I am a great fan of the Berkshire village of Hurley, a picture postcard kind of place where my boat – Lady Lucy has sat for many decades.

I am a fan too of its residents that include the Freebody’s who care for my boat and Mr Cook (he of Cook Piling). Mr Cook  tells me that otters are regularly appearing on his CCTV.

They swim and waddle through his garden into Freebody’s Mill Pond and then fish in the Mill Stream beside Lady Lucy before ascending the mill weir to the lock cut and away!

This is good news – unless you are a fish or one of my friends the Polish pike fishermen who patrol the pond.

Good news for the many swimmers (my crews among them) who are taking to the river during this heatwave. If its clean enough for the otters, it’s clean enough for us

I’ll be  swimming  this morning and look forward to my first encounter with these lovable darlings