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News & Diary
Archive 2007
May - June
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News & Diary
Archive 2007
May - June
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Further travels can be found in Archives
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May 3
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Precisely as planned before leaving the Macclesfield canal, we tied up on the seven-day moorings at Hartshill about midday yesterday, giving Liz a day and a half to prepare for her long weekend in Norwich. While she lends moral support to our son Jonathan who directs the Norfolk and Norwich Festival that starts tomorrow, I will be boat-sitting and dog-sitting - as well as getting on with bottom-blacking and side-painting jobs to repair the inevitable ravages of another winter. Some of it got done while we were still near bridge 50 but after the first few hours of each day the sun was so hot that I had to stop painting the roof and switch to sanding down and other preparation work.
We left early on Monday morning but got no further than the first two locks of the Atherstone flight where we happily settled for another two days of ditto. Again the weather was uncooperative, although a fairly stiff breeze kept us reasonably cool inside the boat - with great relief we let the fire go out on April 30 after four months of non-stop burning! Yesterday we set off up the remaining nine locks, pausing for an hour above the top lock to walk into Atherstone and the nearest supermarket. The main priority, of course, was to ensure my survival while Liz is away and so far she has left me two helpings of chicken curry in the fridge and today will add enough "vegetarian bolognese sauce" to cover two pasta dishes. Boiling al-dente spaghetti, tagliatelli, fusilli or penne is well within my capabilities. As Liz puts it "Little Michael will not starve."
Still, I will be glad when she returns next Tuesday and we continue our journey to Braunston and the Grand Union. In the meantime, unless anything unusual or especially exciting happens, this will be the last update until we're on the move again.
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May 9
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We're on the move again. Liz returned from Norwich late yesterday afternoon and early this morning (5.45am) I took us away from the excellent mooring at Hartshill for a five-hour cruise to another good mooring near bridge 15 at Ansty. Within an hour and a half of arriving we had walked up to the Rose and Castle where Liz treated me to a splendid lunch and a pint of Broadside as a change from five days of cooking for myself. I know when I'm hard done by and I know how to claim compensation.* In fact, my solitary sojourn with the dogs was surprisingly enjoyable, even though I didn't get the black paint below the gunwhale finished - the mooring was very dusty and three days of high winds put an end to most outdoor activity.
After lunch today, I lay down for an hour to read a PD James - partly through my eyelids - but happily woke up in time to catch Ian and Alison on Gosty Hill passing us. We first bought diesel from them at 49p a litre when we were moored above the first two of the Atherstone locks just over a week ago and they were heading south. So we were delighted to catch them again today on their way north, giving us a full tank before we head through Braunston and down the Grand Union. They are so friendly and helpful - and while we chatted this time I noticed they sold diesel oil as well as coal and other miscellaneous boating necessities. So my next two oil changes are covered.
Despite the onset of rain this afternoon, our plan is still to arrive in Braunston for the weekend to have lunch with our good friend Mike Hecken, ex-skipper of Ronarosa, and hopefully spend another few hours with Carole and Brent Walker who will have returned by then from one of their week's cruises on Challenger Black Watch. We first met them at Hopwas in July 2004 and have managed to visit them at their home in Braunston whenever we have passed through.
All this could change if high winds and heavier rain materialise tomorrow as forecast, but we'll keep fingers crossed for another 6am start that should see us stop at Brownsover Park to top up on fresh bread and milk and then negotiate Hillmorton locks before we moor for the night.
* I'm not sure how I got away with any kind of hard-luck story after Liz's busy weekend in which she helped look after a poorly grand-daughter. This is her account (the short version, of course): Arrived during the Norfolk & Norwich Festival launch, so scooped up Sienna and pushchair and spent the rest of the day with her. She's had a mild measles-like infection but was recovering well by Monday. I managed to get Sunday off and after lunch with two friends, went to a marvellous chamber music concert in the afternoon - the Endellion Quartet playing three of the Beethoven quartets. They are doing the entire cycle during the festival. In the evening a visit to the Playhouse to see and hear a modern jazz group - the Bobo Stenson Trio. Quite a contrast to the afternoon but an experience not to be missed. Left on Tuesday afternoon and now back home for a rest. The combination over five days of baby, pushchair, unfamiliar car, car seat, shopping, bathing and everything else left me rather tired. But happily so. (p.s.The festival is on until 20 May, and Sienna's Spanish grandparents arrive on Friday to take up the strain.)
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May 10
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So far so good. Thanks to a change in the weather this morning, we are on target to reach Braunston in the middle of tomorrow morning. In fact, we could have made it today but just before 12.30 dark clouds replaced the sunny skies that have accompanied us all morning and we pulled in to moor at the end of the long Barby Straight as the first heavy rain began. My snap decision to moor quickly didn't prevent me getting soaking wet, however. For the first time in five years on the boat I fell into the canal - I reached into the cockpit for a mooring pin, the boat moved away from the side and I misjudged my recovery. No immersion up the knee this time. I was almost totally soaked before pulling myself back onto the towpath while Liz wrestled with the bow rope to pull the boat back in.
Despite this unexpected climax to a long trip (six hours of actual cruising is virtually a marathon for us) we had an excellent and rewarding trip, broken by a 45 minute pit stop at Brownsover Park in which we walked down to Tesco for urgent supplies. Highlight of the first half of the trip was being hailed as we passed below the official Brinklow moorings by a motorist who had parked at the side of the road that ran parallel to the canal. It turned out to be Andy Edwards of Khayamanzi who we had met several times on the Ashby. He has now moved his mooring from Trinity marina at Hinckley to the new Brinklow marina and was on his way to work. The second highlight came as we passed Clifton Cruisers. A woman appeared from the inside of a moored craft and as she waved to us I realised it was New Zealander Dot Canvin on Gypsy Rover. She and her husband Derek have been regular correspondents for nearly five years and have featured often in email updates on this website, but we've never actually met. Stopping this morning was virtually impossible on a stretch where boats are already breasted up but Dot said they would be leaving in the next few days for the Thames, I shouted that we'd be at Braunston until next week, and with luck we'll have time and opportunity for a coffee and a chat there or on the Grand Union.
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May 12
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For the third day in a row the weather held out long enough yesterday for us to finish our cruising before the rain returned. We left at 9am and travelled a leisurely hour to one of the best moorings in Braunston, just below bridge 89 on the North Oxford. A swift walk to the main road bridge and a four minute stroll to the Millhouse at lunchtime allowed me to check out the menu - and the beer, of course - for tomorrow's lunch with Mike Hecken. Liz was nursing a severe cough and a chest infection in the hope that it will clear enough for her to join us in a Sunday carvery. Today it's back to routine, i.e. cleaning and preparing steelwork for painting, this time in the cockpit, a job that need not be halted if the forecast rain returns this afternoon.
We've been lucky, too, with our neighbours, Peter and Pat Banks on Molly May II who we have met before - but I can't remember where or when (would make a good song title this). We had a long chat yesterday before the rain set in and this morning they knocked on the side of the boat to see if we wanted a newspaper from the village. We will probably walk over the fields ourselves at midday for our traditional pint at the Old Plough (we've never visited Braunston without calling in for a drink or lunch, when we twice hired narrow boats and even when we came here looking for second-hand craft six years ago). But only if Liz is feeling up to it. We intend staying here until Tuesday or Wednesday so that Derek and Dot on Gypsy Rover can catch up with us, so there'll be other opportunities for our "duty pub call."
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May 17
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Our stay at Braunston was as enjoyable as ever, even though we moved from bridge 89 on Monday morning and found ourselves moored outside Braunston marina with no phone and no internet signals. But the move was worth it - we had been told by the engineer at Braunston Boat Company that he'd check out a few problems if we came down to the bottom lock straight away - and he was very reassuring when we arrived. There are some minor niggles but these can be sorted out when we return from the Thames. We'll book in with him for a full check-up on engine and electrics.
Still at bridge 89 over the weekend, we had an unxpected visit from Julia Cory and Steve Bacon who had cruised on Even Balance from its new mooring at Ventnor Farm marina above Calcutt, and the humans enjoyed coffee and biscuits while Molly and their Cairn terrier Jess chased each other up and down the boat. On Sunday, Mike Hecken drove up from Romsey and I met him at the Millhouse for a pleasant lunch while Liz nursed her terrible cough back on board. Mike came back to the boat for a couple of hours, however, so we were able to catch up on news, see some of his excellent photographs and talk dates for picking him up on the Thames for a week's cruise together. Now that he's sold Ronarosa he's happy to crew for us!
This time our meal was centred on garlic prawns, honey roasted ham with vegetables and a "chocolate pot" that I can only describe as outstanding. We left them early about 9pm only because they had work and we planned an early start this morning.
* Six locks and a couple of miles after a 6am start we pulled in to moor above Buckby Top Lock and walked down to check out the facilities where we started chatting with a couple on a boat filling their water tank before tackling the flight. The woman said they were heading for the Thames but had been told that boats over 45 foot would only be allowed on to the tidal section of the river if they had a VHF radio. Weeks ago Mike Richardson on Shania had told me this in an email but I couldn't believe it, at least not for the short section from Brentford to Teddington. So Liz telephoned Brentford and the bad news was confirmed - luckily before we had got too far down the Grand Union.(Sorry Mike, should have known better than to question you on this.) Somewhat sadly we will turn the boat tomorrow, return down the six Braunston locks and head for the Thames via the Oxford. It's a lovely run of course but we've done it more often than the Grand Union and we will miss some of this canal's many attractions.
p.s. Since writing about my full immersion (see May 10) I've received a handful of emails admitting to the same - their main message: "Join the club!"
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May 18
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It's back to plan A, folks!
The advice from Brentford BW yesterday was not only misleading it was wrong. And it took an email from Mike Richardson on Shania who I thought I had maligned (see above) to put us right. Mike drew our attention to the website of the Port of London Authority which made it clear that narrowboats travelling between Brentford and Teddington locks were exempt from the EU regulations about carrying a VHF radio. Shortly afterwards another email from Gerrard Cox on Belle arrived with Tidal Thames Regulations attached and these confirmed the growing conviction that we could carry on down the Grand Union after all. I was not entirely convinced so Liz phoned the PLA and spoke to the deputy harbourmaster, spoke again to BW and also to the friendly lockie at Brentford who echoed all the rest when he said "You come on down! As long you turn right out of the lock you'll be all right."
So tomorrow we hope to start early (all the more vital because it's a Saturday) and at least get down Buckby locks before we tie up for the rest of the weekend. One day lost that can easily be made up over the next three weeks.
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May 21
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We are still at Buckby Top Lock and could be here another couple of days. The delay in setting off down the GU is annoying but unavoidable. Liz started with her chest infection nearly two weeks ago - I followed a week later and have suffered a more severe reaction to it. While I cough less than Liz still does, I found the infection had spread to my right ear and left eye (strange kind of balance that) and I was too light-headed to stand properly by Saturday morning when we had planned an early start. While I went back to bed, Liz got in touch with BW and told them our problem in overstaying on a 48-hour mooring or setting off down six locks we were neither of us fit to cope with. As always BW were very understanding. They logged our call and said to stay where were until we were better.
So far, that is only just beginning to happen with me - I have improved enough to get this short update typed in. Fortunately, Liz improved considerably more and considerably sooner. But then she's a woman and don't they all? She has been able to keep things working on the boat, walking dogs and cooking what little food we could eat. And faced this morning with an emptying larder, no fresh bread and little more than a spoonful of milk, she ordered a taxi, went to Tescos at Daventry and returned with supplies to fortify us for a week or so. Marvellous!
With luck we should be on our way by Wednesday or Thursday and we have enough slack built into our timetable to reach Brentford in the three weeks we have allowed ourselves. In the meantime, it's back to bed and the wonderful P.D. James. She has kept me sane over the last three days.
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May 25
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Despite a persistent hacking cough, I felt well enough on Wednesday morning to inch the boat forward to fill the water tank and then Liz joined me to take us down through the top lock at Buckby. By the time we reached the second of the seven locks, Sagittarius a boat that had been moored a little above it was waiting to go down so we joined Danny and his lovely rottweiler dog Lex to get through the remaing six locks in excellent time. We were delighted to be on the move again but quite ready to stop when we reached Weedon, pulling in to the ringed 14 day moorings between the water point and bridge 26. There we waited for Carole and Brent Walker to bring us some extra medicaments and food on Thursday aftenoon - weathering a metaphorical rap over the knuckles from Carole because Liz had got a taxi from Buckby locks to Tesco instead of ringing her for help. We said we had considered ringing her but felt guilty about asking for help when she worked long hours - she didn't seem convinced.
Anyway, we enjoyed sitting out on the back deck, drinking tea or coffee and sampling Liz's scones before they set off to beat the rush hour traffic back to Braunston. We look forward to seeing them in a couple of months when we return through Braunston heading north.
This morning we set off again before 6 am (Well, I did. Liz enjoyed another hour in bed) and kept going for four hours through lovely, contrasting countryside, passing only one boat on the move until halfway through Blisworth Tunnel. My main companion during the first couple of hours was a pied wagtail that flew down to the top of the boat and strutted back and fore for some time until we passed under a high bridge when she flew up and away. We tied up on the 48 hour stretch above Stoke Bruerne museum and the first of the locks before 10 and almost immediately I became a working boater for five minutes - helping Mike Partridge on the coal and diesel boat Jubilee to moor in front of us to reserve a spot for a hotel boat. He's going to top up the diesel tank once again for us before we leave tomorrow.
p.s. I've added a new feature Ten Ways to Happier Boating which encapsulates some of my thoughts after five years of continuous cruising.
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May 27
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Once again the early morning weather encouraged an early start on Saturday morning and we were into the first of the seven locks in the Stoke Bruene flight by 6 o'clock. Surprisingly other boaters were about - not locking down with their boat Painted Lady but walking the towpath after coming through Blisworth tunnel very early that morning. I wish now I had asked their names because, after watching us set and enter the second lock, they left us to continue their walk. By the time we had descended and cruised the short distance to the first of the five remaining locks we realised one of the top gates had been opened for us. This was repeated at each of the next three (only the final one was set against us) and the boating couple confirmed as we reached the penultimate lock that they had prepared them where it was possible without a windlass. This speeded our descent, as did a young Doncaster man who was staying in the area to watch motor cycle racing. He had never opened a lock gate or lifted a paddle until Liz talked him into it when she found two of the gates especially heavy.
Several times in the next hour or so we nearly moored out in the wilds but the quieter spots were just too shallow for us to get the boat tucked in. By the time we had reached Cosgrove and a splendid mooring a few yards through Soloman's Bridge we were glad of the failure. For the first time since leaving Braunston the television is first class, the telephone signal strong and we are only a hundred yards from the remarkable tunnel that cuts like an inverted horseshoe under the canal to the short hill leading to the Barley Mow - another traditional watering spot from our two previous trips on the Grand Union. The beer this time was Everard's Tiger and asking the barman to remove the sparkler was a waste of time - this excellent hostelry doesn't have them on in the first place. We must be nearing the South and their civilised attitude to serving real ale correctly!
That is not why we are still here, however. Sunday morning began with the sound of rain on the roof and has continued that way. We'll wait it out until tomorrow or Tuesday when the return of the sun is forecast. The only disappointment here is that there is no longer a village store in Cosgrove - but an intrepid Liz soon chatted up locals and they directed her to a shop on the caravan site where she picked up a newspaper and some fresh bread.
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May 29
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The rain continued, almost without interruption, until late yesterday so we waited the Bank Holiday weekend out at Cosgrove and this morning set off under cloudy skies that have now given way to a sunny interval. Don't know how long it will last. The journey was most enjoyable. There were only two locks to negotiate but about 13 miles of straight, mostly wide canal brought us more quickly than expected to this lovely mooring between bridges 102 and 104 (103 is missing), even though we spent half an hour with Chris and Porky Mitchell on Die Fledermaus who are moored next to Janet and Joseph Cresswell's Barleyfirth near Willowbridge marina. Last seen at Coole Pilate when the two boats were cruising together last summer, the Mitchells hailed us as we were passing, tied us up alongside and made us coffee while we caught up on 10 or 11 months of news. Unfortunately, the Cresswells were not aboard but we hope to see them some time before we stop cruising.
Email update: We continue to hear from old friends, including Mike and Sue Richardson who are cruising Shania on the Thames. Mike has now mastered the internet so we hear regularly from him, as we do from David and Chris Owen-Roberts who we got used to being on Isis, moored on the Shroppie. They have now sold their boat and the shell of their new boat Aeshna will soon be launched - after which David is going to fit her out himself. Understandably they are suffering withdrawal symptoms from boating but David's sense of humour has not waned - he sent me two more "boating rules" which have been added to Ten Ways to Happier Boating. Another good friend to us since we started boating, Roger Morgan of Ballard - last seen when we had lunch with him at Upton on Severn last year - has been in touch and we hope we can meet up as we approach the Thames and Teddington.
We also had another massive missive from our most prolific correspondent Sarah Levick on Arcadia. She doesn't write more often than anyone else but when she does her emails are "meaty". For instance:
"This is prompted by news of Mike's inaugural ducking but I just had to write and offer my congratulations - you're a proper boater now!! So you're making your usual rapid pace down the country - one of these days we'll catch up with you. The bad news is that we had to consume your Christmas presents as they were approaching their sell-by dates. The good news is that we pledged to replace them so you might get something in December! We were last heard of heading Weaver-wards at Easter weren't we? Well, for once we actually did exactly what we set out to do - that's so rare for us. And you weren't wrong about the Weaver either - fantastic. Andy wants to cruise up and down it permanently as it was so nice - few boats, lovely moorings, friendly people. Obviously the glorious weather helped - we hit upon the empty Barnton Cut moorings at 2pm and just thought we'd died and gone to heaven.
"The dogs, as ever, loved it all. Ranger is excelling as a rescue dog - so happy, so eager to please, so obedient! We were up at the boat last weekend to change the batteries (they were so knackered you could actually watch the voltmeter go down in front of your very eyes) and Andy also got stuck into some boat electrics - putting in a 240 spur to the bedroom to run a telly that will receive its pictures wirelessly from a transceiver in the saloon! It's totally unnecessary but he just wanted to do it and who am I stop him? His next project is a bit more major - the installation of a huge Victron inverter/charger! But as he's got his electrical qualifications and I've just bought him Nigel Calder's marine electrics bible, it should be fine. To be honest, I'm really delighted he's showing an interest - it will save us loads of money and it's good to see him 'engaged' with the boat. We've ditched the Dutch barge plan - too expensive - and we want to get on board full-time asap - in 3 or 4 years realistically and we'd continue to work for a few years after that.
"Amazing coincidence of the month - there is another couple in the marina who have five greyhounds! They're just about to become liveaboards and we had coffee and a chat on Sunday to meet their hounds and hear all about their plans. The dogs were super sweet and it was brilliant to find another couple as potty about greys as we are!"
p.s. I have been meaning to say in the last couple of updates that despite our shared illness - and our thanks to all our wellwishers by email and text - we are thoroughly enjoying our progress down the Grand Union. It really is a superb waterway, rural even around towns like Milton Keynes which must be framed by parks and green areas. It's also wide (which I like) and always interesting however long the cruise between moorings.
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May 30
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We set off at about 5.30 this morning, determined to reach Slapton as the first of two stops before mooring at Berkhamsted on Friday - in time for an overnight visit by our son Jonathan,his partner Jenny and our lovely granddaughter Sienna who are coming by train from Norwich.
Somehow, despite almost constant drizzling rain, we reached Slapton more or less on time but then kept going for another hour or so before tying up between the first and second of the three Seabrook locks. Both of us were pretty knackered after more than six and a half hours of cruising and locking. Even though we had an hour's break at Leighton Buzzard, Liz spent most of it replenishing our food stocks at the canalside Tesco while I sorted out a few chores on board and then helped carry bags aboard before pressing on with our journey. Fortunately other boats were on the move by this time so we had help locking up through Slapton and then met others locking down through each of the next three.
For people of habit (ie slow movers) like us, long trips come as bit of a shock to the system. However, we can now look forward to an easier day tomorrow when we need tackle only two thirds or so of the 18 locks between here and Berkhamsted. We can then gently complete the journey on Friday morning to arrive about 10 am - usually the best time to find a mooring at a busy spot.
Finally - sod's law is operating again. As I write this, the sun is shining!
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June 1
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The sun is still shining and we are moored at Berkhamsted waiting for our family to arrive this afternoon. We had planned to leave later this morning and cruise down through Cowroast locks to arrive here about 10am but we had only done the first of them when we realised that an "activity boat" - n.b. Belfast from the Dacorum Narrow Boat Project - was already below the lock and had spotted us. They waited in the second lock with the gate open, so the descent of that and the next five locks was a pleasure, with a horde of youngsters opening and closing gates and lifting and dropping paddles under the supervision of three adults. In fact, the "horde" was more like a dozen boys and girls from three scouting groups: the 2nd Stanmore (RAF) Scouts from NW London, the 7th Eastleigh/2nd Fair Oak Scouts from Hampshire and Tetbury Scouts from Gloucestershire. But their enthusiasm as they worked in the sun was a pleasure to see after the several days of rain in which they had started their cruise. They speeded our passage enough to get us into our mooring almost an hour earlier than expected.
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June 3
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We had a splendid weekend at Berkhamsted, raiding Waitrose in the morning and then greeting family in the afternoon. Jonathan, Jenny and Sienna arrived a little after 3pm on Friday and we spent the first hour simply marvelling at the brightness, intelligence and beauty of our granddaughter - a reaction all you other grandparents out there will recognise from your own experience! But for me it was a special time because I had not seen Sienna for nearly four months and she has developed so much in that time. She's cute - and I don't mean it in the American sense but in the more precise English way : she learns very quickly.
An hour later we had two more visitors. Our ex-daughter-in-law (and still good friend) Sharon Page was on her way from London to a weekend course on herbs at Aylesbury with a friend Carol Archer and would be passing through Berkhamsted. Happily, they had time before the course began to park near the canal and spend a couple of hours with us, enjoying some of Elizabeth's banana and walnut cake before walking over to the park on the other side of the canal to watch Sienna on the slides and roundabouts. Sharon even tried out the swings. (Pictures of all this to follow in a day or so.)
Saturday morning saw Sienna back in the park for another hour or more of play, followed by lunch on board and then a walk to the railway station for the London train where they caught another train to Norwich. Liz and I just blobbed after all that excitement, recovering this morning in time for an early start. Fortunately most of the locks between Berkhamsted and Apsley were set in our favour and at several of them early morning walkers stopped to help Liz with heavy gates. The result was that we came a little further than planned and were glad to eventually tie up about half a mile above King's Langley after six hours of travel. Tomorrow, we hope to reach Ricksmansworth or just beyond, and if the weather (and our resolution) lasts we hope to be on the Thames by the weekend.
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June 5
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Two days away from the Thames, we are moored a few yards above Denham Deep lock on 14 day visitor moorings, with trees on both sides of the very broad canal, sun streaming through the branches and birds (various) singing happily in the background. Last night we spent a hundred yards or so from the Tesco mooring at Batchworth and this morning cruised across in time for the 6am opening. Four locks and some miles later we tied up at Denham about 9.30 am, shortly before another boat moored in front of us - it was Kereru hoping that we would travel down the next few locks with them. Sadly we had to disappoint them. Since sharing Slapton lock six days ago we have been playing leapfrog with them - travelling about the same speed and distance each day but at different times. This morning we had more time to chat with Simon and Rachel Tipping who have left their Wellington, New Zealand, home to spend the summer on their new boat. We've met so many New Zealanders and Aussies on the Cut that it must has some special appeal to them. Kereru, by the way, is a colourful New Zealand bird.
A few hours later we had another chat - with Dorothy Jackman who we met four years ago in April 2003 when we moored opposite the long-term section near the Fishery Inn, Hemel Hempstead. She was out walking with a colleague - they both work on an environment project - and immediately recognised us as I did her. She said the name of our boat certainly helped with memory! I had my archive diary entry to remind me: "... a group of boaters who included Chris Thorpe, Dorothy, Paul, Mark, Graham and Nadine were having a barbecue and a few drinks and why didn't we join them. We did, and spent the next couple of hours talking about boating and finishing up with an almost surreal slide show. The pictures, taken by a photographer friend, were projected from the top of Chris's boat Fenny on to a large white sheet, while we gathered near or under a large flapping tarpaulin rigged to protect us from rain that happily held off, lit by a few lanterns and a couple of burning barbecue pots. A memorable and enjoyable evening."
Tomorrow, another early start is planned and we hope to stop just over half way to Brentford, finishing the journey on Thursday so that we can be at Brentford lock by 7.30 on Friday morning when we are booked in to debouch on to the Thames for the short tidal section up to Teddington.
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June 7
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A slight change of plan yesterday when we were told by a BW workman that the stretch just below the two Norwood locks was not a wise place to moor and we should get ourselves down to Brentford for safety : the previous night motorcyclists had been racing up and down the towpath "all night". It later turned out that the racers had gone down once and then back again so it was not as dire as it might have been. But we were already through the first of the locks when we met him bringing up a work boat so we carried straight on down the seven-lock Hanwell flight.
Just two locks from finishing we had a reminder that not all boaters are as pleasant as we'd wish. I spotted a woman setting the lock behind us and went back to say we'd wait. She rather bad-temperedly said that she had been trying to attract Liz's attention for several locks and acted as though it was our fault that we had not seen her. While I waited in the full lock, Liz went back - it turned out the other boat was two locks behind us - and helped them down without receiving a word of thanks. They also wanted to know why we were going all the way to Brentford when we were not due out on to the Thames until Friday morning - and couldn't we have moored at Bull's Bridge? By the time we had left the penultimate lock the woman had argued angrily with her husband and stalked off down the towpath, leaving us to cope with the final lock. Luckily another boat was waiting to come up, so Liz did not have to cope with the paddles and gates on her own.
Anyway, as we were negotiating the bottom lock we started talking to a residential boater who said there was a good mooring just below. Thankfully, we tied up within minutes and spent the rest of the afternoon talking to local walkers and cyclists who cheered us tremendously. One chap, originally from Cardiff but now living nearby, recommended the Fox, a pub just 50 yards from the towpath. And there we spent a happy hour with a pint of London Pride (me), a pint of Timothy Taylor (Liz) and a pint of Archers which we shared. Everyone was friendly, especially the landlord who came across to us with a real ale magazine in which the Fox was described and then stayed chatting for five minutes or so.
If we had pressed on to Brentford we would have missed all this. And the bonus was that it took us less than 90 minutes this morning to come down through the last two locks before finishing on 14-day visitor mooring in a basin that has been transformed since we were here in 2003. Prestigious blocks of flats, long-term pontoon moorings and new offices for BW almost surround us but there's still wild life in the shape of swans with young, great crested grebe with young, and the occasional cormorant.
Tomorrow, the Thames.
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June 9
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Our first few hours on the Thames could not have been more enjoyable. After a surprisingly quiet night in Brentford basin we set off through a medium heavy rain for Brentford lock and during the half hour wait there the rain disappeared completely. The 50-minute dash along the tidal section to Teddington was splendid, no rain and a flat, slowly running river* that allowed attention to wander now and then to watch the cormorants, grebe, heron and "Islington parakeets" that make this stretch of the Thames so rich in wildlife. We moored in our usual spot at Kingston, walked across the bridge to buy a vacuum cleaner to replace our old model which wheezed and died a few days earlier - owing us nothing after six years - and spent the afternoon recovering from the effort in carrying it back to the boat. This morning we left at 8.15 - a much later start that gave us 45 minutes to reach the first lock of the day, Molesley, just after the lockie had begun his day.
Shortly before lunch we moored below the blocks of flats at Walton hoping to stay here for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately they are now 24 hour moorings. Three years ago there were no restrictions and we stayed for several days. Still, with any luck we will meet Mike and Sue Richardson on Shania before they set off down the Wey, either here this afternoon, or at Shepperton lock tomorrow.
* If we had been on the Thames as early as we had originally scheduled we would not have had so easy a time. Mike Richardson sent us this email a day or so ago recounting his problems with the swiftly flowing river:
"We are four miles outside of Reading tonight after leaving Abingdon. We stayed there two weeks, one week because it had rained for 36 hrs and the Thames was almost breaking its banks and running very fast. We got a bit short on water, so I had to make a decision. My old army mate Chris was visiting us - we had to have water. So on Thursday, the last day of the month we cast off and set sail for the water point at the other side of the lock. Extra power was needed to fight against the flow - a lot more power. There was a circular movement of water outside the lock which pushed us first towards the bank then towards the weir, but the lock gates were open so I pushed through.
"On the return journey it was a different matter. We were going with the flow and the idea was to slip into still water behind this big cruiser. But as I tried to put my bow in, the fast flow threw my stern around so I was broadside down the river heading for the other boats. The only thing to do was high reverse across the river then high forwards two or three times. We gradually turned facing up river before reaching the narrows and gently came in to moor. Phew! But at least we had water. Two days later the river was getting back to normal. Weather and river are now fine so we can carry on enjoying ourselves."
I know how it feels, Mike. Anyone who remembers my near-catastrophe at the Tesco mooring at Reading three years ago will understand my sympathetic response.
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June 12
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Despite the 24 hour limitation at Walton we actually stayed two days - but with good cause. For a few days our oil pressure warning light has been coming on, but only after an hour or so of cruising and then only when the revs drop below about 1100 - returning to normal after 15 to 30 minutes of the engine being switched off.
We didn't get all that far, tying up at Laleham after taking on diesel at Harris' Boatyard, right opposite the visitors' moorings. A short walk to the Three Horseshoes and the village shop at lunchtime convinced us that we should have a later start this morning. The pub was open at 9.30 to 11.30am for full English breakfast at £2.99 per head. It's been ages since we indulged in a cooked breakfast but the wait was worth it. Highly recommended. At 10.30 we eventually cast off and came up two locks to this excellent spot at Runnymede where we've stopped before. Just 100 yards above us is a park that is ideal for walking the dogs - with plenty of disposal bins for the inevitable deposits. Tomorrow, it could be Windsor, but we'll see when we get there.
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June 13
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A very pleasant evening at Runnymede began with a long chat with Doug Rainford from Chorley in Lancashire who is travelling up the Thames with his wife Ann on their boat Daphne and then a surprise visit by John Bridger who has been following this website.
Soon after our arrival at Windsor we found ourselves moored next to Jean and Richard Bull on Dreams. Hailing from Devizes, Jean offers a hair-cutting service, so I sat under the shade of a tree for 20 minutes while she removed many months of growth. I look pretty good - well, for me! According to the side of their boat the Bulls also recover pool tables, but for this talent we had no immediate use. The afternoon has been mainly spent trying to keep cool. Tomorrow, we head for Bourne End and then on to Marlow to arrive early on Friday - we need a doctor for repeat prescriptions etc.
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June 15
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Regular readers will not be surprised to see that our plans have changed again. Yesterday we travelled no further than Maidenhead after stopping at two marinas to try to get our oil pressure checked (see June 12). When we were chatting with John Bridger at Runnymede he had advised us to get it checked as soon as we could - and at the second marina at Bray we were lucky to find an engineer, Terry, who removed the sensor, attached an oil pressure gauge and concluded after various runs with the engine that there was no problem with the pressure itself - it was probably a faulty sensor. We continued our short journey to Maidenhead with the warning light responding just as it had done before.
This morning I replied by email to a generous offer from John Bridger. He would try to get hold of a new sensor and drive out this weekend to fit it for us - he's a professional motor mechanic. Within an hour of setting off in company with Doug and Ann Rainford on Daphne who were moored behind us last night, Liz was on the mobile to John because the warning light was now switching on within minutes and was not switching off when we got above 1100 revs, as it had done before. Clearly the sensor was deteriorating even more quickly. Later he told me a new one was being sent directly to him by Isuzu and as soon as it arrives would come out to us.
What a wonderful lot the majority of boaters are and how much trouble they are willing to put themselves to for others in difficulty. And all this from someone we met for the first time only three days ago.
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June 17
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The mooring at Cookham is one of the loveliest we have come across on the Thames, or anywhere else for that matter. Within easy reach of the village which boasts several upmarket pubs, an outstanding Indian restaurant whose takeover service we enjoyed on Friday evening and a garage/shop that supplies newspapers and most grocery essentials. Last night we paid the mooring warden for three nights and discovered from the receipt that this is called Bellrope Meadow - perfect for an ex-bellringer like me.
On our arrival yesterday we were helped in by John Ray whose 37 ft Broom Continental cruiser Karen E is moored about 50 yards downriver from us. And later in the afternoon we were invited by John and his wife Helen for coffee and cake aboard their boat which they have owned since the early 1970s. John turned out to be 74 years old, a fact belied by his slimness and fitness which certainly put me to shame. Helen has suffered from Parkinson's disease for many years but is determined to keep going and although she says her body is weak her mind is clearly still fully alert. On Saturday morning they returned the visit and came aboard Snecklifter. We also got chatting with Ian and Allison Birks whose lovely Barry Hawkins-built narrowboat Nobby is right behind us. Ian has just starting writing a regular column for one of the leading canal magazines.
By the afternoon Sharon had arrived by car from London and we relaxed for the rest of the day - returning to the Charles Cottage Indian restaurant in the evening for another take-away that surpassed that of the night before. It's not often we have the same kind of meal two days running but this was worth making an exception for and after eating the meal, Sharon agreed with us. She hopes to visit us again further up the Thames and she has tasked me with finding another Indian meal of merit.
This morning John and Denise Bridger drove over from their home in Chertsey, Denise to give Liz moral support while she cooked us a splendid pizza for lunch, John to fit the new sensor which had arrived from Isuzu the morning after it had been ordered. One up to the suppliers, but special thanks to John for spending part of his weekend free time on our boat instead of their own - The Rutland Fox, moored at Apsley. An hour or two of engine running suggests the problem has been solved.
Finally, a busy weekend drew to a close with a brief visit to Karen E where John and Helen wanted us to meet their son Tony, his wife Kathy and their daughter Kelly Louise who had been visiting them to mark Father's Day. (And yes, I got a call from my son Jonathan who never forgets. I have now a couple of pints in the bank that Liz is to buy me next time we are near a nice pub. That shouldn't be too far off!)
John and Helen, John and Denise can all be seen on Latest pictures .
p.s. Forgot to mention that while we were at Maidenhead we had a brief chat with old friend Bryn Jones whose Heron boat Driftwood 75 was one of the first we saw when we were deciding whether to have Snecklifter built. We were also hailed briefly from the road above our mooring there by Barry and Beverley who were "inspired" by this website to get their own boat Narnia. Thankfully they have no regrets. Otherwise the responsibility is terrifying!
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June 20
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This looks as though it's going to be our second day at Henley. We had intended moving on this morning but there's a 20mph plus wind blowing down the river and the skies alternate between sunny and cloudy dark every time we look out of the side hatch. So, after last night's thunderstorm, the worst we've had in more than five years on the boat, we think discretion may be the better part of valour. We can still get to Pangbourne meadow by Friday afternoon if the weather relents tomorrow. And we have the advantage here of a reasonably safe mooring not far from shops and supplies if needed.
Monday's cruise from Cookham to a quiet country mooring just above what used to be the Hell Fire Club (about an hour and a half from Henley itself) was fairly uneventful and shortly after we had stopped, Steve Ryan-Bell, who lives on Sea Otter at Henley with his wife Pat, their two older dogs, Polly and Ben, and a delightful new Jack Russell puppy, Freddie, pulled up in his car. Steve has the mooring franchise for the area and as we paid our fee we renewed old acquaintance developed in three previous visits here.
Yesterday morning we finished the journey to our favourite spot at Henley, mooring just in front of a hire boat with two men on top trying to refit one of those small wire tv aerials you see on most hire craft. They asked if I had anything to waterproof the aerial assembly once they screwed it back into place, so I found a tube of sealant and suggested they put it back on our deck if we were still out shopping. When we returned we found the sealant and a bottle of white wine. I thanked them, said they needn't have done it but that we were grateful and would enjoy the wine and think of them when we drank it. They turned out to be two families from Southampton - Sue and Chris Screen, and Carol, Maurizio, Adam and Paul Colasanti - and we sat and chatted with them about narrowboats for 10 or 15 minutes. This was their first boating holiday and they were enjoying themselves immensely.
We couldn't stay longer because that evening we were expecting a visit from Mike and Di Bridges whose second Heron boat Quinquireme II is now at Froud marina on the K & A. Unfortunately their arrival time coincided with the start of that almighty thunderstorm already mentioned. Three quarters of an hour after they had telephoned to say they had found a car park but were staying under cover until the storm eased they finally squelched across the field to Snecklifter and we sat for a couple of hours over wine and nibbly bits catching up on the four years since we first met in August 2002. Since then they have kept in touch through emails, of course, and I have featured some of their news on this website (see Quinquireme's travels) but it was good to talk face to face again. They left about 10pm, just as the heavy rain began again. We can only hope our next meeting will be in more clement weather and sooner than another five years!
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June 21
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We said goodbye to Steve Ryan-Bell, his dogs and Henley this morning and set off up-river in a strong breeze that luckily was not as powerful as yesterday's wind. By the time we had reach Marsh Lock the rain had started and it accompanied us fitfully all the way to our mooring at Sonning. We had not decided whether to stop here as we did three years ago, but a darkening sky convinced us that an early finish, followed by a pint of Fuller's London Pride in the Bull, was the sensible thing to do.
This leaves us a four-hour journey to Pangbourne tomorrow where our friend Mike Hecken (ex-Ronarosa) is joining us on Saturday for a week's cruising. And if worst comes to worst, and the forecast heavy rain hits us early tomorrow, he can reach us easily here - he's being driven by his son Lee. Our only worry is if the river starts rising - it has not done noticeably so far, despite the heavy rain and thunderstorm mentioned above. In the meantime we keep seeing boats on the Thames from the Macclesfield canal and especially ex-neighbours from Lyme View marina, some of them close enough to hail - can anyone be left up there in our winter territory?
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June 22
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A comparatively early start for the Thames - 8.15am - has brought us at 11.30 am to a difficult but safe mooring at Pangbourne. Difficult because we have had to tied up the stern to some trees and rely on the cockpit to get on and off the boat. This is not a major hardship, but we are so used to good moorings with full access to the bank that this is unusual for us. At least we are here ready to meet Mike Hecken tomorrow, and at least we are in the dry. From Caversham to Mapledurham lock we travelled through another savage rainstorm that soaked me to the skin. I am now dry again and looking forward to a walk into the town which has at least a couple of good charity shops if memory is correct - and Liz has a laundrette to keep her happy.
Later we were able to move forward away from the trees but our stern is still way out from the bank and we have a noticeable list to starboard. Life is an uphill struggle at the moment.
More when we resume our cruise upriver on Sunday.
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June 24
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Yesterday I met my "twin". Moored behind us at Pangbourne meadow was a rather splendid cruiser called Mustang Sally and while I was messing about at the front of Snecklifter, (see below) Liz began talking to the chap on board, David Miller, who was born in Leeds but now lives in Oakley near Thame. He mentioned his age, and when Liz probed further she found he would celebrate his 70th birthday on August 12. And so, of course, will I. As you can see from the photograph (right) we don't look much alike - he's slim, spare and very fit, I'm not. But we are twins of a sort and it was a remarkable coincidence we should be moored close together - and that we should actually talk long enough to find out!
The impressive document I'm covering my stomach with is actually the installation booklet for a new mini-satellite dish system that arrived yesterday with Mike Hecken and his son Lee who spent most of the afternoon between downpours of rain getting the system to work - or rather to lock in on a signal. Lee had plenty of help, the men from two boats in front of us, Jay and Summer Breeze, both coincidentally based at Lyme View marina on the Macc, and both known to us from our short few months in the marina.
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Ken Worrall from Summer Breeze was especially helpful, loaning us a signal strength meter and extra cable and helping us erect the dish near his boat so that it didn't point straight into a mid-distance tree that was large enough to reduce the signal from the Astra 28.2 satellite. We eventually got a signal to prove that the system would work and Mike and I will have another go at full installation when we next moor somewhere out in the open. There's no rush. The main reason for buying the portable system is that we'll probably be spending four or five winter months in Ashford in the Water where there is no conventional reception through a digibox and even the four analogue channels you can receive are less than perfect.
The rest of the evening after Lee had left on his car journey home was spent settling Mike in, hanging his clothes in the wardrobe and generally introducing him to the idiosyncracies of our way of life. He spent many months travelling on his own boat Ronarosa so he knew what to expect.
Today we left at 9.10 am after steady rain in the early hours of the morning. It was a sensible decision. Despite several light showers as we progressed upriver we kept going for about four hours and tied up at the moorings just above Wallingford bridge in time for lunch. The afternoon was spent walking into the town - Liz and Mike Hecken walked on to investigate the remains of Wallingford castle after I turned back to enjoy a pint of Director's Bitter at £2.90 a pint, the most expensive so far, including on the outskirts of London! The pub was friendly but very smoky. Roll on the July ban.
p.s. While we were heading for the laundrette in Pangbourne we also bumped into two old friends from the Cut, Eric and Chris Moore on Masquerade, who we first met on the Macclesfield canal at Gurnett aqueduct in 2002 and have seen several times since. They had driven over from the K & A, where they keep their boat, to use the same laundrette. One of Eric's delightful watercolours still hangs on the wall of our saloon.
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June 26
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Since leaving Wallingford we've been living, as the Chinese philosophers say, in interesting times. The river was clearly running faster yesterday but we cruised for five hours to arrive in Abingdon in the early afternoon. We immediately spotted a mooring on the high concrete banking as you approach the bridge but decided to carry on to see if there was room on the field moorings above the bridge. There wasn't. So I turned the boat with great difficulty, the current sweeping us downriver as I came about, cruised down below the aforementioned mooring and then turned the boat again, each of the manoeuvres with Mike Hecken on the bow warning me of any problems. Last night we relaxed over a superb meal at the Broad Face, a pub with a well-deserved reputation for its cooking. I had duck breast, Mike and Liz lamb shank. The food and the service were outstanding. The bill was fairly high, too, but Mike insisted on paying as a thank-you for our hosting him aboard for a week.
This morning, he more than earned his keep. With the river running a little faster we set off for Abingdon lock, passing old friends Ken and Sandra Cliff on Tomfoolery who called out to us that the yellow caution boards had gone up. By the time we reached the lock approach I could see why. Another boat was on the main lock mooring and as I turned our bow to slow down behind it, the swirling current from the weir continued to turn us and I found the front of the bow disappearing under some overhanging willow branches. I slammed on reverse and Mike struggled to hold onto poles and tv aerial as we came back through the branches. As we made a full turn and I let the current ease us back onto the grassy bank below the lock approach, Mike must have wished he were back on Ronarosa.
Anyway, we tied up long enough to consult the lock keeper who said it was still safe enough to carry on up river but if we were in no hurry we would be wise to stay at Abingdon. Mike agreed and pointed out that if more rain arrived as forecast, or runoff increased in the next few days, the red boards could go up and we might be stranded out in the countryside, or even at Lechlade, with an almost impossible journey back to the Duke's Cut through extremely tight bends that are inevitably silted up on one side. So we returned to the same mooring as last night, making another nerve-wracking turn opposite the Old Anchor Inn and again travelling 50 or 60 ft downstream before completing it. The rest of the morning was spent congratulating ourselves on making the right decision and getting on with some urgent jobs around the boat - I cleared off the debris from the willow branches while Mike managed to fix our stern fender which had been torn loose on one side during our contretemps at the lock.
Just before lunch we were delighted to see John and Helen Ray tie up Karen E right in front of us. They are planning to stay until the weekend before starting their return journey downriver. We're having an afternoon cuppa with them and will probably see more of them if we stay here any length of time. If the current does ease we might continue tomorrow, spend a couple of days reaching Duke's Cut and then up the Oxford Canal as far as Thrupp where Mike's son Lee can pick him up on Sunday.
Finally, I've added a link to Fiona Slee's website www.nbepiphany.co.uk - she found us through Sarah Levick with whom Fiona exchanges emails every so often. She has already linked to us and I'm delighted to reciprocate.
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June 28
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We are still at Abingdon and likely to be here for many days to come. The speed of the increasingly muddy water could be seen yesterday from our side hatch but it's even worse under the bridge a hundred or so yards above us, where waves form in the swirling current and the few narrowboats on the move demonstrate that progress is very slow indeed. But at least we are safe here in a beautiful mooring, with all the shops and facilities of a reasonably sized town a short walk away. Our only concern could be over our water supply if this delay is extended. But we have enough for a week or so and after that we'll have to think again.
It could get worse, according to local expertise. Mid-morning yesterday, Mike and I walked the dogs up to the lock, chatting on the way with Phil and Jenny Clarke on Jay who had caught up with us after our meeting at Pangbourne. They were about to leave because they had to reach Thrupp where their boat was booked in so Phil could keep an appointment in Aberdeen next week. We didn't envy them tackling the Thames with the yellow warning boards up but when we chatted with the lock keeper we found that the red boards were already up at Osney lock eight miles further up river and if the rain continued it could only be a matter of time before the rest of the river was "closed" to all but the most daring.
On our return walk we talked with several other boaters, including Raymond and Sue Callard on Jade. Sue (nee Watts) had grown up in the same South Wales village that I had - Llantwit Major - and Raymond was from nearby St Athan. Sue and I didn't remember each other, of course, because she is 10 years younger than me and that was a huge age gap when I was in my mid and late teens. But we swapped memories of Llantwit landmarks, especially the local pubs, which even at that age I knew, if only infrequently. At lunchtime we walked over to the Crown and Thistle Hotel with John and Helen off Karen E for an enjoyable carvery lunch and then strolled around the environs of St Helen's Church and the old alms houses.
Today, Liz, Mike and I caught a bus to Oxford for a day out. We may not be cruising any more but we want Mike to continue enjoying his holiday. He says he's perfectly content - he's "on the water, with good friends and good food," the latter of these already showing on his usually slim frame. When he leaves us on Sunday he can return to a more careful diet. In the meantime, we're ALL on holiday!
For several hours we wandered around the sights of Oxford, peaking into college courtyards, admiring the Bodleian library and wandering from the end of the Oxford canal to Isis lock. Lunchtime was a special treat for me as an Inspector Morse fan. Mike took us to the famous Turf Tavern where Morse and Lewis had been filmed at the bar for one episode. We ate sandwiches and chips outside in the garden and drank the Tavern's own delicious summer bitter brewed for them by White Horse at Stanford in the Vale. I also managed to get some sorely needed new spectacles from Optical Express where the speed and friendliness of the service by all the staff we met was outstanding. We walked into the store at 11am and two pairs of glasses were ready for 2.30pm. Coincidences also continued. The optician was Rhianon Reynolds who was born in Cardiff (as I was) and then moved to live in Cowbridge (where I went to school). Both of these coincidences with a gap of more than 45 years, I suspect.
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