Busy Weekend in Wallingford.

A recce on Friday afternoon had located a suitable cafe for our weekly cooked breakfast.  This was good as it was far too hot to be cooking it on the boat.   Since we had the bonus of being moored right by the swimming pool in Riverside Park I decided to dig out my costume and go for a cooling off session.   What bliss.

Saturday

Early morning visitors

Later we had visitors of the human kind.  Susannah arrived with the 3 grandchildren so that we could all go swimming.  However they arrived to late to get into the morning session as it was full.  They were able to use the splash area in the adjacent park for a while but needless to say there was a certain amount of disappointment!!   With only 3/4 of an hour of the session to go, sufficient people had left and we were able to go in....didn`t get reduced rates though!!!   This was followed by a picnic lunch on the shore before they all departed as the boys were going camping.  As they left the car park our next visitors arrived.....Sister-in-law Edith with Cosmo the standard poodle.

Cosmo decided Barnaby needed grooming and proceeded to wash him all over.
In his normal fashion Barney ignored him completely

Behind the dogs you can just see Geoffrey putting out a tray with our evening aperitif......

Edith and I spent most of the of the afternoon and the evening until just about dark sitting enjoying our surroundings and catching up with each other.   Geoff did join us briefly and we did go inside for our main course of supper.  However by the time we packed in Geoff was long since in bed and we had to tiptoe aboard.

Sunday

The weather was still very hot.   Geoff took himself off to church in the morning and Edith and I took the dogs and walked along the Thames path back to Benson with the aim of stopping for coffee at the cafe there.

The path was 50% in the shade but nevertheless I found it hard going towards the end.  (Not the distance, just the heat)  Geoff had told us it was about a mile but in fact it was 1.75 miles.  However after a remedial coffee and bun and a large glass of iced water I managed the return journey.  The cafe was extremely busy but we did manage to find a table in the shade.

A quick change and we set off to meet up with Geoff for Sunday Lunch.  The Partridge had been recommended to us by Angie, the lady who collects our £5 every morning.   The recommendation was well founded as we had an excellent lunch.....what I would describe as a slightly up market Sunday lunch.  They were surprisingly quiet which we gathered later was unusual.  

Edith departed for the drive back to London and I collapsed for a short siesta.  Well we both did but mine was much more needed!

After a couple of hours Giles appeared with just the two boys this time and we repaired to the pool.

Needless to say Geoff does not join in the swimming excursions.  

Monday

Woke to a much cooler day thankfully, in fact I did not even make my intended visit to the pool.  It was quite windy and I thought I would get cold quite quickly.

After a few domestic chores I decided to do some accounts work and ended up having a very frustrating morning.  This was all due to a small software glitch which took me ages to sort out.

The big event of the day however was Geoffrey finding his lost pair of glasses.  They had been lost for several days and I know it was causing him great angst!   When he went down in the engine bay to do one of his least favourite jobs ( refilling the stern gland with grease) he found them on a ledge!

Great rejoicing.......

We are told rain is forecast for tomorrow so for the first time in days we have put the side panels in the rear pram hood.

Due to this unfavourable forecast we have decided to stay over here another day.  You can have up to 5 nights here at £5 a night so we may as well take full advantage.  There are plenty of facilities in the town and rubbish and toilets by the moorings.  No water or loo disposal but we can manage for a few more days yet.  Waitrose is the supermarket here which is not my favourite as I think they are expensive, but it seems we are in Waitrose country.