Back to the previous one and meetings from abroad

We've been informed that someone is returning to their boat in Henley but that they would be continuing their journey upstream ...

 ... so we winded away from our Marlow mooring this morning and set off upstream once again

 Looking back at Bisham Abbey

 Anyone know what this flag represents?  It looks like a stylised windmill with Maltese Cross wind vanes.

Our cruise was exactly the same as yesterday except in reverse.  The same three locks Temple, Hurley and Hambleden.

As expected seeing that it was before 9am, Temple Lock was still on self service and I hoped that the 'couldn't-care-less' boater who left the gates and sluices open didn't sleep well last night for having a guilty conscience!  We topped up the water again at Hurley and ascended through Hambleden with no problems at all.

 Watch out there are pheasants about!

 Steve from SRB Moorings appears to have moved his base from Henley to Medmenham, he collects mooring fees from both sites.

 The sky behind us at 10 am

 ... a bit different from that in front of us

 ... and 10 minutes later we had rain!

 The only other boat we've seen on the cruise today

 Hambleden Marina's crane is starting to take cruisers out of the water ready for the winter mooring boats

 This is Amy and her Dad Alan from Sidney.  With Amy's Mum and brother they were watching us pass through Hambleden Lock and I asked if they were on the way to Henley and if so would they like a ride.  Brother was not too keen so he and Mum walked and  Amy and Alan came onboard.  Before emigrating to Austrialia, Alan worked for BW for 17 years I think he said - what a coincidence that was!  We enjoyed their company and dropped them off just before Henley Bridge. Great to meet you both, enjoy the rest of your visit.

Back at the previous icon once again where a few other boats were moving and we continued towards the lock to moor up.  

A lady was jogging along the path and asked if she could take our rope and as we never turn down offers help I threw the bow rope to her and she put it through a ring and passed it back to me.  She introduced herself as Lynne (hope that's the correct spelling) and she hails from Montreal  Canada (the French half, that's important, she said) and lives there in a condo on a small island and is on holiday here.  Great to meet you this morning Lynne, enjoy the remainder of your holiday here.

Looking forward to meeting up with friends tomorrow.

One icon to the next

We left Henley on Wednesday (27 Sept) 

... just after 9, it's a bit misty still

... as we approach the bridge which has five arches and was built in 1786 after the previous bridge was destroyed in a flood during 1774. 

There has been a bridge crossing the Thames here since well before the 12th century

Heading downstream

Hambleden Lock

... and the weir stream

... with it's beautiful mill buildings

Difficult to see the channel marker, it's a good job we know the way!

It's not often we pass a chance at mooring in one of our very favourites places on the meadow at Medmenham

... where we meet the rowers out in force - they're RAF personnel using the water today instead of being in the air

Passing the Abbey

A learner we think, she's wearing what looks like a full wet suit and life jacket etc. and it all looks very heavy ... not sure it she fell in she'd sink like a stone or float!

More RAF rowers

... and one stray Navy guy!

We needed to use our horn on several occasions to alert them to our presence.

Taking on water at Hurley Lock

Passing Peter Freebody Boats.  The Freebody family have been living and working on this part of the River Thames since the 13th century and make wonderful boats, click the link above to take a look.

Temple Lock comes into view soon after and looks as if it's a bottleneck

... it's on self-service but all the boaters are cooperating as they should, swapping over the operation of the lock as their own boats enter to the boater next in the queue who then sees the full lock through.  It takes no time at all so long as the system works well and today we were soon through with no hassle. 

Three hours after pulling the pins in Henley we're moored up once again in Marlow

It's still overcast but I never tire of this other church and bridge view either!

 Same view at 19:20

Yesterday (Thursday) was a busy day but more of that in my next post

 The day had been quite cloudy but with some sunny intervals and we were able to sit on the deck in the very warm sunshine late afternoon.  This picture taken at 17:15.

... and this one at 7pm looking upstream.

Once again Geoff, nb Seyella is running the

Manchester Half Marathon this year on October 15th.

Please help him to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support

by clicking on the link and adding your donation

Just Giving

Thank you.

Good Luck Geoff

A misty, miserable day (Edited)

8:20 yesterday (25 Sept) and we're leaving Sonning in the rain (again)

... but not continuing downstream

 We were moored under trees and the noise of the rain through the branches made sleep difficult last night and this morning the roof is a mess

 Hunched up against the miserable weather

 passing Tesco again - all the same boats again

Our reason for turning back ... Better Boating, Reading are advertising offers on diesel that are too good to miss and our fuel tank is showing less that half full.  We took on nearly 240 litres at 77p (self-declare) and could have had a free pump out too if we'd got one!

 9:30 after refuelling and filling the water tank we're away.  The rain has stopped and the washer is on as we cruise.

Passing Tesco once again ... this boat has always fascinated me. It's been moored opposite Tesco for as long as we've visited the Thames and becomes more dilapidated each time we pass, but to me it always seem a happy boat.

 10 to 9 and we're passing last night's mooring again

 First of three locks today, this one is Sonning Lock

 Sonning Lock House

 Nice and slow through Sonning Bridge

 Dutch Barge Howling Gale dates back to 1880

(Edited) Stopped at Shiplake Lock to use the services and top up the water tank (Thanks Alf for reminding me)

 Although it's no longer raining, conditions are miserable, the air is very damp and warm, not at all pleasant.

 Approaching Marsh Lock at Henley

 My view from the bow as the lock gates open

 We thought we'd try the mooring just here this time rather than further into the town itself

 12:40 and we're glad to be moored up except that I've got two loads of washing to get dry ... it'll not happen very quickly in this weather though!

 Good outlook over the river

 ... and the park

... and some pretty lights later on too.