Idling the time away...

So we left Marlow, which does have nice shops, and sauntered our way upstream back towards Henley and beyond towards Sonning.  Much later in the week we had tickets to go to The Mill Theatre at Sonning.  We had never heard of this theatre until Carol & George told us about it, its a Supper Theatre!  

HERE

As we were preparing to leave Marlow David had got talking to a chap sporting a Panama hat, (I look better in mine) and he snootily said that the dinners at The Mill "Were one up from school dinners", so with that ringing in our ears I was happy to leave him!

Turns out the dinners at The Mill were excellent in standard and frankly delicious, it must say something about his school I feel.  We saw the Alan Ayckbourn play Ten Times Table, a comedy and that was also brilliant with a well known cast.  So Reader definitely go there if you are around the area, it was a real treat.

We have done a bit of up and down the river in this area so I shan't try to get it factually correct each day and as it happens I can't really remember either....  But here are a few photos of our sauntering!

So this first group of photos are of leaving Henley, you don't need to imagine how beautiful a day it was, the water was like a mill pond, the sun hats were on and everyone on our boat was smiling.

So this temple thing is now leased for 99 years by a rowing club in Henley, they start their regatta races from here 

Just past the temple you can moor here on the parkland for the same price as all around here £10 a night.

Most attractive vessel but I don't want it.

Now for me to get back on my hobby horse about fumes, this ancient chap came overtook us to get to the lock landing first, I expect he has had this cruiser for a long time BUT with the links to asthma heart disease and the rest 

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Its only a question of time until boats of all ages and breeds are brought under the laws similar to cars and lorries.  I can hear you think but those children are dying in cities and built up areas, but this matters not, we as a group simply MUST conform, for the sake of our children AND the environment to sensible emission levels, an MoT for boats at the very least.  

And he was miserable to boot at the lock.

This popped up, I'm pretty sure its a Great Crested Grebe, the other could be one in winter plumage or maybe this years's young?

HERE

If anyone can help please feel free to comment at the bottom.

A bit of a bun fight at this lock, actual QUEUES for boats even if most of the boats were Le Boat hire boats.

Here she is again, Dutch Barge Dorchester, prime position on the FREE moorings at Marlow, the cruisers beat us to the last available spot, of course they did.....

David walked to the end of the weir and took this shot for you, I hate walking on weirs so thank him.

Marlow from its weir at sunset, well done Darling.

So this is Marlow Bridge, well as much of it as I could get in being so close, its the inspiration for the bridge spanning the Danube at Budapest too

Marlow Bridge Marlow.

Marlow Bridge at Budapest, a family holiday for David's big 60th twenty years ago, Leon took this shot.  Oh the bridge is in the background.

Marlow again, the view of the bridge from the back end of WaL.

Our mooring as we left.

The troublesome water outlet that was also the reason we played musical boats yesterday....  it shoots out water now and again keeping you awake all night, when we first discovered it, it wasn't labelled.   

We moored on Medmenham meadows that afternoon and went swimming in the river.
Fab.