On the Thames

We are just back from a week on the Thames with my mother's cousin Geoffrey. He has a very comfortable motor cruiser which he keeps at Reading. We went from there to the top of the navigable Thames, a place called Lechlade in Gloucestershire. Geoff is 86 but able to jump across a gap to the shore, run around the boat, organise all the meals with appropriate beverages and play a mean game of Upwords.

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The river was beautiful, a different view around each bend - and there were many bends. Every 20 or 30 minutes we would come upon a lock and a burst of activity would be required. All had lock keepers so no need to do all the manual labour - just secure the boat and let ropes in or out at the right time. There are also a number of bridges, most with a riverside pub or two adjoining.

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As far as Oxford we followed in the footsteps (if you can have those on a river) of the 3 Men in a Boat. We ate on evening in the Barley Mow which is described in the book (see picture). We inspected many other pubs - all most satisfactory, and wandered around several small towns getting supplies.

The whole thing was unforgettable.

From Reading we went West to visit more family members, and are now staying at Watergate Bay near Newquay in Cornwall, where my cousin Jennifer and husband Clem have a b and b. More on that in the next entry.

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