Michael Tyler

Started at the ISIS lock, the entry to the river Thames. This kind of winds it’s way out of Oxford, then broadens out a bit after the Osney lock.

Wrong date

The lock keeper at the Osney lock issues me a licence with the wrong date on it.

I paid for 2 days, as you can see, but she’s yesterdays date on it, the 13th.

Also, I paid by cash. She’s put that I paid by card.

This is going to have the net effect of having me pulled up and making a claim that I haven’t paid, when really I have.

The blog is a testament to my movements. Also the photos I took on the 13th pretty clearly show that I wasn’t on the Thames.

Some fun for tomorrow.

Cruising down the Thames

Is much faster. The locks are all hydrolic. …

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Another full day of boating through the unspoilt Oxfordshire countryside. This time, on the River Cherwell to Thrupp, where I was going to visit the deserted village; Hampton Gay.

After looking on Googlemaps satellite, it became clear, it was only 3 empty farmhouses and a dis-used church and really wasn’t worth getting the bike out for. I stopped in Thrupp for lunch, then moved on.

The canal is virtually deserted. During the course of a 10 hour day, I encounter possibly 5 boats.

It would have been impossible to make it from Claydon to Oxford in one day, even two is pushing it.

At Thrupp, the canal joins the River Cherwell. The draft and width of the canal becomes such for easy navigation, and it’s an hour of relative speed and relaxation.

Some times it’s raining. It’s fairly cold. I’ve caught a cold. …

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