Paaaaaaaaaaaaaarp!

Tucked up in the Willows

We've spent a nice couple of days tucked up in the shade at Wallingford, where we enticed Sue & Vic (No Problem) to come and sample the delights of this beautiful and historic town. Amazingly, they've never stopped here before. It was great to catch up with them and enjoy a couple of pints in the riverside pub that doesn't like boats.

Cast off early yesterday, in the slim hope of getting a place to moor at Abingdon and pick up some supplies. When we got to Days lock, we were surprised to find the visitor moorings empty. So we stopped off there briefly to allow the boys a quick runaround. Way too hot to stop there for long, but they seemed to enjoy it. Just as we were pulling out, a narrowboat (Dilligaf) moved in. Guess they couldn't believe their luck either.

Bryn likes Days Lock Meadows (a little too much)

10 minutes upstream, we heard a loud "Paaaaaaaaaaaaaarp!". Turning round, we could see it was a narrowboat going full ahead, with the husband and wife gesticulating wildly from it's stern. Was it somebody we knew? No. Were we dangling our ropes behind us, in danger of fouling our propellor? No. Turned out it was just another knob in a hurry, who thought he owned the whole river. Ridiculous. There was enough space for the QE2 to pass us, without any drama. When we did get to Abingdon, we saw them tying up beside the bridge. Cheers, Nb "Verano". Thanks for that.

Over Zealous Volunteer

At Culham lock, the volunteer lock keeper was a trifle over zealous. We were the only boat in there. I'd just thrown my rope over the bollard, the boat was still moving slightly, and he was already in my face, hustling me to turn off the engine. He very nearly got a "I will turn it off when it is SAFE to do so". But it was too nice a day to be getting the hump with jobsworths.

Unfortunately, when we got there, Abingdon was *completely* stuffed. Fender to fender everywhere. Nowhere to even moor a canoe. So we moved on to a 'secret location' up above the lock (where it is quiet and peaceful, without any drunken behaviour and running generators). Going to try our luck again today, though I fear it will be pretty much the same. If that does turn out to be the case, I guess it is back to wallingford again for us. Shiny shiny boats don't like to get Willow sap on their roofs, and we are pretty much guaranteed finding a place to stop there.

oh, the joys of Summer.