Tony sent me this picture and asked What is going on here?

Tiger Moth, a longboat covered in camouflage rigging, is a familiar sight in Abingdon, but what is it doing moored at 90 degrees to the flow of the river, at the end of the island near the lock? Is it a case of shipwreck? Or extreme social distance measures?

I did hear from the owner that he had let his boat for a while and was living on dry land.

At Abingdon Lock, a public notice say that the lock keeper is avoiding social contact (more so than usual) but still carrying out all essential duties.

There was no sign of him but near the lock there was a digger and some work people doing something to the banks.

Government-allowed-exercise, during the Covid-19 pandemic, is a chance for us landlubbers to walk and cycle and revisit out of the way places near Abingdon. I now realise this could conflict with the interests of boat owners who are seeing a bigger footfall than usual. One BBC Report says ‘canal boat residents say they might as well be living “in the middle of Tesco” because towpaths remain open making social-distancing impossible.’

The EA are advising little boat movement currently. They cannot yet identify and deal with buoys, that have moved during the strong stream conditions, or deal with fallen trees.

The short waterways season will be late starting. When the restrictions are lifted there may not be as many boats about because a lot of people (including those from overseas) have cancelled their holidays.

The EA have also suspended fishing at lock and weir sites until further notice.

Our walk took us away from the Thames towards Swift Ditch Lock, the first pound lock on the Thames. For 50 years up to 1790 it was the main navigation channel. The overgrown lock walls can be seen beside a footpath that goes to Clifton Hampden – a ten mile circular walk.