This is the first time that I have been down to the Marina Park for quite some time.

I see on the Marina web site that “Abingdon Marina is the only off river marina with floating pontoons upstream of Reading” and that “we are only 4 days hard cruising from the tidal reaches of the Thames.”

There is a tree down in the park, and the paths are a little slippy. But after much of the winter under water it is now walkable without wellies.

It is one of the locations I usually get pictures of the Head of the River Rowing, which this year is on April 6th. There are 4 divisions with a maximum of 90 boats in each …
Division 1 – 09.30
Division 2 – 11.45
Division 3 – 14.00
Division 4 – 16.15

Green Boat Services were moored near St Helen’s Wharf this morning, taking a rest between helping other boats.

Lady Ethel arrived at around 11:15 and left soon after taking a load of people upstream to Oxford. I was asked by some customers how to get to the landing so directed them through the Upper Reaches carpark.

A rather elegant rowing boat, moored up by the Upper Reaches last night ,left a few minutes later, heading downstream towards Culham.

‘This England’ motored up under Abingdon Bridge having refueled at one of Abingdon’s two refueling places.

Also had a shouted exchange with to the captain of Dylan Thomas, the troubled poet, and stood for a while next to Cloud Cuckoo.