So very nearly there.

Today James and I went to the offices of RoyScot Larch (who are actually underwriting the mortgage) so that I could sign the relevant documents, and speed up the process. The full amount will be transferred to the current owner in just a few days, and narrowboat Lucky Duck will finally be officially mine.

We took the train to the nearest station at Didcot and then a bus as close as we could get which still involved walking a few miles. But its lovely country (I know the area a little, since my grandparents lived in nearby Wantage) overlooked by the constant presence of the incredible Didcot power station cooling towers. They have been named Britain's third worst eyesore according to a 2003 poll in Country Life, but I think they're beautiful, personally.



Before returning to London, we visited Didcot Railway Centre, where both James and I had been as children. Since it was a weekday in termtime, we had the whole place to ourselves. It rained rather spectacularly while we were in the engine shed, but it was fun to revive many childhood memories (ironically on the day that I finalised the most important, adult purchase of my life!)