Date - Wednesday 31 October 2007 Start - 9 30 am Tadpole Bridge, River Thames End - 5 pm Thrupp Oxford Canal.
We had a very tasty meal in the Trout last night. We found the owner and staff very friendly and the service good. This morning after taking the dog for a walk we set off at 9.30 am. As we approached Shifford Lock we passed NB. "Whisby Wanderer" stuck hard and fast on the mud. This is the boat that came past while we were moored at Tadpole Bridge yesterday evening. We threw them a line and soon had them off again. Chatting to them in the lock they were heading for Thrupp but didn't know where it was. It was dad's boat and the 3 of them, two lads and a girl were moving it for him, they had already had a couple of disagreements with trees and bushes. When the gates opened they shot away but were soon on the outside of a bend using the pole to get back into open water,. About a mile later the girl started to steer at a steady tick over, as I passed they asked how long it would take to get to Thrupp at the speed I was travelling and I suggested it would be tomorrow morning. The never speeded up from their tick over and we never saw them again. The lock keeper at Northmoor lock asked where they were and we told him we hadn't seen them since above Newbridge. From there we travelled alone only meeting one more boat all the way to Thrupp at 5 pm when we met a second just as we were mooring up. -- Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit this site and help save our waterways http://www.savethewaterways.org.uk/
