06-21 Pangbourne Meadow on the River Thames

Sunday 21st June: After last nights heavy rain with more in the evening today was at least dry all day.  Not especially warm and much fresher after the storm.  We had  a slow start and went into Reading to do a bit of shopping finally getting under way about 1:30pm.  Headed  out of the loop and back down the Kennet through Blakes lock (unmanned again) then onto the Thames heading back up river this time arriving at Caversham lock just after 2 pm.  Gentle cruising then through Reading and Tilehurst to Mapledurham lock where we caught up with the African Queen and another narrow boat. Surprisingly we all managed to get into the lock together but feeling somewhat dwarfed by the African Queen.  We wanted to get onto the end of the layby for the services which was full of GRP boats heading down river waiting to go into the lock.  It was now fairly windy and above the lock we received the full force of it. The last boater was too busy eating an ice cream to move on down the layby as required although the lock keeper was beckoning him into the lock and I was gesticulating that I wanted to moor up.  He did eventually move when I put us into reverse and headed for him but by now our bow was pointing at the weir stream and I gave up and had to let the stream and wind turn us 180 onto the layby!  Services done I then had to turn back into the wind to head upstream.
We arrived at Pangbourne meadow after another half hour and moored up.