Pangbourne

Mike had told us about this lovely little village "Just down the road from the locks" so after having a bit of a tour around the locks we thought we'd take a brief stroll down to Pangbourne, he had said "Just follow the river" and so that's what we did...

3 hours later, there it was, Pangbourne. By this time, it had started to rain a little, so it was quite restful to find a local, sit down and have a quiet beer.

If we hadn't stopped for a beer, then we wouldn't have missed the last bus back to Purley on Thames. It's funny how the way back from somewhere is ALWAYS uphill...and raining!

But at the top of the hill, there it was, something for Annie to hang onto.

The Locks on the Thames

Just up the road from where Mike and Anne live there are set of locks

Mike and Annie

This is Mike and Annie in the back yard, on a sunny, warm afternoon in May, this was an especially

nice day, as Mike had introduced us to a couple of fine English beers, and a cider or two as well. We couldn't very well refuse now, could we!

more of the family

Mike and Anne also have a son, Mark is his name. the girls tell me that he's a goodlookin sonof a gun, can't see it meself though. this picture was taken in the family's back yard, and a very nice one too it is.

Le Doves

Just so's ya know, you need to go to the bottom to see all of the pics in the order they were added to the blog, K? It's a bit like reading a book, you really should start at the beginning eh!

Mike has doves, white ones, they live in his and Annes back garden, they have their own house and are a loving lot, 'cep' when they decide to visit other doves in other places, then they're gone for awhile, little buggers they are, but pretty...very pretty!

Our hosts and dear friends, Anne and Mike

Just about 2 hours west of Heathrow, about 2 hours, is the town of Reading. We took the bus from the airport to Reading, were we were met by Mike in his Mercedes, and driven to their beoutiful home in a small village called,"Purley on Thames".Their house is located about half a block from the Thames River, just down from the Locks

over the Thames

Although because of the delay we landed at Heathrow over a 1/2 hour late, it did give us an oppurtunity to take some great sgots over london.

That's the Thames River down below, bridges and all!

Next!

Over London!!

we were held over London and had to do circles because of the storm we ran into

The Beginning

So here we go!

This is were it all started, the Bon Voyage party in the Maple Ridge Legion the weekend before we left. (was it really last April?)

In the beginning