SSi Forum

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-01 14:33:09 UTC

You may have seen in the newsletter that SSiW Oxford’s planning a river trip on Sunday 18th August on 2:30pm boat from Oxford down to Abingdon and back. If any of you from further afield would like to join us for what promises to be a pleasant day out with some ‘Welsh on the water’, you’d be more than welcome - partners/families too if they’d like to come
(NB There are frequent buses between Oxford & Abingdon if you can’t fit in both legs of the trip)

The basics:

Leave Oxford 2.30pm, arriving Abingdon 4.30pm; leave Abingdon 4:45pm for return journey arriving Oxford 6:30pm
Fares: Adult single £13.40 return £19.80; Child single £7.10 return £11.70
“boats … have toilet facilities … and a bar serving drinks (hot, cold and alcoholic) as well as small snacks”
More info: http://www.salterssteamers.co.uk/

We’ll probably be meeting up beforehand at the Head of the River pub on the other side of Folly Bridge from the Salters landing stage (to be confirmed later)

Let me know if you think you might be interested or have any questions
Hwyl, John

aran · 2019-08-01 20:05:33 UTC

What a superb idea…

aran · 2019-08-03 09:21:52 UTC

a) do we need to buy tickets in advance? and
b) can you put up with Angharad Lliar and Beuno Llŷn and their inevitable slight over-excitement?

Because happily, that’s a weekend that we’re down in Oxford visiting my great-aunt…

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-03 09:30:09 UTC

That’s wonderful!

a) The man behind the desk did say there should be no need to buy tickets in advance …
b) Yes, of course, no problem! There are likely to be one or two more ffernols as well

aran · 2019-08-03 18:33:42 UTC

Brilliant. Now officially looking forward…

Betterlatethan · 2019-08-05 15:11:36 UTC

Salters list some landmarks, and I have added some extra ones.
Feel free to ignore!

Starting from Oxford.
Christ Church Meadows (on the left).
Oxford College Boat Houses and Intercollegiate Regatta Course.
Donnington Bridge (just before it on the left is an activity centre where Inspector Morse viewed a body).
Iffley Meadow on the right after the bridge. Fritillaries bloom here in April.
Iffley Church (Norman Era) and Iffley Lock.
On the right before the lock is a fine stone bridge leading to rollers where small boats can be taken over, bypassing the lock.
Under the Eastern Bypass. This was built in the 1960s and cut off the natural drainage from Iffley Meadow. They are still working on restoring the Meadow.
Railway bridge. This is the disused branch from the Cowley Works. It might possibly be re-opened for passengers.
Rose Island and the house that was once the “Swan Inn”. This is supposedly a popular swimming place.
The main railway line from Oxford to Didcot/London is on the right beyond the meadows. Beyond it is the long thin village of Kennington.
Off the main channel to the right is a channel leading to a weir and Sandford Hydro which generates electricity from three Archimedes Screws.
Sandford Lock (deepest lock on the non-tidal Thames- 8’10").
Radley (St Peter’s) College Boathouse on the right. Behind it is Lower Radley, the original village. The main village of Radley is further “inland”.
Nuneham House (built in 1756 for the First Earl of Harcourt) is up the hill on the left. It is now used as a retreat centre by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.
Carfax Conduit. This was once part of the Oxford water system, but was disused and then moved to the grounds of Nuneham House as a folly.
Railway bridge. This is the main line from Oxford to Didcot/London.
The area on the right before and after the bridge was a series of gravel workings. Most of the pits were filled with fly ash from Didcot Power Station, but two were saved for wildlife and are now known as Radley Lakes.
Culham Motocross. On the left. People on motorbikes can be seen going up and down in a most alarming way on Saturdays.
Abingdon Lock and weir. Look out for wood carvings of animals.
Abbey Meadows on the right with a playground and outdoor swimming pool.
The gardens of the Nags Head pub on Nags Head Island are on the right just before the road bridge.
After the road bridge is Annie’s Tea Room on the other part of Nags Head Island. The trip ends here. Look out for the Old Gaol near the bridge, and the spire of St Helens’s Church a bit further downstream.

Reverse for return trip!

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-09 07:49:28 UTC

Quick reminder about next weekend’s boat trip (details above) - the forecast for the 18th looks quite promising at the moment

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-13 08:54:38 UTC

Some of us be will meeting up around 1.45pm outside the Head of the River pub (other side of Folly Bridge from the Salters landing stage), otherwise see you by the boat for 2.15pm. Here’s a map for those who like maps (e.g. me )

So far the weather forecast is looking quite promising: sunshine from the BBC or sunshine & light showers from the Met Office

Let me know if you have any questions - all welcome, as always!
Hwyl, John

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-15 07:52:39 UTC

A quick memory jog about Sunday’s 2.15pm boat trip - there are 12 of us planning to go at the moment, with a couple more possibles. If you’d like to join us but you’re not sure yet if you can, there’ll be no problem in just turning up on the day, and you’ll easily find us on the boat!

There’ll be North and South Welsh on the boat, with levels of Welsh ranging from new learners, through various levels of fluency to … well, @aran & @catrinlliarjones

See previous posts for more details, and do let me know if you have any questions (via PM if you like)
Hwyl, John

thomasd · 2019-08-17 09:11:12 UTC

I’ll be there to bolster the number of new-learners!

(Current plan is that I’m going to head up from Abingdon on the boat in the morning with my family, maybe have lunch in the pub, then I’ll be joining the 2.15 trip back to Abingdon while my daughter has a bit of time in Oxford.)

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-17 11:44:52 UTC

There are 10+ for the boat so far, not counting Aran & family, but there’ll be plenty of room and the sun should be shining, so do join us (details above) - no need to prebook
Hwyl, John

Betterlatethan · 2019-08-18 16:04:05 UTC

That was an excellent outing. Thank you, everyone, for your company. In particular, thank you to @catrinlliarjones. It was lovely to meet you and I really enjoyed our conversation. I hope that @aran made it to the cashpoint - and back to the boat. Sorry about the rubbishy map. I didn’t have any paper other than the back of the ticket, and both my biros had nearly died.
Sue

johnwilliams_6 · 2019-08-19 09:43:12 UTC

Yes, indeed - to echo Sue, many thanks to all for a very enjoyable afternoon - all the more so as we had Aran and Catrin with us and some new faces as well (and, as a bonus, none of the plantos were lost overboard )