Been spending time in the Oxford and Thrupp area sorting things to come and generally having a great time . The weather is still warm and every day has been a tee shirt day.
Wilst moored in Oxford we saw overhead.... making the most of the great weather.....
First this ballon... followed by...
This one with the very familiar Virgin logo....
Then a few days later in Thrupp...
There it was again...this time to Hot to be a Virgin...
It's a very nice place to be moored is Thrupp, great facilities including two pubs real handy and......
Local and nation wide identity Maffi. Here he's heading back to the boat after a days work...
Had a couple of nights at the Boat Inn with Maffi, a few beers and good company... Maffi loves his Guiness and more so when they're the right measure.....
The lift bridge to cross to get to the old stables..
And Annies Tea Rooms always busy...
Also the canoe and NB hire that Maffi handles....
Our Kiwi mate Spencer came and picked us up last Sunday and we spent the afternoon at the village where he lives.
Monday was a public holiday so the local pub had a barbecue lunch going, with entertainment for the kids, at 2 quid a meal was good value..
Down the local, they served cold beers too...
Up the road was this house belonging to...
Some dude who does sunken treasure diving and salvage ... apparently he's had a huge collect...
Spencer likes motor cycles to..
This 500 TT Yamaha has never been ridden or started.... There's another one there with low miles...
2004 soft tail Harley Big Block....
And a Buell....
Had an Ex, day with Spencer, Karen and Ryan....
Monday morn, its a holiday for workers remember and the Poms were out in force on the tow path, NB Kotuku pulls in to moor in front of us.
Keith and Bronny two Kiwis aboard have been living the good life for 6-7 years and when Keith suggested a barby no one could find a reason not too.
Spencer rang and said he was bringing the "Whanau" out for a check of FireflyNZ so the day was set...
Keith makes cooking to Michelin Star quality look easy as Spencer, Pam and Karen offer no help...
Foods up on the tow path.....
Cut the breads and help help yourselfs... Afte 7pm and still warm...
Suns gone but the pavlova and strawberries and raspberries and blueberrys have gotta be eaten...
Keith and Bronny doing it Kiwi style....
Sometimes different sights just pass by... was it the beer??
No , a woman walking doing the Google mapping thing...
Next day Leonie and me headed across a local public track and checked out this old church...
Several graves of victims of a local train crash on Xmas Eve, 1874, 34 dead....
Then over to the adjacent Manor house ruins...
You have to ignore the sign that says don't enter grounds to enter the grounds......
On the track this bridge crosses the river Cherwell....
The church in Shipton on Cherwell in the back ground...
There's heaps of Blackberries along the canals so it's easy picking especially if you steer the NB into the bush on the opposite side to the towpath...
The breakfast of a Champion... cereal, yogurt , sultanas, apricots, stewed and raw blackberries, grapes and milk and cream.... OOHHH I have the same...
Some of the Thrupp dogs...
And Maffi's Molly...
