Another work day for me today. I put my model together and worked my way through the scenes. The colours I’ve used work well with just about every scene, I may just change the shade of pink I’ve used in the kitchen scene. Second coats could go on to everything and by the evening it was looking pretty good, it now looks like panto. Still a few days work left to do before I can hand it over.
A sneaky peek of Panto
Mick headed off to find a hardware shop. The washer on the cap for the water intake has expanded, making it hard to put it back on. So he returned with two to try and a set of new bits for a screw driver. In the set is a square headed one, which we’re hoping will mean we can now take off the back of the freezer drawer.
Mick’s personal ferry
Then he headed off to make use of his 60+ oyster again. Today he headed first to Canada Water via the tube and southwards on the overground via Clapham Junction. Then on to Greenwich. Here he considered climbing up to the top of the Dome, but at £30 he felt that was a bit steep and the view wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as that from the Harbour bridge in Sydney.
Thank you
So instead he spent £2 and caught the ferry Predator 2 across the Thames to Trinity Buoy Wharf. This only took around five minutes, but he had the boat to himself. He’d remembered about the ferry from when we came to visit my friend Kathy a couple of years ago in one of the galleries at the wharf.
Greenwich and a big boat
Greenwich and a fast boat
Next was a bus to Canary Wharf, then DLR to Island Gardens where he watched big boats go past on the Thames, before returning back to Oleanna.
A busy day all round, except for Tilly. She has taken to sleeping until around 2:30pm, then she has a period of shouting at the back door before giving up and having to visit her box in the bathroom. A quick check at what I’ve been doing all day, by sticking her head right into my model box. Luckily she approves.
Excerpt from 9th September 1943
This evening I have started to scan my Dad’s diaries from the mid 1940’s. I only have two (I suspect that’s all he wrote) which cover his life from the age of 18 in York, then onto when he joined the army and training camps. The last few entries cover his journey across the seas to India where he rebuilt bridges around Hyderabad after the end of WW2. I’m wanting to try and collate his diaries, with letters, photos and his drawings at some point. Passing them on to Andrew to read has spurred me into action.
My Dad (central) at the age of 19 140th RE (Field) OCTU 175 Class April 1944
0 locks, 0 miles, 4 tubes, 2 overground trains, 1 ferry, 1 bus, 2 DLR, 1 back room den, 3 portals, 1 floor, 1 backdrop completed, 52 pages scanned, 1 cat saving up all her shore leave to have in one big go.
A serious work day for me and as we are in London Mick was quite happy to head off for the day.
Traffic lights!
First he headed to Hammersmith where he used to work. Things have changed somewhat since those days, there are now traffic lights at Hammersmith Broadway. You’d no longer be able to race round in a Bedford HA van!
Hammersmith
Boats
He took a walk up to the river, you can never keep a boater away from water long. The tide was out and numerous boats sat on the bottom waiting to float again.
On the bus
Originally he’d thought of heading to Acton to the Transport Museum, but changed his mind as an interesting plane had arrived at Heathrow. So he caught the tube to Hatton Cross and then a bus to Terminal 5. Here he went up to the car park to see what he could see.
Terminal 5
Not many planes were in view, but the one he’d gone to see was. A British Airways Airbus A319 which has been painted in the BEA livery which is who Mick’s father flew for after WW2.
BEA livery
Back at Paddington, I caught up with my Production Manager for Panto, we both got confused about a quote she’d had and I got on with painting my model.
Boats nudged round the pontoon, one boat wants to leave early Wednesday morning and if a long boat pulled into the available space next to them then they’d have been trapped. Their first move meant nobody would be able to use their original mooring as they were blocking access to it. We could have moved in there, but I prefer being on the outside without people looking in all day as I work. In the end another boat who is wanting to go for water moved to be next to them, they will vacate the mooring on Wednesday letting out the other boat at the same time when they go for water.
Shades of blue
By the end of the day I had made definite progress with my model. Putting everything back into the model box it suddenly looked right. Phew!! I just hope it still looks right in the morning when I put the different scenes into it.
You will let me out! You will ! You will!! YOU WILL!!!!
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 buses, 2 tubes, 1 trains, 60+ rules, 1 plane, 2 many terms, 8 hours solid painting, 1 very bored cat, 2 hours of being stared at, sorry Tilly.
One boat pulled out from the pontoon at 8am this morning, the boat next to them pulled across so as to reduce the amount of footfall directly outside their window. The first GoBoat filled with Japanese tourists went past at just gone 9am, no popping of presecco corks on that boat. The world was waking up around us.
A bit more rain overnight
The yellow water tank needed sorting and thanks to Tilly the boat floor really needed a wash this morning! We had a good tidy up and then Mick headed back to Little Venice on a bike with recycling and the yellow water for disposal. The custodian of the bins was still on duty. With fewer feet about the place I gave Oleanna’s cabin floor a good wash down.
The forecast had been for lower temperatures today, but it still seemed quite warm. To make sure we didn’t get hypothermia I popped the oven on for a couple of hours to roast a couple of small chickens.
Chickens
Kath and Sean arrived for Sunday lunch. We haven’t seen Sean for some time, he’s been working when we’ve arranged a meet up. Today, as the weather this last week has been so good, he had a day off. He is a sound engineer and has been working at Wimbledon, no rain meant no play today so he had a day off.
Sean Kath and Mick about to dive in
We had a lovely afternoon with them, chatting and eating. The handy M&S next door meant that we could have some ice cream with our strawberries and raspberries despite not having a working freezer at the moment.
A Pride green wall garden
After filling our bellies we had a walk up to Little Venice before returning to the boat. Kath and Sean had come by car so that they could pick up a couple of boxes of Geraghty history we’d brought back from the house. They had been fortunate as the nearest parking space to our mooring had been available and free on Sundays, so there wasn’t far to stagger with the boxes.
Mid afternoon our nearest neighbour pulled out, Motor Boat Willow. For two years they worked at Bollington Wharf on the Macclesfield but when they had a baby earlier this year they decided to head south. Tilly now has a better view out of the windows, but there is no longer Thea the cat to stare at.
Bye Bye Willow
The title of todays blog? Several boats have come down into the basin today, most of them local boats looking for their next mooring. One such boat spotted the two free spaces on the pontoon and was starting to reverse back into one of them, he then saw the sign. As he moved his boat away he said to Mick ‘Shiny Boat Central!’ Followed by how nice it was to see such boats in Paddington. Just before dark another boat arrived and pulled in to an available space,they looked shiny too!
Time to make our final plunge into London this morning. We had a two and a bit hour cruise ahead of us and also wanted to top up with water at Little Venice. It being a Saturday and there not being many taps along this stretch we expected that we’d have to wait.
Alperton, nice balcony of the flat by the tube bridge just above an elsan!
Whilst Mick pootled Oleanna along through, Perivale, Alperton and Stonebridge, across the north circular I got on with a bit of a tidy up.We’ve got visitors whilst we’re in London so my panto model won’t be able to stay out. Stuff needed to go away, we’re bad at that.
That secret passageway must come out here!
A spare duvet needed putting back under the sofa in a vacuum bag, Tilly helped especially when she thought she’d found a new entrance to the secret passageway. Winter cloths were also put in a vacuum bag and shrunk ready to be put away.
A sweep through, the shower had a once over before I used it then I could join Mick up top.
Parting a way through the green
As we got closer towards the centre the canal got greener. The duck weed being pushed aside by our bow. To us it’s not that much of a problem, but water cooled engines, especially outboards it really isn’t good. Along the Old Oak stretch a wide beam came past towing a cruiser with a homemade wooden top. Not much further along we could see that someone was having difficulty. One of those box boats, a bit like a square caravan was sat too far over, a lady seemed to be doing circuits along the narrow gunnel.
Stranded boat
I popped up to the bow to see if they needed any help whilst Mick slowed our progress, not that hard against all the duck weed. They had been over taken by the widebeam and pushed across getting grounded, their outboard had also stopped working not helping things. After checking which way they were travelling (it’s hard to tell with such a vessel) I took a rope from their bow, passed it over our bow T stud, Mick backed us off and they came free. It hadn’t taken much effort on our part but without a pole they were stuck.
Tilly! No white tipto the tail
We carried on the duck weed getting thicker.
Ducklings preening themselves
Ducklings stood in a line infront of some moorings having a preen, an orange wiggle on the towpath with an ideas cafe sat underneath the A40.
Herbie’s shrunk a touch!
Oooooo! They are early
We spotted a few spaces should we have needed them, then as we came round the last bend we could see up to the water point, empty!
Orange wiggle under the A40
There used to be a group of men who loitered here, today there was only one chap, a Custodian of the Bins. He offered to help with our ropes and admired Tilly as she posed in the window. We topped up the water tank, disposed of rubbish and the contents of our solids bucket.
Holding the green at bay
Just ahead of our bow a line of bubbles pushed back the duck weed, trying it’s best to keep the green out of Little Venice.
A slow tap, but once filled we pushed on through the bubbles assisting some of the green to cross the line. Two boats were moored at Rembrandt Gardens. We’d managed to book a place there in 2014, but when ever we’ve tried to get a place since they have been booked up months and months in advance.
In towards Paddington
On we continued across another line of bubbles and under Harrow Road Bridge. Normally by now we are trying to be cool about finding a mooring whilst being slightly pensive inside. Today we hoped our space would be waiting for us.
Is the criss cross structural or just decoration?
There were a few spaces by the tube entrance, opposite the new tall criss crossed building which is still a building site. The final bend into Paddington Basin and there was a vacant spot waiting for us. We pulled in onto the slightly too short pontoon, not enough cleats to tie to so some jiggery pockery had to be done with the centre line. We’d arrived.
Moored up in Paddington
Since early June C&RT have been running a trial. This pontoon is now pre-bookable. A maximum of 7 nights, there is space for six boats, the outer two spaces can be used by widebeams. There will be another couple of sights across London, Kings Cross and Sweetwater on the Lee which will be introduced this year. These will be reviewed in the autumn, hopefully they will continue to encourage more visitors into London, I just hope there is space available when we next want to visit without having to book a year in advance. Details here
Tufnell Park station
This evening was our first catch up. We caught the tube across a hot sticky London to Tufnell Park where our friends Nick and Kerry live with Harry their dog. A lovely evening followed with much beer and wine drunk, a great chicken curry all followed by homemade Chilled Medication! You can tell he reads the blog every now and then.
Somebody reads the blog
Water ice and ice cream, yummy!
Lime water ice and ginger ice cream, the curry had been good, but this, yumm. We might have to return for seconds. The evening had brought rain with it, but we were fortunate that one last drink meant it had stopped for our journey back to Oleanna and Tilly.
There’s my panto set
0 locks, 7.65 miles, 1 blanket of green, 1 rescue, 1 free water point, 1 straight on, 1 last mooring, 0 shore leave, 1 miffed cat, 4 tubes, 2 bottles of wine, 1 chicken curry, 2 varieties of chilled medication, 1 lovely evening.
Uxbridge Lock to nearly Ballot Box Bridge, Paddington Arm, Grand Union Canal
Yellow hose to water his garden
After watching a chap lower a pump into the canal, presumably to water his garden (bet he doesn’t have an extraction licence) we pushed off and rounded the bend to Uxbridge Lock. We dropped down and then turned into Denham Marine, for once we didn’t have to wait in line the mooring was empty.
79p, yes please!
Here is possibly the cheapest diesel in London, if you spend over £15 you can also fill with water. The tap now has a lock on it, so you can’t hog the service mooring just for water. The tank was topped up to the top but we refrained buying a bottle of gas, the price a shock after the cheap ones in Stoke. We’ll hopefully see a coal boat at some point and we’d rather give them the money.
Last Lock to London Town
A couple more miles and we had reached the last lock before London, Cowley Lock. We’d thought of emptying our yellow water tank here, but on seeing lots of people enjoying the sunshine with pints in hand we decided to wait until later. The yellow water has a touch of a wiff when it is pumped, also people just can’t help talking to Mick as he holds the hose spurting urine into our black container for disposal at the elsan.
Below the lock there was a handy space, we pulled in and had an early lunch. This is where I gave Oleanna half a wash a couple of years ago, a bird in flight had relieved itself all over her. I’ve recently been refraining from giving her a wash, hoping that a layer of dust would help us not to stand out too much amongst the London boats, very few are polished to within an inch of their lives. But most people can see through our thin disguise and make complementary comments.
Now which colour?
Over the next stretch I bobbed down below, only needed for navigational reasons now I could get on with some work. Now I have my paint colour charts again I decided to use them to select what colour I would use as my base for the panto portals and floor.
Helping
Pink!
My helpful assistant decided to join in on the decision, however pink is not the right colour for the job.
Hello Houds
After a short while I could tell we were near Murderers Bridge. West Drayton is where we said goodbye to our first Second Mate, Houdini, in early 2015. We crossed the bridge with a full cat carrier and returned with it empty, cancer having gained another victim. So I always pass under here with a tear in my eye.
There were lots of boats like this on the Lee in 2014
That way
From below progress seemed to be very slow. Oleanna seemed to be in constant tick over, but where were the moored boats? There was only one boat, a big wide beam taking their time in front of us. On a long straight they pulled over to let us pass. Thank goodness we could have been there all night!
Look at that sky
No need to stop for water at Bulls Bridge so Mick swung the tiller out and Oleanna turned onto the Paddington Arm, straight ahead to London Town.
I managed to get a base coat on my model, then a first coat of green. I really hope I’ve chosen the right colour this time. A week ago it was all too bright and busy, so I thought a grey would be better. But earlier today grey didn’t seem jolly enough for a panto, I opted for in between, now i’m not so sure! I hate designers who can’t make their mind up!!
What is going on there?
We pootled along, passing numerous boats. In Southall nobody was feeding the swans, only one coot visible and the water point looks like it is now in use. Plenty of boats, piled high, their own shanty towns on water. I quite like them, but wonder how they see to move their boat.
At 5pm we reached our chosen destination near Ballot Box Bridge. We’ve stopped here a few times now. Next to a nature reserve, a couple of hours away from Paddington, in Zone 4 and should you need it, a big Tescos a good walk away in the old Hoover building.
Zone 4 sunset
2 locks, 12.01 miles, 1 straight on, 1 left, 60 litres, 87.5 miles to ? 2nd colour, 3 portals, 1 floor, plus extra bits.
NB Augustus came past us whilst we were having our cuppa in bed, there wasn’t enough time to get the covers rolled up and pushed out to join them for Denham Deep Lock, anyway I hadn’t finished my tea.
An hour later another boat came into view, we started to get ourselves ready when Mick spotted another boat behind them, they were obviously already sharing the locks, so no need to hurry. We pushed off and followed on behind them knowing we’d be the odd one at the back of the queue.
Heading in towards London
Chatting to the two boats ahead as they descended the lock, they both were heading into London, one to take their chances with the masses, the other has a booked mooring.
Filling Denham Deep Lock
With nobody coming from below we filled the chamber up, all 10ft 6″. A large group of students came up to the side of the lock to watch.
Please don’t get too close to the edge!
They just about filled the towpath side and I suggested that some of them move, just in case Mick knocked the bottom gate as he left, we didn’t want anybody tumbling into the canal or onto our roof. A chap sat on the off side closed the gate for us meaning we could be on our way.
We were now looking for a mooring close to Uxbridge, one with cover would be ideal. Soon there was space in the shade and Mick pulled us in, both of us doing our best not to get nettled as we moored up.
Leaving Denham behind
An early lunch then Mick was off to make use of his 60+ oyster card. He headed across London back out to Hackney where my panto model was sat waiting at my brothers. Hopefully I’ll be able to get on with finishing everything so that as soon as we turn out onto the Thames I can concentrate on boating.
A bit of shade left
Tilly headed off and soon found gaps in the mesh alongside the towpath to be able to access the trees and find friends for the afternoon. This left me with the panto script and a spread sheet to compile a props list. It is way bigger than last years, but with fewer tricksy makes. A set builder also needed more information so some of my technical drawings had to be scanned and emailed off.
Feline temperature gauge ‘long’ = hot
The shade that we’d arrived to was short lived. I had about an hours worth before the sun crept along the cabin sides, this lasted well into the evening. Inside I was at least sheltered from the sun, but the temperature kept on rising. Tilly even had to return for spells to be a long cat on the floor.
Yum yum yum
When Mick returned we made use of the shade Oleanna was now creating and sat out to enjoy a barbeque, the towpath just wide enough. Sweet corn, followed by some chicken thighs marinated in ginger and garlic with a hint of chilli and veg and halloumi kebabs.
THAT is NOT your boat Tilly!!!!!
1 lock all 10ft 6″ of it, 1.17 miles, 1 shady mooring for an hour, 1 bright mooring for 7! 1 oven, 1 long cat, 4 tubes, 2 buses, 118 props, 4 kebabs, 3 thighs, 1 model back to be finished, 1 cat preffering a wider boat roof, 1 big hello again to Ali!
Today we had a lunch appointment, but before that we had a lock and about a mile to cruise.
For Sale
The lock cottage below Black Jacks Lock is for sale, I’m not sure if the asking price includes the crocodile or not, or will that be moving elsewhere. Hope the new owner gives us something as amusing to look at. Details of the house are here.
It still hasn’t eaten that arm!
Last night we did well to resist the walk up the hill to The Old Orchard, a very nice pub with great views and very good food. But we knew we’d be eating out today so refrained.
After about a mile we pulled in above Wide Water Lock, I had a quick shower and then we put on none boating clothes and walked into Denham. This is where an old colleague of Mick’s lives. Mick was Les’s apprentice way back in his GPO days. They have kept in touch through the years and getting on for five years ago Les and Maureen came to see us on Lillian when we passed through Uxbridge, bringing a very nice cake with them.
Maureen and Les
There was lots to catch up on whilst admiring their beautiful garden. Then we jumped in the car and headed round the corner to Denham Garden Village. This is a rather smart retirement village, with a spa and cafe bar. Denham Film Studios used to be on this site where films such as Brief Encounter and David Lean’s Great Expectations were made.
Pint of Pride
The cafe bar was very inviting and here we all opted for the carvery, which was one of the best roasts we’ve had (other than on Oleanna!) in a long while. Mick had his first pint of London Pride too as the conversation flowed on.
A quick spin around Denham Village itself, passing Robert Lindseys house and where John Mills used to live, a very pretty village. It was a shame that we had other things to do rather than have a walk. Les and Maureen dropped us back off at the lock and promised that they would visit us later in the year when we’re in Banbury.
Blue and green
The pound had dropped whilst we had been out. Our friends Sam and Becca had moored here when they were moving their boat back to London last year, we’d been a bit bemused when we heard that they were stuck, grounded. But now we understood, this pound needs to have the lock totally closed with all it’s paddles closed. Both top and bottom gates must leak and the pound above despite being about a mile long can drain overnight.
Doors = Gates
Pond = Pound
Noisy gravel
We moved off, away from the gravel works on the other side of the hedge and made our way down the lock to find a shady place. Just past where there had been an HS2 protest camp a couple of years ago we found a length long enough and deep enough for us to pull into in the shade. A perfect place for a barbecue, but we were still too full from lunch.
I turned around and we were surrounded by teenages
Next we had to turn our attention to emails to do with our house in Scarborough. Tenants, who’d have them! It also looks like we’ll have to hold off buying boxes of wine for a while as one of the showers needs a new surround, that’s another months rent vanishing before we get it.
2 locks, 2.22 miles, 1 hungry crocodile, 2 old friends, 3 hours reminiscing about telephones, 2 glasses of wine, 2 pints Pride, 4 roast beefs, 4 hours shore leave,2 many tenants opinions, 1 new toilet and shower, 2nd sleeve started, 2 slices of cheese on toast.
As nice as this mooring is for both Tilly and us it was time to start moving again. Just as we were about to start rolling back the covers NB Augustus with Alan and Sue on board came past. They had to reset the lock which gave us enough time to catch up with them to descend together.
NB Augustus leading the way
Our sharing was short lived as they only planned to cruise into the next pound after filling with water. We also needed water and planned on going further today so carried on down the next lock and under our first underground bridge alone.
External garden shed
This being our fourth trip into London the more eccentric boats are familiar to us. One was moored just above Common Moor Lock. The bath tub at the stern has more than just a mannequin in it now, the roof top paraphernalia seems to have changed a touch too.
Wise words
A boat was following us with two chaps on board, I opened the second gate for them to join us. Just as we were about to wind the bottom gate paddles up the chap from their stern disappeared below. The other chap was a bit surprised that I wasn’t doing anything, until I pointed out that his mate had vanished below. I wasn’t going to wind a paddle with nobody at the helm. After he’d sorted the kettle he bobbed back up and the paddles were wound up.
The paddle
Nice name
Lot Mead Lock needed topping up and I took great care with the ground paddles. This is where I found out why you should never try to stop a windlass from spinning should you loose grip. Some of these paddles just want to go down and take quite a bit of effort to lower them steadily, this one had got the better of me and necessitated a cab ride for an xray on my forearm a few years ago. Luckily my radius had enough give in it to just flex with the impact and not break.
The new education room
The chaps stopped for lunch and left us to carry on to Batchworth. Here the lock cottage, if it can be classed as one, is up for sale with planning permission for a large extension. Across the way on the River Chess new buildings are going up and if you are like us eager to see the model canal in action you have missed your chance. It has gone, replaced by an education building with kids eager to go on the boat through the lock.
Danger Weir
We stopped and filled with water whilst a Continuous Cruiser told us about his range of miles on the Grand Union and he did his best to put us off going into London. Unless things have changed drastically over the last two years we know what we are heading into, we’re under no illusions about London. Anyhow this morning luck had been on our side and we’ve managed to get a mooring.
On next to Tescos. Yes we got lots of shopping the other day, but fresh perishables were needed. Also without the freezer at the moment we need to shop more often.
Stockers Lock
In the afternoon we decided to take our time a bit more, no rush to get into London now. We worked our way down the next few locks.
Still there
above all our heads
Passing the hanging monkey. Just how much longer can he cling on for? He’s been there for five years at least!
Approaching Copper Mill Lock
At Copper Mill Lock I had to close the bottom paddles properly, they’d been left up by a few inches, hard to spot at a quick glance. Then on past the rapids and found ourselves a spot just before Black Jacks Lock.
One of these properties is for sale https://www.rodgersestates.com/property-details/4646501/harefield/summerhouse-lane
What at first look is an idyllic mooring, is one of the noisiest! Parakeets swooping and squawking, kids playing and screaming at each other, dogs barking and cyclists zooming past. We’d remembered the towpath as being wider here, but sadly it’s not, so the barbeque will have to wait for another night.
New lick of paint for the arc
This evening we started to plan the next few months. We’ll be needing transit licenses, will a week be long enough on the Basingstoke? How long on the Wey? Where do we need to be for easy access to Chippy in three weeks time for my final panto model meeting? There’s lots of new water planned, places to see and explore.
I’ve just received a review for the pair of socks I sent off the other day.
“They say a picture can tell a thousand words but in this case no picture or words could say just how much it meant to me that Pip would take on my difficult request, to spend more time than money could buy, and on carefully crafting these very special socks for me. What a generous and beautiful woman you are Pip! And how I will cherish these darling socks you’ve made for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙂 x” I think she is happy with them!
8 locks, 6.52 miles, 2 lock buddies, 1 handy tip, 1 more reason to go into London, 1 full water tank, 16 life jacketed kids, 1 Tesco mooring, 8 cool hooves, 1 monkey, 1 annoyingly busy towpath, 2 many squawking green birdies, bet they are all squawk and feather! 1 cardigan arm almost completed, 1 very happy customer.
I don’t know what they were on about, I’m not missing anything! Everything is here right next to my boat along with me and I’m making the most of it.
I’m not missing!
My feline charms worked wonders this morning. I persuaded them that they needed another day off from moving the outside. She said that if She had a good day today, then until She got her box back She’d have run out of things to do for Puss In Boots. The big slidey board came out and I was told my assistance wasn’t required today.
Title block
Tom got the black box that spits things out out. Instead of feeding it today he showed it things, lots of yellow paper. He didn’t look like he needed my assistance either so I was redundant from boat duties, so made the most of this outside even more.
Outside was quieter today, no music, which meant I could hear friends in the friendly cover easier. Trees needed climbing and from up high I could watch the occasional boat coming past. One was called NB Wand’ring Bark. Now is that the sort of Woofer Bark or Tree Bark I wonder, the latter would be best.
Wandering Bark and The Jam Butty
Then there was this family who came past. The children took quite a bit of interest in me, ‘Look Mum, it’s the missing cat!’ ‘Do you think so’ ‘Yes’. As I said earlier I’m not missing anything! They watched me and then started to follow me, making it hard for me to get back to Oleanna.
Horus. Hope he’s being very busy
She came out and asked about the cat they’d seen, did it have a white tip to it’s tale? Of course I did! She said sorry but that I wasn’t the missing cat. That cat has a lot more white and only one eye and looks nothing like me at all. The children were a bit disappointed but I was then able to carry on with my business undisturbed.
Tom had to go and get them some ding ding as they’d run out of fresh supplies. I offered to catch them some and even suggested they try the Shrimp and Plaice ding ding that I don’t like, but they weren’t too keen on either. Tom doesn’t like things that eat pooh. She calls them crustaceans which makes them sound rather nice and crunchy, but believe me they are not and are really rather yucky!
A boat came along, She popped her head out and suggested they tied up the outside in front of us, it is deeper there. I didn’t think it was trying to get away, but another boat holding it would be better.
0 locks, 0 miles, 9 hours, 1 afternoon kip, 36 trees, 5 friends, 23 showings, 10 sheets, 1st letter opened, 0 left for She to do, 0 other cats, 0 missing cats, only 1 cat, me!
PS She says hello to the people who thought they’d still been following us, but then everything stopped. Tom and She think people were still getting the blog from the old blog, somehow! Tom turned something off the other day which meant the old blog couldn’t be nosy anymore. We are all glad that you’ve found us again, although it looks like Ali hasn’t and She doesn’t want to get told off when She next sees her. Thank you Aileen you helped us sort it. She will write to you about Houdini’s’ transition to life on board, She thinks I’d give a very biased view that wouldn’t be helpful.
Today the temperature has dropped to a rather pleasant one. We both managed to sleep pretty well last night which was a relief. We had a slow morning getting ourselves together to venture across the capital.
Photo courtesy of Josh Leckenby
Reaching Watford meant that we were within walking distance of the tube and could leave Tilly in charge under the shelter of the trees for the day whilst we headed over to my brothers in Hackney. The solar panels would happily look after the batteries.
Choo choo
With two birthday presents, bottles of wine and bags of pasta and couscous that we no longer eat, we walked across the park, pausing for the miniature railway to cross in front of us. The whole of Watford seemed to be out making use of the park.
Tube
The Metropolitan Line took us to Finchley Road with views across London towards The Shard and BT Tower. Here we walked a few minutes up the road to Finchley Road and Frognall Station on the Overground which whisked us over to Homerton. There were plenty of Americans heading their way to the Olympic park to watch the baseball.
Able to sit out in the shade of the tree
We had a lovely afternoon and early evening with Andrew Jac and Josh, in true Leckenby style with plenty of food, good conversation and a drink or two, or three, or four!
Presents
Friday had been Andrew’s birthday, we’d hoped to have got to London by then, but with work, a change of tenants in the house we got delayed. Anyway he’d developed man flu and his birthday was spent mostly in bed feeling poorly. Good that he had brightened up for today.
Big Barbeque
Small joint of lamb!
Birthday presents were exchanged, Mick got a Tippy Tip for the ash from the stove and a solar powered light we can put out the back, whilst Andrew got a steamer/rice cooker and some old maps of Hackney.
Salads
What did we eat? Lots of nibbles, a leg of lamb that had been marinated overnight in spices that was started off on the barbeque and then left to slow cook along with various salads. Pudding a Pavlova.
Jac Mistress of the Pavlova
Our return journey back across London was into the setting sun. Another lovely Sunday.
Leckenby’s
0 locks, 0 miles, 19 miles as the crow flies, 2 tubes, 2 overgrounds, 1 for free, £5.60 for me the youngster, 4 presents, 1 giant leg of lamb, 1 bigger Pavlova, 7 hours of conversation, 1 rebuilt Jac, 1 boat still here, 1 very hungry cat.
