Narrow Boats and Cups of Tea

Social media can really be a useful tool. Where as years ago if I was to travel to a foreign country and not know anyone, I would have to search out people and meet them the old fashioned way. Face to face. But really who want's that sort of thing anymore. Sarcasm aside, I have had the good fortune to connect with people in my program via Facebook. So when I reached out to them on Friday to see if anyone wanted to get a cup of coffee or something before the program actually starts, one woman replied with an invitation of her own. She is originally from Oxford and lives on a Narrow Boat and as such was making her way down the Thames to London, a process that can take around a week to complete. So because of this fact she decided to invite me to pop on the boat for a bit, which of course I leapt at the opportunity. So on Saturday morning I found myself on a train to Maidenhead to meet this new friend. Kate is a middle-aged woman who has recently decided to get a masters in writing having been made redundant a couple of years ago (an all too common sign of the times, I'm afraid). She has actually produced a few things already, even taking her show to Edinburgh this year. She and her friend, Heather, were so welcoming, making sure I was comfortable, warm, and made some lovely soup and tea to enjoy along the way. 

We eventually got to stop off at Windsor and "played tourists" as Kate put it. Although we didn't do a whole lot with the Castle as the queue was very long (expected I guess for late afternoon on a Saturday), but we did run into a little show from a few groups of Morris Dancers. 

 According to Wikipedia:

 "Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. " x

 It was amazing to see some of the groups accuracy and enthusiasm with these dances. 

We ventured down the river a little ways and then attempted to moor so that I could get out and find the rail station and make my way back to London. Unfortunately for us, the Thames has a bottom and we found it. After freeing ourselves we went back up river to Windsor where there were plenty of spots for me to hop off (not before taking the tiller myself!) and eventually finding the station and heading back to London. 

Unfortunately for me, every year I come to London I catch a cold. And this year was no different. So for the past two days I've been drinking copious amounts of tea and taking some cold meds that make me really dizzy sometimes. But at least it's a good way to catch up with the time change, I suppose (and a good excuese to watch the series premier of Downton Abbey, which was on last night). So for now I'll pour myself another "cuppa", continue with my marathon of "Sherlock", then eventually go to bed. 

That's all for now dear friends, hopefully I'll be well enough to catch "Othello" at the National with Rory Kinnear before it closes.