All change at Banbury.

All plans out of the window, our son is flying in from Tenerife on the first of Octber. Not seen him for two years so we have to pick him up from Stansted and transport him to Plymouth. This means we need to leave the boat and it has to be somewhere secure. Now booked into Wigrams Turn Marina so we are going to wind and set off back up the Oxford, autumn trip to the Thames now cancelled. Car booked, blasted kids, they get no less awkward once they've flown the nest.
We've moved from the town centre down to Tramway and raided Morrisons, so it's off north tomorrow.

Ye Olde Reine Deer, the oldest pub in Banbury, we lunched there on Monday, bubble and squeak with ham, egg and baked beans, 'twas 'andsome, proper English vittles.(That's actually spelt victuals but no one ever knows how to pronounce it).

These are the inscriptions on the gates to the back yard, 1570 was the year the building became a pub. Bit of provenance there then.

Banbury Cross, as in the nursery rhyme, "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross". It's actually a 19thC. replacement, the original having been destroyed by puritans in 1600 as a blasphemous image. They didn't approve of beer, cakes or Christmas either, right boring bunch.

This is the statue to the "Fine lady on a white horse", she appears to be checking that her under arm deodorant is working.

By the gate of the municipal cemetery, do you get a candle atop your tombstone?
Finally, if you are ever in Banbury seek out a restaurant called "Quisine", it's just opposite The Beer Tree pub. We had a meal there last night, everything was individually cooked by the ex chef de cuisine of the Q.E.2. You don't get a menu, he serves you a meal. We had four starters, two main courses and four desserts! It was of surpassing excellence and the owner/chef is a star. We will eat there again. Should mention that you have to book in advance.

Watch this space.............