Claydon (80th birthday celebrations)



The bank holiday weekend promised to be hot and dry which was ideal for Ann, Karen’s mum, as her friends and family were getting together to celebrate her 80th birthday.  Ann treated us all to a good old traditional English afternoon tea at Hartwell House, a National Trust property, outside Aylesbury.

Ann being presented with a birthday cake

As it was such a hot day it was a welcome relief to be inside a stately home with high ceilings.  Ann did us proud and we had a walk around the grounds afterwards to help the food go down – we had all overeaten of course 😉

With her daughters, Heather and Karen

When we got home on Tuesday we decided to move up to the top of the Claydon flight of locks.  We still think it would be foolish to lock up on my own as my back is still not completely recovered.  As there is an 11-mile lock-free pound until we start heading downhill again at Napton I can now move on during the week on my own if the fancy takes me.

Going into Claydon top lock

Moored above Claydon top lock

The weather had broken by the end of the weekend as you can see from the grey clouds and rain in the pictures above, but we were fortunate it had been warm and sunny for Ann’s birthday.  

We are having a weekend in the Lake District soon, to walk up Scafell Pike with Steve and Lauren and I really hope my back is fine for that.  I need to get back to walking at least seven miles a day this week, without problems, otherwise we shall have to have a rethink.





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