Hello again family and friends.

Although pleased with my new found confidence, having been to the theatre alone, I was nevertheless anxious when awoken at 2am that night by a voice calling "Rosie and Jim, Rosie and Jim”; I sensed it could mean trouble. Young male voices shouted "wakey, wakey" as my boat windows were thumped. Bunty immediately woke up too and started barking and growling. I was very surprised, especially when the youngsters ran away.

For mothers day I was treated to a fabulous meal with Jenny, Struan, Edith and Thomas, followed by a nice walk along the canal with the children's bikes. Then, arriving late on Sunday evening was my next guest Tracey.

In the morning, Tracey helped me take Therapy further on to fill up at the water point, which was just past a turning place. We cruised on hopefully upstream but didn’t find another place to turn before reaching a lock we couldn't go through. By now it was raining steadily and we had no choice but to reverse all the way back past the water point to the previous turning circle.

Poor Tracey's experience aboard was not the best, but she was great at keeping my spirits up. Back in the town centre, we were joined by another friend, Jess and all had supper together. As they left, Tracey spotted that Jersey Boys was the next show at the theatre across the road and she said it was a good one. Next day I bought 3 tickets for the first night to treat my friends Sheena and Shona to a surprise night out.

My Scottish pals, who live quite remotely, arrived next day and enjoyed the urban delights of Woking, including the musical. Then they helped me back through the locks out of the Basing and back onto the river Wey. The boat became a den of laughter and jollity as I caught up with the news from the highland glen where I used to live.

Nights were like a girly sleepover as we watched scary movies and played scrabble. I missed them when they left.

Ally is a friend with a very busy life as a GP and she visibly relaxed on board Therapy. We left the river Wey and cruised once again out into the river Thames with its electrically operated locks. Chantal joined us again as we cruised through Staines and Ewan was able to meet us for a day on Sunday before the mad, intense period of lambing takes over our lives at home. Lauren also met up with us in Maidenhead for an evening of scrabble.

Much of the Thames is lined with either people's gardens or private land protected by "No Mooring" signs, and more than once we've had to stop the boat at a posh garden for poor Bunty to do a wee. The houses we see from the river are huge and some very ostentatious, as my guidebook suggests, "some illustrate a greater awareness of the value of wealth than of good taste".

I said goodbye to Ally at Marlow then cruised on to look for somewhere to stay the night. All I could see were "no mooring" signs and "strictly no mooring" signs and "moored boats will be clamped" signs, (ok, I jest) but there was a copse of trees on the opposite bank and I crossed to check the sign; I was delighted to read "mooring £5 a night". I tied us up to the trees and jumped off to give the puppy a run. I'm quite tired after a busy week and happy to have a night to myself in this pretty spot.

I'm on the " home straight" now and looking forward to seeing the West Berkshire friends who are meeting me on these last few days.

Best wishes to all,
Sally
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