We have shared our locks with lots of boats in the last few days, one of them even managed to squeeze a narrowboat in the middle of us all. At these times I'm holding onto the bow rope and John is on the stern, the camera is on the stern, so no photos get taken!
We are now in Windsor and have just walked 45minutes to Slough and back to get John a repeat prescription, since that's what the pharmacist in Boots in Windsor told him yesterday. After waiting the best part of an hour to be seen in the Walk In Clinic he was told that the procedure was that Boots (in Windsor) could get the prescription faxed from our doctors at Willington and voila. Don't you just love it when you get given duff information. Still at least Paddy has walked his little cotton socks off and should be happy for the rest of the day!
Here we are coming up to Maidenhead Bridges - An interesting time as a small hire boat had no idea what to do or rules of the water and came past us then dived in front and then back again - they obviously don't realise what 19 tons of steel could do to a small motor plastic motor boat! and also that we can't see them when they are directly in front of us! Incidentally I had no idea that Maidenhead was here - didn't know where it was but probably Kent way if I had to make a choice.... oops!
A clue to where we were in case the map wasn't clear!
Here we are gazing in awe and wonder at the second of Maidenheads Bridges - this one was built by Brunel and at the time everyone said it would fall down because it was so low and wide - he proved them right as it's still standing as gloriously now as when it was built (I notice that Graham from NB Armadillo is also a fan of the great IKB).
Incidentally we saw NBTwo Jays Bray moored up at Maidenhead, they moor on the same jetty as us at Mercia, but we didn't see anyone aboard to hail.
This is the Roux brothers restaurant - Waterside, and no we didn't stop for lunch! We watched a small private boat moor up and the immaculately dressed passengers climb off and to be honest it would take a while for us to scrub up like that - if ever. I mean a white jump suit on a boat - really???? Bet she's never jumped off with a rope and hauled the boat into the side.
Arriving at Windsor - we managed to find a little backwater, out of the way of the cruise boats, to moor and so far we haven't had to pay. They found us at Cookham and charged £6 for the privilege of mooring under a tree! Here we are a short walk away from the town. Last night we went to the 'Duchess of Cambridge' for a meal and it was really lovely. We made the mistake of having starters though so are both feeling somewhat stuffed today. The Castle isn't open today so we're going to stay another night and visit it tomorrow, our licence is OK until Thursday so we're all right to linger a bit.
Walking back from Slough these are views of Eton college - the playing fields of Eton are indeed many and varied. It's amazing when you consider how many prime ministers and politicians have been educated here, how they have the audacity to sell off all the state school playing fields that are not a fraction of the ones they had access in most cases, and then tell us that our children don't get enough exercise! And I say this as one who hates sport with a vengeance, I still feel the total injustice of it.
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