A Summer Afloat








A number have asked us where we have been,

Since leaving our home in the North

We started the summer on the River Nene

And with four months ahead, we set forth


The beautiful river Nene


Our first adventure - the Northampton flight

A run of seventeen locks

To be foiled by the Nene in all its might

Fast streams mandated we dock

 

Two days later, and we got the all clear

We collected Mum on the way

And made our way through the guillotine gates

To the mound of Fotheringhay


With Mum in the May sunshine 
The aptly named guillotine lock gates


The birthplace of Richard III is found here

And Mary Queen of Scots met her end

And we widened the historic old bridge a bit more

When Carole mistimed the sharp bend

 

Coventry Town was our next port of call

Of Lady Godiva fame

When revellers embarked at 4:30 am

Ian charged out in similar vein! 


Pimms O’Clock with Ian & Julie






We cruised the Grand Union and most of its arms

Watching cygnets and ducklings and chicks

At Aylesbury we dined with Camilla and Charles

And then Spain came into the mix


Charles & Camilla


With my sister we’ve purchased a holiday home

In a village with plenty of sun!

We worked really hard to set up the house

So family can come for some fun! 



Colmenar - our new home away from home 


Two weeks later we returned to pick up the boat

London bound, and a three-day dash

But with Tom and Mo working the locks

We covered the ground in a flash 


Mo & Tom
With Les & Carol at Romeo & Juliet


Hockney and Shakespeare took centre stage

Gourmet brunches and dinners too

We boogied along with The Boss in Hyde Park

And family and friends joined as crew


Look out! Lewis braves the Hackney canal

Ally & Isabel on the transit to Kings Cross


We headed away, to see Essex and Herts

As predicted it started to rain

We locked up the boat, and in the blink of an eye

We took ourselves back off to Spain! 



With Elspeth & Julian


Now we are cruising the beautiful Wey

It’s the furthest south you can roam

Windsor, The Thames, and the Oxford canal

Will witness our travel back home


The Wey river from out bedroom window today

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