Friday, 6 September 2013

Tally ho to Aynho

Wednesday 4th September
We found ourselves back in the Red Lion with Jenny and Sid on Monday evening, catching up with their news and picking their brains about places and moorings on the Grand Union, Thames and Wey. It was good to see them. They are travelling in the opposite direction this time to Stratford on Avon.

Baking hot day today, Wednesday. Left Banbury and travelled on to Aynho, via the Pig Place - a canalside farm shop full of piggy produce. We stocked up on sausages and ribs ready for cobbing bbqs, in anticipation of the weather holding for a little longer. A pleasant experience as it's an interesting shop and business which the owners are looking to sell but only to the right people apparently.....a lot of effort went into creating it.

We had some dozey people following us today. They seemed not to register when we were waiting to enter locks and twice came careering past us as if to barge the lock gates, instead of pulling in behind us to queue in the courteous way that is the norm. Goodness knows what they were thinking, they would have had trouble stopping and letting anyone off to open the gates at that speed anyway. We shook them off eventually, but when I looked back as we were leaving the last lock, there they were again crashing into the bank at considerable speed - the ladies in the bow knocked sideways! Wahay, here we go!! Obviously barking mad and in a hurry?! They weren't young and reckless either and part owned the boat, so couldn't have been new to it. I have to confess here that I was once a novice and have done some ridiculous things myself, even thinking I should queue behind someone to wait for them to go in the lock before me, then realising they were actually facing me (don't think they intended reversing in). And no doubt I will do more stupid things in the future, so I can hardly be smug.

Sitting on the bank now, still in baking heat, glass of wine in hand.....mmmmm

The Pig Place:


Honey and ginger buffalo milk ice cream, jolly nice





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