Monday 6 June 2016

The End

 

IMG_5008We pulled pins at 08.00 from our mooring and just managed to catch a picture of this chap before he flew off.

IMG_5091Passing through Guidford and we saw this fine looking boatman practicing his rope skills. Its something we need to do for all the rather large locks on The River Thames where we have to put our ropes around the bollards forward and aft. Thats OK when you are dropping down a lock but when you are going up and the bollard is several feet above your head you then need to do a bit of lasooing.

IMG_5105Well here we are after a wet cruise at the end of The River Wey navigation. I must admit the mooring situation again here was a bit disapointing and luckily there were no other visiting boats otherwise I think there could have been a problem.

IMG_5103Anyway what the moorings lacked the town certainly made up for. A most charming little town and it seems a very good place to live. Godalming is regarded as an expensive residential town, partly due to its visual appeal, favourable transport links and high proportion of private housing. In recent years it has been ranked the UK's third most desirable property hotspot, voted the fourth best area of the UK in which to live and judged in 2013, under Waverley, to have the highest quality of life in Great Britain

IMG_5101You will never guess what we found in Godalming ??? That’s right a Wetherspoons ,but not just any old spoons . It’s The Jack Phillips and Curly thinks he is our ancestor. John George Phillips,who was nicknamed Jack gained posthumous fame as the man who tried to save the Titanicand all those on board. As the ship's Chief Wireless Operator, he valiantly transmitted pleas for help until the ship lost power and sank. Reputed to have made it to an upturned lifeboat, he died in the tragedy and his body was never recovered. A memorial to him, built in his home town in 1914, was erected on the site of the old village animal pound. 'Jack Phillips' was born in Farncome near Godalming, on 11 April 1887.

Tomorrow we pull pins again and head back down The River Wey and on to The Thames where we will spend the next few weeks. So far there is nothing set in stone as to where and how fast we cruise.

                                                                                                Happy Days

1 comment:

  1. that was a good blog it was really great that we found our family member at last I think it was great that we found a WETHER spoons with are surname JACK PHILLIPS we had a great meal there grandad granny said that the blog was good as usual

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