Fazeley and an excursion by car

Wed 31^st Aug  (continued) Fazeley to Aylesbury by car

Our mooring in Fazeley was very close to the Enterprise car hire base. We gathered a few belongings, and walked to Enterprise, where we had booked a car. We had hoped for a Qashqai, but were allocated a Duster. We asked if it had cruise control, and were told no. James pointed to what looked like cruise control buttons, and was told this was a speed limiter. When we got going, we discovered that these buttons were, in fact, for cruise control after all. There was a really annoying feature with a warning system for speed cameras. A loud ping sounded when the camera was 500yds away. Then another at 250yds, and again at 100yds, and again at the camera itself. These are surely unnecessary if we are travelling within the speed limit. On the M42 there are cameras on almost every gantry, and this pinging was incessant and dangerously distracting. We tried to disable this facility according to the user manual, but were unable to work it out.

We drove to Aylesbury, and joined our Canal Ministries Zoom a bit late. Chinese takeaway for dinner.

Thu 1^st Sep   Aylesbury to Weybridge and back by car. Boat still in Fazeley

We set off by car, pausing for breakfast at the Chiltern View Garden Centre. We had no fresh food in the apartment.

We arrived at our Weybridge House mid-morning, and the agents were just completing the checkout. Elena, our tenant was also there, and there were emotional goodbyes. She and her husband Ali have been excellent tenants, and have looked after the place very well.

We took some stuff down from the loft, and gave some things to a neighbour, some to Oxfam, and left a few things for our son Greg.

We called in to sign some documents at our solicitors in Walton, and had a drink at the Swan in Walton, overlooking the Thames. No boats went past at all while we were there.

We drove back, following our satnav, which took us round Heathrow and onto the M4, M25 and A41. Although we passed our local recycling centre, it is closed on Thursdays.

Fish and chips this evening.

No boating today

Fri 2^nd Aug  Aylesbury to Fazeley by car.

James collected some fresh croissants for breakfast from Lidl, and then we took a lot of stuff to the dump. Most of it went to the re-use area. Christmas trees, wine making kit, etc

Then a quick visit to the recreation park in Aston Clinton, to explore and pass some time, before going back to Lidl to buy some bread, which hadn’t been available earlier.

Then a visit to the butchers in Parton Road, before spending an hour in our church café More+. It was great to see Roger and Jo, and a few other people we knew.

Back on the road again, we followed the A5 back to Fazeley. We called in at Sainsbury’s for bagels and some other bits, before returning the car, and walking back to the boat.

No pics for any of this, as it is not really very exciting.

Next: a side trip to visit Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve, before returning to Fazeley for the weekend.