Riverboat in Reading
From the Daily Mirror (9 Sep 2010)
By John Honeywell
"The raucous sound of vuvuzela, familiar from the World Cup, is not one you might immediately expect to hear in the quieter reaches of the River Thames.
Nor is the sight of a herd of alpacas grazing peacefully in a Berkshire field rather than the Chilean and Peruvian Andes.
But take a trip on the riverboat African Queen and you could experience both in the space of a few hours.
The boat, a converted Dutch barge, is based at Mapledurham, near Reading, it is one of the largest vessels on this stretch of the river, just squeezing through the locks and under some of the bridges with an occasional gentle bump along the way, prompting a muttered curse from skipper Andy Cowley.
He is also behind the vuvuzela using it to alert other boats and the occasional sleeping lock-keeper, to the African Queen's imminent approach..."
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Trail of the riverbank
From the Mail on Sunday (29 Aug 2010)
By Carolin Hendrie
"As the sun burned through the morning mist, I sipped my tea and surveyed the scene from my chair on the deck of the African Queen. A pair of great-crested grebes performed dives, a swan and three cygnets paddled by and a heron took flight from a tree stump in dramatic fashion.
Less thank 40 miles from London there wasn't sight nor sound of a car, just the gentle noise of a rushing weir and the sizzle of bacon in a pan. While the occupants of a nearby craft had to cook their own breakfast, the eight guests on our vessel - the only moving boat hotel on the Thames - were being waited on hand and foot.
No flinging of ropes, learning tricky manoeuvres or even pouring drinks for us. All we had to do was sit back and watch the landscape slip by, or hop off and become part of it ourselves on the towpath.
We joined the boat a Mapledurham, Berkshire, in the heart of Wind In The Willows country. Captain Andy gave a blast on his vuvuzela and was soon taking us through our first lock.
During the afternoon, as we admired the scenery, Andy's crew-mates, Karen and Cherry, handed around glasses of Pimm's while the guests got to know each other..."
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Thames of endearment
From the Daily Telegraph (21 Aug 2010)
By Deborah Stone
"Deborah Stone keeps an eye out for Ratty, Mole, Mr Toad et al on a journey along the River Thames
"Poop-poop," I felt like shoting as we set sail down the River Thames, yards from Mapledurham House, the country pile that many believe Kenneth Grahame used as a model for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows.
Like Toad, I was setting out on an adventure, in my case sailing down Britain's most written-about river in a cosy Dutch barge, African Queen. I was looking forward to passing any number of river folk - even moles and water rats - and pleased to be following in the wake of Jerome K Jerome's Three Men ina Boat. First, however, to celebrate the start of out five-day cruise, we enjoyed afternoon tea on deck in the sunshine.
The British appetite for river cruises is growing so rapidly that as well as searching out new itineraries and uncharted territory abroard, we are also looking to our own waterways.
The Thames is a favoured option, although it's unlikely to challenege the Danube or Rhine in popularity, since ancient low bridges make navigation along the full length of the river a problem. That's why, on that first day, we sailed only as far as Sonning, where we spent the night moored by Sonning Lock..."
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If you would like to book a serene voyage along the Thames visit www.saga.co.uk/thames for more details or call 0800 056 6071 quoting AQRC2.
The African Queen and the Hotel Inspector
From Zulu Warrior (11 Aug 2009)
By Mike
"One evening in May when we were moored on the Thames at Pangbourne Meadow I noticed the hotel boat African Queen passing by and took this photograph. I was intrigued that a film crew was on-board and delighted to find that we had possibly formed a backdrop for the filming of Channel 5's The Hotel Inspector.
Last night (10th August, 9pm, Channel 5) the episode was screened and will be shown again on Friday 14th August at 8pm on Fiver (whatever that is!). The commentator reminded us time and time again that South African Bonny and Andy Cowley were running a failing business, part Bed and Breakfast and part cruising hotel boat. Living in the Reading area, where the African Queen permanently moors at Mapledurham, I had never seen any mention of this locally, which is possibly something to do with the lack of customers.
However the hotel inspector put it down to lack of detail, recommending an additional crew member, new decor and having failed to find fault with the cabins, she decided that a flask of hot water would transform the perceived value and have customers flocking in. I would have recommended a spot of advertising too, but a coat of paint and some red banners around the deck plus a new blazer for Andy, the boss, was apparently sufficient to transform the business..."
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