We sat a day or so, went to Oxford for a fun piece of work, then set out with our friends on Ferret on the Friday evening. What fun! We moored up only 2.5 miles east of Stowe Hill near Bugbrook, had much wine and food whilst sitting on the towpath and generally had a hoot of a time.
The next morning, we both set off to Gayton turn (where the Grand Union Northampton Arm sets out east), we moored up at the service point and Ferret turned to return west and bagsie a table at the Wharf Inn for us all to have lunch. We used the services, turned, found a lovely woodsy mooring, then walked to the Wharf where we all had a great (late!) lunch. When we set off again, we found we were caught in an unplanned flotilla As we waited for one boat to pass us before we set out, we realised there was another, then another, then another... And one of them was Berkhamstead and we knew the boaters! We had moored opposite their land home two years ago and had so many chats from our hatch to their balcony that we ended up all together on their balcony for our last night in Berko. What fun to see them again! After their slowing for a chat with us, the whole flotilla slowed, then they were followed by our friends on Ferret and then yet another boat. We finally set out and the picture shows the crowd.
Some of the crowd turned, others moored, we passed Berkhamstead boat as they welcomed land visitors, then Ferret and we moored up back in Stowe Hill. Within minutes we were all gathered around with more Stowe Hill moorers. Chatting between sips of wine went on for some time into the evening ...
