A social whirl

Sharpness was basking in, what seemed like, yet another heatwave. We cleaned the boat roof, chatted to some friendly visiting Londoners who were walking past and enjoyed our coffee looking at the amazing view over the estuary. We wanted to stay for longer but we needed to get back to Saul Junction so we headed off back upstream, stopping in a beautiful rural spot with a herd of cows for company. It was about a mile from Purton but I'd heard there

was tea and cake at the church so I donned my sunhat and went in search. The garden was buzzing but I opted for the cool church interior to enjoy a cuppa and a delicious slice of Victoria sponge. An elderly chap was at the organ and I eventually got chatting to him and another man (both from Liverpool!) about boatlife. Back on board we were treated to an incredible sunset.

At Splatt Bridge we managed to find some respite under a shady willow. It really was very warm and not the day for a long walk but unfortunately, as the nearest pharmacy was quite a few miles away and we both needed prescriptions, Rob ended up on a full day journey on foot and by bus to get them. We meandered on to Saul Junction and found a good

mooring just by the car park in readiness to be whisked off to a lovely little village near Tetbury. One of my Dad's cousins lives there and, knowing we'd be nearby, I suggested we meet up. Anna and Stephen then kindly offered to pick us up and have us to stay overnight, along with her brother and his wife. Stephen found our mooring and enjoyed a quick tour of Jasmine before driving us home, a wonderful journey up a steep ridge overlooking the Severn. We arrived at their lovely house where we were looked after and

fed royally. After a little tour of their village with it's castle and church the next morning followed by lunch under a shady tree in the garden, Christopher and Eileen kindly took us back to the boat, also enjoying a quick boat tour and tea on the back deck before they headed back. What a lovely time we had and thank you all for the hospitality and delicious food!

After a night at Saul Junction where we walked along what was the Stroudwater canal to see a lovely sunset over the Severn, we set off back to Gloucester to top up on supplies. Mooring just before the massive High

Orchard lift bridge we were treated to it opening to let a high masted boat through - quite a sight. It was a heritage open weekend and so we headed over to the Waterways Museum for a look around - and to appreciate the cool of the old warehouse. We then enjoyed a tour of Llanthony Secunda Priory, the remains of a once large and important Augustinian Priory, founded outside the city walls in 1136, and enjoyed watching the basket-makers and spinners demonstrating their craft.

It also ended up as a bit of a social whirl. Having got chatting to the Watts, the new owners of the famous narrowboat Silver Fox, we invited them over to the handy bench by our boat for Pimms and nibbles one evening. The following day, a friend of many years, Brian, was heading to Gloucester to see the finish of that day's Tour of Britain. After lunch on Jasmine we found a shady

spot to see the cyclists zoom pass and then it was back to the boat for tea on deck before he headed off.

We had some boat jobs to do so headed back to our favourite rural spot where Rob removed the stern

doors to prep and re-paint them, removed the cratch cover and re-painted the cratch board, not helped by intermittent showers (where's a heatwave when you need one?!). Then it was time to head to Saul Junction again for another visit, this time from Claire, my uni friend, and Carole. We had a lovely time

catching up, mooching in the lovely little Cotswold Canal Trust shop, walking west along the Stroudwater to Framilode and it's lovely church, giving them a mini-chug to Splatt Bridge where Rob met us in Carole's car, and enjoying a wonderful 'Three Shu Pie' at the Three Horseshoes in Frampton before they very kindly drove me back to my Dad's for a visit. Thanks guys!

After two trains, a bus and a walk, I finally got back to

Jasmine who Rob had moved single-handedly to Patch Bridge, near Slimbridge. Although we didn't visit the wetlands centre we did manage to see three cranes in a field and watched them fly over a couple of times which was wonderful. We topped up our diesel and headed to a spot just north of Saul Junction where we walked along part of the beautiful old Stroudwater Canal, eastwards this time. Opened in 1779 it originally joined Stroud to the River Severn and enabled trows, flat-bottomed cargo boats used on the Severn and the Wye, to bring goods from Bristol, the Forest of Dean and the Midlands. It was abandoned in 1954 but the Cotswold Canals Trust are doing amazing work in restoring it.

On the outskirts of Gloucester, Gerry, who we'd met on the Avon back in August, came past on his bike and joined us for a coffee before we headed back into Gloucester basin, this time mooring on the pontoons next to some friendly boaters who helped pull Jasmine in when she was being a bit wayward! We were there in time for a visit from some friends who came over for tea and later on had some lovely drinks and nibbles aboard nb Silver Fox with Pauline and Derek, chatting to the wee hours. But this wasn't the end of our social whirl - some more friends, Von and Nigel, came to see us on their way back from Manchester to Devon and it was lovely to catch up with them and wander around the docks and the priory herb garden.

It was time to leave the G&S, but before we did I visited Gloucester Cathedral with its incredible cloisters (as featured in the Harry Potter films!) amongst other stunning features.

We were (with some trepidation) heading back on to the River Severn. Come back next time to find out how we got on!

Sunset on the Gloucester & Sharpness canal