Messing About On The River Part 4

And so onward-ever-onward towards Wallingford and the warm welcome provided by Chris Partridges cousins who happily let us camp on their lawn and provided a superb BBQ which we  ate in their lounge, as the buns were getting soggy outside.  

Well the day started dry, it must have been bright because after travelling about a hundred yards down stream I noticed I didn't have my sunnies. So I did the sensible thing and phoned back to Paul H asking him to look out for them. It was later I realised I left them in the pub the night before. I wasn't going to need them.

Katie Beardie is featured early on in this one, sorry I didn't smile for the camera, but that's why people call me Grum. 

Messing About on the River Part 3

From Eynsham to Abingdon featuring those Dreaming Spires of Oxford. 

Actually on the day in question those spires were dwarfed by the Sweeping Cranes of Oxford.

And yes it did rain quite a bit and blow mightily on the nose most of the time. 

Messing About on the River Part 2

Family business has taken me north over the last couple of weeks, and blogging has been fairly low on the priority list.

I have now returned to the warm and balmy south at least for a while so I give you the remaining episodes of our sojourn down the Thames. 

Thanks again to Paradox Pete. 

Part 2 Shifford to Eynesham in which Tim gesticulates to Cee Dubbs.

Messing about on the River part 1

Paradox Pete, whose Paradox Johanna won most innovative boat at last year's Beale Park Boat Show, was often seen with his eyeball to the viewfinder as he cruised effortlessly down the river on the Thames Raid, whilst those of us with more mundane forms of propulsion were thrashing against the wind.  Pete has posted his work on You tube and I shamelessly re-post it here. 

This is day one, starting from the abysmal Marina at Lechlade where the facilities were nothing short of squalid but had to be endured as the only slip available, but ending at Shifford Lock which is a haven of tranquillity, with free showers included.  The weather as you will see was quite benign, Pete has promised to post film of the following days when things got a bit livelier. 
Look out for Katie making a few cameo appearances.

Nick's Skip find Kayak

Nick Paull, boat builder par excellence who won first prize at Beale Park three years ago for Hazy Days  has been at it again.
 He found this ply kayak in a skip, that's a dumpster for those elsewhere, and decided it deserved better treatment.  

So he has renovated it, and what a superb job he's made.

I particularly like the graphics, which raise it above the mundane 

Nick and his wife Marie are planning a holiday in a few weeks which will involve some walking and kayaking   on Lake Windermere  Loch Lomond and finally on Lake Bala where he will have both boats. Sounds like great fun, I hope they have a superb time.