Crew - Matt, Rosie, Brenda & Graham

We started the day by immediately passing through Sunbury lock. We then had a fairly uneventful trip up river to Maidenhead which included water, rubbish & runner beans at Boveney lock followed by filming being carried out (with guard ribs posted to stop passage of boats when shooting was occurring) in Maidenhead. We moored for the night at the start of the Cliveden Deep, on the towpath (no charge) side. There were lots of fish and underwater plants where we swam off of the back of Jannock. I really appreciate the new (converted ladder) gangplank. We hang the ladder bit over the side of the boat to facilitate getting back aboard once swimming is finished. Brenda then cooked a superb stir fry for the evening meal once the temperatures had cooled down a bit.

Crew - Matt, Rosie, Brenda & Graham

Not quite a heat and tetsie flies day today, although the European suncream lake is still diminishing fast. Brenda lost one of our solar powered lights overboard at Cookham lock by hitting it and snapping the mounting bracket. Another day spent marvelling at some of the fabulous houses lining the Thames. Almost makes one want to 'do' the lottery ..... but only almost. Luncheon was taken at the (yet another) Flowerpot, Ramenemenemenemenham (Aston). The food couldn't have been tastier if we HAD won the lottery; excellent tomato sauce and wonderful canneloni. We enjoyed the afterlunch air display , a biplane that was stunting high above us - we couldn't, however, decide whether it was a full size one or a very large model. We passed through Henley before finally making it to Sonning Bridge for the night stop.

As we took a cup of tea, post mooring up for the evening, Concord flew over. I suspect it will be the last time I'll ever see her as she goes out of service in October.
I saw more Kingfishers and a Woodpecker, Black Swans too. During the evening car shuffle, the Fleeing Fly (Di Blasi) broke down near Maidenhead. Graham found that the contemporary garage sells everything the motorist might need - sweets, coal, charcoal, printer cartridges, fruit juice, CDs - BUT NOT A SCREWDRIVER! Simon to the rescue, having already put some bread in the breadmaker (at home) ready for us tomorrow! Superhero?

Results day, We went home for the exam results. Matt passed his 'AS's and Rosie got her Uni place confirmed.
Di Blasi mending day, Graham was unable to identify the cause of last nights fuel starvation, the carb & tank filter are clean. It seems to be working OK today ??
Domestics day, 3 loads of washing and a supermarket visit later ......... We returned to Jannock at Sonning to find Uncle Mort tied up alongside. Cap'n Beeky had supper bubbling in a pan and tasty it was too. Mr Sainsbury ably provided dessert.

A mini GiG ensued: Graham, Brenda, Andrew, Jim, Julian with telephony by Caro & Mr Terry Streeter (henceforth to be known as 'Helga Strasse') convened at the Bull. As Terry (a campanologist of renown) arrived at the GiG, the local church bells pealed out ..... spooky. Then the Morris dancers started clogging, twas redolent of a Thomas Hardy novel.
Apres drinkies and mousewatch, the Cap'n had Brenda taking photos of litter bins. (Cos they were made by Listers) We smuggled various beverage holders back to Uncle Mort. Andrew managed to trash Brenda's veggie bin whilst boarding Jannock and much silliness ensued over cocoa.
Julian stayed over, lured by the promise of egg banjos for breakfast - Thanks Cap'n & goodnight.

Crew - Brenda & Graham

Up early for egg banjos and then Julian went off to work. We were ready at Sonning lock at 09:00 and proceded with Uncle Mort to Reading where we stopped at Better Boating for water as well as diesel for Uncle Mort. Then on through Pangbourne to Church Farm, Lower Basildon where the GiG (Great Internet Gathering) was to happen over the next few days. We arrived at the GiG site at 14:30 and moored up outside of Uncle Mort, who had already moored alongside Pendle Magic.

The afternoon started with a cream tea and collective gazebo erection, was followed by an evening of ad-hoc entertainment, interupted by the arrival and consumption of fish and chips and was rounded off by a magnificent fireworks display at Basildon House at 10pm. (not laid on specifically for the GiG, but close enough to be appreciated)

We rose early and Simon (who arrived late last night) transported Helga Strasse to Reading station and Graham to Sonning to collect vehicles. Graham then drove Ann and Tony to Reading so that Tony could repair Vital Spark, who had broken down near Reading en-route to the GiG from Frouds Bridge (are you keeping up with all this?) . Whilst Graham was at Vital Spark, he met "poo-tank Brian" on Snark who was moored alongside.
Later on that day, we went on a vibrate-o-cruise on Uncle Mort. There was an awful lot of vibration from U.M.s JP3 engine when it is running :-(

The weather was so hot that we rigged an impromptu diving board for Simon and Jim to use. Brenda voluntarily went swimming in the Thames again, this is a record, she's been swimming 3 times in the last week in the UK!
The evening entertainment consisted of a barbeque followed by musical entertainment with (you guessed it) fireworks at 10pm. (poo-tank Brian turned up at the GiG having had a bad time at Reading prison moorings)

The day kicked off with Guy and Connie running the boaters auction, Glen (I've got a bowler hat) Pecket claiming the job of porter. Much hilarity and heckling and monies raised for charity. The "Mayors" dog turned up, having been found by "Barking Constabulary" and was finally bailed by his owner for the sum of fifteen of our english pounds.

Formation boating commenced at noon, to the consternation of various tupperware sailors, we travelled abreast Uncle Mort to Mapledurham Lock en-route to a picnic at Mapledurham House. On arrival, we had to clear a path through the jungle to allow access to the picnic area from our mooring and those that visited the mill reported enjoying it. We returned to the GiG site and started packing for home. We left Jannock at the GiG site having planned to move down to our National mooring on Wednesday.

A chinese takeaway at home ended a splendid weekend where many old friends were caught up with and lots of new friends made.
Well done GiG organisers for your efforts arranging a superb weekend.

Crew - Graham, Brenda, Lyell and Ann

Crewed by Lyell and Ann, our next door neighbours, we travelled up to Cleeve lock to fill the water tank and then returned to collect Uncle Mort and move down to our National mooring for next weekends Inland Waterways Festival at beale Park.
(Ann) Weather has been wonderful as we cruised to get some water and bring Uncle Mort to the moorings at the festival. Brenda did a stalwart job of driving the two boats down the Thames. All craft were left afloat and bump free. What a wonderful day, we are definitely bitten by the boating bug and this will not be our last entry in this book unless we have offended the skipper (Oh yes it will, the old book's full and so there's a new one for 2004) Thankyou both for such fun and a great lunch, have a good weekend.

A few of Brenda's memories of the IWA Festival at Pangbourne:-

.    Formal tea and cake at 4pm - posh frocks, cucumber sandwiches, tea from the pot and wonderful cakes.
.    Never knowing quite where Jannock would be moored on our return to her .. inside, outside, middle or end? facing North or South? It quite upsets the post-beer tent equilibrium.
.    5 o'clock gin party on Parglena that contributed to chapter 2 of the 'knicker saga' (see below)
.    Taking over a very large part of the beer tent for the 'internetters' and friends, with chips at 11pm.

.    The 4 chapter 'knicker saga'
    -     one pair 'found' in Jannock's washing - not mine! - so hung on the bunting for their owner to claim.
    -     one pair (red and sparkly) liberated from their owner's cabin after a drinkie or two too many and hung on the bunting.
    -     one pair hastily washed and hung on the bunting to dry because the only thing I didn't organise was clean underwear for myself.
    -     and the next pair hastily washed and hung on my new airer .. which immediately collapsed and dropped them in the Thames!

.    Magnet fishing, for knickers etc, in the Thames by torchlight. The washing and airer were both retrieved.
.    Draco's wonderful floral display. Krystina noted that she could have asked for charitable donations from all of the photographers and raised loadsamoney.
.    The amusing thought that all of the photographers may notice 3 pairs of knickers in the background of their photos.
.    A wonderful fiddle and guitar lullaby to see us to our beds.
.    Pimms, delicious. mmmmmmmm!

.    Having 3 unsolicited holes drilled in our gangplank - we know a song about that!
.    The Stirrer of the Week Award presentation.
.    Fun and camaraderie in the illuminated boat parade.
.    Friends - new and old.
.    Four squadrons of Canada geese flying over us en-route to their night time moorings each evening.

Iris log.    We arrived at the Waterways festival, Beale Park, Berks at 11am. Wandering around the various stalls we discovered Simon - shopping for shoes! We arrived at Jannock's mooring in time to eat our packed lunch. Then back to the stalls and display arena whilst Graham and family crew assembled the decor on Jannock in readiness for the Illuminated boat procession in the evening. When we arrived back at Jannock, for more eats, we were blinded by the sun reflecting off of the CD disks on the model London Eye.
7.45 pm and Jannock is about to set off for the parade. We will have to wait for the full effect as they go past in the dark. We have our torches to see our way back to the car.
A big thankyou yet again to the Jannock crew - lovely day.

Crew - Graham and Brenda

Up early to start dismantling lights and do a car shuffle to Thrupp. The crew then attended the IWF awards ceremony and watched the Devizes Major-Wrecks perform their excellent routine in the main arena. Jannock finally departed from the festival site at 13:50 and passed Northbound through Goring and Cleeve locks without queueing. We took on water at Cleeve waterpoint and then continued through Benson and Days lock, still no queues, with our planned destination being the Plough Inn at Long Wittenham. On reaching the pub mooring, we were offered a berth alongside nb Oxford Blue and so I started to turn Jannock to come alongside. On application of reverse power, we lost all drive. We were angled across the river at this point and the combination of the wind and the current were starting to move us away from the bank. It was too deep to use the pole to manouvre. After calling to shore, we were rescued by a fibreglass cruiser, (seamaster?) named Midnight Oil, who acted like a tug boat to get 13 tons of Jannock under control and within a ropes throw of the mooring. Peter and Barbara, on nb Oxford Blue, then made us safe alongside their boat.

The fee for Jannock's salvation was ........ a sprig of Rosemary, from our plant, to accompany their roast lamb joint in the oven. It was graciously delivered along with a bottle of red wine to say thanks.
Investigation in the engine compartment revealed that the prop shaft had come uncoupled from the aquadrive and had slid backwards away from it. A similar thing occurred to L.T.C. Rolt in his book Narrowboat, chapter XVI Down to the Trent.
An enjoyable meal was taken in the Plough Inn followed by a 'quiet' nights sleep after a session in the bar with the Oxford Blue crew, Peter and Barbara.

Crew - Graham and Brenda

We left the Plough Inn moorings at about 09:30 and immediately hit the 1st lock queue of the day at Clifton. This was quickly followed by another at Culham and a mega-queue at Abingdon. The relief locky on duty at Abingdon was a fool - he passed a 50' narrowboat through solo because there was a Salters trip boat behind it in the queue! Once clear of Abingdon, we had no further problems at the next 3 Thames locks.

Link to next day on the Southern Oxford canal.

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