Dizzy

Our secluded mooring was left behind, as we moved on towards Lechlade and the turn around point of our Thames wandering, we did think about staying in, what for us,was an ideal spot,but for the dogs just an ok, for there were no walks, and the grass was 3 to 4 feet high, so no views for them either, just the odd glimpse of sky.

The river here is beautiful, and to make sure you see it, extra bends seem to have been carefully placed to give you more time in the area, and keep you awake. Some of the plastic boats still roar around these bends, thinking they are in the Med, the only thing missing is the water skier on the back,well so far anyway, still they slow down fast when they spot 17 tons of steel coming the other way.

We passed Tadpole, the moorings were £25 a night unless you ate at the pub, you all know how we hate pubs, so we passed by. Then came Radcot, with the oldest surviving bridge on the Thames, constructed in the 13th century, it still stands today for we did't have to try and pass under it, a new channel had been dug with a single arch bridge for us boats to use.

The three locks we used were all manned, at one lock they were determined to get 3 narrow boats in  at once, after a lot of wriggling about, we all got through. After lots more bends we came to Kelmscott a small well kept village with Manor house, bit of a time capsule, due to it's remote spot and an attitude against development, who can blame them, we moored a short walk from both Manor house and village pub.

Our remote and missed mooring, still may use it again on the return journey

Tadpole bridge, clearly water life must be bigger here !

We passed dozens of these along the banks, secondary  defence line or don't moor here ?

Third boat in, lock keeper seems to think narrow boats bend in the middle, a Boris boat eh!

In the background, the old 13th century bridge, campers now on the spot where in the civil war, Prince Rupert's cavalry ambushed Cromwell's marching army, described as a skirmish, it probably means a lot of men in floppy hats with feathers in, charged, waved swords around, then ran off back to town for wine and tell tales of their own valour.

Archie ( or mother Archie ) feels the heat of the sun, so we moor for shade

OUR MOORING

Tucked in against a high bank, the plank " deployed ". May be a swim later?

If the weather forecast is to be believed this period of settled, sunny days may be giving way to heavy rain this afternoon and showers for the next few days. We feel a bit like Ratty and Moley 'messing about on the river' every now and again Mr Toad rushes by in his shiny new cruiser - waving and smiling - all good stuff.

Bye for now

Ali and Baz