely there were 4 lock keeper/assistants at this lock!

Still a chill to the wind although sunny & warm out of the shadows.

Passing Bourne End marina we sounded the horn a few times to see if Dogma's crew were aboard but no sign. We didn't cruise far, we moored on the rings at Cookham a three and half miles trip.

Cookham.

Local schools nature reserve and pond.

 We stopped at Cookham to pick up a passenger that my brother is delivering from LGW, our daughter is staying with us for the week, we met up with them in the Crown for lunch. After lunch while the rest went on a circular walk around the boat club and fields back to the boat

Alan & I took the car to the church for a shorter walk back to FL with Nikita's bag's, yes bags, she now has more clothes aboard FL for a week than her parents have for the whole year!

Marlow

Henley isn't a bad area to have an enforced overstay in, the park is large, plenty of families were enjoying picnic's in the sunshine even though the wind was crisp. The rowing clubs have been out in force practising for the regatta while joggers pound along the tow path with enthusiasm. The large Hobbs party boat with what looked like a wedding party aboard was cruising in the late evening.

This morning the lock keeper told us we would be able to move, the river is on yellow boards (stream decreasing) with only the reach between Temple and Marlow locks still on red boards. We planned to stop in Marlow which is upstream of the large weir so it wouldn't be a problem.

We got going before the park ranger came around for the £10 mooring fee... a bonus.


The sun was bouncing off Henley Bridge when we turned the boats to point down stream, using the centre arch we were on to the regatta course.

Kara at Henley bridge.

Regatta course.

I have always liked cruising through the landscape from Temple Island to Hambleden Lock, I must have been admiring it so much I forgot to photograph it for you. A lock keeper was on hand to get us through the lock, the weir stream tried it's best to push FL into the bank, giving the prop the full 43Hp got us into calm water.

Topped the water tanks up at Hurley lock. Temple lock keeper made sure we understood the reach was still on red boards. We had a gentle cruise down to Marlow where we once more turned back up stream to moor on the visitor moorings, thankfully, we hadn't managed to find a mooring spot here the last six times we have passed this way.


Marlow is a busy vibrant small town, a wealthy area with lots of boutique's & artisan cafe's in the tidy high street. Landrover Bentley & Porche have plenty of customers from around here, a quick look in an estate agent shows there is more housing on sale in the £1,000,000 to £2,000,000 bracket than under £500,000.

Sir Steve Redgrave.

A stop off at The Ship to watch the final laps of the F1 and sit in the garden afterwards.

Red Boards day two.

The river is still moving swiftly past the port holes, no rain, which is good. 

I now have a JD Wetherspoon app on the phone which shows where the nearest establishment is, we didn't need it for Henley as we knew exactly where to go for a traditional English breakfast this morning. 

Not much else to report other than a day of watching wildlife and some brave skullers on the water. We did manage to get down to the Argyll pub at 16:00 for a happy Friday Midsommer Ale.

It's 21:00 and the red boards are still up even though, on this reach, the level has gone down about a foot.

Crested Grebe and young.

Egyptian geese

Happy Friday.

Red Boards stop play at Henley.

It wasn't raining when we untied the boats this morning but there was rain further up the Thames in Gloustershire which meant there was a strong flow, Sue dug our life jackets out of the bottom of the cupboard. Just on tick over FL was cutting through the water like a jetski, slaloming around Ait's & Islands to Shiplake Lock where we got rid of the dumpables.

At Marsh lock we found the river on red boards, (still no lock keepers seen today) too dangerous to continue any further we sped across the choppy white water coming from the weir, turned the boats around to face up stream and moored at Henley park.

We all had a walk into town for a few bits & pieces and stopped off in the garden overlooking the river of the Angel Hotel for refreshments.

Weir fully opened

a quieter back water.

Wet Wet Wet..

.......when we kicked off this morning it was drizzling then it was persistently wet, then it was pouring... not all bad, it stayed warm & there wasn't any wind accompanying the deluge so a simple golf umbrella kept us both dryish on our travels.

From Oxford to Sonning we have only seen two lock keeper and and one assistant, that equates to 14 unmanned locks of the 17 we have done to date! What a shame if these locks and surrounding gardens and houses are left to deteriorate. As well as lock & weir duties, lock keepers advise boaters on moorings, safety and places of interest on their patch. It will be a sad day when the Environment Agency workforce and duties are amalgamated into C&RT.

The new Christchurch pedestrian & cycle bridge at Reading.

What about all the crap he has in the water.

Klara @ Sonning bridge.

This letter box was on Sonning bridge last time we were here, now it is in the Bull Inn bar.

Goring- on- Thames.

We have had a few good days weather wise over the weekend, hope that wasn't it for 2016. Today it's raining as Sue set's Day's lock, still warm though, it's early, the lock keeper is still at home having breakfast.

The countryside is as green as I have ever noticed it, the huge bank side property's look as expensive as ever. Red kite, Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Kingfisher's, Buzzards and Kestrals are impossible to photograph as I hold tiller and umbrella.

Fortunately Roly & Bev manage to get a days extension on Klara's Thames license to make up for the day we were held up at Abingdon, this saves over £40 - thanks to the Benson lady lock keeper.

Moored up at Goring visitor moorings, Goring has a few local shops which are high end establishments, one, a grocer, was selling 15 tea bags of a fruity flavour for £4.45, they also had a dish of home made bread pudding which couldn't be resisted, the aroma of cinnamon & warm sultanas followed us back to the boat via The John Barleycorn, where we sampled Brakspear and Hob Goblin ale.


We are at position 17 on below map of Oxfordshire Thames villages.

Dorchester.

Couldn't move today as the reach between Abingdon bridge & Culham lock was closed, police divers were trying to locate a lost soul presumed drowned.

Can think of worse places to be marooned in. We had a walk around the town, Roly spotted a Wetherspoons and insisted we partook of the full English breakfast, so in we went. The rest of the day was taken up with holding the bankside chairs down.

Met an interesting fellow from Chicago, who has been living on his boat on the Thames for eight years, seems to be making a living odd jobbing on boats.

Tonight's teenaged revellers in the park were not as well behaved as last nights, lot's of shouting and profanities. This morning Sue picked up all the mess they had left behind which included drug taking paraphernalia.

We were allowed to continue our journey this morning even though nothing has been found yet. A bit overcast this morning but still warm as we took in the scenes and sounds to moor at Days Lock.

An afternoon stroll into and around Dorchester stopping at the George Hotel for refreshment where we met a couple of locals who have invited us to stay in their villa in France later this year.

Moored Abingdon park.

Roly & Bev

An art class above Culham lock.

Charming graveyard cottage.

Dorchester Abbey.

Thrupp to the Thames

Friday:
Hot enough for shorts the last few days. After stowing an 08:00 Sainsbury's delivery order we moved along to the water point at Langford Lane bridge to top up the tank but unfortunately some bright spark had stolen the brass fitting from the oulet pipe so my hose connection wouldn't fit .....mindless b@st*#ds. I must remember to pick up a fitting from a plumbers in case this ever happens again.

We made our way off the Oxford canal into Dukes Cut lock, here we met a young guy who has just bought one of the scruffy boats permanently moored here, he also inherited all the accumulated rubbish the previous owner had acquired and was busily transporting bin bags of it across the lock. A labour of love he's calling, it we wished him well.

Down the cut and into an unmanned King's Lock, we are now on to deeper water and a flow, we moored at Godsow Abbey among a carpet of goose poo, we had to walk a hundred feet to put the chairs out and share a bottle of London Pride.

Roly, Sue & Bev.

Klara at Oxford 

Saturday - Being a weekend the reaches around Oxford were busy with single, pairs, fours & eights skulling crews along with coaching launch's.

When we arrived in Abingdon it was busy with moored craft, luckily a 60 footer was leaving a spot by the park, with a bit of effort with tillers, engines and gearbox's we had the two boats breasted up.

Morris men in action in Abingdon Square.

More than one troupe were represented in Abingdon today.

The mooring turned out to be a noisy one, a wedding reception had a rock band playing, the newly weds also enjoyed a firework display that most local authorities would be proud of at 22:00. A group of well behaved youngsters were chilling & singing along to music on the bank but by the time Match of the Day had finished all was quiet.

To Thrupp.

Wednessday - What a lovely cruise we had today, The weather was glorious, the views stunning as we progressed south a few more miles to Lower Heyford, a beautiful Oxfordshire Wolds canal side village.

The paint brush came out to touch up a few of the 2015 scrapes on the starboard side rubbing strake.
Afterwards we had an afternoon of sitting on the bankside chatting with Roly & Bev while exhausting their stock of Guinness....

Somerton Deep lock.

Looking up from the bottom of the lock.

Leaving lock.

Pink Daisys.

Thursday - Another glorious day as we left Lower Heyford for Thrupp, a popular stopping place for those making their way to the Thames or a turnaround for crews not wanting to go on to the river or visit Oxford. It's always a relief when you arrive and find a mooring spot. 

Klara at Mill lift bridge.

Roly, Sue & Bev.

We spent the afternoon chilling on the bank before having a decent evening meal from an extensive menu in The Boat Inn.

Spring has sprung.

We left our mooring that is overlooked by the parish church of St Peter & St Paul's 198' spire at 10:00. The jet stream now moving north means temperatures are finally beginning to improve.. 

Three locks to do today, the first is only three hundred yards from our mooring, with other boaters sharing lock duties on a mostly warm May day made it a sedate enjoyable cruise. 

Stopped at Aynho to top up fuel (70p.pl) & water tanks and exchange an empty gas bottle with a full one before moving on to moor below bridge 193 (Chisnell lift bridge).

Renovation work on King's Sutton church.

Burnt out carcass awaits clearing.

Neat boat.

Nells Bridge lock.

FL taking on fuel at Aynho Wharf

Aynho pub close to the Wharf

Farmer tending his fields late evening.

Our overnight mooring at Chisnell bridge

Fingerprints in Banbury.

A short cruise to Banbury which should only take a couple of hours. That's if you don't encounter a threesome on a boat that probably didn't take in any of the instruction given to them by the hire company or the boaters that they might have met at the 18 locks they have been through to get this far.

Sue did her best to encourage the friendly trio to go about the lock duties in an orderly fashion.

Sue "When coming in to the lock landing best practice is to use your centre rope"

Lady boater " Oh, someone else told us that" while she starts to use her windlass to let water out.

Sue "No, lets wait until your boat is actually in the lock with the gates closed before we raise the paddles!!"

The bow rope has been tied so tight the boat can't manoeuvre.

Nice people who I think were enjoying the experience, I would love to meet them on their return journey to see if they have the hang of it by then. Most hirers have the hang of it after a couple of locks not so this crew.

Pulled in at Banbury for supplies, I also wanted to take my phone into the Three shop, recently I had initiated the phone lock with fingerprint recognition, this was a big mistake as the phone only recognises my smudge once in every five or six attempts. Very frustrating when you reach the tries limit and a message pops up wait another 30 seconds to try again. I'm better off without the hassle.

The chaps in the shop couldn't deactivate it either, suggested to do a factory reset. I'm not sure about that as I could end up loosing lots of info.

Back to the boat we set off for a three mile cruise to King Sutton, lift bridges are usually left in the up position on this canal, Haynes lift bridge was down, got Sue on the offside to lift it. The wind got up and pinned FL to the tow path, every time I pushed the bow out, the wind would push it back before I could reach the tiller, after 10 minutes of heaving with the boat pole I'd had enough, reversed the stern across the canal leaving the bow on the tow path stepped off with the centre rope and heaved the whole 17 tons across the canal.

The heavens opened and I got a proper soaking before we moored up below King Sutton lock.

Banksy & A Rugby Hooter.

Ladder bridge was left behind at 08:30, chilly & sunny as we take the water road to Cropredy. Met a blog reader on route down the Claydon flight but forgot to get names, hope the blacking goes well.

Being a bank holiday weekend the flight of locks were busy which makes locking easier.. plenty of arms around to wind paddles and bums to push on lock gates.

An Andy Russell  or a Banksy.

End of Fenny Compton Tunnel

Totally unrelated:

Daughter Nikita with her mate Zara's famous rugby hooter hubby.

Yesterday a pair of Gold finches were collecting nesting material from the tow path outside the galley window at 07:00.

This is the first time in my 61 years I have ever seen one of these bird, they moved on before I had a chance to photo them.

Web picture.