#SourceoftheRiverThames - part of The Thames Path

It is late September. I am just back from a couple of days walking on the Thames Path (sort of) with my friend Jo.

The Thames Path is a designated route that follows the River Thames - the second longest river in the UK and of course our most iconic river. It starts at a point specified as "The Source of the River Thames" which is near the village of Kemble in the Cotswolds - the county of Gloucestershire. It then flows roughly east until it runs into the sea on the other side of London - a journey of over 200 miles.

Our plan is to start at the source - walk the 12 miles to Cricklade for an overnight stop and then a similar distance the next day to Lechlade. Our plan is simple. I drive up to Salisbury to meet Jo and we drive in convoy to Lechlade. We park up Jo's car in Lechlade (to be available at the finish) and I drive us on to the nearest practical parking point for the source start which turns out to be Kemble Railway Station. This is the plan maybe made a couple of weeks earlier ! Alas the rain that came.

There has been a lot of rain and a lot of flooding. Jo raised the issue with me a few days before we were due to go. A check revealed there was no flooding in the area and I had a sort of summit fever - I wanted to do what we said we were going to do - ha! Logically I thought the upper Thames was likely to have less chance of flooding than lower down the river (and we were not going there !)

The plan goes well and we get to "the source of the River Thames" quite easily apart from a skirmish with a field of sweetcorn - ha! The source made us laugh. It was rather an unassuming place - marked by a stone and a few rocks surrounding a dry spring. It was not at the highest point in the surrounding land so we were not totally convinced - but I think it is where water can first emerge from the ground. On this day there was no spring, no water and no actual evidence of a river. It was also sunny. Walking back across the fields and the road however it is not long before a small stream emerges. It was a good place to be - quiet, rural and scenic - although surprisingly flat. The River Thames is definitely not formed on a mountain and the valley is not pronounced.

Anyway we make quite good and easy progress - mainly on grass tracks. There are puddles and some surface water - but nothing our hiking boots cannot cope with. We peel off layers - it is warm. The River Thames is often less than a stream and we quite often lose it but the walking is pleasant.

However as the day progresses we come across more puddles on the footpath and eventually we come across a stretch of flooded path. We have a laugh as I piggy back Jo across in order that only one of us gets water in their boots ! We are not particularly daunted but the weather while mild deteriorates to steady rain. Increasingly we come across flooded paths and in the end Jo has to dip her feet in too (otherwise I would be carrying her to Cricklade !)

To cut a long story short we get very wet. There is some need for care when dealing with flooding - falling down a hole or perhaps stepping into the river - but it was never that bad. We did however get to thigh height at one point - thankfully as we were getting to Cricklade.

We stayed at The Vale Hotel on the High Street and really enjoyed the place. It offered everything we wanted - to dry out - a good hot shower - real ale and excellent food (Indian and Kenyan themed). We laugh over the day. We are pleased with ourselves. It was good to be out there but admittedly we saw no one else doing it - ha!

We had a fun full English at C & R Greengrocers in the High Street in the morning. The place is hard to describe - like going back in time to the 1960's. The locals were very friendly but very local. For instance - several had lived there all their lives but had never walked on the Thames Path ! There was some discussion about the good sense of walking to Lechlade given the rain but they didn't really know whether it would be flooded or not but why would you want to do it anyway ?!

We set out - not raining - the Thames is more evident - wider - we walk maybe 2 miles along it. Nice rural scenery. However the path becomes often just a track across a field - flat. It is now raining. The flooding is increasingly extensive. We walk on - picking our way across to avoid the worst - but we come to what looks like a lake - where is the river? Lets say we get through - whats next - we still have 8 miles or more to go. Eventually and reluctantly we conclude it would be foolhardy to continue on the Thames Path. We retrace our tracks and find our way to tarmac. We walk in the general direction to Lechlade but the road is surprisingly busy and the rain is heavy - not pleasant and actually not that safe. Eventually we get to a pub at Castle Eaton. The Thames there has definitely burst its banks and we are told the river is higher than they can ever remember. Our only realistic option is to road walk and that is longer and it is busy. I am not keen to proceed and Jo against her natural inclination agrees. We get an expensive taxi to Lechlade to pick up Jo's car. We can see from the ride that water is everywhere and we reconcile our decision as a good one.

And then some real nonsense. Unbelievable. I cannot find my car key !! We triple unpack and repack. I cannot understand it. We drive to our hotel in Cricklade and the few places we stopped. No sign. What an absolute bummer. The outcome - Jo drives me to Portsmouth before returning home to Salisbury. I buy a return Cat ticket - get my spare key - and next morning a long 3 change rail journey back to Kemble to pick up my car ! Another day gone and about £70 worse off - ha ha! You are never too old to learn a lesson !

We had a lot of fun. Not necessarily the best judged decision given the weather - but we got out there. We are really glad we did it and we have both been to the "Source of the River Thames ! Have you - ha ha!? 

The "source" of the River Thames near Kemble, Gloucestershire.

Pretty sure this is where I lost my car key - but there was running flood water underneath and no sign on a return look.

 

#SouthamptonBoatShow a personal take

My brother Mike and I had a day visit to the Southampton Boat Show yesterday. The SBS is an annual event - we have both been before over the years but neither of us have been for some time. We were not a dream visitor for the show because neither of us had any intention of buying a boat - ha! However our intention was to have a good look around to see what was on offer both in terms of boats and particularly in our case - in terms of equipment for sailing.

The layout was much as I remembered it and the atmosphere was obviously the boating vibe you would expect - it was a very enjoyable day out.

Essentially the show is divided into two parts - the boats tied up alongside the pontoons (marina) and the onshore stuff.

The SBS covers all aspects of boating. The marina is where you go to inspect the boats on offer and literally there are millions of pounds worth tied up against the pontoons for people to view - and of course order - if the sales teams are lucky.

From what I can gather all aspects of boat sales are in the doldrums a bit across the board. I am not suprised. Boats are so expensive. There was a whole flotilla of £500,000 + ex vat luxury Cats for sale. £250000 doesn't buy anywhere as much as you would expect in boat terms and £100,000 is relative peanuts. Just byway of an incredible example - a 16 ft Orkney Longliner - a small open fishing boat with a decent outboard and a trailer is over £25000 now.

My impression of the marina display was sail boats were under represented which was a shame. There were masses of motor cruisers - the Sunseeker types - the gin palaces - the so called glamour end of boating. No interest for us whatsoever - not my idea of boating. There are also lots of "rib" type boats in all sorts of configurations - black tubes are definitely the in colour. They look menacing which I guess is the point. On a positive note everything was presented well on the pontoons and is an excellent place to view the boats if you are in the market for one.

On the onshore side there is a big offer - but not so much as I remember. We chatted with one chandler and basically she said that on line sales is changing everything as it is in most aspects of retail. Mike was interested in buying some foulies. I am not particularly proud of it but the way to go for us and I think many people now is to view the goods in the shop - even try them on - and then buy them online later to get the price point. This is bound to have an impact on the good business sense of setting up a stall and this is something the SBS and all retailers will have to grapple with going forward.

From a personal point of view I came away with the following thoughts :

It was a good day out.

I have spent a fair bit on refitting my little sailing boat and I have reflected could I have done better for my money. However it is clear after looking around the show that what I have spent is relative peanuts and actually I have achieved good value - fingers crossed!

My final thought is there are so many different types of boats in size, configuration and cost. What to choose ? The answer is clear to me. You have to decide in advance what you want the boat for, how are you going to use it - what do you want out of it. Compromise is needed. That is not easy - needs evolve - needs change. In my case I am not interested in speed. I am not interested in luxury. What I want from sailing is getting away from it all - back to nature - pottering - simplicity. My idea of boating is akin to the joys of camping. There is the old adage - the bigger the boat the bigger the problems! Who wants big problems - ha!

Dreams alive  ! xxxx   

#UK heading for disaster - both economically and socially.

I have just been on my early morning bike ride. Thinking time. Exasperation. Laugh or cry.

I do not have much time so I am going to rattle off this statement of the obvious.

A prime objective for any government is to encourage and motivate its citizens to do the right thing.

In simple terms the right thing is :

Uphold the rule of law.

Almost the first thing the Starmer led new Labour Government did was let prisoners out early.

They also rushed through asylum applications and 95% of illegal immigrant applications were subsequently successful. Illegal migrants have won and the message it sends - come on over !

Work to support self and your family. 

Work must pay. However high taxes are a disincentive to work. What is the point of working hard only to get taxed to the hilt? Also the black market flourishes. People want to be paid in cash. Tax revenues fall.

If the Welfare safety net is too high people can rely on it instead of working. This is exactly what is happening. Not working has become a lifestyle choice. The hardworking increasingly feel they are mugs to be laboring to pay for others to sit around and do nothing. A disincentive to work.

Provide for your old age

Starmers government are now after your hard earned pension pot so they can use what you have earned and saved to give to someone else who hasn't. So what is the point of saving you might ask ? They are going to take it off me. I might as well blow it and have a jolly and live off the state like everyone else. Not a very healthy mindset for a nation.

Pay fair taxes to pay for descent public services and infrastructure.

Rachel Reeves is sat there thinking of every possible thing she can tax you on. At the same time there is a feeling the taxes rises are not being spent on the things that matter to ordinary hard working people. (removing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners is an incredible decision). Billions are being spent on migrants. Our infrastructure is broken because of uncontrolled population growth. The NHS is broken because of increased demand. We can never build enough houses. But it continues. Hard earned taxes are being flittered away. What message does it send to working people ? Why bother ?

In a similar way government need to encourage business, entrepreneurship, research and investment because they provide the jobs and the tax revenues to keep public services going.

The world is a global village. Why set up businesses in the UK if corporate taxes are high - red tape is out of control - employee and union power is increasing. Where is the incentive to do business in the UK ?

Why would a budding entrepreneur start a business - put everything on the line - only to be taxed to the hilt. 

Increasingly they won't. The socialist government are not focused on creating wealth - all they are focused on is spending it.

As far as I can see the Starmer government is doing the exact opposite of what needs to be done. They are demotivating people to be good citizens, to pay fair taxes, to work hard for the future of self and family - to not be a burden on the state. They are not going to increase business activity - their policies are in effect anti business. They is no chance of growth in GDP in real terms and particularly no chance of per capita growth. The UK is heading for the rocks. There will be increasing unemployment and business failures. The welfare state bill will continue to grow and we will have damaging inflation as the UK is perceived as a basket case and a risk to investors. It has happened before and that is sadly where it is heading again.

I won't recount the ant and grasshopper fable here - look it up - but the socialist outcome is the grasshopper do not learn from the industrious ants because the socialist government takes it off the ants to give to give to the lazy grasshoppers. In the end the ants decide there is no point - become like the grasshoppers - and the outcome is they all starve in the next winter.