Just Swaning around

We left early this morning so we could get on the water point before the lock keeper arrived. After filling with water we entered the lock and on having a chat with him he told us that the Swan Upping was on today and the best place to see it was at Staines. After a pleasant morning cruise we moored opposite the Swan Hotel, because this is where they stop for lunch. We had lunch while we waited and then all hell broke loose. We could see them rounding up four cygnets in their boats and managed to corner them on the boat behind us. They have to weigh and measure them before they put a ring on them. All these are the Queens birds and have to be identified. Al even had the chance to stroke one of them and they were all treated with tender loving care. A really good experience. Al then popped into town and managed to find the dress she had been looking for.... lucky again!

We then took a steady journey on up to Runnymede but it was busy in the locks with six or more boats crammed in. (more paintwork to be touched in!)

We squeezed in a gap on the National Trust visitors moorings and found out it was six pounds to moor there overnight, so it was a quick walk up to the Magna Carta memorial and we were soon off again. It was another lovely cruise through Datchet and on to Windsor, and Al was checking out the sights on the way.. There were some good looking moorings, but it was on the Crown Estate and we may have been shot if we moored there. Still we did manage to find a little hidey hole at Home Park which wasn't marked up and Derwent6 just got in between the trees which we tied on to.

We can see the castle from our mooring and the flag was flying so she was in. We lit the BBQ and just as we got out the table and chairs they started to play a bit of cricket right in front of us...Just the perfect end to the perfect day.