Thanks to Michael for these pictures. Michael gave us the pictures of A Plague of Caterpillars . He has another good one here.

Not quite Abingdon but they were on their way there. These are pictures of Her Majesty’s Swan Uppers on the final leg of their journey up the Thames to Abingdon on Friday afternoon (24th).

When they arrived at Culham Lock it had a mechanical failure and the gates could not be opened.

Comments heard from the boatmen included: “They couldn’t have invented this in a million years” and “I do this every year but I’ve never been here before“.

They had to take their boats round the old course of the River Thames and haul them up beside a weir at Sutton Courtenay to the upper channel level.

This now explains why, when they did arrive at Abingdon Bridge to toast the queen, they were using make-believe glasses.

( You may be able to see me in this picture. )