Monday, 24 July 2017

Swan Upping

18th July

On another hot but windy day, we moved on to another favourite mooring in Cookham.

Shenanigans at Temple Lock where we had to hold out as there was a queue of boats waiting for the lock ahead of us and no mooring space. This wasn't easy as there was no shelter and the boat was being blown off course. Pete managed it of course, but not without a little worry - it must have a been a full half hour wait in the middle of the river. The delay was quite possibly due to the lock keeper having gone for lunch and the lock being manned by us public, always a bit hit and miss. I have found that a few gentlemen sailors like to take over this task with some arrogance over little me. I think they don't believe I am capable of reading instructions and pressing buttons because that is all it takes. I was questioned by one man, who strode up to take over without so much as a hello, whether I had closed the top sluices before opening the bottom ones. Huh!

Anyway, on to Cookham on Marsh Meadow moorings £6.00 for 24 hours and as soon as we had stopped we were aware of lots of idling boats mid river. The reason being that the Swan Upping team was out doing its duty to the queen by catching, weighing and ringing her majesty's swans. What a spectacle and how lucky we were to be directly opposite that moment's show as there was a family of swans at the bottom of a private garden that the team were heading for. We could just about see them beyond the idling spectator boats, catching the birds and taking them ashore. I dare say the house owner was surprised to have them on his lawn. We learned later from an old couple who walked past and who come to watch this process every year in the third week of July, that the teams travel from Sunbury locating the swans and this year Ben Fogle was helping and had we seen him? Later I looked through the photos I had taken with a zoom lens and I had indeed inadvertently snapped Ben. The crew are Thames watermen and trained to lift the swans. They bind their wings which makes them passive, but it must be a tricky task knowing how strong these creatures are. The whole episode was so typically traditionally English and quite eccentric with the crews in their scarlet blazers and the chief with a feather in his hat, on beautiful shiny wooden craft with the queen's flag flying. A ritual that has gone on for centuries. I wonder what Liz says when she is presented with the count! Probably bores her rigid!

It was another hot sticky day and we walked to the lovely Bel and Dragon pub. Back on board the clouds gathered and there was a violent thunderstorm which was very exciting to view from our cosy boat. Pete spoke to a young man who had swum across the river in the storm with all his fishing tackle after his boat had broken down on the resident side! Pete offered help for tomorrow, there was little we could do immediately. Poor chap.

My photos of Swan Upping will have to wait to go on the blog as I have no means of getting them off the camera to upload them having left behind the gizmo for connecting the card to the iPad. In the meantime I will try to include Cookham's artist, Stanley Spencer's painting of it.




Stanley Spencer's painting

...and his self portrait, just because I like it!




clever manœuvreing of these strong, wild creatures



love this doggie surveying the scene

my only (accidental) photo of Ben Fogel!







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