Mooring ticket and irate fishman

They say things come in threes which is a bit worrying as we have only had two incidents so far.  Our first incident was when we returned to our mooring in Windsor after a few hours at Windsor Castle.  Yesterday I mentioned the daft mooring permit that stated we had to move by noon today, even though we hadn't arrive until mid afternoon and we were on 24 hour moorings. Sure enough an envelope had been stuck to the cabin side stating that we had overstayed and a further fee of £8.00 was payable at the leisure centre or we could be fined! Well we did no more then pull pins and leave post haste. No way would we the council get a penny more from us especially as we had only been moored for 22 hours!

Red ticket stuck to the side.

 So needing to empty loo we headed upstream to Bovney lock and then back down stream to find ourselves a mooring. After several attempts at what thought to be good bank side mooring and finding the river to shallow, we continued down Romney lock with the hope of finding a mooring on Windsor great park. Sure enough a perfect spot with two fishing pegs either end. Great for getting the woofit off. We had settled ourselves, sorted the telly, made sure we had an internet signal and I had just started fishing when I was hailed by a chap clutching a holdall full of rods. He told me that we had to move and couldn't moor there. This was fishing pegs and he had spent £50 baiting the swim over 4 days so he could night fish. So I asked him where the 'no mooring' signs were. He got more irate and said the signs were all along the bank. I then got off the boat and asked him to take me to the signs. If they were present then we would move the boat. Off he marched with me in hot pursuit and even though we walked quite a long way, not a single sign was to be seen. He started muttering about how he paid to fish these waters. I matched him by stating I also paid to fish these waters by an environment agency rod license, and we had every right to moor on the river as we had paid for the privilege. Suddenly he did an about turn and then asked very nicely if we could move away from the pegs. I was equally pleasant and asked exactly where we could move to. He pointed to bushes and trees and said why not there. In the end he gave in. He new he hadn't a leg to stand on. He just wanted us out of the way and he chose the wrong people to mess with. Ian even gave him our Nicholson Thames guide showing the moorings on the park! He left to find another peg!  So I'm now wondering what our third incident will be!

Anyway as I mentioned earlier we did the touristy thing and visited Windsor Castle. Cost us £16.15 each as an OAP the proper price being £17.50. I loved the State Apartments, Queen Marys Dolls house and St George Chapel and we just about caught the end of the Changing of the Guard but the tour of the kitchens were closed as was the Semi State Apartments. We couldn't even walk in the grounds so in away we felt a bit disappointed. After leaving the castle it was lunch at a Wetherspoons ( club sandwich and chips ) and then on arriving back to the boat we found that note!

Kate conversing with the Queen

While Harry mimics Usain Bolt

Windsor Castle

Unique dinner set

Great Hall

As this was shut off from the tours we are assuming it is the Queens private apartment. Put it this way, I managed a photo through one of the State rooms windows but when Ian tried he was told off in no uncertain terms!

Had to get this photo. Bit sad really I know.

Flower sellers

Air bus

And finally:-

Peacock Butterfly

Demoiselle Agrion

Bonding pair of Swans