I am prepared to drive through a swing or lift bridge and have done a little more driving than on the Thames in high water. Still with Shane doing the majority, I have also done most of the bridges and they usually need a key. I went to one with key in hand and found it needed a windlass so I ran back to get one and stumbled on the uneven surface with a big dip at the grass border. Far from the slipperiness fears, this was a grippy surface that grazes a knee nicely. I wasn’t sure whether to be rueful at the choice of shorts, or glad not to rip a pair of trousers. Shane found he could unscrew the chain without the windlass after all so I drove through, handing back to Shane once he had finished closing the bridge so I could clean myself up. I showered my leg down to get any dirt out and took extra care for the rest of the day at every lock crossing. At one there was oil spillage just where you climbed on to cross over and I could see the crossing point was oily. The last thing I wanted was oil on my shoes, so that made for an awkward lock to manoeuvre around. I can still count myself lucky that I only fell on dry land and not into the river.