Friday 31 May 2019

Runnymede to Windsor

 Reflections at our Runnymede mooring on Tuesday evening (28th May) and the following day ...
rain stopped play for me before I'd quite finished dead-heading my plants ...
 but George bravely carried on washing the roof.
It cleared up for a while late afternoon when all that was needed to clean the boat sides was a dry cloth ... job done!
 Yesterday morning (30th) we left Runnymede at 7:30 and continued upstream ...
 reaching the first lock of the day (Old Windsor still on self service) 45 minutes later where divers had just arrived to inspect the weirs
 Looking back as we pass under Albert Bridge and Crown Land
 where we see pretty houses in the trees and ...
 beautiful royal horses.

 That's the same name on the van here at Datchet that was on the one at Old Windsor Lock but this looks to be a much bigger job that required divers and much more equipment 
 Windsor Castle

 A royal mare and foal perhaps?

Romney Lock next and I can see a self service sign.  I asked the people on the cruiser if there were other boats behind them in the lock and they said yes one more so I walked towards the lock to operate it and out came a huge Salters trip boat and the lock keeper ... he'd forgotten to change the sign over this morning
 Queenie's at home today
 A hybrid goose Grey Lag/Canada mix
 I wonder who's on Gypsy Willow from Hambleden Marina today ... they must be still in bed whoever they are!
 We're not stopping today and continue on ...
 to Boveney Lock again the sign says self service but this was another instance of the lockie forgetting to change it over
 Disappointment at Dorney as our preferred wild (as in no charge) mooring was too small for us ... so we winded ...
and returned to the visitor moorings ... we hope to stay here over the weekend as we've a few jobs to do inside Still Rockin'.

2 comments:

Vallypee said...

A lovely cruise, Carol. Windsor Castle looks fabulous. Is it the flag that tells you Queenie's at home? I'm fascinated by that little modular mustard yellow boat in your last but one photo. Is it a former lifeboat, do you think? It looks very sweet, but I think they are amazingly roomy inside!

Carol said...

Thanks Val,

Yes it is the flag flying that denotes the Queen is in residence at her home in Windsor.

As to the yellow pods or capsules there are now quite a few of them on the Thames being used as live-aboards. Most of them were originally life boats used on the oil rigs probably in the Aberdeen area of the UK and would have had no 'essential facilities' such as toilets or heating. Most of those we've seen don't have windows either and must be quite 'cosy' or claustrophobic depending on your point of view, although some are slightly larger than others. I for one wouldn't want to be 24/7 in one of these!

More info here Val ...

https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/commercial-vessels-life-boat/282352