No time to chat

Had a message from Roger to say that they couldn't stop to chat yesterday because they were 10 minutes late in returning the hire boat they were in. A shame really as it would have been nice to offer them a cuppa and have a good old natter.

Last night we moored just before the bridge over the river Thame. When we got up this morning we discovered that we had occupied one of the fishermen's posts but, luckily, he didn't seem too put out and we managed to set off half an hour before the start of their Sunday competition.

On the approach to Day's Lock, a couple of orange buoys bobbing about in the water. What could they be for? The answer, 2 ladies swimming towards us. One even took the time to chat to us about the weather.

Passing under Clifton Hampden bridge which is described as being narrow and low - not for us! But for some of the floating gin palaces, possibly a tight squeeze.

We had thought of stopping somewhere to have a break for lunch but moorings are not always readily available. So we chugged on back to Abingdon.

And picked a mooring right in the centre of town.

Had a little mooch around - could almost be in Italy or France it's so pretty.

This pub is the Broad Face. A strange name for a pub.

But there is a colourful hypothesis about the name on the wall outside. The last 2 suggestions are that the name refers to the swollen face of a man who drowned in the river or the bloated face of a man who was hanged at the gaol that used to be opposite the pub.

This entrance leads through to the remains of the Abbey.

Stopped for a drink at the Nags Head which is in the middle of the bridge on an island in the Thames.

Back to the boat to be confronted by one of the neighbours who took exception to us cooking roast chicken for supper. Told him he was lucky, it could have been goose!