What a Lark!: Landing in Thrupp

David had planted the car in the vicinity of Thrupp already and had returned that morning to say that there were on five boats in Thrupp on the Honey Pot moorings. This was quiet startling news as it's hard to get in there. Thrupp has a Cruising Club, the moorings are all along a straight road, there are a few old cottages at one end of the road, one cottage is for sale at a hefty price with the only parking outside your lounge window, two good pubs with wonderful scope for Gongoozling;

(Watching boats as they pass and making judgements on all aspects of the boats condition, helming and crew performance. Gongoozling is a joy of Boaters even if they don't admit it) and also at Thrupp is Annie's Tearoom.

We had filled up with water at Lower Hayford as we came through, we wanted to stay a few days in Thrupp, our destination for this trip, so intended to top up again at the also immaculately kept service point but on arriving at Thrupp where you come past the services before a lift bridge on a right angle to the moorings we could see past the lift bridge that there was what appeared one last space on the seven day moorings.

Forget the water top up and we went straight to the one space left on the seven day moorings, with the help of the nice people on the boat behind who pulled their boat back nine inches to allow us to nestle in.

Sorted, but water is on ration, we'll do what we've done before, that is collect the cold water from the shower into the kettle and saucepans until the hot water runs through for washing up the next day. This saves masses of water plus we also have the gallon water container that we could walk and fill up at the water point if the need arises.

Off to change and drive to Kirklington to The Oxford Arms pub for lunch. We could have walked here from Dashwood lock (the broken beam lock) but the CART men had warned that when the lock is repaired they might shut the lock for a couple of days that was another reason to get south of Dashwood lock quickly.

Its a real treat to come here, I'd booked long before and they are only open Thursday to Sunday.

We sat outside looking at their charming garden, in the almost sunshine, and I had potted shrimps (Fabulous) venison Wellington (gorgeous) and gooseberry and almond tart and clotted cream (delicious). After a bottle of wine we had a taxi back to Thrupp and will collect the car tomorrow.

The moorings stayed full for the next four days, we didn't dare reverse WaL back to the water point in case a boat arrived and nabbed "Our spot".