Reading

We only had three locks to negotiate today, so a leisurely start at 8:00 am.  Dodging a few isolated rowers we soon arrived at Marsh Lock and the task of working the lock ourselves by winding a large wheel to generate the hydraulic pressure to operate the gates and sluices.   The top gates were open and the sluice too, so lots of action to deal with those before moving to the other end to drain the lock and open the gates.  As we set about that, a cruiser appeared in the distance and reached the lock just as I had the gates open.  It seems that the skipper had no idea that we were doing this ourselves and thought Pat was the lock-keeper.  25 minutes from beginning to end.   By the time we reached the next lock is was, of course, manned being after 9.00am.   Arriving at Reading we were pleased to find a mooring outside Tesco supermarket.   Usually they are full.   There was much debate about where to stop for the three nights we Will need to stay here.  Pat has to go to London as do I and we are meeting friends on Friday evening to join us to Oxford. In the end we settled for the Prison Loop (pictured) on the River Kennet, one lock away but reasonably quiet.  As the name suggests, the mooring is by the Reading Jail - and the Abbey ruins.  There is quite a stream running on the Kennet which makes manoeuvering interesting!