Its hard to believe that it is going to get even hotter. Today felt like a scorcher. There were flying ants swarming out of the pavement cracks near our front door.

This is what the sky looked like at one point, but mostly it was just blue.

One of the reasons given for re-opening the outdoor pool was to give people somewhere safe to swim rather than the River Thames. There were quite a few people in the Thames today – having jumped off the bridge.

Salter Steamers operate many boats up and down the river. There are the scheduled services between Abingdon and Oxford, and Abingdon and Wallingford. There are also boats hired for parties.

On board this boat a piano played sultry jazz, and the conversation had a refined hum.

It is just coming into Sandford Lock, four miles upstream from Abingdon, on the way to Oxford.