A relaxing day yesterday, and sunny weather with no rain ! Rico and Lorraine joined us for a picnic cruse an hour downstream. It was a bit of a struggle to find somewhere to moor, all expensive houses with “no mooring” signs or college row houses, but a tiny bit of grassy bank and a willow tree obliged. However I did forget my lump hammer to drive stakes in, so will pick it up today. We did go past a excellent Marina and got a few bits and pieces, including some cutting paste and wax. I started up on the cabin back and it’s restoring the colour well.

It was great to moor up behind Treble Reel, a small widebeam based at Pyrford, so we had lots to chat about, including the hammer confession, so you don’t have to call me out !

In the afternoon we wandered around Wallingford. Not much has changed since I worked at Ratcliffe Orchids and lived nearby. The lamb arcade has gained excellent tea rooms !

The town is a maze of narrow streets controlled by traffic lights drip feeding vehicles into the one way system. Queues a plenty.

Coming into Wallingford you pass this distinctive hill, which I saw from my bedroom window when living on the other side of it. Today we will meander down to the twin towns of Goring and Streatley, another old stamping ground with the Swan Hotel.