For the next stage of my walking challenge I really wanted to get as far as Staines; that would be 22 miles of river covered, though in reality it would undoubtedly mean further than that to walk – it always does! For a walk of this distance it would be no good getting an off-peak train to Marlow because I wouldn’t even get there before midday. On top of this the train drivers were working to rule and refusing to do overtime, meaning trains could be cancelled at very short notice. So, even though I didn’t want to have to drive I decided this would be the best thing to do. The weather people had promised me a day of sunny intervals and it certainly started that way. I got up at 05:45 and by 06:15 I was on the road. I got to Bourne End station just after 08:00 and parked my car right outside the station. Why didn’t I drive to Marlow station? Answer – Marlow station doesn’t have a car park. It’s about ½ mile to the car parks in town. Psychologically, after reaching my end point today my legs would be tired, I’d be hungry and I would want to get home as quickly as possible. Bourne End station comes before Marlow, so I could get off the train here and jump straight into my car – no ½ mile walk! So, I got the 08:14 train to Marlow and fresh as a daisy walked from the station to the river. I then headed off back in the direction of Bourne End and reached the marina there by 09:15. From Bourne End, the path continues a short distance to Bourne End Railway Bridge. A footbridge was bolted onto the side of it in 1992 in order to take the future Thames Path across the river. The footbridge replaced the Spade Oak Ferry which crossed about ½ mile back upstream. The Thames Path was formally opened in 1996. I crossed the bridge and continued my walk towards Cookham Bridge. On the opposite side of the river was Riversdale, a private estate of seriously expensive looking houses. Jealous? Me? You bet! At Cookham Bridge the Thames Path was forced to leave the river for about a mile, initially taking to the streets of Cookham and then along a path in a small wooded area. I emerged into bright sunlight with the Cliveden Estate opposite me. The path between here and Boulter’s Lock hugs the riverbank. With all the trees in full leaf you’re under a canopy with the sun shining through it – amazing on a day like this. I got to Boulter’s Lock by 10:30 and decided to take a short break at the café. After coffee and a flapjack I was ready for the off again and soon reached Maidenhead Bridge. The path crossed the bridge and then continued towards Brunel’s Maidenhead Railway Bridge AKA The Sounding Arch due to the echo you can hear when you stand underneath it. The bridge has a plaque advising that the brick arches are the widest and flattest in the world. After walking along a private road the path continued alongside the river with views across it towards some fabulous houses in Bray. Bray Lock came up next. I couldn’t help but notice it was looking more colourful than I’d ever seen it before. Then I noticed a small sign advising that the Environment Agency was working in partnership with Squires Garden Centres. That explained it! The huge bridge carrying the M4 came up next. ½ mile after this came Summerleaze Bridge AKA The Cut Footbridge. The bridge is now a footbridge linking Dorney with Bray. It was originally built as a gravel conveyor belt to take gravel from the construction of nearby Dorney Lake. Summerleaze Ltd were one of the lead partners in the construction of the lake. Rather than clog up the village of Dorney with loads of lorries carrying the excavated gravel away, it was carried across the river to the company’s plant in Bray. Just past Summerleaze Bridge is a footpath to the left that takes you to Dorney. When it’s open to the public (free), there is also an entrance to Dorney Lake. The lake is owned by Eton College and was used for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 when it was referred to as Eaton Dorney. The lake runs roughly parallel to the river but is hidden from view by trees. I knew the site would be closed to mere mortals until September, so I got a sneaky drone photo or two of the lake. At 2.2km in length, walking round the lake is an enjoyable little walk in its own right. After walking on the path in a canopy of trees for the length of Dorney Lake, the river took a 90 degree turn to the left in the direction of Eton. Soon I reached Boveney Lock which had had the ‘Squires Garden Centres’ treatment but still managed to look a little scruffy I thought! Despite my misgivings, as it was about 1:15 I stopped to eat my sandwich and have a bit of a rest. After lunch I set off again towards Eton, just over a mile away. The Brocas is a large grass meadow on the Eton side of the river. You get a great view of Windsor Castle & St George’s Chapel from here. It’s a very popular spot for people relaxing and having picnics etc. It’s also a popular site for mooring boats. I reached The Brocas about 2 o’clock. I’d completed 14 miles and still had plenty of stamina to continue. So, after topping up my water bottles in Eton, I crossed over the bridge to Windsor and headed off along the Thames Path in the direction of Romney Lock. After the lock, the path continued through Home Park Public alongside the river before being forced off at Victoria Bridge where it crossed the river. The whole of Home Park belongs to the Crown Estate but Queen Victoria gave 30 hectares of it to the people of Windsor for recreation purposes. Beyond Victoria Bridge as far as the next bridge (Albert Bridge), the land is also owned by the Crown Estate and is strictly private. The King & Camilla Parker-Bowles want us trapsing over as little of their land as possible! Prince William & Kate live in Adelaide Cottage. Princess Eugenie & her husband now live in Frogmore Cottage, after Harry & Meghan were evicted. Both of these properties lie in this private area of Home Park. Obviously, I use the term ‘Cottage’ extremely loosely!! Anyway, back to Victoria Bridge. After crossing it to the common people’s side of the river and walking along a path with tall vegetation on both sides I emerged onto the streets of Datchet, a very attractive village. After about ¾ mile the Thames Path took a right back down to the river again and almost immediately reached Albert Bridge. The path crossed the bridge and very soon entered a cut leading to Old Windsor Lock. The cut takes out a sizeable meander of the river and when it was dug it created Ham Island. There are 37 private houses on Ham Island today. Another ¾ mile and I arrived at Runnymede by the Bells of Ouzeley pub. I’d been up since 05:45, it was 16:10 and I had 3 miles to go to reach Staines Bridge. My foot was aching a bit and I was sorely tempted to call in for a pint and stop for the day. However, that would mean I’d have to get back here to start the next stage – not the easiest. So, I carried on and instead stopped at the National Trust tea room at the Magna Carta site where I had coffee and cake. The sky was getting rather dark now and I was certain it was going to rain but thankfully it held off. I rushed to the Magna Carta Monument and took the mandatory photos before making my way back across Runnymede Pleasure Ground to the river. Very soon after Bell Weir Lock came the 2 massive road bridges carrying the M25 and A30 but collectively known as Runnymede Bridge. These bridges carry 14 lanes of traffic. After passing under the bridges I was now inside the M25 ring. Less than 1 mile further on and about 17:45 I reached Staines Bridge in the county of Surrey! Phew! What a walk. Now came the small matter of getting back to my car at Bourne End station. I really don’t like Staines-upon-Thames, mainly because its railway station is nearly ¾ mile from Staines Bridge. I really hate the walk to get there. In any case, getting a train from there would result in a quite convoluted journey. I wanted to walk as few steps as possible, so crossed the bridge and went to the nearest bus stop. After 15 minutes a bus came that would take me to Slough station. This gave me the best part of an hour of sitting down to recover. However, once I got off the bus both my legs were almost seized and I hobbled into the station. The rest of the journey was quick and easy – Elizabeth Line to Maidenhead and then the Marlow Donkey train to Bourne End, where thanks to my forward planning this morning, I was able to virtually pour myself from the train straight into my car. After stopping at my local McDonalds for a wonderfully nutritious and healthy meal I think I got home about 10 o’clock. I’d covered 22 miles of the Thames today but my FitBit said I’d walked almost 25 miles. At the end of Stage 8 I’d now walked 133 miles of the river, so 99 miles to go to reach the sea at Grain in 6 stages – easy!!

After a couple of days off, I was ready to set off again. Reading is easy to get to by train from where I live in Northamptonshire – even more so since the full opening of the Elizabeth line last year. The only thing is that on a weekday I can only get an off-peak ticket after 09:00. So, with the trains running to timetable I arrived at Reading station by 11:15. My optimistic hope for today was to reach Bourne End. It was pretty overcast but at least it was dry. I reached Sonning Bridge, about 3 miles away, by 12:15. When I walked the Thames Path last year, I couldn’t help but notice what looked like the front of a red letterbox that someone had attached to a buttress between 2 arches of the bridge. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing! After Googling this when I got home I learned that this was the latest prank of an artist going by the name of Impro. Previous pranks included a black door with a letterbox, knocker and keyhole resembling those of 10 Downing Street and an old-fashioned dial telephone attached to the bridge, above which was a sign which read “Emergency Flood Line”. In view of the above I was keen to find out what I’d discover attached to the bridge this year. It was a urinal! With all the current publicity against Thames Water and the amount of raw sewage being pumped into rivers I shouldn’t have been too surprised at this. What did surprise me was the response to a tweet I posted on Twitter (or rather ‘X’ as Elon Musk has decided it should now be known as). As I write this, my tweet has been viewed almost 96,000 times. I suspect this is all down to a certain Mr F Sharkey who commented on it. Feargal Sharkey is a singer who was a member of The Undertones (My Perfect Cousin, Here Comes The Summer, Jimmy Jimmy) in the 1970s/80s and went on to have a successful solo career (A Good Heart). He has subsequently become a figurehead for the campaign to prevent water companies dumping untreated sewage into UK waterways and coasts. The Thames Path crossed Sonning Bridge and in so doing I crossed from Berkshire back into Oxfordshire briefly. I continued along the original tow path towards Shiplake. Shiplake Lock is a pretty lock and I decided to eat my lunch sandwich there. A fellow walker, Maggie, had the same idea and we got talking. She too was walking the Thames Path but camping as she went; hence the large backpack she was carrying on her shoulders. With all the rotten weather we’d had in July I felt rather sorry for her. After eating my lunch and taking some drone photos I continued towards Henley. The official Thames Path takes you through Lower Shiplake but there is an alternative right of way that takes you alongside the river but adds over a mile to the walk. The right of way meets the Thames Path just before Shiplake Station. Had it been a lovely sunny day and I’d not been pressed for time I would probably have walked by the river but as it was still overcast, I decided to take the Thames Path and save a mile. Lower Shiplake & Shiplake have some stunning properties, many of which are hidden from public gaze by large wooden gates. The average property price in this area is £1.5 million! The final property in Shiplakethat the Thames Path passes before rejoining the river is Thames Side Court. This property was (or maybe still is) owned by Urs Schwarzenbach, a Swiss billionaire whose name crops up all over the place in this area. He also owns Culham Court, paying £10 million OVER the asking price in 2006 just to get hold of it. I would be passing this later today on the other side of Henley. Anyway, back to Thames Side Court. Mr Schwarzenbach had a model railway built in the grounds complete with a 100% accurate scale model of St Moritz station. Whilst you can’t see the house, you do get to see part of the railway and station. Back in the real world, I was soon alongside the river again on the final push into Henley. I was quickly faced with steel barriers blocking my way onto Marsh Lock Footbridge. Until May 2022 the Thames Path used this bridge as a means of getting onto the Marsh Lock island and off again. It really is a lovely bridge but due to safety concerns, the Environment Agency closed the Shiplake half of it meaning a detour would be required to reach Henley. The Schwarzenbach family quickly stepped in and provided what should have been a temporary detour over their land, even constructing a wooden bridge to enable walkers to cross a small stream. With no progress from the Environment Agency in getting the footbridge repaired however, the Schwarzenbach’s gave notice that the detour over their land would cease in April 2023. Thankfully a change of heart saved the day – for now at least. Walkers can still access the lock island from the Henley side of the footbridge. Before reaching the centre of Henley I walked past the River & Rowing Museum whose Rowing Gallery is now known as the Schwarzenbach International Rowing Gallery, thanks to a hefty donation from that man Urs! It was now almost 4 o’clock and Bourne End was another 12 miles away, including the ½ mile detour I knew I’d have to make at Temple. I didn’t want to leave things too late as I needed to get back to Northamptonshire and there was a rail strike the next day; sometimes services shut down early on the eve of a strike and I didn’t want to get stuck. With my foot starting to ache a bit I had a reality check and decided my target should be Marlow, just over 9 miles away. After crossing Henley Bridge I was now on my favourite section of the Thames Path, heading towards Marlow. Such a shame that there was so much cloud. Slowly but surely the river and meadows between Henley and Temple Island a mile downstream were returning to normal after the Henley Regatta 4 weeks earlier. Just before reaching Hambleden Lock I passed The Lockdown Lodge, a riverside pop-up bar and restaurant that opens for a few weeks around this time of year. For 2023 it is open until August 13th. I can thoroughly recommend stopping here although this year I carried on. After Hambleden Lock the path continued by the side of the river through a field of cows. At the end of the field, the path left the river and headed into Aston. The Flower Pot Hotel at Aston is decidedly quirky. The former landlord had put together Britain’s largest collection of cased fish along with a few stuffed birds and animals. Not to everyone’s taste it has to be said. I’d heard that he retired in September 2022 and he’d said that any that the incoming landlord didn’t want would be sold off at auction. As I’d not stopped at The Lockdown Lodge, I decided to have a sneaky pint here. The pub had been redecorated and the cased fish population substantially reduced. The garden was also much tidier and more inviting. With my eye on the clock, I quickly downed my pint. After Aston the Thames Path takes you for a walk through the Culham Court Estate which includes a Grade II listed mansion with the greenest grass you’ve ever seen and a huge deer park. Needless to say, our man Urs owns all this but it’s not clear if he actually lives in the mansion. I absolutely love this place. The views from the mansion towards the river must be amazing. At the end of the deer park, the Thames Path left the estate and once again I was back in the real world heading towards Hurley. At some point between Aston and here I left Oxfordshire again and was back in Berkshire. As I was getting tired now, it seemed like reaching Hurley Lock from the deer park had taken an eternity but it was only about 40 minutes. I knew that after the lock, Temple Bridge, that would ordinarily be the last bridge I would have to cross today, was less than half a mile away. Between the lock and the bridge, I passed a load of very impressive Dutch barges all moored up alongside the path. There was also a celebration of some sort going on in a nearby marquee. I assumed the barges and the celebration were connected. I crossed paths with a lady who was very impressed that I was taking photos with my drone. She advised me it was a UK rally of The Barge Association taking place that weekend. She was looking forward to the next day when she’d be able to go on board the assembled barges with a view to maybe buying one of her own. Temple Bridge is a beautiful footbridge crossing the river. It was specifically built for walkers in 1989 and was one of the final pieces of the jigsaw needed to create the Thames Path National Trail. After crossing the bridge, you would ordinarily then follow the tow path all the way into Marlow. I knew it had recently been closed on safety grounds and that a detour had been put in place to avoid the bridge. The detour takes you down lanes and then along the streets of Temple and Bisham before eventually reaching Marlow. The detour adds ½ mile to the walk and part of it is along an unlit road with no pavements and a double bend for good measure. Thankfully only 2 cars passed me on this road. I reached Marlow Bridge shortly before 19:30 on The Compleat Angler side of the river. The river here is the border between Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. After crossing Marlow Bridge into Buckinghamshire, I still had another ½ mile to walk to the railway station. The train service that runs on the Marlow branch line is known locally as "The Marlow Donkey". The pub of the same name is right by the station. I was tempted to have another sneaky pint but by now all I really wanted to do was to get home. 4 trains and almost 3 hours later I was back indoors. That was a long day! The official distance covered along the river today was 17.4 miles but my FitBit told me that in total I’d walked over 21 miles. Having completed 7 of my targeted 14 stages I’d now completed 111 miles of the Thames with 121 miles to go.

When I started this year's challenge in May, my left foot was already giving me a bit of grief. I wasn't that concerned and thought (hoped actually) I'd be able to quickly shake it off. I knew deep down though that I was probably only fooling myself. By the time I'd completed stage 4 at Abingdon and hobbled to the bus stop, I knew the game was up and I would have to seek attention for what I then thought was plantar fasciitis. After a month of visits to an osteopath, things weren't any better. Being really impatient I decided I'd try a podiatrist instead. This turned out to be a great decision! Samantha Civil, owner of Rushden Podiatry, diagnosed achilles tendinopathy as well as mild plantar fasciitis. She understood how desperate I was to get going again and came up with a detailed treatment plan for me. After sticking religiously to the exercises she'd prescribed for 4 weeks and feeling so down about having had to stop my challenge, I felt I had to get going again. I had no idea how far I'd be able to walk but my hope was that I'd be able to get to Wallingford at least, an official distance of 13.2 miles. I'd stayed overnight in Didcot and by 8 o'clock I'd parked my car in Abingdon, bought a sandwich for lunch and was ready for the off. I was wearing trainers rather than walking shoes as recommended by Samantha and I knew from the terrain that they would be fine. It was a sunny start to the day and it felt so good to be walking along the Thames Path again! Having said this, the first 5 miles of this walk aren't desperately interesting, especially as they include walking alongside 2 man-made cuts - Culham Cut and Clifton Cut. Both of these were excavated to make navigation for boats easier than following the natural course of the river. In the case of Culham Cut, this also meant the end of having to pay tolls. I reached Culham Lock and Sutton Bridge in good time and pain free. The single arch Sutton Bridge over Culham Cut is actually an extension to the main Sutton Bridge that spans the original navigation of the river. I took a wander to have a quick look at the main bridge. The original navigation is far prettier than the cut! 5 miles into the walk and I reached Clifton Lock looking the best I've ever seen it. To my mind this is the prettiest and best kept lock on the Thames. This is all down to the gardening skills and dedication of Curtis the lock keeper and his wife. It's rumoured that Curtis' dad was a big fan of a certain Mr Mayfield! I've been walking past this lock each year since 2020 and each time I've seen the gardens looking better than they did the year before. Curtis sells plants, ice creams and cold drinks and all profits go towards planting for the next year. He seems to have a perfect job - lucky chap! After leaving Clifton Lock I quickly came to Clifton Hampden Bridge. This bridge was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott who was a prolific architect who was influenced by the Gothic Revival style. He famously designed the Albert Memorial and the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station. This road bridge is unusual along the Thames in that it was built using red bricks. The Thames Path crosses the river here and continues towards Dorchester. Still pain-free, after crossing the bridge I continued alongside the river towards Day's Lock. This section has become much more interesting since the Earth Trust's 'River of Life II' project got underway as part of their Water and Wetlands programme. This has created new wetlands along the banks of the river, attracting fish, birds and mammals. All the way from Clifton Hampden to Day's Lock, the trees of Round Hill, 1 of the 2 hills that make up the Wittenham Clumps could be seen in the background getting ever nearer. The views from the top of The Clumps are quite spectacular; in fact my favourite view of the Thames is that seen from the The Clumps The next 2½ miles to Shillingford Bridge are always a little uninspiring because the river is obscured by trees in numerous places and also the path takes to the busy A4074 for about 700 yards. By the time I reached Shillingford Bridge my foot was definitely starting to ache a bit. At Shillingford Bridge I was given advance notification of a diversion at Benson, just over 1 mile ahead. This diversion is necessary following the closure of the walkway across Benson Weir in November 2022 on safety grounds. I was already aware of this and I was also aware of a new ferry service that started in May 2023 that I assume will continue for as long as it's needed. The ferry takes people from the marina at Benson across the river to Benson Lock. When I reached Benson I met up with Wendy, who amongst all the other things she manages to fit into her life, is a volunteer for the Thames Path National Trail. After it became clear earlier in the day that I'd at least be able to reach Benson, we arranged to meet at the Benson Waterfront Café - without doubt the best café along the Thames Path. For so many reasons it is understandably always busy and today was no exception. Wendy knows more about the Thames Path than anyone I've met. She also knows that my trademark refreshments at the Waterfront are a pint of San Miguel and a slice of raspberry ripple cake and ordered these without having to ask me! I'm just glad I hadn't already eaten the sandwich I'd bought for my lunch because that slice of cake was huge! I decided that I would make Wallingford the final destination for this stage of my challenge. Wallingford is about 1½ miles from Benson. Rather than take the diversionary route from Benson I was keen to take advantage of the ferry across to the lock which would then allow me to follow the Thames Path. Wendy had business in Wallingford that afternoon so we both took the ferry. The ferry is owned by a local vintage boat hire company based at Benson Marina. The owner bought the boat on eBay specifically for the purpose of using it to transport people across the river from the lock! Whilst the closure of the weir walkway is only meant to be temporary, in practice it could well extend beyond 2 years. A family of swans we passed by served as a reminder that the 3rd week of July is Swan Upping week - the time of the year when the annual census of the swan population between Sunbury-on-Thames and Abingdon takes place. The Swan Uppers would reach Benson on Friday morning and this family would then be 'upped'. I've written a post on my 2021 experience of Swan Upping that explains what it's all about and the people involved - https://www.mythames.co.uk/swanupping I walked the final 1½ miles with Wendy to Wallingford Bridge and then into the town centre before we went our separate ways. I got the bus back to Abingdon to pick up my car. Whilst the official distance covered along the Thames was 13.2 miles, as is always the case I had actually walked further than this. My FitBit said I'd covered over 15 miles. The bottom of my foot by my heel was aching - a classic symptom of plantar fasciitis but I didn't have the real pain I'd previously been experiencing and which caused me to call a halt in May. The next morning (Tuesday), the tops of my legs were a little stiff which is hardly surprising after having done very little walking in the last 2 months. I felt really pleased that I hadn't made matters worse which I suspected would have incurred the wrath of Samantha the podiatrist! As mentioned above, this was Swan Upping week. I'd stayed over on Monday night and I'd also booked a room for Tuesday night so that I could follow the Swan Uppers for a couple of days. I walked a further 10 miles on Tuesday and 6 miles on Wednesday with no real ill effects. I decided however that I shouldn't overdo things and will wait a few more days before embarking on Stage 6 of my challenge. In the meantime, Samantha has supplied me with custom orthotics that should certainly help with my full recovery.

Monday had finished with me enjoying a pint at Ye Olde Swan at Radcot, getting a cab to Faringdon, a bus to Swindon and a drive back to Faringdon to spend a night at the Travelodge. Pretty mad I know but it had been thought through. Being almost brand new, the Faringdon Travelodge is eminently nicer than Swindon, it's cheaper to stay in and car parking is free; as an OAP these things are important!! Most importantly, staying in Faringdon also meant I could get an early start to today's walk. After my 3rd cooked breakfast in as many days I drove to the centre of Faringdon, parked my car and called my friends at Faringdon Cars for a cab. 15 minutes later I was back at Radcot Bridge. The aim today was to get to Swinford Bridge because there is a bus stop there with a regular service into Oxford and from Oxford there is an equally regular service out to Faringdon. After about half an of walking I decided it was drone time again to demonstrate how the river was slowly meandering its way towards Oxford. About 10 minutes later I was walking across a field of cows when I saw a fellow Thames Path walker approaching from the opposite direction. I knew this was Keld who I'd been following on Twitter. We'd worked out that we'd cross paths that morning. As we were talking, the cows wanted to join the party and pretty soon they'd formed a circle around us. It was hilarious. At Rushey Lock I noticed that since I was last here a year earlier, the topiary toad (or is it a frog?) was sporting a rather natty crown on its head. Tadpole Bridge came up next. It was a little early to stop for a lunchtime pint at The Trout Half an hour later the path entered Chimney Meadows - the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust's largest nature reserve in Oxfordshire. https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chimney-meadows The reserve is so peaceful and tranquil. Shifford Lock Cut was excavated to cut out a section of the main course of the river. It is almost straight and about 1 mile long. The excavation created an island bounded by the cut and the original course. The Thames Path follows the cut and about half way along crosses onto this island over a wooden footbridge, imaginatively called the Shifford Cut Footbridge. At the end of the cut the Thames Path crosses to the south bank of the river over a short, simple footbridge. Another 2.5 miles after crossing to the south bank of the river I finally arrived at Newbridge. Newbridge is the name of the bridge here and it's in the middle of nowhere. It's also an odd name, as whilst it was obviously new when it was built in the 14th century it's the 2nd oldest bridge along the Thames. The bridge carries the Abingdon to Witney road. Considering its location it's surprising that there are 2 pubs here at either end of the bridge and a bus service. The Maybush is on the south bank and the Rose Revived is on the north bank. I've visited both in the past and the Rose Revived wins hands down in my opinion. Anyway, it was 13:45 and I was feeling more than a little peckish and thirsty. I crossed the bridge to the Rose Revived and ordered a pint and a packet of crisps. Sitting at a table by the river I consumed these whilst surreptitiously eating my shop-bought sandwich. The section of the Thames Path between Newbridge and Bablock Hythe is probably the most remote. It is getting on for 4 miles of meadows, mostly carpeted with buttercups. Up to this point cows had been my company but suddenly it was sheep - lots and lots of sheep and lambs. All very pleasant. Bablock Hythe is a small hamlet which appears to consist of a pub and a very large caravan park. At one time there was a ferry here (hence why the pub is called the Ferryman) and the towpath continued on the opposite bank of the river. The ferry service stopped in the early 2000s. The Thames Path leaves the river here and for the next 2 miles continues along country roads and fields full of sheep. As I was walking along the road by the caravan park I caught up with a couple of ladies who were clearly fellow walkers. As you do, I exchanged pleasantries with them and as things turned out, walked with them all the way to Pinkhill Lock where they were leaving to meet their husbands at Farmoor Reservoir. Anyway, they noticed the logo on my t-shirt and generously gave me £20 for my charity. So, thank you very much Sue and Fiona. Sue, had just completed her own challenge raising money for Autism Family Support Oxfordshire, doing 60 cold water swims on 60 consecutive days starting on her 60th birthday in March. Hats off to her! By the way, I felt it only fair that I should donate to her charity. On reaching Pinkhill Lock, Sue and Fiona took the path to Farmoor Reservoir and I took the Thames Path towards Swinford Bridge. I was nearing the end of my walk. The Thames Path was forced to briefly leave the river for a few hundred yards and rejoined at a boatyard. I could see Swinford Bridge in the distance and to reach it I just had to walk through a meadow absolutely covered with buttercups; it was quite a sight. The great thing about Swinford Bridge (apart from its beauty) is that there is a bus stop less than 100 yards away as well as a bench. I sat in the late sunshine waiting for my bus, eating the banana I'd taken at breakfast from the Travelodge! It didn't bother me that it was 6:30 and I still had 2 buses to catch and a 2 hour drive home. I had reached the point where I could now complete most of the remaining stages of my challenge by travelling to and from home each day. Official distance covered today was 17.5 miles.