Socialising in Goring on Thames

Sunday, 26 June 2011 16:35

Being doubled up on a mooring with friends is an opportunity to socialise.

Goring Lock on a dull day - spot Petroc and Epiphany above the lock

This mooring above the lock is great as it is only a short walk from the path to Streatley .....

The Swan at Streatley on the river above the lock (expensive and looks so from the river!) means that the path has to go behind it and spills the walker into Streatley High Street. To the left is the Streatley/Goring Bridge.

The Swan and Magdalen College Barge from Goring Bridge

Cross the bridge to Goring and there are the church, shops and a gem of a cafe. It was recommended to us by Geoff and Gill's son, Giles - "they do really good breakfasts". That was enough - Saturday breakfast was booked! Pierreponts lived up to its recommendation. It was very busy and we were wise to book. Full English breakfast for these three!

John, Gill and Geoff in Pierreponts

Sorry about the blurring - smoked salmon and scrambled egg on soda bread was my undoing! From the look of the menu they do good lunches, afternoon teas and yummy cakes!

The pattern on John's breakfast coffee

This hire boat was below the weir - one of the guys had caught a large fish. I assume that the lock keeper is happy for boats to do this, but I wouldn't fancy sitting there in a narrowboat. They had their anchor down and the water over the weir was not too fierce. I have seen it "raging" over, probably not a good idea to fish there then!

Fishing below the weir

So what about Sunday lunch? John and Geoff decided that it was necessary to go on a "pub crawl" to find the best place, so Gill and I had a few quiet hours after Saturday lunch whilst they sampled the beer in The John Barleycorn, the Miller of Mansfield, the Catherine Wheel and The Bull at Streatley!

The Bull at Streatley

It was The Bull they decided on - a pub with an eatery not an eatery with a bar!

We went to St Leonard's Church in Woodcote for Sunday service - by car I hasten to add - it is handy to have a son living nearby who is "looking after" your car! The Rector, Lynda Smith is Cornish and used to be down in Polperro and Looe. A nice welcome with coffee and biscuits afterwards!

St Leonard's Church

Sunday lunch was good too - but now we are all trying to keep cool! 30 degrees out and about the same in, despite drawn curtains, houdini hatch open and portholes out! However, the River Thames is the place to be in this weather as there is a breath of breeze! We can watch the cruisers queuing for Goring Lock - it will be us tomorrow!

PS. All photos, bar one, are phone photos so I am sorry that the quality is not as good as usual!