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).
If you go down the Devizes locks (going that far?) motor on and moor at the BW overnight stop adjacent to the Caravan Club site. The adjacent pub, can't remember the name, serves really lovely meals and Ales.
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Glen & Michele