Email: Polite and friendly

I accept that some experiences of hire boats leave others less than impressed but we are currently on the southern Oxford, just below Banbury.

In wet and windy conditions we arrived at one lock with one boat not long out from the base at Lower Heyford and another arriving just behind us.

Although there was quite a crowd at the lock everyone was enjoying themselves, was polite, friendly and able to enrich our day with interesting chat as everyone waited patiently for the lock to fill or empty.

Although they both had inexperienced people aboard they were trying hard to learn whenever and from whoever possible. Windy days are never the best of times to learn how to steer through narrow spaces especially where CaRT have yet to cut back on the vegetation (actually there has been a lot done on this stretch just recently,judging by the piles of freshly cut branches but it really does need doing).

I know from your correspondents that we were extremely lucky but sometimes and someone just has to be!

Mike Todd