Teresa May's manor.

It was warm when we cast of at 07:00, a first for this summer. 

Most of the traditional boat owners were asleep when we cruised through Henley getting a free show.

The Royal rowing barge.

007

Henley boat house

At Marsh lock an Israeli hire crew were looking lost at the lock controls. Sue educated them and we shared the rising water into the next reach. They sped away as the gates opened, probably late in returning the ship back to base.

At Shiplake lock we are third in the queue to top up our water tank but second to fill it thanks to one of Sonnings resident moorers who let jump the queue.

Speaking of Sonning residents, our new PM lives in Sonning - when she's not at Downing Street. So after mooring above Sonning lock I rang Teresa's local the Bull Inn to see if there was a table free for Sunday lunch. There was, we had a lovely meal, Sunday roast for the lady's while I had sea bass. The food was excellent but I had my most expensive pint ever here £5.25 - I think I'll complain to the local MP.

Sonning lock

I think this fisherman is using a fish finder.

Grebe

Borne End to Medmenham.

Bourne End marina

Marlow lock.

Another short early cruise in clear conditions got us from Bourne End to Marlow and more of the same the very next day, FL was through Temple & Hurley locks to Medmenham before the lock keepers were on duty.. The moorings were very busy and we went up and down until we found an appropriate spot for FL. It was against a high bank, not all bad as it meant I could get some peace and quiet on the bank because MIL couldn't get off the boat.

I didn't relax for long though a couple of jobs to do, replace the old diesel filler neck & cap for a new brass one. Then a little varnishing of the taff seats that I sanded down yesterday.

A glorious day watching boats on their way to the Traditional boat Rally at Henley, we also saw the Battle of Britain Memorial flight (Spitfire & Hurricane) on it's way to entertain the crowds.

Adjacent farmers field being used by a caravan club.

Shepperton to Cookham.

Stayed on the Manor park moorings Monday, we were going to have alfresco dining but the showers put paid to that notion. So indoors it was, culinary delights from each galley, my own contribution was an excellent chirtzo and sun dried tomato loaf. 

Later a walk to the Three Horseshoes with Ray & Gordon rounded off a great day nicely.

Tuesday we were all up early FL would head back up river while FD & EHC make their way to Hampton Court.

Manor House Shepperton.

D'Oyly Carte islands new owners appear to have stopped the mooring business.

 We locked through Shepperton lock with a cruiser who's skipper pushed all the right buttons to raise the boats 6' 8". Noticed Thames Court has scaffolding around the building, hopefully, it's getting a face lift as the place looked very tired last time we were there. We stopped to fill the water tank at Chertsey lock, showery for most of the route, we tied up at Runnymede in a downpour. When is summer going to get going I wonder.

St. Peters steeple, Staines.

Bell Weir lock under the M25.

Set out from Runnymede before 08:00, a lovely bright sunny morning, best time of the day to cruise. While Sue set Old Windsor lock she met up with the nice helpful young man who was broken down at Grafton lock (he had inadvertently topped the diesel tank up with fresh water). A mistake he wont repeat in a hurry after a big bill to cleanse the fuel tank.

Plenty of mooring spaces to choose from in Windsor, we tied FL to the bank on Baths Island. A bit of shopping in town, and later my brother Alan came over for a catch up and a beer.

We set off again early, we were up - the sun was up - so it was a good idea to make use of the bright morning to top the water tank and get rid of dumpables at Boveney Lock.

We shared the lock with boats heading for the Traditional boat Festival. We also spotted Gloriana a couple of times, once moored at Bray marina, then she past us after we had moored at Cookham.

Passing Windsor race course.

I wondered if Phil the Greek was at the elsan emptying the cassette.

Cookham mooring.

Left Betty to look after the boat and walked the well-trodden towpath to the Bounty at Cockmarsh.

Bourne End to Manor Park

From Bourne End we made our way east passing the open meadows of Cookham, into the high tree lined banked Cliveden deep, under Maidenhead bridge and past millionaires row of opulent houses, past the decaying Bray film studios to moor at Windsor.  

Had lunch with Glyn & Christine

Lunch stop.

We left Windsor around 10:30 sky's were grey with dampness in the air which soon turned to rain after Romney lock but it didn't last for long. Being a weekend there was plenty of traffic on the river, the Dunkirk little ship's fleet are making their way to Henley traditional boat rally and the weekend cruisers were making their way back to their moorings.

Romney lock

Honey pot cottage next to Wraysbury boat yard was once home to Beryl Reid,

Outside the Runnymede Hotel, These ladies are enjoying a floating hot tub.

Chertsey lock.

Moored three abreast at Shepperton Manor park.

 We rendezvoused with FD & EHC on Manor park moorings in Shepperton, after Murray had won the final all crews were out on the bank for afternoon tea, which consisted of Dot's famous Cornish pasties & Diane's if not famous, equally scrumptious sausage rolls and a glass or two of red wine.

Marlow to Bourne End

For some reason  I haven't managed to get my camera out over the past few days so below pics I have plagiarised from others.

I have been reading Carol & Georges adventures for some time but we had not met before, our boats never being in the same place. So when Diane locked FD & FL through Marlow lock we were both looking forward to meeting up at the Spadeoak moorings in Bourne End with the added bonus that Sue & Vic were moored there too.

FD & FL breasted up with SR & NPXL after hello's all round, a viewing of the two wonderful wide beams (why do they look so much wider than double the width of a narrow boat) Carol made a brew Diane provided home-baked cakes and biscuits, then we settled in SR's capacious stern deck for a bit of boater banter. Tony & Helen stopped off on their way to Windsor which made eleven on the deck quite comfortably.

The fun was over much too soon, first we waved goodbye to Tony & Helen and then George & Carol off towards Marlow. It was great to meet up at long last, we are sure to meet up on the Thames again later this year.

There's a pub 200 yards away so the rest of the group went for lunch at the Spadeoak.

Spadeoak  

Later in the day, the engine boards were up and FL got an engine service.

Henley to Marlow

Leaving the masses of boats behind in Henley we passed the £100 mooring notices that lined the regatta course up to Temple island.  Arriving at the lock before the lock keeper with five other cruisers none of the crews seemed to want to work the lock, so Sue did the honours, the five cruisers would of sped past FL in the next reach anyhow.

The sun is shining but not particularly warm en route to Hurley, at the lock we topped up the water tank, having three onboard depletes the tank quicker - I'll have to ration the outlaw's tea consumption. 

Approaching  Marlow town we spy FD on the free moorings, a cruiser is moored in front of her, FL slots in to sandwich the cruiser. Later the cruiser leaves, being considerate boaters we pull FL back to leave space for another sixty footer.

Betty came with us into town to pick up supplies from Waitrose, we now each have one of their loyalty cards which get you a free cup of coffee a day from any of their stores, every little helps - or was that Tesco!
Back at the boat Tony & Helen on nb Holderness had moored in front. We had a quiet night watching Wales lose to Portugal. 

  

Dorchester to Henley.

07:30 at Days lock mooring.

 Pulled the pins at 08:00, start to the day was sunny & clear but it would cloud over before we moored at Pangbourne meadow for the night. Goring had been our first choice of overnight mooring, a boat leaving Goring lock before FL picked up the last spot on the town moorings. Beale park had plenty of room but we needed a few supplies so continued to Pangbourne.

Shillingford bridge.

Benson lock landing

Sand Martin nesting box.

Cleeve lock weir stream

View through Gatehampton bridge arch.

We pulled in at Better Boating in Reading to pick up some engine oil, FD was at the fuel pontoon topping up the her tanks, we cruised together with Ray & Diane to Henley where we met up with Gordon & Dot. Lunch was had in town, a mini pub crawl with Gordon ended with us all back together in the garden of the Angel on Bridge - Pimms for the ladies.

The letter box is now on the Reading railway embankment, we have seen it on Sonning bridge, the church tower and in the bar of the Bull Inn in the past.

A great mooring

Boats moored on the Henley regatta posts, in position for Elton John playing on the stage on the right tonight (Weds)

Bovines

We had some bullocks try and sneak up on us .......

They hid in the pill box.

One kept doggo

While others out flanked us...

Things looked like they could get ugly...

Sue and I got back on the boat.... we left scary outside to frighten them away... it worked.

I didn't get to do the oil change I planned today, I have plenty of oil & fuel filters aboard but no oil left - a job for another day.

Spent most of the day on the bank, Sue & Betty had a 1.5 mile stroll in the morning. 

After Sunday roast, I had a walk up  Whittenham Clumps, the panoramic views over south Oxfordshire are spectacular.

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