Adrian and family.

Saturday 30th June, 2012 in Hungerford.
A quiet morning writing various birthday/anniversary cards, then walking up the High Street to post them. The sun came out, so we walked up the towpath to reconnoitre Marsh Lock about a mile up the canal; it's unusual in that there is a swing bridge that sits right across the middle of the lock. You can easily get into the lock when it's empty, but you have to open the swing bridge before you fill the lock or the boat will hit the bridge above!  Apparently, this is unique on the Kennet & Avon and very rare elsewhere on the waterways.
In the late afternoon, Adrian arrived with Alex, Sandra and her daughter Sarah. They had all been to Stonehenge and dropped by on their way home; it was lovely to see them.

They had not had lunch, so we all went out to have an early supper. Unfortunately the "Tutti Pole" was just closing, so we walked up to the "Three Swans", a charming old hotel in the High Street that the guide books said served the best fish and chips in town. We loved the notice outside their door:-

The food and service was excellent and R was very happy that the waitresses were all young and pretty! M, who had the fish and chips, agreed with the guide book's opinion. Little Alex was disappointed that there wasn't time to take the boat for a trip afterwards but we are hoping that they will all come back again soon.
Today: Just 2.0 hours running to charge the batteries (Total: 234.2 hours).

Shady Narrowboaters?

Friday 29th June, 2012 in Hungerford.
We have come to the conclusion that narrowboaters are an untrustworthy lot! We set off early from Kintbury hoping to avoid being caught for a mooring fee as we had actually slightly overstayed the 48 hour maximum. It seems that we succeeded, since we didn't see an irate BW official chasing us down the towpath as we fled at 3 mph! Before we left, M walked up to the rubbish bins to deposit the contents of our waste bin and on the way spied a chap from the next door boat helping himself to logs from some recently felled trees. "Look at that disgraceful pilfering", thought M, hastily hiding the roses that she had just plucked from the canalside pub garden. (Well the pub was closed for refurbishment, after all!) Yes, narrowboaters are definitely a shady bunch!
The four mile journey to Hungerford was a delight. After some initial rain, the skies cleared and the sun shone. The countryside was a picture and we declared Dunmill Lock to be the prettiest that we have seen so far with its adjoining old brick-arched bridge and a little stile.

We shared three locks with the Sauer family narrowboat the nb "Switched Off."
We found a lovely mooring right in the centre of Hungerford, next to the town bridge, very quiet and very convenient for the town centre. After lunch, we walked over the bridge and explored the lovely High Street. There is a wealth of little specialist shops and quite a few antique shops, one of which was once owned by M's Uncle Ron.

Tea and cakes in the "Tutti Pole" was mandatory because the guide books sang its praises, declaring that one would be served by a "bevy of comely waitresses." R was a trifle disappointed as our waitress could best be described as slightly past her "best before" date!  Nonetheless, she made us very welcome, provided excellent service and the tea and cakes were superb.
M saw a flash of iridescent blue shoot past the boat and under the town bridge. The first kingfisher that we have seen on our travels this year.
In the evening we watched "Galaxy Quest" on DVD as M had not seen it before. It was great fun but we both slept fitfully afterwards - much too exciting for people of our age!!!!
Today: Just 2.0 hours to charge the batteries (Total 232.2 hours).

Free Rose Food!

Thursday 28th June, 2012.
R had to go up to London for a Capture meeting, so left at 8:00am. On the way back in the evening, he got off the train at Reading to wait for Marion who was returning from Reigate. We were surprised to find that the train from Reading to Kintbury was an Intercity 125 (going on to Frome in Somerset) and we had to be in the front four coaches as the platforms at little Kintbury are so short.
When we got back to MM, we found that the horse had left its calling card on the towpath by the stern - a large pile of dung! M thought it would be good for the roses back home but didn't relish the prospect of carrying it home in a bag, although it would certainly have guaranteed her a row of seats to herself on the very crowded train to Reading!  R thought it would probably have guaranteed her an entire carriage all to herself!
Meanwhile, we now have lovely calling cards for MM with our details on the front including the address of this diary and the contact details for Kingsground and Alexander on the back because so many people ask about MM and who built her.  Perhaps we should get a commission!

Lovely sunset reflected on the trees opposite.
Today just 1 hour to charge the batteries.

A Hungry Horse

Wednesday 27th June, 2012
Last night we moored at Kintbury only a few yards from the railway station. This morning M left by train to go back to Reigate for Choir practice tonight. She said it took only six minutes to get back to Newbury by train as opposed to the nearly four hours it took us to do the same trip yesterday.
R filled MM with water and as he was finishing the horse-drawn trip boat came through the lock with a full load of passengers. They hitched the horse up to pull the barge out of the lock and R climbed on MM's roof to keep the tow-rope from breaking off the wireless aerials.

It seems that the horse still wanted its breakfast as at this point it spotted a nice patch of nettles, turned sharp right and wandered towards the car park while the barge drifted past. The tow had to be hastily unhitched and the horse retrieved and returned to the towpath. The tow rope was then re-connected and they finally set off much to the delight of the passengers.

R spent the rest of the day doing Capture work and only ran the engine to charge the batteries.
Today: 0 miles, 0 locks and 3.0 hours.
Trip: 125 miles, 77 locks and 84.6 hours (229.2 total).

A Rural Idyll.

Tuesday 26th June, 2012.
A warm sunny morning. We walked into Newbury to buy bread and milk, and eventually set off at about 10:30. It's a very pretty stretch of waterway with some beautiful wildflower meadows on either side and lovely old brick arched bridges. Just to complete the rural idyll, we passed a traditional horse-drawn trip boat, a very rare sight on the canals these days.

We moored up in Kintbury just behind our old friends nb "Dragonfly." It was perfect timing, as just after we moored up it started to rain. We had a nice catch-up with Lizzie and Richard on "Dragonfly"; they are heading to Bristol like us; however, they may go out on to the Severn Estuary and up to Sharpness, but we won't do that this year. M's not at all sure that she will ever feel brave enough for that!
After tea, we walked into Kintbury village about 1/4 mile south of the canal. It is really more of a very quiet hamlet than a village - a general store, butcher's, a baker's (which only opens two days a week) and a scattering of pretty cottages with names like "The Old Post Office", "The Old Forge", "The Old Tannery" and "The Mill" - a sign of the times. Sadly, the village churchyard had a large war memorial with far too many names of the fallen from the First World War - with agriculture, the mill, the tannery and the canal, it must have been a large, bustling and thriving community in those days.
Today: 6 miles, 7 locks and 3.9 hours.
Trip: 125 miles, 77 locks and 81.6 hours (226.2 total).

Silly Hats for Breakfast

Monday 25th June, 2012.
We were all tired this morning; we had found it difficult to get to sleep last night after the footie and the tension of England hanging on by their fingernails through the second half and extra time - and then snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the penalty shoot-out.
M woke at 5:30 because the birds were singing so loudly! It was a lovely bright morning. At breakfast we had a "silly hat" session with two tea cosies and Guy's Captain's hat while scoffing boiled eggs, toast and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

After looking at Elle's pictures of Harry Potter World (we have just GOT to go!!), we packed up their stuff and walked with Elle, Matt and Eva to the station. They caught the 10:13 train to Thatcham to pick up their car. A journey that yesterday took most of the day but today took less than 10 minutes - that's narrowboating for you!
A coffee on the way back at Costa was definitely obligatory and then we moved MM a few hundred yards to the other side of the swing bridge as we were on a 24 hour mooring. It's rare for us to stay moored up all day and we have both loved it. We have enjoyed this lovely town. One of the canal guides describes how Newbury "embraces" the canal and it truly does. Pretty cottages, restored mills, wharves and extensive pedestrian areas make this a delightful place to tarry.
Today: 0 miles, 0 locks and 2.6 hours (mainly battery charging).
Trip: 119 miles, 70 locks and 77.7 hours (222.3 total).

Elle, Matt and Eva!!

Sunday 24th June, 2012
Elle, Matt and Eva arrived at 11:30 and parked at Thatcham Station. We all had lunch and set off towards Newbury. Just as we were leaving, "Bewick's Swan", (the "Party Boat" with eleven guys on board that we saw yesterday) passed us on its way back to Aldermaston - it seems they had a good night in Newbury! "Oh, was it Newbury?" one of them asked us, grinning. They were certainly much more subdued than they had been the day before!!!  Perhaps their boat should have been renamed "Sore Heads" for the return journey!

Matt had done some boating in the past but Elle was a novice. M showed Elle how to do the first lock and she picked it up so quickly that for the rest of the day M retired to the galley while Matt and Elle crewed brilliantly.

Eva was good as gold and wore her very smart life-jacket near the locks (which will also fit Penny in due course).

Eva spent part of the afternoon watching the DVD of Snow White and then finally having a nap wedged into the narrow space alongside the bed!

We had some lovely "re-meetings" today: John from nb "Beverley" was walking the towpath on the way to Tesco's, nb "At Last!" was in one of the locks going the other way and we also passed nb "Dragonfly" moored up next to Victoria Park in the middle of Newbury. Eva found a great puddle to jump in!!

In the evening, we all went to Pizza Express for an excellent early supper and then returned to MM to watch the second half of the England v. Italy match.  Fortunately the supper was a lot better than the football!! No doubt the eleven inebriates on nb "Bewick's Swan" would have made a better team.....

Today: 4 miles, 6 locks and 4.1 hours.
Trip:  119 miles, 70 locks and 75.1 hours (219.7 total).

More Happy Meetings

Saturday 23rd June, 2012.
A bright morning. We were both tired after yesterday's late night but a gentle walk around Newbury to admire its many splendid old buildings did us the world of good. There is a wonderful traditional butcher (Griffins) adjoining the old town bridge and we bought a pound of local sausages and a home made steak and kidney pie there.

We had a number of happy meetings today. On the way back to the boat, we stopped to talk to John, the owner of nb "Beverley." It had that name when he bought it and, as he used to work on Beverleys, he decided to keep the name but dedicate it to the aircraft! Apparently, it was such a big, heavy aircraft that it could have carried four narrowboats the size of Many Meetings, stacked two on two!

We set off late morning with two objectives; we needed to find water and to go back to Thatcham, where we will pick up Elle, Matt and Eva tomorrow. We found water at the Newbury Marina where R moored up last weekend (and we found the name of the fourth Kingsground boat in the Marina -  nb "Rachel Linden"). On the way to Thatcham, we passed nb "At Last!" going the other way and commented on the name - the owners said that they had waited 20 years to get her! And very happy they looked too!
At one lock, we met a family of four on a boat which we subsequently nicknamed nb "No Clue" because that is what they had (or didn't have). The parents seemed to have no idea what they were doing and the two teenage children appeared to be totally disinterested. At least Dad seemed to be enjoying himself!
At the same lock, a shy lad approached Marion asking if we had some tape as he had broken his fishing rod, which had snapped in two. Captain Robin (Mr. Fixit) to the rescue! Parcel tape and a splint can work wonders.

Back at Monkey Marsh Lock, we had a most interesting and hilarious encounter with nb "Bewick Swan" manned by eleven (yes eleven) large, loud, inebriated young men obviously out on a jolly. It was clear that they not only had no idea at all of what they were doing but also that they didn't give a hoot! They were having an absolute ball. Two fell into the river trying to jump back on board as we watched, to the vast amusement of the other nine. They were heading for Newbury for a boys' night out. The mind boggles...

Finally back at Thatcham, we were fortunate enough to take the last remaining mooring space by the railway station. The owners of nb "Jenny" were kind enough to move up to make room for us. To our surprise, already moored up there was nb "Dragonfly" (another Kingsground boat), last seen at Henley three weeks ago.
We walked up to Waitrose to do our shopping, had the (almost obligatory) coffee in Costa and then walked back in time for supper. The steak and kidney pie was truly excellent!
Today: 4 miles,5 locks and 3.6 hours (plus two swing bridges).
Trip:  115 miles, 64 locks and 71.0 hours (215.6 total).

Wet morning, a dry BBQ and a very late night!

Friday 22nd June, 2012
As the mooring last night was limited to 24 hours, we had to move MM this morning in the pouring rain to the east of Newbury so we both got soaked. M was heard to mutter some very rude words as she struggled with the gates of the tricky lock by the town bridge in the rain.  In fact, she had only just finished drying her hair when it was time to leave. We were visited by a very damp family of swans hoping for breakfast.

After we moored up, we walked to the railway station and caught the train to Goring-on-Thames for Capture's Barbeque.
The BBQ was great fun and although the gazebo nearly blew away several times, it didn't rain all afternoon. In the evening, we went to Tony's Chinese restaurant in Goring for a Peking Duck - delicious! By the time we finished, it was getting late and we just missed a train to Reading so we had to wait half an hour. Then we got the time of the train from Reading to Newbury wrong and so missed that train too.  We ended up waiting for one and a half hours on Reading Station, not as bad as it sounds, certainly for Robin who occupied himself very happily watching all the scantily clad dolly birds arriving for a night out in Reading.  Marion, on the other hand, was busy watching the elegant ladies and debonair gentlemen arriving back from Ascot!. We eventually got back to Newbury at 11:30, so it was well after midnight when we got to bed.  A great day, though.
Today: 1 mile, 2 locks and 2 hours.
Trip:  111 miles, 59 locks and 67.4 hours (212.0 total).

The Longest Day

Thursday 21st June, 2012
Newbury is a lovely town, particularly as much of the centre is restricted for tin boxes. Walked around to check for other mooring locations. Found a very quiet mooring just west of the Newbury town lock. As someone was going down the lock R asked them to leave the gates open and he went back a brought MM up through the lock and moored up outside a beautiful row of cottages.

The lady in the cottage opposite was one of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trustees - and she had two hungry ducks camping on her doorstep that we christened Rosie and Jim.

M arrived on the train in the afternoon and we walked around the town and did some shopping. So it was not only the longest day but also a very relaxed day.
Today: 1 mile, 1 lock and 1.7 hours plus 1 swing bridge (inc. 1 hour to charge the batteries).
Trip:  110 miles, 57 locks and 65.4 hours (210.0 total)

Victoria Park and Carrot Cake.

Tuesday/Wednesday 19th/20th June, 2012
R took the train to Newbury on Tuesday afternoon and walked to the marina. It was quite late by the time he got there so he decided to stay in the marina overnight.
On Wednesday morning R spent the time preparing for a Capture training session after lunch with a new client in South Africa. Finished the training sometime after 3:00pm and then moved MM into the middle of Newbury and moored up next to the central Victoria Park.

Went scouting for possible mooring sites for when Elle, Matt and Eve come on Sunday. Found some nice quiet places just past the next lock. Also found two Costas and succumbed to a lovely slice of Carrot Cake!!
Today: 1 mile, 1 lock and 1.0 hour.
Trip:  109 miles, 56 locks and 63.7 hours (total 208.3 hours).

Home James...

Friday 15th June, 2012
Awoke early with the rain still falling (no change there then...). Checked the forecast and it said there would be a break from the rain in the middle of the morning - and so it proved to be. Hastily grabbed the mooring pins and sailed the half mile up to Ham Lock at the edge of Newbury.
Just past the lock, R phoned the Marina and we turned into its entrance. Not so easy as it required a one hundred and thirty-five degree turn against the current, which was running quite fast. After a couple of small bumps we made it in, turned MM round and moored her up.
She will stay there now until Tuesday when R returns to pick her up. M will join him on Thursday as she has choir practice and a dental appointment.
The boat moored next-but-one to us was nb "Splash" that was in the Kingsground workshop and launched not long after MM - and the narrowboat next to her was another older Kingsgound boat called "Morse"! In all there are four KG narrowboats in the marina!

Walked to Newbury railway Station and caught the train back home. So the next post will be on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Today: 1 mile, 1 lock and 1.3 hours.
Trip:  108 miles, 55 locks and 64.0 hours (207.3 total).

Ragged Robin and the Stinging Nettles!

Thursday 14th June, 2012.
The main railway line down to Bristol passed less than 100yds from MM, running parallel with the canal. Surprisingly, it didn't disturb us at all. It's such a busy line that the road barriers on the level crossing went up and down like the proverbial fiddler's elbow, with very little interval in between. We pitied the poor level-crossing keeper in the days when it was manned - he certainly wouldn't have needed to go to the gym to keep fit!!
It was a bright morning, although showers were forecast for later in the afternoon and it gradually clouded over through the day.

The second lock we came to is called Monkey Marsh Lock and it is a listed "Ancient Monument" as it one of very few "turf-sided" locks still working. The sides are made of turf sloping up at 45 degrees. Many of the original locks on the K&A were turf-sided but at most of them walls have been built and the sides filled in. Unfortunately at Monkey Marsh, the sides are now lined with rather ugly steel poles to define the centre usable section and to protect the turf but it must have been beautiful in its heyday before the concrete and steel brigade got to it.
We moored up about lunchtime near Widmead Lock and walked along the footpath to visit the Nature Discovery Centre.

It was a lovely walk beside the lakes and reed beds, home to dozens of resident and visiting bird species. Of particular interest to us was the Greater Crested Walnut Cake and the Capuccino Major not to mention the very rare Green Pea Soup (minted variety), often to be found in the tea room.
M took pains to point out to R a species of wild flower by the name of "Ragged Robin." Well, we have often said that narrowboaters wear scruffy clothes!

Ragged Robin.

We have constantly marvelled at the density of the vegetation stretching into the distance on either side of this canal. The cow parsley reaches a towering 6 to 8 ft and some of the stinging nettles are taller than us.

Another Ragged Robin trying to out-stare stingers bigger than him!

Finally we went through Bulls Lock, which was leaking so much through the bottom gates that we had trouble opening the top gates when it was full, and then moored up for the night. Just after we stopped, the heavens opened right on schedule!  The weather forecast today was surprisingly accurate.
Today: 2 miles, 3 locks and 2.1 hours - also 2 swing bridges.
Trip:  107 miles, 54 locks and 62.7 hours (206.0 total).

Liszt & Chopin

Wednesday 13th June, 2012
Well, actually "list" and "shopping!!"
We awoke to sunshine (hooray!!) but also to a distinctly lopsided sensation, in other words, a "list". During the night the canal water level had fallen about 6 inches and firmly grounded us on the towpath side at an angle. Both of us, and all the duvet, ended up sliding to one side of the bed and the feeling was very strange as we walked down the inside of the boat, and none of the drawers would stay shut! But outside, it was a beautiful morning.

Some judicious use of the pole as a lever pushed us back out into the deeper water but we were now a good 4ft from the bank, so the gangplank was required to untie the ropes and retrieve the pins before we drifted off down stream.
We rewarded ourselves with a breakfast of Nicole, Peter and Emilie's lovely fresh free-range eggs - delicious!
Woolhampton swingbridge and lock were interesting; there is a very strong current across the lock mouth and through the bridge hole. There were two boats in the lock coming down, so M opened the bridge for them but the second one, 'manned' by three Australian ladies, underestimated the current and ended up banging into the bridge completely sideways.  They now know you can't get a 50ft narrowboat through a 15ft bridge hole sideways!!
By the time they had sorted themselves out and scraped their way through the bridge, M had forgotten that R was still waiting to come through in the other direction so she closed the bridge.  She said it was to let an elderly gentleman cross over with his dog (nice try!!!)- but at least she had to practise opening it again!
Going into the lock was fun as you had to sail into the current and turn into the lock at the last moment - luckily R managed it without hitting anything.
At the next lock (Old Heale's), we met up with a lovely couple called June and David who were having a picnic to celebrate June's 65th birthday today. They had booked a boat from Goring for a birthday trip but sadly because of the high water levels in the Thames it had been cancelled so they had decided to picnic beside the lock instead. We showed them round MM and we wouldn't be surprised if they ended up buying a boat of their own!! Watch out for a brand new blue boat by the name of "Dreamboat"!

At the next lock, we discovered that R had left a windlass back at the previous lock, so we locked up MM and walked the mile back; fortunately it was still lying on the grass beside the lock.  June and David were surprised to see us back again!   We enjoyed the walk; it made a pleasant change to be walking the towpath; it's a different perspective.
We moored up at Thatcham and walked the 20 minutes into the centre where there is a Waitrose and a Costa - we visited both!  Thatcham belies its name; we had pictured pretty cottages with thatched roofs; not so, the town centre is disappointingly rather dull with its typical 1960's architecture.  However, we have a nice mooring with other boats either side, which always feels very companionable.

We liked this rather optimistic notice in the window of the boat moored next to us.

Today: 4 miles, 4 locks, 3 more swing bridges (M is getting very good at them now) and 3.8 hours.
Trip: 105 miles, 51 locks and 60.6 hours (203.9 total).

From Narrowboat to Horsebox

Tuesday 12th June, 2012
The rain finally stopped about 9:00am, the radio reported that some parts of the country had one month's rainfall in a single day.
Overnight, the canal had risen about 6 inches and shortly after we set off there was a quarter mile section of river (as opposed to canal), this was running so fast that even going much faster than normal we were only just moving relative to the bank. It was quite difficult to make headway against the current. Once back on a canal section (which only moves very slowly) we paired up with Jean and Garth on nb "Sycnamore". No, that's not mis-spelt! We originally though she was named after the tree but not so. Apparently they use to sail but Jean suffered from sea-sickness so they sold the yacht and bought a narrowboat, then Jean was, wait for it... syc-no-more! Hmm!! They have owned their boat for seven years and had a previous narrowboat with the same strange name. When they sold the first one, to their surprise, the new owners kept the name and a few years ago they met them by chance and the two "Sycnamore" narrowboats shared a lock side by side on the Leeds and Liverpool canal! Another example of the strange coincidences on the "cut".

We shared three locks and three swing bridges.  The second lock entrance was partially blocked by a fallen tree so "Sycnamore" just disappeared into the foliage and R followed blindly through the greenery to find that the lock gates were only a few feet the other side. Thankfully they were open with "Sycnamore" already in the lock!

Below Froud Bridge, we turned into the Froud Bridge Marina to fill up with water and diesel and to empty the "Poo"Tank. The people there were very helpful, the owner was the same man who had built Pyrford Marina; he said it had taken him 10 years to get planning permssion for Froud Bridge - apparently one of the local councillors had lodged an objection on the grounds that the masts of the narrowboats would be visible from the river!  What????
The entrance to the Marina was again on a fast flowing river part, which made manoevering interesting. (er - actually, we ran aground!)

We sailed back up to Froud Bridge where we moored up to wait for Peter and Nicole (although we were now facing in the wrong direction).  Peter is a distant cousin of Robin's and lives close by.

Peter called to say that he was just passing near by in their horsebox so he picked us up and took us back to the house. After unloading the horse he was carrying and being introduced to their very friendly newest two-week old foal, we went to pick up their seven year old daughter Emelia from school - a beautiful Elizabethan style house in a lovely park setting. After a cuppa in the house we drove back to MM and took them down to Aldermaston where we went through the lock, turned and then went back through the lock and so back to Frouds Bridge (this time facing in the right direction).

It was delightful to see Peter and Nicole again and to meet their daughter and we have promised to call them again when we go by on our way back.

They very kindly gave us some of their new-laid eggs, what a treat for tomorrow's breakfast!
Today: 5 miles, 5 locks and 5.2 hours (including an hour of battery charging).
Trip:  101 miles, 47 locks and 56.8 hours (200.1 total). 108 litres of Diesel = 2 litres/hour.

Rain stopped play!

Monday 11th June, 2012
Did we wake up to hear the birds singing merrily?  Hardly! We awoke to the sound of the rain hammering on the roof. This was the rain of the "stair-rods" variety, ie: vertical and unrelenting. The only consolation was that it was not the horizontal sort accompanied by high winds; however it did persist all day.
We always said that if it poured with rain, we would just moor up and pour ourselves a G&T. So, we decided that we would not move from our very pleasant and quiet mooring today.  There was, however, one slight problem - we discovered that we are quite out of 'T'. 'G' we have, but no 'T', so we have had a quiet and very sober day.
Our meeting with Peter and Nicole, which was scheduled for this afternoon, has been postponed until tomorrow when the forecast is for dry weather, so hopefully we will be able to take them out for a short trip.
This afternoon, we watched "Miss Potter", which is such a touching film although such a shame that it wasn't actually filmed at the appropriate locations in the Lake District (one does wonder if that was due to the National Trust being its usual, wonderfully co-operative self?).
As we finished watching the film, we heard a tapping on the side of the boat and found that our wine loving swan had brought his mate along, plus their seven offspring.

As it is probably frowned upon to encourage the use of alcohol within the avian community, we fed them bread instead of wine, but they seemed quite pleased with that. The youngsters in particular looked like they were having a "bad hair day" with all the rain. M said she knew that feeling.....
Today: 0 miles and 0 locks 3.0 hours charging the batteries.

Life goes with a swing (bridge).

Sunday 10th June, 2012
Last night's mooring was surprisingly peaceful and rural, given the proximity of the M4. We were moored just before Burghfield Lock with hay meadows on either side and banks of tall dense vegetation full of yellow flags (iris) and towering cow parsley.  As M was stirring her tea in a desultory fashion this morning, she spotted a tiny dormouse scurrying along, absolutely dwarfed by the huge plants around him.  How on earth does he navigate in vegetation that dense and high?

At 4:00am, the bird song was a joy (although we both slept until 8:20!!).

After a late breakfast, M went ahead to set the lock while R "walked the plank" to untie the ropes. We were fascinated to see a pair of yellow wagtails next to the lock flitting about catching dragonflies. They only eat the soft bits so the lock-side was littered with beautiful dragonfly wings!
Shortly after the lock, we sailed through clouds of lovely blue damselflies. One even landed on M's wrist. Some were flying joined up in pairs - can't imagine why(!).
Today we met our very first swing bridges - two electrically driven road bridges and one hand operated pedestrian bridge. M approves of being able to stop the "tin boxes" in their tracks for a while!

We saw a lot more boats moving today. At Sulhamstead Lock we fell into conversation with two chaps on nb "Bullrush". They were taking her for a survey and if she passes they are going to buy her; their first ever narrowboat - they were so excitied at the prospect! We wished them luck.
During the afternoon, we phoned Peter and Nicole, whom we met at Jane's birthday party in London last month. They live just west of Aldermaston and had said to us to get in touch when we were in the area on the boat; we hope to catch up with them tomorrow evening.

We finally moored up just past Tyle Mill next to more tall vegetation; luckily we found two mooring rings set into the bank.

While cooking dinner, M was watched by a hopeful swan who seems to be a wine connoisseur! "Is that the Shiraz 2005?" he asked.  "Oh good, bring me a glass out, then!" he said.
Today: 4 miles, 5 locks, 3 swing bridges and 3.4 hours
Trip:  96 miles, 42 locks, 48.2 hours (191.5 total).

Thus, went the Oracle.

Saturday 9th June, 2012
We slept well and awoke to better weather so R washed the roof down, the bad weather of the last week had left it very dirty. Some of the bird effluent dries like concrete and took some getting off!!

Meanwhile, M potted up two rectangular planters, one with geraniums and ageratum - red, white and blue of course, in readiness for the Olympics (which is also why our bunting is still flying gaily!) The other trough is now full of herbs for our future dinner table.  We hadn't quite bought enough compost, so M nicked some soil from the "Oscar Wilde Walk" saying that she thought he would approve of such petty larceny behind Reading Gaol! He would consider he was getting his own back!

Sometime after mid-day, we set off.   One of the first thing that we encountered was - would you believe - canal traffic lights that control the one-way system through the "Oracle" shopping centre!  The canal goes right through the middle of the vast shopping centre, which was packed with those seeking their Saturday retail therapy fix.  Bet they looked at us and thought how much nicer life would be at 4mph!

 The Oracle is really quite remarkable, very stylish in its ultra-modern way; quite a surprise in an uninspiring town such as Reading.  After the first lock there were rows of very narrow terraced houses backing on to the canal. Apparently these were built by Huntley and Palmer for their workers at the biscuit factory. Some were side on to the canal and they had the most spectacularly patterned brickwork on the corners and over the windows - very attractive and unusual in small houses like that.
Progress continued to be slow upstream and we only saw a couple of boats moving all day. We only cruised for a couple of hours as we are not in a hurry and are trying to get used to the idea of not having goals and deadlines. We have been cruising for two days now since we left the Thames and we haven't even got as far as the M4!  This truly is Life in the Slow Lane!

We moored for the night between two Alder trees right out in the country just Before Burghfield lock and just past the famous "Cunning Man" pub.  R had to "walk the plank" to get back on board, as it was impossible to get right up to the bank.  Right now the sun is shining and the sky is blue - lets hope it continues like that for a few days.  The birds are singing merrily and we have just sat up on the "Barry" seats at the stern podding fresh peas - the first of the season.  This is the life!!!
Today:  4 miles, 3 locks and 2.8 hours (plus one traffic light).
Trip:  92 miles, 37 locks and 44.8 hours  (188.1 total).

Kennet & Avon at Last!

Friday 8th June, 2012
A wild night! (sadly only in weather terms!).  It rained hard all night and the wind gusted so strongly it kept blowing MM against the side of the moorings in Christchurch Meadows.  Fortunately, the riverside is made out of wood, not concrete.  However, the boat is covered with debris from the wind and rain, so some cleaning will be required shortly. The outside temperature is 12 degrees.  "Flaming June"?  Flaming perishing, more like!!  We were so glad we had left the electric blanket still on the bed; the only reason we hadn't taken it off was that it was easier to leave it on than find somewhere to store it.  We are wearing vests, jumpers and socks - well, this is June in England, after all!

Today our EA Thames license expires and so, after doing a shop at the very convenient riverside Tesco, we finally turned on to the Kennet & Avon Canal. Or, more correctly, initially the Kennet River, which is flowing quite quickly so progress against the current is slow.  The first mile or so of the river/canal could hardly be described as picturesque, we thought, as we sailed past the gasworks!

Having negotiated Blake's Lock, with its unusual "wheel" paddle mechanisms, we sailed around the island by the old Huntley and Palmer factory; it once employed 6,000 people there making its famous biscuits, now the site has been developed as modern office buildings as is so often the case with our industrial heritage. We moored up next to the Oscar Wilde Walk behind Reading Gaol and decided that we would stay here for the night as a mark of respect to a great man who has left this country a such a wonderful literary legacy.

We walked around the Forbury Gardens, where the Mainwand Lion commemorates over 300 members of the Berkshire Regiment who died fighting in Afghanistan in 1880. Those who do not read history are destined to repeat it. We would like to have walked around the Abbey ruins but it was all locked up.
It is so quiet here you would never know that we are in the middle of a busy city.
Today: Only 2 miles, 2 locks and 3.3 hours (including 1.5 hours charging batteries).
Trip:  88 miles, 34 locks and 42.0 hours (185.3 total).

Wind, rain and a small diversion.

Thursday, 7th June, 2012
R had another great breakfast at Pierreponts (M is very jealous). What a treat each time we visit Goring! (M was back in Reigate having boring porridge - yah, sucks, boo!).

Two Boiled Eggs and Ma'amite Soldiers!!

Nick from Capture joined R for breakfast and then came down to see MM; he seemed to like her!
As R was removing the first mooring line, he got a call from Peter and as a result he will go to Liphook this afternoon. So he finally set off back to Reading and arrived at Caversham Lock within 2 hours since he was going with the flow.  MM's paintwork was much admired yet again by the lock-keeper at Mapledurham. The rain and wind continued unabated and so R got well and truly soaked despite the umbrella.
At Reading, he moored up just upstream from Caversham Bridge and walked in to Reading station to meet up with M who came up by train from Reigate.  Did we meet under the station clock (cf "Brief Encounter")?  No, we met in Costa Coffee!!!!
A taxi picked up R from Reading Station at 2:30 and drove him to Liphook. M happily busied herself playing "house" while he was away; thankfully the invasion of the small black moths seems to have fizzled out with the arrival of the cold weather.  Peter drove Robin back to Reading in the evening and we all went out to dinner in a lovely pub called the Plowden Arms in Shiplake.
Today:  9 miles, 2 locks and 4.4 hours (including 2 hours charging batteries on Wednesday).
Trip:   86 miles, 32 locks and 38.7 hours (182.0 Total).

Jubilee Weekend

Tuesday 5th June, 2012
We moored up MM in Reading for the weekend and went to London to watch the Flotilla on the Thames from Battersea Park with Erika, Dan, Dick, Judy, Gilly, Charles, Emma and Penny.

We stayed with Emma and Charles and it was so nice to spend time with them and Penny.

On Tuesday, R went back to Reading by train, picked up MM from the marina and took her up to Goring. It had taken two and a half hours to sail down from Goring with the river flow on Saturday but today, with the flow against her, it took four and a half hours to get back up!
R spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Goring and worked at Capture during Wednesday.
Today: 10 miles, 3 locks and 4.1 hours
Trip:   77 miles, 30 locks and 34.3 hours (177.6 total).