We had a lovely lie in at Kingsbury, it had been very quiet overnight, and after Ian had done all his pfaffing we had the customary Crossword Off. Bizarrely, and for the first time ever, we got exactly the same time, 7mins 32secs.
I made porridge for breakfast and we sat outside, feeling it would maybe be the last time this year. The guy in the camper van next door came out to feed his dog, a lovely bouncy black lab, but he had the smallest food bowls. Our dogs would expire from hunger!
Outdoor breakfast
Look at those tiny dog bowls!
There was also exciting news from yesterday’s blog. Chris and Alex had both identified the mushroom! Seems I could have had it on toast if I didn’t hate mushrooms so much.
My edible mushroom
Because we had only stayed one night there was very little to prepare for departure, although it was still around 11.30 before we waved goodbye to KWP, we do like to linger. The route to Henley was supposed to be only an hour and a half but we hit traffic straight away due to that blooming HS2. Honestly, the people of Birmingham have had to put up with so much in order that half a dozen people can save 20mins on their commute to London. As we had been delayed, and because Chris’s friend, Doorstop, was installing a barbecue for us and had questions, we decided to stop at Cherwell Valley Services. We have never stopped here before! Me and Vicky particularly like a new services. We were very impressed with their treatment of Motorhomers. Usually there are a couple of spaces and you can’t get in, or cars have parked there for god knows what reason, but Cherwell had a fabulous long stretch for caravans and motorhomes. Well done to them. We had a quick lunch while Ian sorted Doorstep, then set off again. Reading the Henley sites directions, in no circumstances were we to leave the M40 at junctions 5 or 6, it was to be junction 4 only! The roads were too narrow. Fine. We can do that. Sadly, Sir Georgie Kelly had other ideas. Paraphrasing his words, ‘There’s a massive queue on the M40, leave it at junction 6 or be held up for hours’! Mmm. I left it to the driver and Ian was with Sir Georgie, so we left at junctions 6 and I shut my eyes. In the end, due to Ian’s fab driving and a trailblazing tractor, we were fine, and rolled up to Swiss Farm independent family run campsite around 2.30. We got a very warm welcome and soon found our pitch, 112. It’s a fully serviced pitch much to Ian’s delight, it gives him chance to get his tubes out.
Our new barbecue
Pitch 112, up near the top
All set up on our big pitch
If we were staying longer there would be plenty of room for the canopy, brand new wind break, table etc, but it’s not really worth it for two nights in Autumn. It is a lovely site though, you can fish and there is a pool, which closed mid September. After a sit in our chairs we decided on a walk into Henley. It’s about 10mins to the town centre and I have to say if you need a haircut, this is the place! I have never in my life seen so many hairdressers and barbers, and that’s from a Rotherham girl. We ended up by the river and walked up to Marsh lock. From here you used to be able to take the Thames way to Shiplake, but the wooden bridge that joins two ends of the path is derelict. Now you would need to go a ways inland to get there. We had a bit of fun watching the little pleasure boats navigate the lock though. I, being an avid viewer of Canal Boat Diaries, am an expert on locks. I also know that Robbie would be horrified at the £15 nightly mooring fee along the meadow.
By Henley Bridge
At Marsh Lock
Watching the boats go through
Sun setting nicely
Back at Dame Shirley I threw a Lasagne in the oven and we sat outside with a glass of wine. I picked up a copy of practical motorhome to read and came to the readers photos page. As usual they were pretty rubbish except one of a Motorhome that looked just like Dame Shirley, lovely sunset all around. Reading the blurb it was taken at Beadnell Bay. What a coincidence. Then I read who had
taken it and nearly spit out my wine. I had forgotten that Ian had sent his photo in. Sadly it was not the winning entry, that’s the boring campervan by the sea, or he would have won a load of books.
Published photographer
Lasagne for tea
After tea we watched an impossible (sorry Chris) where the final question was to do with two letter words in scrabble. No £10000 for us today. Then an episode of Countdown, some American FBI thriller we have been watching, and ended the day watching Europe trouncing the Yanks in the Ryder Cup.
Vicky and Alex had a good day too. They went to watch Englands women win the rugby World Cup at Twickenham.
Rotherham United had a terrible day again, the less said the better.
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