We write this entry on a very wet and soggy day. Progress towards Lechlade has been halted due to bad weather and the possibility of no where to moor at the top. It's Fairford Air show this weekend. An annual display of the might of flying machines. Rather than adding to the congestion of the many boats hoping to get a free display we have stayed well away from the Lechlade basin. We've arrived on the Thames a little earlier than anticipated or else we wouldn't have been caught up in the show traffic. From the Napton summit mooring became quite an issue on the south Oxford canal. All our favourite spots were occupied by long term settlers. Also other boats travelling down stream were experiencing the same problem and the early birds slipped into the last remaining decent spots. Even boats travelling upstream were muttering about the lack of mooring spots. Mooring at Thrupp was disrupted because the Mikron Theatre Group were performing. It would have been fun to watch their performance of whimsical boating tales through music and drama, but there was no room at the inn. Our days became longer and our progress quicker, so we popped out onto the Thames at Dukes Cut late tea time on Wednesday and lobbed into a reasonable looking bank side mooring. In our haste to moor Rod banged the mooring pin right through a wasps nest. Ouch indeed! The cloud of angry wasps was quite scary but fortunately we had an can of insect spray ready to hand and averted an even nastier injury.
We owed it to ourselves to have an easy day the following day and moored just above Pinkhill Lock and enjoyed the warm bright sunshine. It's been a few years since venturing up this part of the Thames, and we've enjoyed our return. It's much more over grown than we remember and parts of the course is very narrow and meandering. A wide beam narrow boat came down stream and we were thankful we'd passed the narrowest part as it was doubtful both of us we have squeezed through.

Before we forget Tom/Carol guess who we passed? Yes Simply Awful!! Appeared a nice couple but I did have a little smile and chuckle as they proudly cruised past.