Prison and Castle.

Still moored above Osney lock.

Yesterday with Tracey coming up from London for the weekend her and Dot decided to go to Oxford Castle for a look see. The old prison has been used for such TV series as Inspector Morse, and Bad girls and the film The Italian Job.

The main block is now a hotel which even has the original cells that you can experience if you so wish.

As I had finished the painting late yesterday evening I was anxious to check out the roof this morning. Unfortunately the last section I did got a bit of bloom from the evening damp air. It was only a small patch but I sanded down the whole panel and repainted it. Hopefully it will come out OK.

Smart new paint job looking from the bow

It’s unbelievable that people are still navigating on the river even though the red boards are still up. Today there have been 3 people, old enough to know better, in Canadian canoes going down river and a narrowboat came up through Osney lock having already been through 2 locks on red boards. The latter was persuaded to moor up.

Roof looking from the stern,

now hopefully cooler with the grey rather than midnight blue

There is a relieving lock keeper here at Osney as Ray is now on leave. He has been changing the sluices around and has now re-opened 3 gates near the lock and closed the sluice round by the old prison. This has bought the water level up and slowed the flow down slightly. We will have to wait to see what effect it has in 24 hours time