We only cruised on the section of the Thames above Oxford, using this lovely city as a place to shop in and visit, while spending quiet and peaceful nights in bankside moorings.

Lock cottage on the Thames.

Once on the river, a boater's life becomes much easier, especially as all the locks have keepers from 9a.m. until 7p.m., and many are powered anyway. The keepers seemed to be a very friendly bunch of characters, on the whole, and ran their locks in a friendly and efficient way - and what an enjoyable way to earn a living.

Head of the (navigable) River Thames

Once on the river, we went up to Lechlade, delightful place, and had some very nice days. We also found the Red Lion (I think!) in Lechlade, where we have a delightful and, for once, value for money meal - I had a 16oz steak, cooked to perfection, for just £7.50.

However, with Dot's official retirement birthday coming up, she decided she wanted to go home for a while, so she departed on Friday, 20th June on the train from Oxford to Felixstowe - the day when all the trains stopped between Reading and London, due to a fire near the track!

Sunset on the Thames

I had a couple more quiet and restful days on the Thames in the Oxford area, but on Monday, 23rd June, Dot and I had a long chat on the phone. We ended up by deciding that I would bring the boat back to within reasonable reach of Suffolk, and then decide what to do with her - we might sell Cacho, or perhaps put her into a marina in Cambridgeshire to use for odd weeks or days. That afternoon I set off from Sandford Lock to spend the last night on the Thames near the ruins of Godstow Abbey.