First the good news, Cooper is home, eating well and on the mend. This is mostly due our fantastic Housesitters, who promptly got him to the vet, and have followed up with lots of tlc. We are forever in your debt guys, Cooper is easy to capture your heart with such a gentle and loving nature, plus his dog smarts.

Other good news is our successful arrival at Oxford. Desborough Cut to Oxford in a week isn’t bad going, especially with a strong current against us most of the way. Must be due to the lock labourer………

We filled up with water at Abingdon Lock, and chattered to a couple, older than us, who lived aboard a 20 ton 80’ long Dutch barge. He had just spent an hour filling the water tank! And it costs just under £1000 to fuel it up !!! A serious bit of kit, on a lighter note we passed a converted lifeboat, which still had markings “for 70 persons”. Slightly squeezy me thinks.

All too soon we were entering the outskirts of Oxford, more rowing boats and people meant more careful steering culminating in Folly Bridge. This split bridge, around a corner with ferry’s and punts can get interesting. Thankfully the weather, yes it’s raining again, had kept most away as we slipped past the Head of the River Pub. Due to its low height it also restricts most of the “Gin Palaces”, it’s mainly narrowboat territory from now on.

We moored up just above Osney Lock, in the far distance below.

It’s very handy for a short walk into town….apart from provisions some wool was purchased, and a Hasselblad lens leapt into my bag ! Tomorrow we shall go past the Sheepwash channel entrance to the Oxford Canal, instead using Dukes Cut after 2 more Thames locks. We shall go past Inspector Morses pub, no doubt bumping into the odd body or two ! “Make mine a pint Lewis“.