A celebration

On Thursday Sue and Vic (nb No Problem) discovered that they did  

have a problem! Not an enormous one though but it does need some attention which they have arranged to be sorted hopefully on Wednesday next week.  We needed to move on from Reading and decided that a slow cruise (nursing No Problem’s problem) to Beale Park on Friday was necessary, with our support if they had any difficulties.

So we set off at about 9:30 ...

... we were glad we’d looked at the weather forecast and left the pram hood up as it wasn’t long before the rain came!

It was good news and bad news when we reached Mapledurham Lock - bad news was that someone had sawn off the threaded end on the water tap so we couldn’t fix our hoses on and fill the tanks - and the good news was that the cafe was open and it was bacon baps all round; judging by the shake of the camera for this shot of the African Queen Hotel and Restaurant boat which was waiting to descend, I think the bap was just in time for George!

Plenty of room on Pangbourne Meadow today!

The new and the old Whitchurch Bridges

Whitchurch Lock house has such pretty windows

George calls this the stealth boat - not sure of it’s proper name I couldn’t read the lettering!

Approaching Beale Park, we usually moor just this side of the narrowboat you can see on the left ...

... opposite this lovely cottage, but today we moored up a little way further.

Once both boats were securely tied Sue and Vic came to Still Rockin’ - were they after a cuppa I wondered?

No, they came bearing a gift!

Those that know us well know how much George loves mooring here at Beale Park and during the build of Still Rockin’ he must have told Stuart and Pete and Ian and Steve at least a dozen times that he couldn’t wait to take the boat there.  He also told everyone else we spoke to including Sue and Vic ... 

so.....

... with a bottle of champagne and a congratulations card ...

... the four of us celebrated our journey from base plate to Beale Park!  Thank you so much, it was a lovely thought.