Re: Freeman Forum - Thames meet

[Stephen]

Well actually its my impression that people do, and I've been past several times over several years, observed the rings and that its a pub!, been deterred, and had to hunt for somewhere else. That means once you've secured your boat on the other bank (if room on the end) and got the dog emptied, you tend to walk past the Boat House hoping to find something nicer/audibly quieter!
It's my idea of an ideal mooring. I mentioned it to the manager last year re the No Mooring. I understood him to say the brewers weren't really interested, or in much else either. Pity. If you know people there perhaps you could get the sign scrubbed off and all of it reserved for Freemans specially. Result!!

[Admin]

I believe that Wallingford council are looking into ways to use those moorings. They already collect for the moorings on that side of the river

[Stephen]

At £8 per 24hrs or shorter? No wonder a Council would be interested! Thats the rate at Maidenhead downwards. Even on the Brocas bank at Eton, now renamed 'Windsor Castle Moorings' and apparantly now administered by the Council and not the College and jumped up from £4 this season. That's another £56 on top of fuel, and beer, you may need to allow for a weeks boating on the Thames ...
But we were talking about the mooring potential at the privately owned Boat House pub, Wallingford, completely wasted it appears. Any hope?

[Admin]

I was referring to the moorings at the boat house.

It's a fiver for the moorings on that side, but you get nothing for that other than the space. The other side of the river, you get to use the toilets and showers at the campsite if you wish and get a discount on the pool, but its still a fiver

[Stephen]

At the Boat House itself despite the No Mooring sign, or just along the bank on that side, quite a high bank initially like an old quay? I didn't know about the fringe benefits on the other side, so thanks for the info. Wallingford gets better and better, plus I found a super little pub down a side street on the left going up the hill.
For a fiver at the Boat House, not refundable against purchases say, I'd feel free to 'park' and toddle up to that nice Waitrose except nowhere to moor the dog at Waitrose.
Off topic but local; going upstream there's an electric launch moored to the right outside what might be a laboratory. What's that about? Looks unused superfluous and probably taxpayer-funded on somebody's whim a few years back!

[Stephen]

Today needed to meet holidaymaking friends with their narrowboat at Wallingford. I phoned pub to be assured mooring IS welcome! I came by car, squeezed into the small car park (late afternoon) and instantly felt a change of atmosphere from previously. It is indeed under new ownership, had several real ales including a very acceptable house ale. Busy with meals. It was a fleeting visit but this year I'd say give it a try. Dog friendly. Completely different and a pleasant surprise.

Nothing to do with the pub, but transpired when my friends arrived Wallingford earlier in the day there was one space left at the up-River end of the public mooring, but as they manoevred in they were abused by a fisherman with all the kit sitting at the very end. My friends tried to turn it around into pleasantries, but the 40 yer old became enraged and threatened to "torch" their boat if they remained. Other boaters heard it all. My friends felt intimidated and actually threatened. Not the usual welcome I feel sure. If someone throws paint stripper during the night - that's the risk now and even though the miscreant has been identified to the police it would be impossible to pin such a thing on him unless he's spotted. Its not the point anyway; their holiday would be spoilt entirely.

[Prof Pat Pending]

WOW, whilst I appreciate that fishermen have as much right to the river as we do, what did he expect whilst fishing on a mooring  Its not like the aren't plenty of good fishing spots from the next tree right up to Benson lock

[Prof Pat Pending]

Which side of the river was this Stephen 

[Stephen]

On the pub side, the Town-managed mooring. I managed to speak to the Town Clerk yesterday and wised her up, and it was agreed that threatening behaviour is a police matter. Actually the police did attend but only after the chap had given up fishing for the day and taken himself off the short distance to a doorway on the High Street. At first this morning I was alarmed that I could not reach my friends' phones (partly because they have my dog on board as a big favour to me) but I now know it was because they were under way having departed Wallingford early rather than face more unpleasantries. Sad, isn't it.

[Prof Pat Pending]

Very

[Stephen]

Remembered I have this evidence of other hospitality. Must be unique on the Thames, now, where every night unless you moor in an isolated spot the farmer cant reach expect to pay £8-10, "cash only".
Its nice to be nice, and good for business. Well done, Abingdon.

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[sneddie]

A refreshing change indeed as they could do very nicely out of mooring fees if so inclined.  Unfortunately there are a few boat owners, live aboards, who do take advantage of this! They just move from one spot to another the other side of the bridge and back again. There is one boat which has been on the Abingdon town moorings for two years now but if no one on the local council is fussed it will continue. Interestingly the EA have tightened up all of the  moorings under their jurisdiction on the Thames with new signage stipulating free first 24 hours then £5 per night for max of 3 nights total. Owners must log in with the nearest lock keeper. I think at last they are trying to clamp down on the live aboards and dosers who have taken over so many moorings lately eg outside Tesco in Reading.

[Stephen]

Its verging off-topic but if anyone wants a nice day out with a riverside and boats let me say I arrived in the car park expecting to be stung for staying even a little while to discover first two hours free. Puts me in a best possible humour from the start! Enterprising Abingdon! And on the run home couldn't resist turning into the olde-worlde Lamb at Little Milton. What a stunning little pub with manicured cottage garden, Britain at its best for me. A beer festival next weekend but too far from home re drink & drive. I need to get one of those new Google cars or teach the dog.

[Prof Pat Pending]

8 boats registered for the Thames meet this year....an improvement on last year, but a long way to go to match the very social mob on the broads (even if the numbers have been boosted by a couple of Thames boats  )

A nice mix of boats though F22, F23, F24, F25, F26 and at least one F32, possibly two  

Plenty of room for more.

[sneddie]

Great news, I am mentioning it to every Freeman owner and other types that I end up chatting to when we are out and about. Promises to be a good time.

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