Almost in London

So sorry to have been so lax. We have been on the move since leaving Cropredy. We made our way back up the Oxford and onto the Grand Union. Several people suggested that this was the best way of doing the Thames but after we turned around we had people telling us we should have done it the other way. We'll try it the other way next time and let you know.

I've taken lots of photographs and made lots of notes but the locks on the Grand Union are big and heavy and I have now done more than 70 of them down the last few days. Every muscle is screaming and I'm way too tired to get onto the computer and write. The internet connection hasn't been great and - to make things much worse - the letter B has packed up on my best keyboard and I am having to use a straight one at the moment, which I am finding very hard indeed - once you get used to the curved one it's almost impossible to go back to a normal one.

Anyway - I just want you to know that we are now only a couple of days away from getting onto The Thames. Sadly we will not be going via the Houses of Parliament as we were too late to book to go through with other boats and I do not yet have my VHF license ... but maybe next year.
It's still exciting to have come this far and I'm looking forward to going through the Royal Botanical Gardens just for starters.

I'll catch up soon - sooner if I can find a PC World and buy a new keyboard!!