Breezy day.

Today's journey was uneventful I am very pleased to say. We left our mooring at 8.30 as it was still relatively calm. 5 minutes into the journey and it started raining and it was cold. We got to Bakers Lock just as a boat went in from the Cherwell. I asked if the Cherwell was okay and the lady looked at me as if I was simple (she could be right there). Apparently they had cruised for 9hours yesterday coming up the Thames on red boards so obviously the Cherwell was a pussy cat compared to the raging Thames. Any way the board was on Amber but we didn't have a problem until we had left Shipton Weir lock when the wind was holding us against the bank. Then I spied a lift bridge, down of course with the wind coming across the fields, now was I going to have a problem? I made sure I had porridge for breakfast so tackling a lift bridge in the wind was a doddle. Yet again we passed Dusty then it was onto the facilities at Thrupp to get rid of the mountain of rubbish I seem to have collected, fill up with water and empty the cassettes. I also acquired a couple of books leaving 2 in their place and a donation in the Air Ambulance tin. The men were working on the lift bridge so they offered to open it for Paul which was just as well as by now the wind was really blowing. They told us that yesterday someone had come through the bridge from Kiddlington side forgot to steer out of the bridge and ended up hit the bank and riding up on it, bet that was an interesting sight. We are now moored up outside The Boat on the 48 hour moorings the hoovering is done and Paul wants to have a lunch time pint. Tonight we are meeting Maffie in The Jolly Boatman for a meal will be nice to catch up again.