Thrupp

Alone once more, I am expecting Tom (an ex colleague & friend) to join the crew for the weekend, especially to help deal with the many lifting bridges on the Oxford Canal south of Banbury. Due to arrive after 11:00 am this gave me a little time to get in some alcoholic beverages - and for this I extricated the fold-up bike and rode to the Coop supermarket down the Botley Road, about a mile away. The cycle lanes are very well laid out which made this quite a pleasant ride. On the way I found a launderette, so having got the beer I assembled some laundry and shot round there, again on the bike. Fortunate because I had not brought enough 20p pieces, and had to return for more. Moral: If you go to a lauderette, take as much loose change as you can muster! Tom arrived on time and after a pub snack we set off for Thrupp. I planned the trip based on the fact that he was with me for the weekend and needed a good railhead to return to London and that we would hit the pubs as far as possible for meals. Hence Thrupp the first night, Aynho and then a short run to Banbury on Sunday. We were fortunate to get the last visitor mooring in Thrupp - especially as we were to find out on Saturday that the fall back mooring at Enslow had a pub with no food. It would have been quicker to shoot up the Thames from Osney Bridge and take the Dukes Cut to get to the Oxford Canal. Instead I chose the slower route via Wolvercote Lock, although technically shorter, not having been this way before. So many in line moored boats and shallow water. However, most of the lifting bridges shown in my old Nicholsons have been removed. A couple of beers and a reasonable meal were enjoyed at the Boat Inn.