Away again after dry docking.

 23rd May

 It was that time of year again, black FS's bottom! It happened to coincide with one of the hottest weeks May has experienced in the UK, breaking the record of 32.8 °C in London set in 1922. Kew Gardens reached 35.1 °C on the 26th May 2026, and we sweltered in the dock with our thermometer reaching nearly 40 °C. The 4 high walls acted like a suntrap, and the only time we could bitumen the hull was before 8 am. For 4 days, we had some very early starts, but when the heat continued, the early starts were extended for painting the gunwales and the tunnel bands.

 Our time on the dock was longer than usual. Dan and Vicci (owners of the dock) went away over the Bank holiday and couldn't refloat us until their return. Instead of rushing to get everything done in 5 days, we had 8 days to titivate. We came off the dock on the evening of the 29th. (Sunday) and Monday morning was spent cleaning the superstructure. After lunch, we took FS into the basin. Ian then went to fetch the motorhome, yep, we were going away again! 

Last June, we took a trip to Blenheim Palace, but because of my dodgy knee, we didn't get the full benefit of our ticket. I struggled massively then with walking, and the thought of going around the Palace with the pain I was in made me cringe. The ticket was valid for a year, and the 6th of June this year was when it ran out, so the decision was made to try again. Now that my knee has been replaced and all pain is gone, it was an easy decision to make. We packed the van and set off yesterday. The heat wave had well and truly broken, and rain of biblical proportions was experienced on the way to Kidlington.

 

The site was very basic, no toilets or showers, but fresh water and elsan were at our disposal. What we didn't know was that the London Oxford airfield, as well as the Oxford Parkway rail line transport hub (opened in 2015), was located in Water Eaton, just south of Kidlington and was very close. The planes stopped around 9 pm, but the trains continued to run until well after 11 pm. Groan... we had booked two nights! Still, it was only about 5 miles from Blenheim, so convenient, and the site was rural and really quite lovely. 

 Oh, and our family has grown. The motorhome now has our South African stuffed animals adorning the dashboard.