And so to Tackley

Within a couple of miles of our current mooring are the villages of Tackley and Kirtlington and according to the Nicholson's Guide (canal maps) both villages have a Post Office.   I needed a Post Office because I wanted to arrange for our mail to be forwarded to us so I checked the Post Office website to see that these outlets were indeed still in existence and had not fallen foul of the Post Office Closure Program before venturing out to see if they did Post Restante.  It is always worth checking because some Sub Postmaster's and their staff have never heard of Post Restante and you can find your mail being refused or sent back from whence it came which is a right royal pain in the proverbial...

I opted to tramp out to recce Tackley first and set off with the dogs back along the tow path to Pigeon lock where I picked up a cycle track to Tackley Halt rail station.

 The dog roses are in flower in the hedgerows

 

 This chap was turning his hay crop to get it dry before baling

 

 There are a pair of horses enjoying the shade of a tree here and I came in very useful as a back-scratcher while Floyd sat and grumbled at them...  They were both wearing  fly masks to protect them from the unwelcome attentions of horse flies 

 

 The track to Tackley

 

 A thistle in full bloom

A profusion of cottage flowers adorning the limestone cottages in Tackley

 

The Post Office in Tackley is now located in the village hall along with the village shop which is now community undertaking staffed by volunteers.   It took me 50 Min's to walk there, they did do Post Restante so I left my name in case I had mail forwarded there and then I headed back to Yarwood before checking out the next village, Kirtlington.