The Thames (still continued)
Well, Henley was a bigger disappointment than I expected. Besides having to pay for the mooring, no one showed for the promised ringing practice! Oh well, on to Marlow. Nice gentleman is a scruffy boat indicated that if I moored 20m further up the river, I avoided the 12 quid mooring charge. So done! Then a chance to ring here- this time pre-arranged. They only had 6 people (including me), one of whom was just beginning, so we only rang 5 of their 8 bells.
Marlow, with a very old, iron, suspension bridge
bank-side mooring straight ahead!
mooring on the far right of the picture. The skyline building is Cliveden House, a National Trust property.
Then, onwards. I met a friend whom I have encountered several times, in “Ant”. Ken has been most helpful, and directed me to one of the best moorings ever. Tucked into a backwater, deep water so no issues, and protected from the wind. I was able to get several jobs done, as there was also a bench that I could set tools on. AND, there wasn’t anyone else around that I would annoy! 
I made a rather later start yesterday, and then met Ken again just upstream of Windsor. He gave me a long, very informative (and really needed) tutorial on navigating around and through London. Then, I dodged multiple rowing crews and tour boats as I approached Windsor. Lots of very posh (and expensive riverside houses (estates…).
one of many large estates along the river
Expecting to not find anything except expensive moorings, I took pictures on the fly. Just above Windsor Lock, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, there is a stretch of free moorings! So, I stopped to offer HM a Canadian perspective. She wasn’t home, so I left a message…
HM Royal castle at Wndsor
This morning, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and I’m off to Staines, where I hope to get a mooring for the weekend. I’m invited to another boating friend’s 70th birthday. The boating community has been one of the best parts of this adventure!
