African Queen Blog

Christmas 2011 ………. It’s Christmas Eve and there is a bleak cold wintery feel about the weather, quite different from last year when the earth was covered in a blanket of snow. The area surrounding the African Queen is so quiet and so peaceful, although the river is dark grey and looks cold and uninviting , but inside the African Queen it is warm & cosy …….. ‘A perfect place to make new friends’

Christmas is such a SPECIAL time of year when family & friends get together to celebrate ……….traditionally with roast turkey & all the trimmings. ‘My favourite is Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce & Custard.’ 

The Deck on the African Queen is brightly lit & festive with Christmas lights & a little Christmas Tree

Once on board the atmosphere is warm …………. fairy lights surround the ceiling with a brightly lit Christmas tree & I love the little ‘Nativity Scene’ we bring out each year. We always play Christmas Carols on Christmas Eve ……….. my favourite is ‘When A Child Is Born’  by Boney M

Chris the Taxi Drive has been working on our behalf for the past three years.  Most Taxi Drivers get lost trying to find the African Queen mooring so we are grateful to have Chris to call on,  since he knows the area very well.

Chris is helping herself to our Christmas Eve buffet. Chris couldn’t be with her family so decided to book on the African Queen. Chris lives in Islington & has a voluntary job working for the ‘National Carers Organisation in Islington.’ She has 2 son’s who are working & twin daughters at University & College

Chris and Mary helping themselves to the ‘Buffet’

Janis originates from Scotland. She was married to a Doctor for 10 years. Janis was the PA for the Gordon family who are distillers of ‘Glenfiddich Whisky,’ She said working for the Gordon family was the best 10 years of her life. Sadly her marriage came to an end & she moved to London, but went back to Scotland to care for her Mother who had  ‘parkingsons disease’

‘ Mary and Alicia are Mother & Daughter. Mary is also a voluntary carer for the ‘National Cares Organisation in Islington.’ Mary also cares for Alicia who has had a lot of health problems.  Alicia is very brave ……… one wouldn’t know she is suffering from ill health as she is BUBBLY & full of FUN. Alicia has a younger sister Marcella, their Dad was from Trinidad ………. sadly he died at the age of 40

The four ladies again, from left to right …….. Janis, Chris, Mary & Alicia

John and Shirley on the left ……… they met at the ‘Roller Rink.’ They came down from Birmingham …….. said they felt they would give their family a miss this year. They have been married for 41 years, have 1 son ……. 6 Grandchildren & 1 Great Grandchild. John was with the Railways for 23 years. John then changed course & went to work for a Mental Health Charity. He was so interesting to talk to whether it was stories from the Railways or the Charity ……… he just had amazing stories to tell!!

Next we have Dianne & Adrian ………. the story of how they met made us all laugh. Dianne was out at a club with her friend one night and Adrian was out with 4 of his friends at the same club. It was Adrian’s birthday so understandably he had been doing a lot of celebrating so much so that he fell over on the dance floor into Dianne who was stone cold sober!! It must have been love at first sight because this was 18 years ago. Adrian is an Electronics Engineer & Dianne is a Financial Planner. They were a FUN couple to have on board. 

Annie is sitting on the right. …….. she is a lovely lady, so easy to please. Annie was an ‘Aero Medic’ unfortunately she was court in an explosion while collecting a patient. Annie was very badly injured, she was in hospital for 4 months & has had several operations since leaving hospital. Annie says she has one more operation to go & then she will be completely rebuilt. Sadly she had to take early retirement & now works voluntary for the ‘Red Cross Medicals’ ………. she is also a Medical Instructor for the disabled.

Andy starts off the Karaoke  ……… although he has the microphone  ‘we are all singing together, the words are displayed on the TV’

Andy and Janis having a dance

Annie has taken the microphone

All singing together

Andy continues to dance with Janis 

Dianne, Janis and Alicia dancing

Janis & Alicia singing and dancing

Annie with the microphone again

Annie …….. singing away 

Looks like the girls are enjoying themselves

I think Chris wants to give us a tune

Alicia singing ……….. she has a beautiful voice!!

Alicia singing ………. ‘Oh, what a night late December back in ’63, what a very special time for me, because I remember …… what a night!!

Andy with Adrian and John all looking very HAPPY 

Alicia has still got the microphone

The party in full swing

Wow ………… look at Dianne dance

Alicia singing

Janis wearing Andy’s jacket ……….. given to him by the ‘Hotel Inspector’

John singing …… when Shirley & him were holidaying in the Grand Canary they went into a pub. It was ‘Karaoke Night’ & they were asked to sing, however after the second song half the people in the Pub said they were leaving unless somebody else took over the singing. I think what John was trying to tell us …………. Shirley & him weren’t very good singers.

Cherrie …….. dancing with all the girls

They just keep on dancing

Enjoy yourselves girls ……….. you are only young once

John serenading Shirley

Annie with the microphone  ………..yet again 

John and Alicia singing a ‘Duet’

Adrian singing to Dianne ……… ‘Have I told you lately that I love you, can I tell you once again some how. Have I told with all my heart and soul how I adore you, well darling I’m telling you now. 

Breakfast ……….. after the night before.

The all decide to go to the Christmas Service at 11:00am. St Margarets Church dates back to the 13th century. It is a beautiful old Church situated in Mapledurham Village

St Margarets Church

Dianne & Adrian ready for Church

Alicia ready for Church

Standing in front of the African Queen before going to the Christmas Day Service. 

While they were away ………. Cherrie, Bobby & I got the table set for lunch

Bobby …….. being creative!!

Dianne giving Annie a HUG!!

Mother & Daughter such a lovey couple!!

After Church they all came back to the African Queen for tea & Cherries homemade Banana Bread & then decided to walk to the Pack Saddle Inn which is on top of the Chilterns ………… a beautiful 2 mile walk through the Oxfordshire countryside

The Pack Saddle was booked out ………. unfortunately there was no room in the Inn, Andy asked if there wasn’t perhaps a stable at rear where they could sit, but the Landlord  said no,  he agreed to them having 1 drink & then said they must leave. 

Christmas Lunch served at 3:00pm ………. Cheers!!!

Dianne and Annie all dressed in RED !

Everybody smiling & happy

Hope you all enjoy your Christmas Lunch 

All went to have a little snooze after lunch & then we started the Quiz at 7:00pm

CONGRATULATIONS …………  winners of the Quiz !!

Alicia giving Mary a HUG on Boxing Day

Chris smiling happily!

Janis dressed & ready for the Boxing Day Cruise

Cruising down the river on Boxing Day

It looks very cold …….. Brrrr !!

John and Shirley dressed for the weather

Dianne and Adrian on Deck

Annie on Deck

The cold and uninviting river Thames on Boxing Day

Andy driving the African Queen

John braving the weather!!

Cruising past the Alpaca Farm 

Mary on Deck

Drinking coffee on Deck

Annie smiling

Dianne sitting on Deck

Entering  Whitchurch Lock

African Queen in the Lock

Whitchurch Lock

Janis & Mary with a cup of coffee on Deck

John & Adrian on Deck

Gate Hampton Bridge

Gate Hampton Bridge

Watching Hotel Inspector on Boxing Day Evening

Watching Hotel Inspector

Unfortunately the Whitchurch Lock broke down so we were not able to get back to our mooring in Mapledurham. There was nobody to come & fix it since it was Boxing Day, they promised a team of divers would be there by 8:30am the following morning. So we had to spend the night at the Weir in Pangbourne

As promised a team of divers arrived the following morning

The diver being lowered into the water

The diver sorting out the obstruction

Finely on our way back to Mapledurham

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year