Bourne End to Henley

At about 05:45 David was up and making the tea.  He really loves these early mornings not only because the weather is at it's best but because no one else is up and about, we have the river to ourselves.

Today was no exception.

As we slipped away from the mooring the skies were blue just how I like it.  All was calm all was quiet.

For those of you that do not know The Bounty, here it is.  

A collection of olde woldy buildings, I don't know how long it is older than my mother.

I didn't see it this year but on our first visit there was a mooring sign saying  "Breast up and be prepared to be breasted up against"  One of the best signs I feel.

The Bounty

Here are a few shots of what the river looks like early, before anyone has had a chance to ruffle it.
Beautiful.

View behind us of the early sun.

Love these early morning ripples.

Sorry to bore you with Grebes, but I liked all these shots for different reasons.

At Marlow lock I went ahead this time to prep the lock, easy as it was empty.

Around the corner she comes.

Nicely in George, no bumps or tinks, 

So handy having two crew, I popped the ropes on, mind you the lock keepers seem not to these days....

Pretty fierce flow in too on self service, Amanda is a big strong girl though and had it sorted.

I know I took photos of Marlow coming down but that was days ago and just look how fabulous it looks today.

David and I are very fond of purple and green Beech trees, we have a hedge in this fashion at home.

We topped up with water again at Hurley lock and David did the cassettes.  There was a lady runner and as I operated the lock in a customary red life jacket she must have thought me the lock keeper, she asked me to open the toilets, her face fell when I said I couldn't but that the lock keeper arrived in 17 minutes....  Later I released that the doors were not locked anyway, hope she made it to a bush.  


In past I had had an unexpected and nasty experience at a lock way down river.  It was a side filling lock as opposed to one having gate paddles.  WaL had veered across the lock towards a NEWLY restored wooden classic boat the owner was charming but I had been terrified of damaging it.  In the event, we didn't but I had been unable to hold WaL against the force of the water pushing us against the other boat.

I had remonstrated with the lock keeper at the time for not warning me as I now know they do at the other two side filling locks. 
It's all in the past now but something I have never forgotten.  The last lock of today was Hambledon lock, the last of the side fillers.  
On this occasion, the lock keeper was on duty and had already said to double wrap the ropes.  I had weeks ago talked to Carol about this exact thing, Carol had reassured me that by putting the rope under the huge cleat I would have no problem and so it was.  
So nice when what you are dreading turns out to be fine.

Totally unexpectedly, there was the last Regatta of Henley's calendar going on today.  To accommodate the racing boats they had put the "Through traffic" into one third of the river, fine in a narrow boat but needs a bit more thought in a wide beam when faced with zonking great cruisers coming towards you.
Luckily David didn't listen to me saying get on the first mooring, as he went on and got virtually the same spot as before near the finish line.
We squeezed into the nice spot and relaxed.

Henley is my favourite.  Here are some Regatta shots.  

Two umpires elegant craft in the foreground it is going off to the start line, in the background to the left the umpire standing watching the unseen competitors from behind to see if they infringe on lanes.

The engines make the most curious sound as if they are constantly stalling.

On the right competitors going up to the start and the steam day boat Alaska taking Fine Company on a jaunt.

Here's a lovely youtube interview with the owner of Alaska, Peter Green.  

HERE

She was built in 1883, that makes her 136 years old this year.

Oh my word a real stunner.

Very close finish

Sadly, Amanda had to leave us.   We have so enjoyed having her on SR.  But at home her husband was sobbing at her absence.

We cycled together to the cars which were parked together.  As we individually set the sat nav in our own cars, her to Norfolk and mine to Windsor.... We departed at exactly the same time.

 See you soon deary. 

Now I am off to get the next batch of visitors.  Dearest darlings Verity and Mitch, our daughter and her husband.

Windsor to Bourne End

Another early start for the Intrepid Three, Windsor wasn't busy and with skilful use of my left leg we avoided using the dreaded bow thrusters so early.  

I was a bit surprised when I came back to the Bridge that we were now heading downstream, as we were supposed to be going in the other direction....  but David had promised Amanda to have a quick look at the centre of Windsor from the boat.  
A few shots I forgot yesterday;

Amanda joining in the watering and deadheading game, we've all played.

Happy guest.

Pesky rowers on all sides

First job was to David into his lifejacket, David routinely puts in on upside down or back to front....

Amanda sorted him

She's not bashful.

In Windsor proper here was Venessa.   HERE, I had caught sight of her yesterday but hadn't managed to get a picture of her.  What doesn't really show up in this is how she gleams, she looks brand new but if you open the link you can see she has her own website with old photos and the original plans.  Plus the surveyors report to the current owners in which he advises against purchasing her.  Well I am glad they did as she was a stunner in the very real sense of the word. 

My only thought is that I would have all matching fenders.

We were told that actress Patricia Routledge lives here, we were told by the owner of this white cruiser, Ms Routledgecame out to tell him he couldn't moor here, although he had just been given express permission, I hope the story is true, 

These apartments cost an arm, a leg and a kidney, and just look at the state of it every morning!

Steve, Cormorant or Shag?

Look at that beady eye.

So we turned and headed off towards Maidenhead, hoping that we were a bit too early for the rowers, there were only a few so no nerves on edge this morning.

This house below is what Amanda and I consider to be the most lovely that we have seen so far on the Thames.  Who agrees?  If I win the Euro Lottery, I'll make them an offer they  can't refuse.

The next three properties in a row all had these super duper wooden speed boats outside, they looked fantastic.  Later I had a wee look on Henley Boat Sales and oh my golly guess how much.....?     HERE   so to have three in a row, well it must be like Keeping Up With The Jonese.

A bit of a bottle neck at Boulters Lock in Maidenhead, we pulled onto the lock landing and as the lock began to empty I heard voices behind me and a wee day trip boat had arrived with about ten passengers, none were spring chickens,  the captain looked just like Captain Mainwaring from Dads Army also with the same disposition.  As I watched the boat came along the landing and two passengers attempted to get off to take the ropes, the first had the rope tangled and didn't get off, the second had one leg on the boat and one on the lock landing when the boat drifted out again and I really thought I would see a dunking, somehow he rebalanced and a third attempt was had.... I watched with horror as a worst effort unfolded with two men doing the almost splits when the boat drifted out again.  

Not one person was wearing a life jacket although they HAD been provided.  

David said that if they wanted to save the airfare to DIGNITAS in Switzerland that's up to them....

I would have taken photos but I was holding SR's rope.

Phew out of that lock and there was this gorgeous specimen, I called to the owner how lovely she looked and was it all his own work?  

Yes!   almost,  he said.

The boy done good me thinks.

Another cracker, matching fenders too.

Cliveden, in dreary light, but here it is.  In a cottage in the grounds here in in 1961 a bit of rumpy pumpy occurred and the repercussions meant the resignation of a cabinet minister.  The following year the general election was lost.  Huge scandal, 

I remember my parents talking about it and stopping talking when I walked in the room.   If you are too young to remember  its all    HERE  

Cliveden

We carried on and managed to get on a mooring below Bourne End, David and I always like going to The Bounty here at Bourne End.  It has a eclectic sense of interior design and surprisingly no road access, all the drinks and food and staff come to that arrive by boat.  
We three had fish & chips in the sun and watched very interesting people in the afternoon.

Rowers, reflections and no I'm sorry she's at Balmoral already.

David had declared last night that it was an early start today to get to Windsor.  Amanda was up dressed and standing by her bed for inspection very early to impress the captain at about 06:15, I am not nearly so scared of him so I was slower to react.  However, I was dressed in time.

Pesky rowers are the main hazard on the Thames in the mornings.  Something is written somewhere in the Rowers Rule Book that between the hours of 05:30 and 08:00 that they own the river and are answerable to none.  

Now this is marvellous at the Olympics when Gold Medals are being dished out to the GB team and our joint chests swell with pride but frankly Reader in July and August Rowers can get right up your nose.

This was the case today.  One rowing boat containing four mature women, (All with slim muscular figures which make me consider rowing for fitness) but they arrive from nowhere, hover in the shipping lanes and well whatever you do they scowl at you alarmingly without moving out of the way.  

Maybe they are waiting for other boats to join them and do times but they are enough to try the patience of a saint let alone David.
In the end you just have to elbow your way out, albeit slowly and be assertive.  I mean who's the biggest anyway?

I have wondered about the shoe box summerhouse, I mean its a distinctive look ok but...

It is actually floating.

Marlow Bridge, another just like it in Budapest and those pesky rowers.

Lock Landing with no access to the lock.  Only in recent years have the locks been operated on self service so it didn't matter before but it is annoying.

Amanda doing her best  while David hovered.

Marlow weir.

Fearless swans.

Happy visiting crew.

Below Marlow lock, we were the first boat on the water here today. 

Nice reflection thing going on here.

Now Marlow Lock is a tad annoying, I mean who designed it?  The lock landing is NOT connected  to the lock!  So David had to tentatively push SR's nose onto the tiny portage point drop off Amanda, who leapt out with those long legs of hers, and hope for the best.  
The best wasn't much as nothing happened..  It was bright sunlight this morning, too shiny to read the the indicator lights on the control panel.  Eventually after no action, a contractor at the other end (Yes it was very early in the morning for workmen to be out) yelled up to her that he had closed the downstream paddles for her, the previous user should have closed gates and paddles on leaving the lock but hadn't.

We came gently in and secured the lines.  All went well and we picked Amanda up again below the lock on the landing which down below Marlow Lock is attached to the lock.

A nice gentle run down through Bourne End, Cookham and then into Maidenhead.  
It was here the Rowing drama continued.  So it's the school holidays now and school boys were the instructors of even younger children who were all in individual boats and simply surrounded us, getting very close then rowing ahead,  becoming unseen around the bows.  It was very unnerving and frightening that you may run one child over....

We didn't.  I said for David to hold his line and let them avoid SR but this was impossible as up ahead they just seem to gather and stop in the centre of the river again and play chicken with the boats, they mostly win too.
I'm not sure if there has ever been a fatality but it wouldn't surprise me.

Now here for your pleasure is a wee gallery of gorgeous vintage wooden boats, some are older than David and that's saying something as he is 84.  
But they are sooooooo very very beautiful and to my mind thousands of times more lovely and the plastic gin palaces that frequent the Thames today.

Loving this old property still in tact unlike many others that have been demolished and horrid ugly carbuncles built in their place.

Just above Bouters Lock in Maidenhead this place....

Is this the old man himself...?

We arrived in Windsor and it really is a stunning vista of the castle above you as you arrive by boat.  I know you can see it from the M4 but it's not the same.  We managed to get onto Eton meadows on our second attempt, we have moored in exactly the same spot a few years ago on What-a-Lark which we think has a medium draft (Depth) but SR seemed too deep or perhaps the river is lower?  
Eventually with the help of nice Canadians on the boat next door we were in, staked and having breakfast with one of the best views in the country while they went off to visit the Queen.

The light on the castle was quite dramatic this afternoon and evening.

The it rained and they all went away.

Sunset tonight making the castle orange.

It was quite warm and the bike ride plan evaporated quite quickly, it was replaced by a sunny afternoon's reading, resting and napping in the sun.  I had no interest to go up to the castle as its about £500 to get in and is knee deep in tourists.  

The was a Fair on the meadows quite close to us.  I knew it wouldn't be too late, then a 747 Jumbo Jet or equivalent  flew overhead from Heathrow airport and the music started up at the Fair at about 2pm....  Amanda called her husband and could hardly hear him, ah the peace and quiet of the countryside.

Sadly for the Fair, it started raining and the customers fled, the music went off soon after and we all slept well.