From Saturday Hammersmith Bridge will be reopening to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic. Engineers have deemed the bridge safe to reopen “safety risk is kept acceptably low” due to a temperature control system on the anchor chains and the use of acoustic sensors which have been installed to issue alerts on further crack movements. These are only temporary measures and a more permanent repair is needed. The Department of Transport is willing to foot a third of the repair bill of £161million, but TFL and the local Council are struggling to foot the remainder.
Whilst we waited for an engineer to visit I had a long chat regarding panto props with Jo the props maker. Last year Jo, as so many others, had to find work elsewhere to help ends meet. From being a receptionist at a holiday park to delivering prescriptions she has survived. Still working part time she is now starting to take on bits of theatre work, which I am relieved about as I really enjoy working with Jo. We talked hobby horses, tea cosies, silver cross prams along with stretchable rhubarb and inflatable radishes.
Staying safely out of the way
I had planned to be out whilst the engineer was here, but I was busy talking giant strawberries when he arrived. Mick had pulled the washing machine out of it’s cupboard, moved all our bedding and mattresses out of the way to make more space. The front door was open and he removed the glass from our bedroom window, so there was plenty of fresh air.
Tilly and I sat on the other side of the bathroom door listening to the beeps from the engineers tester. All the cables and connections were checked, he was testing everything for over an hour. In the end he suspects it’s a circuit board that has gone, nothing he could mend today unfortunately. Someone will call us tomorrow with a quote for a new board and fitting it.
Hmm, what to do? It’s handy being here where it’s easy to arrange an engineer to visit, but we really would like to move on. Some more than others!
Mick spent some of the afternoon trying to source the circuit board himself, fairly sure he’d be able to install it, which would save a call out fee. He only found one which was a reconditioned board, we’ll wait to see what the quote is tomorrow.
Time for a walk. I’d spotted Camden Garden Centre on a map, hopefully they’d be able to sell me another trough so that I could plant on the other half of the strawberry plants I bought weeks ago at Barton Turns. The others I’d replanted are now double the size, sending out babies and new shoots are coming up too.
St Pancras Gardens and the workhouse
My route took me across St Pancras Gardens. Here large buildings back onto the grassy area, these were the dormitory blocks for St Pancras Workhouse, they were built around 1890 and added an extension to the already existing workhouse. The original workhouse in 1777 housed 120 inmates, over the next ten years this increased, they were sleeping five to six in a bed! Buildings came and went. Oliver Twist may have been based on the story of Robert Blincoe, a child inmate from here.
Today it is now St Pancras Hospital which occupies many of the Victorian buildings.
Over the canal I soon came across the Garden Centre filled with plants, cactus, pots and troughs, the later perfect for my strawberry plants.
I then had a wander around the area. A hand car wash place had a rather lovely Jaguar outside. Several pubs looked quite inviting. Oh and NB Small World had found another mooring.
I then spied the blue houses that sit behind the modern apartments, so I walked round the back of them onto Lyme St. Sadly the access to the houses is gated off so not much to see. But between the buildings on Lyme St I could see the back of the houses, here there appears to be a modern building at their rear.
It’s really quite large the building behind the cottages
A look at Google maps later shows it as a big building and checking on Street view it looks like it is The Workshop at 183 Royal College Street. Things were now starting to look familiar. It turns out that The Workshop was featured on Grand Designs, formerly a furniture workshop, it was rebuilt as a family home and architectural studio designed by architect Henning Stummel. Nothing what so ever to do with the blue cottages that face the canal. If you are interested here is a link for more information.
Access to The Workshop
0 locks, 0 miles, 90 minutes talking props, 70 minutes diagnostic engineer, 1 circuit board, or could it be the other 1? 6 to a bed, 2 churches, 1 trough, 3 plants replanted, 1 bag of compost now required, 2 blue houses, 1 grand design hidden away, 1956 Jaguar XK140 Coupe, £35 to 40k back in 2008.
Mick rang back a company he’d tried yesterday to see when an engineer might be able to come out to look at our dead washer/dryer. We’d been given several options yesterday regarding payment and we’d decided that £125 to fix it wasn’t too bad, a new one being at least £300, if they couldn’t fix it then £55 would be the call out charge. However when he tried calling the department to see when they would be able to visit the phone just rang and rang and rang. He gave up.
Not much of a view in St Pants
Google suggested several other firms. ‘Sorry we don’t cover that area’ was quite a common response. Others suggested they’d be able to get someone out to us this afternoon. ‘What’s your postcode?’ This was given, handy to be at the Cruising Club and have an address. Then Mick would say we were on a boat. ‘Oh, we don’t do boats. Houses yes, boats no!’
St Pancras Lock
A notice was put on the London Boaters group, but the only suggestion was to buy a new one as they are so cheap now. We’d rather see if it can be mended, but we might just be giving someone some money to look at a totally dead machine.
Eventually a company was found who didn’t have a problem coming out to us on a boat. An appointment made for tomorrow afternoon. Mick called the Harbour Master, Tony to see if we could stay a bit longer in the basin. This was fine and a key holder for the gate into the car park would be found to let the engineer in.
Mick headed off to find a new connecting hose for the washing machine, a longer one would help when pulling it out from it’s cupboard. 2.5m would do and be handy even if we end up having to buy a new machine.
Hello!
Back onboard I, at last, had a chat with Gemma (Production Manager for Panto). We talked painting the set, a quote for more than my design fee had come in from a scenic artist. I know you can earn more money painting than designing, but when I’d already said I’d paint the show for a top up on my fee! Logistics in our pandemic world make things a little more complicated than before, but hopefully with a bit of thought things will work out.
Not being much of an assistant
I decided that as we wouldn’t be moving today that I’d do some work. The drawing board came out and my assistant sat by and watched as I drew up some basic plans for the set of #unit 21. This didn’t take too long, I just need to get them scanned now and sent off for a friend in Leeds to give me a quote.
Mick had another trip to make to Christine’s. A new propmate had arrived for us to replace the one now sat on the bottom of Limehouse Basin. The design has changed a bit since we bought our original one. Now made from pipe with a bent handle and it comes with a wrist strap already attached! Hopefully this one will be with us for longer than the old one.
Being cooped up in the boat all day I had a walk around the Kings Cross development. A meander of a walk took me through the new buildings, many empty. Landscaping and seating is everywhere making for a green environment.
Wish I could look inside
I walked past York Road Station, one of the original stations on the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway. Opened in 1906 it was designed by Leslie Green and connected to the platforms by two lifts. It closed in 1932, discussions have been made about reopening it, but as it’s quite close to Kings Cross the £21million (2005 estimate) needed to bring it up to modern day standards it is unlikely to happen.
Cinema across the water
A cinema screen plays to an audience on the steps across the canal. A couple of films are shown a day along with the Tour De France at lunchtimes. All the restaurants and bars were packed, as much as they can be and the whole area had a hubhub about it.
Art covers walls and expensive shops fill an area which used to be full of railway lines delivering coal.
It being Wednesday night it was club night at the Waterpoint the old water tower that overlooks the basin. A glass of wine and being sociable was on the cards, hopefully with a visit to the roof of the tower.
Looking SW
Our luck was in and we got shown up onto the roof. From here views down to St Pancras Station, BT tower, a bit of the London Eye and the numerous cranes which are on the site of the new Google building.
Looking SSE
Northwards is mostly railways and tower blocks, but all the same with the sun gradually going down it was still quite a sight.
Ballcock
The roof is what used to be the water tank which used to hold 17,000 gallons of water which was used to fill the tanks of the steam locomotives. In one corner is the ballcock, pretty much like a toilet ballcock only far bigger!
St Pancras Station
The tower used to be situated along the lines at St Pancras, however it was in the way of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link HS1 so it had to be moved. The tower was split into three, the top two layers moved to behind the lock cottage. A new bottom third was built and the top two thirds were craned in on top. The Cruising Club are custodians of the water tower, it is currently their club house. You’ll find it open to the public several times a year.
Looking NNE
The whole area around Kings Cross was a huge coal depot. Where the basin is now used to have railtracks running over the top of it. The gas holders have been moved from their original site and new buildings built within them to suggest the old tanks. Using this link you can see how much the area has changed since 1892 by sliding the button on the bottom left.
Today a new C&RT notice came in
Aire & Calder Navigation Main Line Location: Lock 11, Ferrybridge Flood Lock, Aire & Calder Navigation
Navigation Closure
Monday 19 July 2021 08:00 until Friday 13 August 2021 16:00
A stoppage is required to replace the downstream gates and cills. Check and repair downstream sluices.
Here’s hoping the end of this stoppage coincides with the breach site reopening.
0 locks, 0 miles, 0 washing machine, 1 engineer booked, 2 new quotes, 1 conversation, 1 set drawn up, 16 more panto photos, 1 dormant station, 2 glasses up on the roof.
Before we got invited to join the tideway cruise we had other plans, this was to venture out to the eastern side of London and onto the Lee and Stort to finish what we started in January 2015. Our cruise then had to be curtailed due to rising water and an imminent lock closure.
So today we carried on back round to where we started last Friday. This should have been quite an uneventful day, some work for me organising the return of overalls to Amazon whilst Mick stood at the helm and brought us in to London.
No visitors in the middle of the night at Horsenden Hill this time
The final pair of overalls were tried on in Huddersfield and didn’t fit so a larger size was ordered and then I went through the website to arrange the return of five pairs. The paperwork took next to no time but a copy of the QR code did not arrive by email for at least an hour. But in the end everything was returned and by the end of the day a refund had been triggered to arrive back to my credit card in the next few days.
Small World still with the tide behind them
Up on deck we were soon caught up by NB Small World, their cruising speed greater than ours. When an opportune moment came Mick pulled over to let them pass.
Over the North Circular
The pipes that had snaked their way along the edge of the canal close to the temporary HS2 bridge have now vanished, wonder what they had been for? Duck weed is starting to take over though.
No pipes today
Just as we were coming up to a bend to the left near Old Oak a cyclist warned us of a boat adrift ahead. Sure enough there it was just off centre, a big widebeam. There was space to get past. Was it on the bottom? Could we help?
We slowed as we passed it, the front mooring line along with spike were sat on the bow, almost as if someone had pulled the pin out and coiled the rope up ready to push off! It did mean there was some rope we could get hold of. Mick looped the rope over a dolly and started to pull forwards, it wasn’t grounded it just needed some umph to get moving.
Along the towpath there was a big gap where we could pull in past a moored boat that we didn’t want to bump into. Gingerly we pulled the widebeam across slowing and letting it’s bow nudge into the bank rather than our stern. Now what? Would we be able to bang the spikes into the towpath or was this stretch empty for a reason.
C&RT chaps ringing base and left incharge
Fortunately this problem became someone else’s as two C&RT chaps just happened to be walking the towpath. They didn’t mention that they were coming to find an adrift boat, but they ended up with one. We helped nudge the stern in and left one chap holding a rope whilst the other went to their van for a mallet and a bigger spike. Who knows how the boat got in the middle of the cut. A speeding boater? Or someone had assisted it by pulling out the pins, coiling up the rope and giving the boat a push? Anyhow it was back on the bank now.
Onwards. I was waiting for a phone call from the panto Production Manager, to try to sort logistics of painting the show this year. A phone call at lunchtime had been arranged and all the time we were getting closer to Little Venice and Maida Hill Tunnel. We passed NB Small World who’d managed to find a towpath mooring. The water point at Little Venice was occupied so we couldn’t hang around there. Both of Rembrandt Garden moorings were full, although the community space was empty. We carried on and joined a line of trip boats going through the tunnel.
Mushy peas taking over
Popping out the other side I was busy trying to get hold of Gemma, only to get her answer phone, as we passed where the work boats and tugs had been two weeks ago. Here containers which had been sat on boats were now half submerged, apparently lots of high vis clothing was hanging up to dry draped around the bank.
Some of those look familiar
We paused for canoeists to come round the bend at Cumberland Basin then we turned the left hand bend towards Camden. Around half of the boats on the moorings were the same as they’d been twelve days before, they were just in a slightly different order and some had turned round. No chance of us fitting in there today.
No Christine today, we’d refrained from telling her we’d be in Camden today for her own safety
The gates to the top lock were wide open waiting for us. As we pulled in the volunteer we’d seen last time appeared like Mr Ben. Today he was the only volunteer on duty.
Coming into the second lock of the day
Now please don’t get me wrong, I like volunteers. I also like doing locks, that’s why I love boating. I can manage lock gates and do not jump down onto boats as they are descending in locks, especially when I can just step aboard below. I also check that the helm is happy for me to start emptying or filling a lock and I would never lift a paddle when Mick was not at the helm of our boat and home! We really must remember to have a whistle at the ready, both on the boat and with the windlass. There is being efficient and there is being an accident waiting to happen!
Heading to the last lock of the day
We then had a short distance to travel back to St Pancras Cruising Club where we had a nights mooring booked. Mick reversed Oleanna into the basin. Boat movements in the last week had made it easier to get the stern in. The bow however was a different matter.
Look at the concentration on his face
Mick tied the stern off, then pulled us over using the centre line until the bow was close enough for me to pass over the bow rope to him on the gunnel of the boat we’d be facing. A lot of pulling and eventually we were in, nestled against NB Misty Blue again.
We hooked up and got a load of washing ready. Mick closed the door of the machine, pressed the buttons. Nothing! No beep, no light, no click, no nothing! He checked the socket, that worked. He checked the fuse in the washing machine plug, that was fine. Time to pull the machine out.
Cupboard door off
Everything was built quite tightly, but the washing machine pulls out relatively easily, once you’ve removed the handle of the laundry drawer and the door to the cupboard the machine sits in. As Mick pulled the machine out we both heard the water pump start up. Was this a good or bad thing?
BAD!!!
‘Turn the water pump off!!!’ The switch was switched in the electrics cupboard, towels flung on the floor to soak up the river of water appearing from below the machine. Bu**er! The pipe supplying the machine had broken. This wasn’t the original problem, just one that came along to keep the original one company!
We’ve now got dirty towels and nothing to wash them in!
Mick had look at the machine, but couldn’t find anything obvious. Maybe our Tideway Cruise had caused this. Had the machine been buffeted about on the waves? Well it ‘s in quite a tight fitting cupboard so most probably not.
Water over the skin fitting of the outflow pipe! We’ll put tape over that next time.
Had the ballast inside it caused a problem? Maybe. Or had water come in through the outflow pipe and done something? This is very possible looking back at Adam’s photos of us in the swell on Saturday.
That won’t help
Whilst all this was happening Tilly did her best to investigate things too. I had to pull her out from the electrics cupboard that she’d got half into and round the internal door. Then with the shelving unit pulled out from below the gunnel behind the shower she was trying to get through the gap into the washing machine cupboard too! Doors needed closing, with her on the outside. I was just trying to help get to the bottom of things and lend a paw!
Deathly musicians
Everything was put back in place, water mopped up, stop cock closed. Time to call an engineer. If it’s a dead machine we’ll need to plan it’s extraction from the boat and where and how to dispose of it. But for now we’ll be wearing slightly more holey clothes.
A photo heavy post! If you click on a photo it should enlarge.
Limehouse Basin to Ontario Bridge 205A Grand Union Canal
Not much of view this morning!
Tilly seemed keen to be out this morning despite the not so inviting view from our bedroom window. Today we’d be heading out onto the Tidal Thames so no shore leave for cats, no matter how much they shout!
One of the last jobs to do today was put Tilly’s escape pod back together ready should there be any necessity to abandon ship. She also quite likes to sit in there anyway.
Final briefing
At 10:30 all crews congregated in the car park for our final briefing. An extra sheet of paper was passed round which detailed the distances between bridges on our cruise upstream. We were reminded to keep looking behind us as that is where the danger can lie, make sure our anchors were actually attached to our boats and just to hold our course and not to turn into waves as they can come from any and every direction. VHF radios were handed to crew who didn’t have their own, ship to ship being on channel 8.
Simon watching the lock open up
St Pancras Leader, Simon, would radio VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) when they left the lock and the third lock leader would do the same when the last and final boat entered the tide way, Tail end Charlie would be Oleanna today. There wouldn’t be much commercial traffic on the river, but plenty of Clippers and speed boats. The weather forecast wasn’t so good, everyone prepared for rain which was just trying to start.
Moving into position
The first locking of four boats was at 11:15. Limehouse Lock can hold three narrowboats abreast and as two boats were short they could sit one behind the other. We watched as the boats pulled into the lock, each passing ropes round the risers on the lock walls, these are positioned directly under the bollards above.
Waiting for NB Chance to take her position in the lock
The pull as the lock starts to empty, radial gates not paddles, is strong necessitating ropes needing to be passed round a T stud to help you keep hold.
We watched as the lock emptied and then the boats departed. NB Thermopylae led the way followed by NB Chance, NB Misty Blue and NB Mobius brought up the rear. Each boat motoring out of the lock and turning right onto the Thames keeping a distance between each other.
Next lock full
The next boats were ready and waiting for the lock to be refilled, we headed back to Oleanna for a final briefing with our second mate, move the towline to the bow and untie ourselves from the mooring.
Oleanna looking forward to her trip up the Thames
Tilly was warned that that the outside we’d be moving today was likely to be quite lumpy bumpy for a while, she retired to her escape pod and waited to see what happened.
NB Coracle was lead boat, followed by NB Small World then us at the very back. As the lock gates fully opened Andrew on NB Coracle said ‘Let’s go boating!’ It was 11:48 we were 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Leaving Limehouse Lock, the river was big but not as big as leaving Goole
I closed the cratch cover up and moved through Oleanna to the stern. I was soon pleased that I’d thought to move bottles from the galley shelves and counter tops as the river was most certainly lumpy. We turned into the flow of the tide heading upstream.
Speed boats zipped past their wakes moving across the river. They were towards the south bank, we were towards the north bank, the waves kept coming and coming, first this way then that.You said it was going to be lumpy! You didn’t say that we would be looping the loop!!!!
Tilly wasn’t happy, she was shouting at the back doors! I have to admit that I wasn’t too happy either as Oleanna rose and fell with the waves. Please excuse the out of focusness of this footage as my camera had no idea what it should focus on! This is by far the lumpiest water we’ve encountered. As a child I used to be seasick every time I even stood near to a boat, so today I did my best to keep calm and looked round at everything to keep my mind off the swell.
We fell in line behind the lead boat and NB Small World, one yellow buoy coming a touch close to us. The river was moving us along, at one point I couldn’t hear the engine, Mick had put Oleanna into tickover as we had been gaining on the boat ahead.
Behind us Canary Wharf, ahead old warehouses, the River Police jetty.
Shard ahead
The Shard came into view, then as we rounded the bend at Wapping the view opened out.
Quite a view!
The Walkie Talkie, St Pauls, BT Tower, City Hall and of course Tower Bridge. Wow!
Dora May just off centre with a blue and cream wheelhouse
At Tower Moorings we tried to spot Dora May that used to belong to my friend Kathy. She is still moored there, wheelhouse positioned with a great view over to Tower Bridge.
Just look at that! Tower Bridge built between 1886 and 1894
We managed to line ourselves up briefly for a photo we’ve been dreaming of for years, under the central span of Tower Bridge.
Then we got back in line with the two boats ahead and headed for span 1 to the north side. It is quite an impressive bridge to walk over, but more so to pass under.
We waved to the south bank of the river where Mick’s sister Christine had positioned herself.
Christine’s over there somewhere!
No chance of spotting her, but thankfully she spotted us.
There we are
Past the clipper terminal
Tower of London
I especially like the one in front of the Tower of London.
HMS Belfast and The Shard
The bridges now come thick and fast as did the swell.
Bridges lining up ahead
Trying to take photos clinging on, trying to stay upright at times was quite hard.
London Bridge Hospital looks like a new coat of white paint has been added, keeping it crisply clean, soon followed by Hays Wharf. This wonderful deco building once a wharf now contains consulting rooms and the cardiology department for the hospital.
Follow my leader under the correct spans of the bridges as waves buffeted themselves against Oleanna.
Tate Modern (opened 2000) and the wibbly wobbly Millennium Bridge (opened 2000, reopened 2002).
The Samuel Pepys pub is where Mick used to drink when he worked almost next door for BT in the red brick building.
More bridges, more sights, more big trip boats.
Pillars where old railway bridges used to be. The Oxo tower (originally a power station supplying the Post Office, built at the end of the 19th Century) more shiny tower blocks.
Waterloo Bridge (opened 1942, fully opened 1945), The National Theatre (opened 1976). Have to say I was a touch disappointed that the National hadn’t brought the horses out from War Horse onto the terrace to see us pass as they did for the Queen!
Not much traffic behind
Frequent glances behind brought different views as well as checking if we were being followed.
Hungerford Bridge (opened 1864) and the Golden Jubilee Bridges (completed 2002)
Then Hungerford Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges. Were we early? We looked up as we came under the bridge.
A pair of shoes, legs, a radio 2 news presenter stood phone in hand ready to capture us as we passed below.
The London Eye (opened 2000), County Hall (1922), Tattershall Castle (a steamer built in 1934 and was used as a Humber Ferry) and onwards to the Houses of Parliament (finished in 1860) and Westminster Bridge (opened 1862).
Heading up stream
Such a shame Big Ben is still swathed in scaffolding, maybe we’ll just have to come and do the trip again in the latter part of 2022!
As we passed the exclusion zone in front of the Houses of Parliament I shouted out a few comments to those who run our country. I so hope they heard and will take heed of my words!
Under Lambeth Bridge ( 1932) with the MI5 offices (1929) with it’s gold roof.
Tamesis Dock
A boat sat out of the water a structure held it upright. I wonder if those eating and drinking at Tamesis Dock knew they weren’t afloat.
Mick tried pointing out another building he used to work in. ‘That one with all the windows’! It turns out Mick used to work next door to the MI6 building on the south bank, well before it was built.
Vauxhall Bridge Built in 1906
By now the river traffic was easing, the swell gone. Under Vauxhall Bridge, the four towers of Battersea Power Station (completed in 1955) rose from the redevelopment below.
Next week will see the return of the open-air cinema and theatre at The Coal Jetty. Apartments are being sold and retail and restaurants are already open. We do wonder what the residents will think of living next door to the Super Sewer though! I’m sure it will all be below ground.
Victoria Railway Bridge rebuilt and widened in the 1960’s
Chelsea, originally Victoria Bridge, rebuilt in 1937
Albert Bridge, built 1873, suspension bridge incorporated in 1884-7 and final alterations made in 1973
Victoria, Chelsea and Albert Bridges. The question is who was Chelsea? Did she have a bit of a fling with Albert getting between them!
Albert Bridge painted in pastel shades has a touch of a Wedgewood feel to it.
Battersea Road Bridge built 1885
Battersea Road Bridge was followed by numerous house boats.
House boats side by side
I wonder what it’s like living on one of those with the tides coming and going.
Lots Road Power Station, built in 1904
Lots Road Power Station which used to produce electricity for the underground is having a makeover. The internal structures have been removed and 800 tonnes of steel have been used to retain the exterior façade. Along with four new buildings the development will provide 420 residential units.
Hanging under Wandsworth Bridge ( built in 1940) is a dishevelled bail of straw. It’s an ancient bylaw of uncertain heritage that if a bridge arch is open to river traffic, but with restricted headroom, then a bundle of straw should be hung from the bridge as a warning. At night time it is replaced by a white light.
Fulham Railway Bridge (1889) and Putney Bridge (1886)
Down stream of Putney Bridge (1886) is where the Oxford Cambridge boat race starts, the course passes under Hammersmith Bridge, Barnes Bridge and finishes just before Chiswick Bridge a distance of four miles.
Fulham Football Club is having major works. The riverside stand at Craven Cottage was demolished and is being redeveloped into more than just a football stand. Floating pontoons are being used in the building work and an exclusion zone around these is in force on the river marked with yellow buoys.
Rowers
Now we started to encounter rowers as we approached Hammersmith Bridge (1887). An area along the southern bank has been marked out for the rowers to use, keeping normal river traffic away from the area.
Hammersmith Bridge currently closed
Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to motor traffic since August 2019 after cracks were discovered in the bridges pedestals. The closure was extended to pedestrians, cyclists and normal boat traffic last year. It is however open for pre-booked transits which are subject to a lot of conditions. One of which is that you have an abort plan should the bridge be closed in front of you. This would entail winding and stemming the tide in a predetermined section of the river, contact with VTS would be made and then we would wait for slack water before returning all the way to Limehouse Lock with the outgoing tide.
All three groups had to pass under the bridge in an hours window. Thankfully no abort signal was given and we as Tail end Charlie passed under the bridge at 13:38, well within the hour. Phew!
Under Barnes Railway Bridge ( built in the 1890’s), more rowers and paddleboarders.
Chiswick Bridge built 1933
We received a phone call from Simon checking our location at 14:00, we could confirm we were under Chiswick Bridge and all was fine at the back of the flotilla.
Boats ahead under Kew Railway Bridge
A zoom in on the camera to Kew Railway Bridge confirmed we were catching up the second group. NB Combs Lass and NB Galatea were just passing under the bridge, it was the first time we’d seen them since Limehouse.
Kew Bridge built in 1903
Kew Bridge a wide span bridge was to be the last we’d pass under, the Tower of Kew Bridge Pumping Station watching our approach towards Brentford Junction.
Liquidity ahead
Passing islands to our starboard side we could see the sculpture Liquidity by Simon Packard. This to boaters helps mark the entrance of Brentford Junction on the Thames, to locals it caused a big hoo-ha when it was first erected as it blocked the view from new flats and a local restaurant to the river.
This was where the flotilla would split. Three boats could be seen continuing on up stream towards Teddington. NB Thermopylae now at the back. The third locks worth of boats veered off at the Junction and headed for Thames Lock. Here NB Albert Victor was joined by NB Coracle our lead boat and we joined NB Small World in the second lock to rise up to the semi tidal stretch at the bottom of the Grand Union Canal.
It wasn’t me!
I had chance to check on everything below, half expecting Tilly to still be in a tizz and maybe for her to have suffered from seasickness. I was greeted by a cat who was trying to be quite cool about everything, even if she was a little bit shouty! There was also a bit of a puddle in the main cabin. Oh dear.
However it didn’t take me long to realise that this was just water and it must have come in through our hatch despite the outer doors being closed. There was water on the surround. In absolute torrential rain with howling gales we’ve had water come in having been forced up under the doors. This must have happened when we were in the really lumpy water.
Thames Lock which takes us onto semi-tidal water
Heading to the bow to open up the cratch I also noticed a very small amount of water had made it’s way up under the front doors. These are raised off the floor of the well deck and have a frame that sits quite a bit higher than the doors. Water will have come in through the well deck drains on the choppy sections of the river and some of that made it’s way inside!
Maybe if we plan to do more rough cruises we should look at adding extra protection to these areas, the amount of water wasn’t alarming, but it would have been better to have come in to a dry boat.
A lock keeper was also on duty at Brentford Gauging Locks bring us up off the tidal water and onto the canal proper. We were now bunched up and a queue had formed at Clitheroe’s Lock. I headed up to help , other crew walking on ahead to set Osterley Lock.
When we reached the final lock of the day NB Albert Victor was waiting for a partner, so NB Small World joined them, leaving us to lock up on our own. The off side bottom gate refused, despite a bit of a waggle back and forth, to open fully, so it was one boat in at a time. On leaving half a tree trunk floated above the lock gates. NB Small World pushed it out of the way, but by the time I’d refilled the lock it had drifted back down to be in the way again!
The first sign of a gap in the moorings we pulled in, close to the community gardens. Tilly’s paw was already clinging onto the bathroom porthole her nose sniffing the fresh air, the trees here already having been given feline approval. As soon as our location had been noted with co-ordinates and what3words the rules were recited to Tilly and she was given 2 hours shore leave.
Tideway Tilly back on dry land
Time for a well deserved cup of tea!
Graeme and David with everyone else behind them
This evening we joined everyone else who’d come off the river at Brentford along with Simon who’d made it over from Teddington for a meal at The Fox. This is a pub Mick knows well as he used to live about 200 yards away. I was famished, but had also forgotten about the portion sizes. A portion of chicken wings arrived as a starter, I’d been expecting 4 or 6, but 12! Mick and I should have shared them. Sadly they had run out of rainbow trout so I chose pork belly with mash, Mick had sausage and mash. All the food was very tasty as expected.
VHF and laminated sheets
A very good evening wrapping up an incredible day. The rain had held off, the planning had been spot on, the waves added extra adrenalin, advice was shared, lead boats knew the river, tail boats were VHF qualified. Thank you very much Simon for offering us the final space on the cruise. Thank you also to St Pancras Cruising Club, from start to finish we felt we were in safe hands.
Waterway Routes under new improved rain shield which wasn’t required today
5 locks, 18.75 miles, 2 rights, 34 bridges, 3rd locking, 10th in line, 1st St Pancras cruising cat, 1 lumpy river, 1 shouty cat, 2 puddles, 1 sister-out-law, 1 fellow blogger, 1 boat in tickover much of the time, 4 rice crispie cakes, 0 flying pigs, 4 power stations, 3 lock keepers, 2 hours shore leave, 1 fox, 807 photos, 1 very nice meal, 1 fantastic day.
https://goo.gl/maps/kU1p4HBtsysYSh7c7
A fab photo of Group 1
For more photos of the trip from the front of the flotilla follow this link to Scholar Gypsy
Adam has also published a post with his photos this morning, showing the second group of boats as they headed for Westminster Bridge. A link to his blog Briar Rose
Mick has been doing a few boat jobs. He decided to check the fuel filters over, finding a bit of crud in the first and second ones. He replaced the second one and gave the first one a good clean out. A hunt through the lockers for a pipe we bought ages ago was successful. With this pipe you can dip your tank and it gives you a view of what lies down in the dark. The fuel looked just how it should, so no worries there.
An empty room
Back in Huddersfield Tuesday had me running all the overalls I’d tacked on Monday through the Directors sewing machine. Tacking was removed, excess fabric removed and edges finished off.
Makeshift wardrobe department
The second bubble of actors was in so I did three more fittings. Everyone on Monday had been a small or even smaller! Two of todays actors were the same, so they were fitted with ease. Then there was Toby, I knew he’d be at least an XL, but this only got so far. An XXL got further and Toby did manage to get the zip done up but it was all really quite tight fitting! Unless he lost some weight the seems would only hold for a certain amount of time. It would do for the photo shoot so I pinned the legs up.
Closed up for the day
By the end of the actors working day I only had one bit of hand sewing left to do which I could do back at the hotel. The studio was set up for a busy day on Wednesday.
Lynda, Penny and Amy
Back at the Dark Horse office I sat down with Amy (Director), Lynda (Producer) and Penny (Stage Manager, Technical and Digital person) for a meeting. This was my first face to face design meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. Not a computer screen in view, just a big table, open windows and Bento boxes from the restaurant down stairs. So lovely to be able to interact with people in one room again.
We talked lights on costumes, lights on the set, flooring, projection, colours. My prep work for the set had been worthwhile and a vague idea of what things were likely to cost meant we could be creative yet realistic at the same time. Penny and I were left with a list of things to pursue, I’ll do some technical drawings and get the set priced up in the next couple of weeks.
A full studio
Wednesday, an early start to get everyone’s outfits ironed and ready for the photo shoot. Two hair dressing stations were set up and we were all ready for the ensemble when they arrived. This is the first time the two bubbles have met up since March last year. Everyone was pleased to see each other even if it was at a distance. It was actually a good job that we were a couple of actors down as it gave us all a little bit more space.
At 11am the photographer arrived, set his big light up and I started to put people into costume. The ladies had their hair done, coloured extensions and braids added to their big space buns. Then the music was turned up and the photo shoot was started. Toby was shoe horned into his overall just before his photos, they were checked over, a few more taken then he could be released from the tight zip.
The amount of energy in that room! Between helping people get changed, sanitising hands I managed to get a few photos myself. Have to say my eyes welled up on a couple of occasions. Here we all were in one room, the thoughts that have cumulated over the last year of lockdowns, all the actors giving their best, the energy, dancing and smiles from everyone was electric. We were back doing what we do, only one thing missing, the audience to share it with.
Today photos were being taken for leading images for the show which will have a showing early next year. The costumes will change a bit between now and then and an XXXL overall will arrive in August for Toby.
Rebekah and Alice
The whole day had been scheduled for the photo shoot, but everything went so smoothly that we had finished by lunchtime. This gave me plenty of time to tidy up, make notes and sit around as my train back south wasn’t until 5:15pm. A very good three days work with a great theatre company.
My train back south took me through torrential rain, outside was darker than dark. Then within a ten minute window the clouds cleared and the sun came out. At the cruising club it was club night, the bar was open and a TV set was showing the match, benches were pulled up around the set overlooking the basin.
Evening at the basin
Mick was having a beer with several people and I joined for a glass of wine and a sociable chat as the sun was starting to dip.
The water tower
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 7 actors, 7 overalls, 1 tight squeeze, 672 lots of hand sanitiser, 90 minute photo shoot, 1 electric morning, 1 show just about designed, 4 bento boxes, 3 productive days, 2 filters cleaned, 2 pints 1 glass of wine at the water tower, 1 cat watching the football!
Mental note, the back bedroom needs the curtains lining or a blackout blind! However today it didn’t matter too much as I was awake extra early and Mick got up soon after me.
Today we were heading in different directions. I was off to work in Huddersfield and Mick was returning to London, Oleanna and Tilly. Her magic food bowl would have opened its second compartment last night and all the yellow biscuits will have been picked out leaving only the boring ones!
It felt this early!
I dropped a key through the front door of the theatre for our next lodger Vicky who was arriving later in the day and hopped onto the 07:34 to Leeds. Mick had a few things to finish off in the house before he would be on a train two hours later.
Only one narrowboat at the Museum Gardens today
I’d booked my train so that I would arrive at the rehearsal space in Huddersfield before the actors so I could get myself set up and ready to do costume fittings. But this simply wasn’t to be. Due to multiple track circuit failures along with a points failure my train pulled into Leeds half an hour late, my connecting train cancelled! The next service I tried was also cancelled, so by the time I reached Huddersfield I was an hour late and everyone had arrived.
Dark Horse’s studio
All the way through the pandemic Dark Horse has continued to work with their ensemble and students. For much of the last year their work has happened online, The Garden being one project they produced. Since the restrictions eased they have been back in the studio, the ensemble of nine actors, now split into two bubbles working on different days to help maintain social distancing.
Today I had five actors to fit into their overalls. Everyone would need sleeves and legs shortening. Several would need darts putting in the front and back. Two would require a couple of inches taking out from the body and arms. Then there was Rebekah, her overalls would need major work, they actually needed to be two sizes smaller than the small I had purchased for her. I’d been expecting to wear a visor and mask whilst working, but early on it was discovered that quite a few of the actors lip read, nobody had realised this until instructions were being ignored. So my day was spent behind a plastic visor with a big bottle of hand sanitiser.
Serious alterations
I ran out of safety pins quite quickly trying to shrink everyone’s costumes. Then I set to tacking Rebekah’s so that I could try it on her again before she left for the day. All seemed good thank goodness.
Meanwhile Mick managed to get his train to York, there was congestion due to the problems in Leeds, but he was only delayed by 15 minutes. Tilly was pleased to see him. Well there were no yellow biscuits left!
With all the fittings done I decided to retire to my hotel room to neaten and tack all the alterations as I’d have more room there.
The same boats on the permanent moorings
When booking my hotel I’d looked at both the Travelodge and Premier Inn. Travelodge came in £2 cheaper, it sits by the Huddersfield Broad Canal and is a bit of a walk away from town. So I’d booked into the Premier Inn at Apsley Basin where the Narrow Canal meets the Broad, its closer to where I was working with a handy Sainsburys in between and filled with boats rather than rubbish!
Aspley Basin
The first overall was tacked during an episode of Midsummer Murders, then I headed to Sainsburys for supplies, one of which was a bottle of House Pinot Grigio which I cooled in the bathroom sink.
Wine cooler
All the alterations took time in fact I didn’t finish until gone midnight. I was very glad of that wine.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains both late, 5 actors fitted, 1 overall to be rebuilt, 10 legs, 10 arms, 1 hit and run, 1 wine cooler sink.
They think I don’t know what’s going on! They think I don’t realise that they are going off into the outside and leaving me all on my own. They don’t realise what a hard, exhausting job looking after the boat is. But I know I am more than capable. I quite look forward to days like this especially when She gets my magic food bowl out, it does mean though that there won’t be anyone to snuggle up to when it goes dark.
Kings Coss and St Pancras
Bags packed, Tilly in a sulk, we were ready to catch the train northwards to Scarborough for the weekend.
Our train north
With seats booked the train journey was fine, plenty of space for everyone. We swapped trains in York and arrived in Scarborough to meet Bridget and Storm, leaving our bags in their car for the afternoon. We were all heading to the Stephen Joseph Theatre to watch the matinée of The Girl Next Door the latest play from Alan Ayckbourn.
At Christmas the auditorium had been about a quarter full, but today it was just under half, couples sat in a checker board fashion across the rows helping to fill the space.
The Stephen Joseph Theatre
The play, Alan’s 85th is set in lockdown last year. Rob an actor who is famous for playing a fireman in a 1940s drama is stuck at home with his sister who works at the treasury and spends most of her days on zoom calls.
When a girl is seen through the garden hedge, hanging clothes out to dry, Robs life is about to have a hole new dimension added. Cheese souffles, brandy, blackouts, covid 19 all make for a time travelling love story.
Monty… my Monty …. oh and a frock
After the show we’d booked a table at Eat Me Cafe who have taken over the theatre restaurant and bar during the pandemic. We all enjoyed quality burgers and very fine chips.
Lovely to see Bridget and Storm
It was lovely to spend time with Bridget and Storm seeing the play, along with catching up with various people around the theatre it made for a great day.
Our arrival at the house was a noisy one, we’d been warned and a small bag of treats had been left in the hallway to appease Brodie and we soon made friends.
Brodie our lodger woofer, don’t tell Tilly!
It’s odd being in your own house, yet not quite being the occupiers of it. For the last 9 weeks Bill and Alex have been our lodgers whilst The Girl Next Door has been rehearsing and playing at the theatre. Tonight was the last night of their run, so it was safe for us to stay over.
The wild flower seeds have sprouted and gone bonkers. Does anyone know what this is please?
Last nights usually involve a drink with the director so our lodgers were quite late coming home to have a catch up and drink with us which was far more relaxed than when they had first arrived.
Sunday morning and it was time to say farewell to our lodgers. Bill was on an early train whilst Alex and Angie had breakfast with us as they packed. A few weeks ago they had kept our neighbours amused as they had done a run of the play in our house and garden. Our kitchen being two terraced houses knocked together and the rear gardens being still separate, it was an ideal location to rehearse the play.
Back on our own in the house, we had chores to do. The garden needed some taming, so our compost bin had a major boost of greenery.
My favourite rose
Once the bed linen had been washed and dried there was ironing to do, beds to make up for our next lodgers who would arrive on Monday after we’d left. So it was a very busy day.
The Great Escape was on TV
We’d asked Alex if there was anything that was missing from the house. A cafetiere (they bought one and gave it to the house), a ladle (I found 4 in storage) and a mirror in one of the bedrooms, this was easily rectified as we had one upstairs upstairs.
A spoon of laddles
Last thing to do was to hang the painting my Dad did in 1954 which was a scheme for our house in York. The design changed quite a lot over the next 8 years, but this is one of my prized possessions.
The house ended up being quite different
We ended the day with fish and chips from Capplemans and a glass or two of wine. One very good weekend.
Fish and chips
0 locks, 0 miles, 10 minutes walk to the station, 2 trains, 1 Sir, 1 Lady, 1 play, 2 times, 4 burgers, 1 Monty, 2 actors, 1 roadie, 1 Brodie, 1 back bedroom, 3 gardens tidyish, 2 hours ironing, 1 painting hung, 2 of each.
Knowing when the first train is likely to go past kind of helps when you wake up at just gone 5am and luckily we managed to get back to sleep.
I spent the first part of the morning making lists, next week I’ll be in Huddersfield for a few days doing costume fittings before a photo shoot for #unit 21. All the overalls have arrived along with a few bits and pieces to do neon hair dos. But I was still missing a few bits so a trip into town was called for.
Where did the trees go?!
Mick and Tilly were left busy working their way through the washing and awaiting another visiting boat that would be pulling up alongside us today. They also caught up on the cycling.
Tasty things to eat
I could of course get on the tube or climb on a bus, but when I roughly know the way and it’s not too far I much prefer to walk around London. Heading out of the gate from the cruising club I walked up Camley Street which parts St Pancras and Kings Cross stations. On the paved area in front of Kings Cross, where the old station used to have lines of waiting passengers queueing for their trains, there was a food market today. Everything looked tasty, most of it full of gluten. It was still too early in the day to purchase food and the tasty cheese would have spent far too long on a hot day fermenting in my bag.
This side was good
I wove my way down towards Oxford Street. A modern block of flats had a very good bit of painting on what most probably is the bin store. Such a wonderfully atmospheric painting.
But this side was even better, what an atmosphere
My first port of call was Primark, for my sins! With a small budget and not a very long run, Primark is usually a good starting point. Anything I bought that doesn’t get used can be returned to the Huddersfield store quite easily next week. However, Primark seem to have gone for grown up colours this season! If I wanted shorts today I would have come up trumps with neon colours, but there was only one t-shirt in a good size for one actor in the whole store! It’s a good job we don’t actually need the t-shirts for the photo shoot, so I can gradually collect them when I see them.
They did however have a lot of buns. Not edible ones, but ones to help make big hair buns. These were cheaper than the ones I got online, so I may require more to create big space buns!
Next I headed to Sally’s, here they sell hair products mostly to hairdressers. I’d hoped they might have some colourful hair extensions, but fortunately they didn’t as the cheapest ones there were around £30! I did however get a very large can of hairspray to help with the space buns.
Not such an Aladdin’s cave of fabricness that it once was
Down to Berwick Street, hoping shops I now of old have survived. Borovicks is still there, but I’m sure there used to be three times as many rooms full of fabric.
MacCulloch and Wallis on Poland Street pulled me inside. Here the basement is full of haberdashery. Want a zip? Any type, length, teeth, they have it! Sewing cottons, you’ve a whole wall of colours to choose from. The yarn on the ground floor was all so tempting, but I was good and only bought things for the show.
A window display that I couldn’t walk past
Returning on a more westerly route to Oleanna I walked along roads surrounded by hoardings hiding the ongoing works for HS2. Pile drivers driving and four story high portacabins, most probably accommodation for the builders.
Back at the Cruising Club our whirligig was very full, towels were drying on locker lids, Mick had run out of clothes pegs. We have a new neighbour who is staying for one night. He had more difficulty getting in due to the weed.
Lists were ticked off for work, train tickets printed out, just need to pack things now.
At around 7pm we could hear loud music, just where was it coming from. A peek out the front of the boat suggested that this might be a regular thing. Heather yesterday said there is a chap who turns up with a big sound system at the gas holders. Here he shares his music with others.
Yarns
It was an eclectic mix, 80’s, reggae, bhangra, modern pop, allsorts. Across the way people were dancing, laughing and having a great time. At 9 pm the music stopped, two hours of jollyness shared amongst strangers.
0 locks, 0 miles, 7 miles walked, 2 stages for Cav, 4 space buns, 1 t-shirt, 1 triangle of chalk, 250m thread, 1 M&S sandwich, 2 clean boating caps, 4 loads washing, 1 bag half packed, 1 new neighbour, 1 bored cat.
NB Billy had booked the mooring here for a couple of nights so it was time for them to move onwards to their next booked mooring in Paddington Basin. Shortly before midday they walked down to check it was available. There was plenty of space waiting for them so they moved down.
Bye Bye Clare and Pete
Saturdays are busy round here. The popular Go Boats are constantly coming and going from Paddington Basin. Paddle boaders, canoists, then boats looking for a mooring. Add to that the trip and restaurant boats. Billy joined the masses going through the bridge.
Slotting in down the arm
Their space only remained empty for about 5 minutes, another boat pulling in who’d tried to book a mooring here but hadn’t succeeded. They stopped for a couple of hours for lunch, then pushed off again. An hour later our new neighbours arrived, so thankfully nobody was already on their mooring.
You shouldn’t be there!
Today I had set aside for work. Costume designs to finish off for #unit 21, a budget breakdown, an updated storyboard of the coloured model for panto, alterations to the props list and a gentle nudge to the director as there is a props maker chomping at the bit to make a start on things over the summer.
Costumes
Mick headed off to stock up on supplies and furnish himself with a new polo top or two, most of his tops are starting to disintegrate so need replacing. This meant that Tilly and I could take over much of the boat. Drawing board out, printer scanner, bits of model, laptop etc.
Cosy with the Scouts
As I worked away a Scout narrowboat arrived wanting to moor on the Community Boat mooring in front of us. This should have been easy, but there was already a boat tied to the rings. They tapped on the roof of the boat, but no-one was home. So they breasted up alongside us whilst they made space for themselves.
Boats everywhere!
The community mooring must be quite long as the Scouts managed to pull the other boat to one end and get themselves moored up in front of us. The restaurant boat however wasn’t too pleased as they wind and then reverse down the arm to their mooring and the other boat was just in the way for where they wanted to put their stern.
How many neighbours in one day?!
Mick returned with some sad gits Cajun chicken from Waitrose for our evening meal meaning I had longer to work. Sadly not quite long enough there is still a list of things I need to do before work can sit on the back burner for a while. The budget for #unit 21 is extreamly tight and spending £350 on two large sheets of perspex to make a lift is simply too much, I may have to use Twinwall instead which comes in at a quarter of the price and hopefully will still back light once painted to create nice shadows.
0 locks, 0 miles, 5 neighbours in 1 day, 34 Go Boats, 5 paddleboards, 2 canoes, 9 costumes designed, 1/7 on Perspex! 1 storyboard, 1 props list, 1 gentle nudge, 2 sad gits chicken breasts, 1 boat in the way, 4 old scouts, 1 new top.
A chilly start but there was some sun about every now and again.
Just not quite far enough
With not quite being fully into the bank it was hard for me to give the bow a big enough push off to get past the widebeam in front without leaving my legs behind! A blast of bow thruster assisted and we were soon on our way.
At the Cassiobury Park Locks we met a boat coming up them. The chap was on quite a mission aiming for Lichfield as quickly as he could. His estimates were Braunston in two or three days then another couple up to Lichfield! Not sure if he’ll be getting any sleep, slowing for moored boats or closing locks after himself to achieve those times especially as he was single handing! Good luck to him and I hope his family problems get sorted.
Well trodden paths
We took our time going down, leaving the bottom lock empty, well it half empties all by itself anyway. At Iron Bridge Lock we swapped over with an Aqua narrowboat who were pleased to see another moving boat, down here there appear to be few of us. Here the wooded sections of Cassiobury Park show signs of hefty use. By the little weir there is little if any friendly cover left the paths having been widened by many feet over the last year.
Then as we made our way past the lines of boats below the locks we could see numerous seating areas in the woods, all circled around burnt out camp fires. A nice spot to have been locked down in maybe, well until someone decides to do a touch of engine maintenance, leaving it in the middle of the towpath for everyone to wonder how long it will stay there without a vessel to call home! Lack of respect for nature.
Tube
Approaching Cassio Bridge Lock we got to see our first tube train on the bridge high above. We’re still quite a long way out but dropping down this lock does feel like we are crossing a line in towards London.
Maybe these were meant for the monkey later in the day
For some reason bananas sat on the lock beam, were they there for anyone to take? Or just sat out hoping for sunshine to ripen them from their green state?
We pulled onto the diesel point at Bridgewater Basin as we’d spied a full cage of gas bottles. Would they be full or empty though? Oleanna carries three 13kg bottles. We’d replaced one in Goole, another we knew was full but the third one had leaked somewhat after our boat safety, so we had no idea how much remained in that bottle. Since being back on board we’d used a full one and the dubious one ran out a couple of days ago. We’ve been hearing of LPG shortages around the system, it’s thought that staycations, people caravanning etc has meant there is a shortage of bottles to refill. Luckily for us the chap here said he had plenty and at £38.50 they seemed reasonable, as up ahead they were quoting over £40. Diesel here was 84p, shame it wasn’t the price painted onto the board originally 48p! We’ll hold out for Uxbridge though.
Common Moor Lock had just brought a wide beam up, the chap apologised to us for there being two widebeams breasted up towards the lock. There was plenty of width here, but as they were the last boats before the lock landing it made pulling in very awkward indeed. The outer boat brand new, the spray foam insulation visible through the windows, well you’ve got to have a nosy especially when someone is in the way!
Two narrowboats were rising slowly in the lock, two young couples taking their boats up to Tring for the week. One of their dogs really wasn’t enjoying the experience so they were hoping someone would take it off their hands so they could have a peaceful week.
Underlined
Now we got chance to look and see what damage had been done below the last lock where we passed numerous moored boats, which pushed our line of travel over towards numerous branches sticking out into the canal. Mick got Oleanna just a touch too close to them and sadly this now means we have a scratched line all the way down the port side. ‘Well it’s about time someone gave her a good polish!’ I said to Mick. He knew what I was meaning, but I also know who will end up trying to do something about it!
Above Lot Mead Lock several chaps were fishing another crossed the lock gates just before we arrived. He brought out his phone and started to film us , doing close ups of the paddle gear, then long shots of Oleanna entering the lock all the time he was talking, not sure if this was as a running commentary to a friend on the other end of the phone or just to accompany the filming. He didn’t say anything to us, maybe because his first language wasn’t English, but he helped close the offside gate getting a thumbs up from Mick.
Filming on his phone
Living on a narrowboat you get used to having your photo taken, you are asked questions, you are a tourist attraction whether you like it or not and if you choose to be polite you help promote the waterways. But sometimes, just sometimes someone crosses over the line. This was one of those occasions.
More gongoozlers
Mick went to close the paddles on the offside, I was trying to take a photo of the cuddly toys all gongoozling through a window at the lock cottage. Then I heard Mick with raised voice shouting at the chap, who was stepping onto Oleanna! ‘You don’t walk on anyone’s boat!’ He stepped off and carried on filming, we’re not sure if he understood he’d pissed us off, but he had. Our boat is our home, I’m sure he wouldn’t like us turning up and walking into his hallway! This was the first time I’ve ever not said thank you to someone who helped me with a gate, even if I didn’t want their help.
Sorry house
Onwards to Batchworth Lock, the house here had been for sale a while ago and we wondered if any improvements had been made to it. Sadly it doesn’t seem so, dead hanging baskets curtains pinned across the windows, it all felt really quite sad. It’s not the most attractive house and left to decay it is even less so.
More troublesome swans
We worked our way down through the lock, then managed to persuade the local swans not to stay in the lock so I could close the gates. No need to stop at Tescos today so we carried on to Stokers Lock.
Stokers Lock
As we cruised the next pound we waited to see if he was still there, the monkey who’s been clinging on for years to a ruin of a building.
That really must hurt
He was, his arm must ache so much after all this time! But at the other end of the building there was someone new. Hanging high above the cut was a bear in a superman costume, sat in a canoe, fishing for hearts. How do people get these things in such places, these bears and monkeys are way up high?
Superbear
We made our way down to near to Black Jack’s Lock where there was plenty of space for us. We pulled in and let Tilly off to explore, not seeing her for quite a few hours, I think she found quite a bit to be busy with!
Fishing for hearts
The afternoon turned quite frustrating as I tried to place an order for overalls. Sadly despite Amazon saying the smallest size would be delivered in 2 to 3 days they were lying! The delivery date was going to be at least a week after I needed them. I spent too much time hunting round the internet for somewhere else, but in the end I’ve opted to do more sewing and bought the next size up.
