Storm in a teacup on the Heath

My sister Vanessa, aka London Dreamtime, ran a women-only true stories evening on the Heath on Saturday in conjunction with Storm in a Teacup.
Eight women told the most fascinating and moving true stories. One woman told about how she met "The Oracle" - a gravel-voiced belly dancer - in an Israeli desert; and another told about how she met her birth mother for the first time.

We congregated in a shelter, because of the rain that had been forecast

Electric dad

I've been having problems with my batteries, which admittedly are rather old. To cut a long story short, my dad made me a panel with a volt meter and switch, and a cigarette charger plug socket and switch. So now I can check the charge on either battery, and charge either battery with a charger (when I'm not charging it with the engine).
It made a huge difference to confident we felt going on our trip two weekends ago. Here's a picture. He made the panel out of a piece of sheet aluminium. Thanks Dad!

To Windsor and back

It took 3 days to get to Windsor from Hambleden and back again. We were so lucky that it rained heavily but only at night!

We moored at Cookham the first night and visited the tiny but interesting Stanley Spencer gallery. Only when we walked out did I realise that we are both Art Fund members and could have saved the £5 entry fee...

We filled up with diesel (well, put £80s worth in - god knows how much it costs to actually fill up), arriving in Windsor at about 5pm.

Windsor is very strange place - completely rammed full of stereotypical foreign tourists. We were too late to go into the castle, but just walking around the outside makes you realise how HUGE it is. And it's only one of the Queen's palaces. That woman has some money!

The back entrance to the palace.

Over the other side of the bridge is Eton. It's almost exactly like the old bits of Oxford or Cambridge, ensuring a smooth transition for their pupils no doubt. The high street was lined with gentleman's outfitters and even the high st bank was Coutts. I believe you need £1m liquid to open an account with them.
One of the most spectacular parts of the river is when it passes through Cliveden - famous for its role in the Profumo affair. Beech trees line the steep banks and the golden tower of the building peeps through.

About an hour from Hambleden is Marlow. Although it's a small town it has an impressive suspension bridge.

Jane Preger's paintings

A close family friend died recently. She was a painter, and her friends were lucky enough to be able to choose some of her works to keep. We had these two framed, and we hung them this afternoon.