| Yes! We're back to jolly old Abbadabbadingdong again: and so much has changed since I was last here, in February of this year. For a start, the junction is no longer "proposed", it actually exists!
Thanks to the Lottery funding that allowed us to buy the land, and pay the contractors to finish what we started (well, they have bigger diggers than we do), we now have our own junction, which is known as the Jubilee Junction. It was officially opened at the end of August, celebrating the 150 year anniversary of the Inland Waterways Association. So here we go: an atmospheric shot looking out towards the Thames, early on the Saturday morning, with a chill breeze blowing in from the river: 
And here is the current termination, the turning circle. Apparently there was a minor hiccough in that we couldn't yet join up with the small fishing lake to create the moorings that Abingdon council wanted - apparently arrangements were made to move the fish into one of the adjacent lakes, but the fishermen proved less willing to move, and are staying put until their lease expires. Meanies. Still, at least we have the junction, and breaking through into the lake will be a minor job compared to digging out the junction. This view was taken from the top of the spoil heap that will be used for landscaping, once all the digging is done. The water in the background is the "other" fishing lake, the one to which the fish will be relocated: the mooring lake is to the left. 
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Right, let's get these posts in, then. Alistair and Phil start "bonking" while Malcy supervises.
That's Martin on the left, looking slightly bemused at the East Vale Bonking style. Apparently his lot use the motorised post-hole-digger lying on the ground at his feet..... oh well, maybe we'll give it a try later..... 
"What 'ya looking at, Jim?" 
Nady and Vic try to persuade Malcy that tucking trousers into socks makes him look like a hiker. Malcy is not convinced. 
Right, let's have a go with this new-fangled post hole digger then. Martin tries to explain to Vic that if he doesn't hold tight, they will spin round, instead of the auger going in... Jim looks a bit bemused. 
Hold on! What's that? Blimey, it's a boat! Drop everything! 
It's definitely a boat, and it's coming our way! 
Much jumping up and down with excitement on the bank, and minor confusion on the part of the boat owner: "Is this it, then?" "So far - come back in a year or two! And in the meantime, have this leaflet!" For those who are really keen to follow the plot, you can see the water of the mooring lake on the left - that's the bit that we'll break into - and the "other" fishing lake on the right. You can also see quite nicely all the reeds that are planted into hessian on our newly-made banks. 
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Right, that was a bit too much excitement for some of us, we'll have to stop and have a tea break.
And then it's back to bonking. Do take a moment to admire the "strained" upright post on the very far right of the frame: Alistair and I were designated as Straining Team, and this was our first attempt at doing it the approved MB way (That's MB for Martin Buckland, in charge of us today, and struggling manfully with our, er, idiosyncratic ways of doing things) (blame Roy, he trained us). 
Here's our grinning wedgie post! (Thanks Alistair for sending me this photo) Apparently you're not supposed to be able to see daylight between the wedge and the pointy end of the post. Oops. 
Here's Jim, getting ready to strain the fourth string of wire. By now the sun was well out, the mists had burnt off, the wind had dropped and it was getting warm! 
Oh, Bob's happy, he's in the digger again. 
And here's Alistair enjoying a peaceful moment on the little spoil heap. 
Aha, the path: we're laying a really rather nice footpath down to the river, neatly diverting walkers around the farmed fields and through the fabulous brand new gates, courtesy of Lottery funding. 
Chinnor John uses the sledgehammer in a ladylike manner, while Bob tries to work out if the bar is too low for limbo, or not. 
Bob brings the dumper back with another load of what are inelegantly called "road scalpings" for filling the path. When the roadwork contractors dig up a road, they can't reuse the old tarmac - but we certainly can! Once compacted, it makes an excellent footpath or towpath surface. 
In it goes, rake it straight, and off for another load. 
I'm not quite sure what Malcy is doing here - tidying up the edges? 
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Hooray, lunchtime at last. Here's Jim using his machete to take the top off his banana. Don't ask me why.... and kiddies, don't try this at home.
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I was hoping to have a Before and After shot, but none of my Befores from Feb match up with this shot of the business end of the new junction. Obviously, I'm standing on the south bank, with the Thames on my right, and our new Cut on my left.
And here's the view up the new Cut to the West, heading for Wantage, Swindon, and Beyond! (one day, one day...) 
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Oh, Bob's in Blue again, moving around the Big spoil heap, and posing dramatically against the skyine.
Meanwhile, what's this? Yet another boat! Actually, there was about one boat an hour coming along to see what was going on, so our restored canal is already quite busy. Phil never misses an opportunity to hand out a membership leaflet. 
Ah, and here's Jim using his machete as it should be used - on trees, not on bananas. 
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Meanwhile Bob, driver of many vehicles, brings another load of scalpings down to the end of the footpath:
...then jumps back in Blue to spread out the little spoil heap into a tidier pile. 
Finally, Malcy checks that there is sufficient depth of material. Well, finally for me, that was my lot for the day, but the others continued on for a while longer, to get the fencing finished on both sides of the new footpath. A long day, a lot was achieved, with a bigger than usual work party. 
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