With the decision more or less taken to go down to Oxford before returning to our winter mooring at Cropredy in the hope that the weather would hold, we were covering ground already covered last year and again this year. But as we headed South the weather finally took a turn for the worse, becoming overcast, gloomy, rather dampish and certainly cooler than during the glorious sunshine earlier in the month. Still, at least it wasn’t too windy!

The Captain decided that he really didn’t need to supervise from the top deck after all, and soon resorted to just making occasional forays to the outside. He soon decided that someone of his seniority needed a suitably warm place to repose, and if Song & Dance wasn’t going to provide him with a warm roof hatch in the sun, he was definitely going to commandeer the only electric blanket on the boat, whether we needed it or not.

And after so much going so well, things have gone downhill with the weather. We had deliberately moored up just short of the Pig Place at Adderbury so we could have bacon rolls for second breakfast, only to find that for some reason they were closed that morning. Seems to be a theme of this trip!

Passing Aynho, Fran found her next boat…

A bit scratchy, but if the cap fits…

(Actually we came across a boat called Bob near Stoke Bruerne, but fortunately didn’t have a camera to hand).

Anyway, pootling along slowly down through Somerton, Heyford, Thrupp, Kidlington (those aeroplanes again) and Wolvercote for the second time this year, in less than inspiring weather, we finally slipped into Oxford on Thursday afternoon, stopping again at the Jericho moorings by St. Barnabas Church for what must be about the fourth time for Song & Dance. Certainly Biggles seems at home there, despite all the pedestrians, cyclists and dog-walkers. A bit close to the station and railway, but plenty of nice restaurants within easy walking distance…