Pangbourne Reach

[byron]

I was driving along the road there today and saw that a tree had fallen right across the sharp end of some poor sods boat. The pointy end is now under water with the blunt end sticking up.
Nasty surpise for the owner if they don't already know.

[Steve Clayton]

Assume you are referring to the reach just upstream of the lock. Never fancied a mooring on that stretch. All that sticky stuff dropping from the horse chestnut trees - far too much cleaning work for SWMBO /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Do you know the story about the 5 similar (but different) detached houses along that road?

[Brayman]

Do Tell

[byron]

The ugly sisters is what I've always known them as. No! I don't know the story but I bet when they were built they never imagined how busy the road in front would become.

[jhr]

The Ugly Sisters is certainly what my mum (who lived in Pangbourne as a child) knew them as. Driving through there once, in an expansive mood, she claimed that they'd been built by a local developer, to accommodate his various mistresses.

This may be an old wives' tale, however. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Steve Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
...she claimed that they'd been built by a local developer, to accommodate his various mistresses.

This may be an old wives' tale, however. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
That's the story that I heard only in my case that it was a rich local doctor who had them built for his 5 mistresses - who were all sisters.
(Amazing what liitle anecdotes can appear here /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

[Chris_d]

Do you mean this boat, http://www.the-river-thames.co.uk/

[byron]

Yup! That's the one. Incidentally, I knew Dot & Ian hart quite well.

[Chris_d]

I have never met them, but I was still quite shocked to read on his website that he had passed on. I'm glad his wife has kept it going its a tribute to his efforts and its the definately the best for the Thames.

Ohh... except for the time he posted the the wrong date for the RNLI bootsale and we turned up a 7am to an empty field....doh /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[byron]

MikeT possibly still has contact with Dot, I don't even though she lives relatively close to me. They were both relatively new to boating but embraced it thoroughly and when he retired they travelled extensively in Holland with their Broom called "Harts Content".
I'm not sure but I think Ian Hart did a spell on the committee of the Upper Thames MYC. There again MikeT should know as he is an ex-commode there.

http://www.danasoft.com/sig/oceaneagle.jpg

[ADLS]

Had a return e-mail from Dot last year saying that Ian had passed away and that she had sold the boat. She still likes to watch boats passing on the Thames and I noticed her web site has been updated.

[Brayman]

We stay in touch with Dot and hope to have her out on the boat this year. We last saw her on Pangbourne Meadow in the summer.
Ian was a super bloke.

[miket]

Dot took Ian's death very hard but has been in touch with a few UTMYC members since.
I am delighted to see that she is continuing the website. It really is excellent and the information related to their travels through France, Belgium and Holland should be primary reading for anyone considering similar.