Cruising Adventures
Friday we drove to Cheshire in rain on M40 M6 and as expected heavy traffic to visit my sister then Saturday off to Merridale Manor, Over Peover, Cheshire for Joanne’s wedding to Stuart
Sunday the grooms parents hosted a Hog Roast in their beautiful garden in Yorkshire
Driving back to Abingdon we met rain again just after Leicester! But a lovely weekend.
Farther Thames claimed Tony’s phone on Saturday afternoon so we set off early on Sunday morning to hotfoot it to the EE shop in Oxford.
Not a terribly good start! The electrics had failed at Abingdon lock so I had to manually wind the paddles and gates – not easy and it takes ages! The lock keepers do have a sense of humour!
Once through and topped up with water we headed off avoiding the rowers. We arrived at Iffley lock and moored at 11.25 and paid our dues to the most helpful lock keeper.
We walked towards the Redbridge Park & Ride & caught a bus into the city centre. Visited the EE shop. Thery have the most uncomfortable seating ever and I had to wait for half an hour or so whilst paperwork etc was sorted out only it wasn’t! The assistant said it would be 2.30 befores she could get help on the telephone!!!! So, off to John Lewis for a cup of tea and passing by the mobile phone display. and noticed the prices. After the tea Tony returned to EE and accepted a new sim card but declined to buy a phone. By returning to John Lewis and buying an identical phone to the one in EE store he saved himself £140! The view from the top of the new Westgate centre
Later that evening a succession of Salters Steamers came along and turned just behind Matilda. Seeing some passengers were getting off to visit the pub Tony asked if they would pick us up in the morning and so Monday we caught the 11,20 and cruised into Oxford. Sadly they don’t accept bus passes but it was a most pleasant way to travel.
Here’s an interesting sight:
We wanted to visit the Oxford Museum but found it closed until 2020! The museum shop was open and selling what seems to be absent on many bicycles using the towpath
We walked across Christ church to the Botanic Gardens where I found some things of interest
And some very useful plants, one for treating Alzheimers and the other cancer
High Street
On to the upmarket market where there was a wonderful chocolate and ice cream stall. Elderflower ice cream is definitely in competion with my favourite – pistachio. The cake shop had some amzing cakes
A bit of shopping and then we returrned to The Head of the River to catch the 4pm steamer.
We then walked into Iffley village where we found a very interesting church and even met the Vicar who was about to close up for the day. He explained how what we thought was paint was actually a preservation method and enhanced the stone carving
We left early on 22nd as the regatta was taking place and all boats had to clear the area A great shame as we would have liked to stay a bit longer.
Began the day well by having an argument with an overhanging tree and an incident below Days lock. where the current took the boat broadside on whilst the stern rope was attached and tightened to the lock mooring. Helped by Bill from Trio the stern rope was cut and Tony was able to do some very nifty manoeuvering and pivoting to position Matilda ready to enter the lock.
The beautiful Trio
Lovely moorings here. Stopped overnight below the bridge Enjoyed drinks with Bill & Sheila.
Evening and morning reflections
Met up with a lovely couple aboard Two n Six
Then moved to moor on the meadows by the park close to Miss T Morning.
Watched runners gather for an event early this morning. One couple dressed as Harry & Megan! Watched the Royal Wedding and attempted some photos
St Georges is fantastic. We visited Windsor Castle twice last summer
We are not amused?
We like Wallingford! Civil War history with the town changing back and forth from Royalist to Paliamentarians and Agatha Christie lived here
Lovely sunny mooring opposite the Park and Campsite.
£7 per night collected at 8.30 am
Nearby information boards Where to go and what to see
St Peters – the most beautiful steeple
And what about adopting this splendid idea for St Mary’s in Devizes?
Lovely walks in the Castle grounds
And everything for the discerning boater
The Wallingford Bookshop with its exceptional customer service
The Farmers Market for Beaver Pie and Penguin Pie all handmade and scrumptious!
The capacious bin that isn’t overflowing!
And not forgetting
Dusk at Wallingford
Left Reading with Stephen & Beverley aboard. Here they are working Mapledurham lock
We are always intrigued by this post box but not to sure of collection times!
At Pangbourne Meadows where they left us to walk back to Reading along theThames path. Almost immediately the rain began,,,,,
The following morning we wandered around the town and found The Elephant where we had once stayed. & its lovely garden
This is not a Waitrose Village but……
And on to Goring Is this the ultimate summer house?
Moored at Goring
After watching the TV programme about Goring in Bloom volunteers trying to recruit additional help from rail commuters we went to inspect their work!
The wild flowers alongside the ugly BT building
The corner by the cricket pitch
Sweet Peas by the Public Toilets!!
Goring Festival Programme
The Ridgeway Path – slightly different from that in Wiltshire
And a lovely wisteria covered cottage
And thanks to the lovely butcher for his wonderful meat!
We were welcomed to Reading with a partially sunmerged supermarket trolley followed by another in the middle of town and a third at Blakes lock!
Once out of county lock and with the green traffic light, passage through the bends of the town was rapid with a brisk current pushing Matilda. No place to moor in Oracle Centre.
She nearly came to grief on the stone arched bridge where the current was particularly fierce. Always ready, Tony revved up the engine and we missed disaster by a whisker!
Through Blakes Lock and past the gasometer and under the railway bridge and we were at the Thames.
Tony calculated I opened 85 locks and 17 bridges along the K & A. 55 miles in 46 hours.
Once on the Thames we paid a visit to Better Boating Boatyard to top up with fuel and water. They were so helpful to us last year when we had a problem with the weed hatch and no less helpful & pleasant this time. We had noticed moorings available at Tescos before, on the opposite bank. We moored up at Christchurch Meadows – a lovely spot and very convenient for the station and town.
Canada geese and goslings by the boat.
Friday morning we walked to the lock to buy our Thames Licence a requirement to be on the Thames and checked by lock keepers.
Later we explored Reading visiting the town museum a very handsome building
Strangely it has a copy of the Bayeux tapestry!
Huntley & Palmers Biscuits and Suttons Seeds were main industries.
BBC at Caversham, just closing.
Radiation Meter
Forbury gardens
Then on by the Abbey Ruins The Abbey was built by Henry 1
And to the River Kennet and the Riverside Museum which used to be the sewage works!
And remember this advert?
And finally sunset
An early start from Theale we came across a second boat with a chicken coop on the top!
Then Garston lock. This is one of only two remaining turf sided locks so naturally it has a preservation order.
No photos of Fobney lock as great concentration needed to deal with the weir!
Then an uneventful journey to Reading.
Another tale of disaster and hazard!
Woolhampton has a reputation for being difficult. A lock, bend and narrow skewed bridge with a strong current. You can’t see the bridge from the lock. As Matilda was almost through the bridge the rollers protecting it caught a rope attached to the inflatable and pulled the davit holding it! Repairs needed as the inflatable was half submerged.
Aldermaston lock has curved edges so you have to watch how far you push the gate!
We stopped for water at Aldermaston as we had run the washing machine as we travelled. The tap is in the garden of the cafe! Absolutely no mooring and hire boats moored three wide. We continued through the next lock and saw two boats moored so we pulled in for the night above Padworth swing bridge. The following morning we walked a circuit around Veolia waste site and the village. Returning to Matilda we noticed that the water level had gone down about a foot and she was decidedly aground!
Now getting 32 tons of boat re floated is no easy task but a young and strong man came to our aid with scaffold pole and managed to lever her off. So grateful for his help. This is his van so if you need your chimney sweeping he’s your man!
We thought there might be mooring at Tyle Mill but no, the one available space was occupied by a hire boat and all the other moorings were “by agreement only”
The words are not very clear but there is a charge of £150 for overstaying!
We cruised a short distance and found partial shade above Sulhampton swing bridge. Lots of wildlife!
We walked down the towpath into Theale to top up with milk & wine and to check available moorings. 22degrees at 11.am Had a rest at The Bull and a half of Wadworths
Found this intriguing road sign on our return. Ice on the hottest day so far this year!
Yesterday was spent doing the necessary repairs to the inflatable whilst moored in the shade at Theale. Today we have visted the Co-op again and this afternoon met up quite by chance with Lay Zee Days who we met last summer in London. They are on their way to Devizes.
Tomorrow we are off to Reading and the Thames.
Left Hungerford in drizzle, destination Kintbury
Kintbury is a delightful village and we just made it to the butcher and baker and village shop before they closed at lunchtime. Sadly the Visitor moorings are less than delightful with all the CRT supplies and rubbish? in full view. Such a shame and a bit of a surprise when next to this is a little conservation area and a raised flowerbed
Left Kintbury on 29th for Newbury. Still warnings of strong currents. The flow above the swing bridge made it impossible to stop in the visitor moorings, Matilda – all 32 tons – was in reverse yet being carried along by the current! Going through the lock and under town bridge was like shooting the rapids! Low arch bridge meant we had to be central, to not catch the cabin!
Moored at Victoria Park the first thing we did was to run the central heating!!!
And there she was, Victoria herself guarded by lions. Whilst there the pond was drained on probably the wettest day possible. (Refilled with canal water). To escape the cold and rain we went the the cinema to see the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie film. Most enjoyable.
Young paddlers having a great deal of fun. I have great admiration for the grown ups who run these groups.
We met up with Roger from Caen Hill Marina, on Ragged Robin, who had moored close to the Newbury Marina.They have very keen pricing on diesel.
Visited Tony’s father on May Day. He was celebrating his 92nd birthday. On the way back we made a point of checking the Thames at Reading and it looked fine.
This is the stunning mural outside the Newbury library
Today we have travelled from Newbury to Thatcham. Currents still strong, although Canal and River Trust have relaxed their warning. Our biggest hazard today was this lock mooring that was underwater. Fortunately I was walking the towpath so escaped a dip!
We will stay in Thatcham a couple of days. Don’t really want to attend this event in Reading, we have plenty of Wadworths on board!
We have been following this BBC 2 Programme as we were involved in the Devizes entry and never realised how important it was!
We have seen neighbouring town Melksham and Tewkesbury, where my birthday was celebrated one year, and Chorley tonight where the Armriding family seemed to have moved to from Preston (part of the Aldridge family tree).
We were very disappointed that Devizes is not entering this year. It seems that Wiltshire is a very minor part of the South West and feels a lack of support and that Devon and Cornwall dominate as indeed we found with tourism matters.
It’s good to know however, that Devizes still has it’s own In bloom competition supported by the town council and volunteer groups. Devizes park staff are to be congratulated on their work.
PS We emailed Channel 4 News yesterday after their programme used canal images for the forthcoming local elections. We are indeed “Floating voters” many of whom do not know how to obtain their vote. A “declaration of local interest” is the key or making their local MP aware of their situation.
