ABINGDON

Once again we are moored in a very congenial spot...Geoff seems to be doing very well finding us these lovely places....
I caught the train back from Leamington on Monday and was back on board Petroc just after 0930hrs, leaving Emma to take my computer into Currys where it was going to be picked up by the engineers on Tuesday morning. They say 7-10 days and the man was hopeful that they would be able to mend it. Meanwhile I have had to return Emma's computer but Giles has taken pity on me and lent me a spare one...what a life!
It was about a 3 hour run down from Oxford to Abingdon and we are once again on the Thames. However it is much better than the stretch up to Lechlade, more interesting things to see en route, including some rather expensive houses. We moored above the Abingdon Lock with the intention of doing water etc and going beyond the lock to moor. It was so congenial there that we decided to stay. Free 24 hour mooring.
Leisurely start on Tuesday (today) and whilst we were watering a hire boat came by with a new Zealand couple on board. They were very interested in Petroc and our life-style so they ended up coming on board for coffee and a look around. They are contemplating living over here on a narrow boat for a while. After their departure we went through the lock and moored just below in this delightful spot. Geoff went off to explore the town whilst I had a wonderful time having a good clean (interior) of Petroc. the

Part of his explorations took him to Church of St Helen Here he had a long discussion with the female verger about the state of the present day church!!!! he was very impressed with the painted ceiling of the Lady Chapel which dates back over 600 years and somehow avoided the reformation and Cromwell's attentions in the civil war. In addition there is a painting of a family tree of a local man who allegedly fathered 197 children!!! Some going....