Iffley and Abingdon

12th September Thursday

Out onto the Thames again on a wet Wednesday afternoon, expecting to be able to moor opposite Christchurch Meadow, but all the moorings were taken, so we pressed on to Iffley lock and moored next to a large barge called The Grizzling Skipper, which I couldn't help but keep reading as the Grilled Sardine for some stupid reason. Iffley is pretty and quiet and we had a rather good curry at The Tree and far too much beer and wine, then staggered back through the rain to our cosy boat.

This morning was dank but warm and still and the river was a mill pond. Woke up to laughing ducks and ridiculous goose honks and set off through the lock with a couple of other narrowboats with jolly owners, one of whom I am sure was Father Christmas. It's great to be on the river where there are cheery lock keepers doing the work for you too. We locked through with the same 2 boats at Sandford plus a couple of others - one a huge white cruiser from which the crew looked down on us all and then overtook us once we were on our way because he could go fast and wanted to prove it!!

We caught up with everyone again at Abingdon lock. We needed a pump out and to fill up water, and so it seemed, did another 10 or so boats! But it was pleasant enough waiting our turn, it's so nice to not have to rush for anything. After about an hour and a half, all the craft had moved on and it was quiet again. Strange that we had all congregated at the same time. We decided to stay here for the night as it's a peaceful mooring and easy to walk into Abingdon for the small amount of shopping we needed. Passing the lock keepers hut and the keepers and their volunteers, they declared how busy they were and what a hard job they had as they sat in sun chairs drinking tea!

I now have a solitary scruffy mallard floating gently beside the bow, head on one side to eye me as he has all through my phone call to my Mum (which is a long time, Pete will tell you!) better get some bread I suppose, he is being so patient. And the sun has come out for our afternoon, how kind of it!


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