The very best of the Thames

 We left our mooring at Dorney yesterday in the bright sunshine but chilly air

 … cruising under Summer Breeze pedestrian Bridge

 … and passing the Oakley Court Hotel as we approach the M4

 … and the stunning setting of Bray Lock

We’re then into Maidenhead

…past these lovely homes with river views

… and a more substantial building - The Thames Rivera Hotel

… and so into Boulters Lock with its lovely bridge and smart lock house, the lock keeper here was very friendly and he loved our boat

Seen in the cut just above Boulters was this fisheries boat but how they fish with those ‘things’ I’ve no idea.  Can anyone help?

This chap at the upstream end of the lock cut always makes me smile because I remember saying ‘hello’ to him the first time we came this way!

We now come to Cliveden Deep, which in my opinion is one of the very best of the Thames ...

Sunning at Boulters Weir

… and an actual picture of the reach with the hotel in the background at one of the lovely moorings here

One of the best views on the Thames - Clivedon House, of the Profumo Affair fame, where Churchill apparently told Nancy Aster that in the morning she would still be ugly, but that he would be sober!

Our very favourite mooring on the Thames

Stealth-boat Valhalla hiding in the trees!

A left turn now into Cookham Lock

… where we waited for boats to exit and the rowing boat to sort out who and how to row it!

In Cookham Lock looking back from the bow as we wait for the gates to close - what’s happened to Still Rockin’ though, it looks very different … look closely! (The clue is in the polish that George applied yesterday!)

The reach above Cookham is beautiful too ...

We arrived at our destination about 1pm and moored by the Bounty pub 

… where soon after these two dutch barges pulled in behind us

… and hotel boat Magna Carta pulled onto the sevice pontoon of Bourne End Marina opposite to fill its two fuel tanks and stayed the night.

I spent the afternoon scrubbing both sides of the pram-hood (canopy over the rear deck).  It had got spots of what looked like mould on it and I’d discovered that this was probably caused during the colder months from having the boat doors open and the canopy completely closed, while I was cooking.  I’d tried in the past to remove the marks without success but this time on my hands and knees on the deck with a scrubbing brush and Fabsyl both the inside and outside are now blemish free - well worth the effort.  I just hope that it’s still waterproof … time will tell!

And to round off a brilliant day we went off to the pub for a meal.  The grub at the Bounty is fairly basic but freshly cooked and the portions are generous to say the least! We both had ham with eggs and chips… loverly!!