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Last stop now finished in Heyford. Upper Heyford to be exact.

I’ve been here before in this post

Upper Heyford

Cruised through Lower Heyford.

It has a terrible mobile signal amongst other things, not, to recommend it.

Mo Barley

The Pub I went to a few times last time I was here, (Barley Mow), has gone downhill. Stopped serving food. A ‘wet’ pub nowadays.

Went in there to watch the football. It was England versus Spain. There was a good turnout, well, enough to fill the TV room. A lot of the younger people who used to go in there have moved on. Most of the punters were over 60. Less of a friendly welcoming atmosphere which it used to have a bit like that ‘pub’ atmosphere of old really. Not there any more. Gone.

Didn’t really go in there again. Went to another one up the road. It’s called the Horse and Groom.

They had put on a mini-festival for Bastille day which meant some guest beers, food bars and a number of live music performers! I got there pretty early, should have waited until later really. I was expecting it to rain and I was on my bike.

Bar dickhead

It was busy. Some guy tried to queue jump me at the bar and got all angry when I got served first. I don’t know why he did this, I saw him come in with his kid who he had to tell to leave the bar area and wait in the beer garden.

Clearly this could only have happened when I’d already been there unless we arrived at the same time, which I’m certain we didn’t.

I got served first and he said to me ‘I can’t believe you’re going to do this’. And made a bit of a commotion, which, as I explained to the bar-person was the first time it had happened in many many years of frequenting pubs. Working at a bar, I know it’s obvious who’s next when you’ve only got a queue of 2 people.

He even followed me around the pub, saying things like ‘I hope you’re proud of yourself‘, staring and generally trying to be confrontational.

Weird. Maybe he’d been on the Monkey Dust. Who knows?

He left the event after a while. His outlandish behaviour seemed a little alien. He even jumped in my seat when I went to the bar and proceeded to lol about in it when I emerged back with my drink. Luckily, some people had left or moved and I didn’t have to make a fuss, I just took their seats. But again, bit weird.

The weather

Has remained reasonable for most of my stay which has allowed me to do a little more painting and reparation of the roof.

I’ve been walking up to the housing complex at the top of the hill which used to be Heyford Airbase and has been re-branded as a set of new builds, a few shops, a hotel and pub and industrial estate on the sites that in the past were aircraft hangars and staff barracks.

It’s all pretty tasteful.

The old hangar buildings contrast with the brand new housing and commercial properties and big trees; adds a kind of surreal backdrop. It’s all brownfield and although they do certain activities on the old airfield, it’s been closed for flights since 1994.

Somerton Meadows

I’m now in the meadows!

All you can hear is pigeons and the sound of the poplars rustling in the breeze!

Super tranquil.

The carparking area is probably about a 5-10 minute walk back across that field.

Tomorrow I will go and pick the car up, but today, I’m just chilling out.

Until next time!