Time lapse videos

During our trip around the Thames ring, which was an alternative to our planned route but needed to be done to use the Gold licence we purchased in December, I’ve been making time lapse videos.

The links to the relevant videos are shown at the bottom of each day’s blog but here is a full list incase you would like them all in one place.

https://youtu.be/mQ6QamRk1Bk Hillmorton locks
https://youtu.be/fwGF1kxXOjY Braunston to Weedon
https://youtu.be/6g-wCGWhvhE Stoke Bruerne locks
https://youtu.be/WQzB_2s4ShU Cosgrove to Lindford
https://youtu.be/VM0Zr7Mt3PM Slapton to Marsworth
https://youtu.be/JHpWveUE4QE Aylesbury Arm part 1
https://youtu.be/xECjRvMjjhs Aylesbury Arm part 2
https://youtu.be/w7D9-izlsgg Marsworth flight
https://youtu.be/FjAlM30n9O4 Hemel to Huntonbridge
https://youtu.be/MlKBBhZadls Croxley to Harefield
https://youtu.be/87U5nz6KJMM Harefield to Southall
https://youtu.be/FofVbQo8NTI Southall to Paddington Basin
https://youtu.be/8izPKYe-F8k Bullsbridge to Brentford
https://youtu.be/PXma9UVulEw Brentford to kingston  
https://youtu.be/wH1hcC0ay8k Sunbury to Penton Hook
https://youtu.be/sGcejam2VgA Penton Hook to Dorney common
https://youtu.be/4S2KQZeYxQo Dorney to Cookham
https://youtu.be/8U7ZdOTOdNw Cookham to Hurley
https://youtu.be/6m6qH1vP7_M Henley Caversham
https://youtu.be/aADnid7anDg Pangbourne to Benson
https://youtu.be/1qUFexrjntQ Benson to Culham
https://youtu.be/RNFlemzhHGg Folly to Godstow
https://youtu.be/X6hYTdxfEMY Godstow to Kings with rope
https://youtu.be/OiK63BWzSdw Kings Lock Thrupp
https://youtu.be/7oibHc6jkjg Kirtlington to Somerton Mill
https://youtu.be/LlG_PNDxie0 Somerton to Twyford

Graham

It was twenty years ago today …………

… that we collected Jannock (formerly Powys) from the Black Prince base at Festival Park marina, Stoke on Trent and brought her home.

This is the log report for that day.

Saturday 21st October 2000                9 ¹/₄ Miles  12 Locks  6 Hours   

Arrived at Black Prince base in Stoke on Trent at about 10 AM. Myself, Simon & Matt loaded the boat whilst Brenda took Brian shopping. Morrisons supermarket is about half a mile from the marina at Stoke on Trent. Grocery and bottled ale selection was excellent. Christened the galley, served up bacon and mushroom butties with mugs of  NAAFI tea, in 10 minutes flat. Brian was impressed! Left Festival Park marina at about 11:30 AM. Immediately appreciated Jannock's handling as I managed to reverse her out of the marina without hitting anything. Dropped Brian off to return our car to Thame and pointed the bows towards home  feeling about 10 foot tall. Our objective was to make it to Fenny Compton by Wednesday night as the covered dock was booked for the sign writer on Thursday morning.  Spent most of the day familiarising myself with all of the new things I've got to maintain now. The boss has noted in the log that there is a launderette at Barlaston. It's amazing how passing through the first couple of locks rapidly moulds the crew into a well practiced team. Moored for the night near Stone. I noticed that grease line to stern tube was split and needed maintenance ASAP if we wanted the new stern tube to survive. Could this be the reason for BP having to replace the old one? They've committed that traditional mistake of repairing the damage without finding the fault. The whole crew had a go at trying to tune the television with limited success. Who invented "auto tuning portables"?

I know I’ve got some catching up to do as the Blog is not up to date but this is an anniversary that needed marking.

Graham & Brenda

Fenny Compton will do for now.

Saturday 12th September 2020

Graham was up with the larks and off to fetch the car from Shipton on Cherwell. He placed it at Fenny Compton and then returned to Jannock for breakfast.

Question of the day – “Do you think the overnight lock flight closure has been put in place to deter

No Moo ing

hirers?” – from an older boater – Answer erm No! After-all, they wont know about it in advance and are unlikely to change their minds and just not have their booked and paid-for holiday! Brenda explained that the reservoir was short of water to feed the canal but was told that we’d had plenty of rain recently. He’d obviously forgotten about the scorchio spring we had.

Moored at /// basher.firepower.sums

We climbed the five Claydon locks and then continued on through the ‘tunnel’ to Fenny Compton. The offside moorings along this section have certainly expanded since we last came this way, they have established gardens and everything.

We passed the Wharf Inn and went under the road bridge to moor up. There was a lovely gap with a
short hireboat moored right in the middle of it so Graham asked if they would mind moving either forwards or backwards so that Jannock could tie up. They moved forwards half a boat length which allowed us in behind.

Cropredy – where we used to moor ages ago.

Friday 11th September 2020

We cast off at 9:50 and made our way to Grants lock with some sadness that the lock cottage has recently been burnt out. 

A descending boater had obviously put on weight during lock-down and now

Tooleys boatyard

his boat was jammed in the lock and couldn’t get out.  He pushed and he shoved to no avail so Graham suggested he pull his fenders up – that sorted it!

Onto tramway visitor moorings where we stopped for a provision run to Morrisons. Larder replenished we continued on to Banbury hoping to fill with water below the lock. Another boat was there doing water and elsan so we passed up the lock and filled at the tap in the first basin. Through the liftbridge and into the centre of an enormous building site.

Onto Cropredy, fondly remembered for the first five years we owned Jannock because we moored at

Old Mill. The gates at Slat Mill lock appear to have damaged cills and so the Cropredy pound was over 30cms down in level. This meant keeping to the centre of the channel and passing a fuel boat and other southbound boats very carefully.

Little Bourton Lock Cottage

 

Once through Cropredy lock normal water levels were experienced again. We moored for the night at the bottom of
Claydon locks as they are closed overnight until 10am tomorrow due to water shortages. /// nourished.rich.licks

 

During our evening constitutional we happened across fellow Cutweb members aboard nb Elysium, also waiting for the locks, so we had a socially distanced chat with them for a while.

Where do we go now!

Thursday 10th September 2020

Wildlife of the day – Roe deer in a field by the canal.

Surprise of the day – A Tornado fighter jet flying over us, low and banking steeply as we moored up.

We set off from the quarry at 9:45, glad to be back on the canals again. There were plenty of boats

coming the other way so only one lock had to be turned before we could use it.

At Lower Heyford, the hire base was devoid of boats showing that the international travel restrictions were having a good effect of home-grown holidays. Once we were through Mill lift bridge, luckily opened by the boat ahead of us, we started meeting plenty of Oxfordshire hireboats heading back to base – I suspect that a lot of their business has been midweek and weekend short breaks rather than week long holidays.

We learnt to day that Jannock’s winter quarters may be at risk! The marina owners bank have called in the official receivers in order to realise the value of the property to pay off the debts. We suppose that’s better than the stories of CaRT & baillifs visits that we’d heard before we came away. It must be a huge worry for the folk who live on their boats in the marina. With Covid it has become a more solid supportive community there which to us is a more desireable thing. Shame if that breaks down.

I suspect we’ll now proceed slowly back in that direction whilst waiting to see what happens at Brinklow and investigating alternative mooring arrangements if needed.

We continued up through Somerton, Aynho wharf, Nell Bridge and Kings Sutton to finally moor for the night near Twyford bridge (/// posed.pesky.outdoors ) With hindsight, we might have had a quieter overnight mooring if we’d gone under the M40 and continued on into Banbury.

A timelapse video from Kirtlington quarry to Somerton mill can be viewed at https://youtu.be/7oibHc6jkjg

Short run to warm the engine.

Wednesday 9th September 2020

Another week has passed and social restrictions have been tightened. This time evidence shows that it’s kids and young adults who are the problem – better off boating then.

Shipton Weir Lock

We boarded Jannock at lunchtime but it was 2:45pm before we finally left the mooring near Shipton bridge. Our first lock was shared with another boat, the owners of which didn’t think they could, as it was a diamond shaped lock up onto the River Cherwell. It was designed this way to extract as much water as possible from the river each time it was used in order to keep the canal topped up.

The sun finally came out as we were nearing Kirtlington Quarry, an old favourite mooring of ours – so we did!

Graham planned to do a 200 hour engine service (oil, filter and gearbox oil) whilst the weather was nice. Brenda remembered the blackberries were always nice here so off she went foraging. She went right up to the top of the quarry and found alovely quiet spot to sit and look out over the miles of counrtyside listening to natures soundtrack.

On her return to Jannock she cooked a batch of blackberry and wild mint muffins and a tray of Blackberry Oat bars.

Our mooring at Kirtlington Quarry was /// coins.danger.fallback

Off the Thames onto the Oxford canal

Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Wildlife of the day – Kingfishers and Egrets

Port Meadow Bridge

A later start that we’d hoped but once we’d got to Jannock by bus, unpacked and then got her stern free from the shoal she was firmly sat on we made good time. You can see on the first video below that we had to pole Jannock out and let the current take her round to get off the shoal, narrowly missing some rowers - who had been warned by their trainer.

Once on our way and after a lovely couple of days land-side, the rain started. It was that light rain which really soaks you. Port Meadow is lovely in the sunshine – but not pleasant at all when you are steering against the wind in light rain!

Dukes Cut

We turned into Dukes cut and were welcomed to the canal again by a long line of almost derelict boats. Sadly most of them will be homes.

Thrupp lift bridge

As we approached Kidlington, we met Simon and Janette
heading South, we managed a brief chat with them before continuing on to Thrupp. We stopped for water before the road bridge, out side the cottages. Brenda operated the lift bridge at Thrupp whilst depositing a large number of surplus books onto the charity bookshelf at the same time. We then continued on past all the club moorings and found a place for Jannock on a shallow bend in the 14 days moorings.

It was almost dark and still raining when we had eventually tied up at /// gurgling.shock.screaming

A video of our very wet trip from Folly Bridge to Godstow lock can be found at https://youtu.be/RNFlemzhHGg and from Kings Lock to Thrupp can be seen at https://youtu.be/OiK63BWzSdw

 The bit in the middle, complete with mooring rope hung across the camera lens can be found at https://youtu.be/X6hYTdxfEMY

Trying to find a mooring in Oxford

Sunday 30th August 2020

Having said farewell to our friends aboard nb MaryH, who we moored alongside overnight due to congestion, we set off just after 10 am and joined the queue for Abingdon lock.

Before we left, nb Frodsham came down the river and moored in front of us. I believe this replica MSC
tug to be diesel powered as there was no accompanying cloud of smoke as it arrived. 

We had an un-eventful trip up to Oxford in nice, but chilly, overcast skies with occasional sunshine. We planned to moor near Folly Bridge in Oxford as we need to go home to babysit our grand-daughters on Tuesday so that Mum and Dad can go to a funeral. On our arrival all the moorings long enough to easily accomodate Jannock were occupied so we did an ‘up and back’ avoiding the rowers, punters, paddle boarders, pedalos and canoeists. Too many of them seem to bob about with no idea that there are ‘big’ boats about and no idea how to steer.

Most worrying was a paddleboard family outing. The dog had a life jacket on, two kids under 10 did not! They may be competent swimmers but a quick intake of breath due to surprise, shouting for help or cold shock could easily compromise that. What’s that you say Lassie “the kids are drowning and you’ve got the only life preserver on?”

No signs to the contrary so we tacked Jannock onto the very end of the line of moored boats. This was against the entry point of a smaller stream so had a shoal adjacent but we managed to fit in, albeit aground, and use the ‘Beale Park Woodpecker’ holes in the gangplank to secure it to the bank.

We then cleaned up, packed all our washing into two smallish bags and set off to get the 280 bus home.

Our mooring for the next couple of days was ///below.dare.smashes

August Bank Holiday–Covid style

Saturday 29th August 2020

Boat name of the week – Ant on Deck

As befits August Bank Holiday it was flippin freezing. 16c maximum according to the weather forecast. Wearing 4 tops and gloves. I bet the inhabitants of Bournemouth et al are relieved as the ignorant hordes will not invade this weekend.

Having stopped the night at Pangbourne because the mooring at Beale Park had been stopped, and there were plenty of signs announcing that, we were surprised to find a total of four boats moored there.

 

A pleasant run up through Goring and Wallingford to Benson lock where we were unfortunate enough to meet a big boat with a bigger ego. We had entered the Self Service lock with Brenda as lockie and Graham single handing Jannock. To do this we’ve perfected a technique which uses a looped rope on the bows with the slack being taken up on the stern rope. This holds her perfectly.

The widebeam boat steamed into the lock even though we thought that he would not fit. He reckoned he’s fit OK if we took our bow rope to the far bollard, however our looped rope was not long enough to reach this, the highest bollard. He couldn’t understand the concept and wedged in sideways, on no ropes as his missus was unable to get a rope ashore, let alone round a bollard.

A chap from a southbound boat appeared and was as concerned as we were that the widebeams rear deck rain hood would get crushed as the boat rose under the lower gate footway. “No problem, get on with it” was the response. As the boats rose in the lock Brenda was able to transfer Jannock’s bow rope loop onto the furthest bolard and wide beam was able to come forward so the cover didn’t get squashed. At that point, Mrs widebeam managed to get a bow rope around a bollard and pull them across. Once out of the lock they came steaming past us with a bow wave fit for the Waikiki Surf club.

At Clifton lock the apple and pear trees were bountiful. The lockie said that we could help ourselves to windfalls as well as fruit from the trees. Thankyou very much. We stopped at the end of the lock landing and Brenda went to ‘scrump’ whilst Graham went blackberrying.

We continued on to Abingdon where every mooring space was occupied, luckily for us we were planning to meet friends who were already moored there so we tied alongside with their permission.

River wisdom of the day – Stupidity is more contagious than Covid, and assists Covid.  We saw plenty of kingfishers in full colour today.

Overnight mooring location ///scars.agreed.maps

A timelapse video can be seen at https://youtu.be/aADnid7anDg

No parakeets ….

Friday 28th August 2020

… but we did see Kingfishers and Llamas.

We set off early as more rain was forecast for today – also no-one had been to collect our mooring fee.

Taking on water

Our run up past Shiplake and Wargrave was un-eventful although we did spot some canoeist camping on one of the islands before Sonning. At 12:00 the rain started just as we left Sonning lock – never mind we were planning on stopping to go shopping for supplies at Reading. Above Sonning lock we saw what must have been the longest lock queue for our whole trip, all trying to get downstream from the Reading reach.

We moored outside Tescos at Reading in what must have been a 62foot gap with a convenient overhanging tree at each end – no stakes or chains needed here then. As we tied up an Anglo Welsh hireboat came past pushing a bow wave that any tidal Thames trip boat would be proud of. It would have looked well suited in front of an ocean liner.

Sonning Lock queue

Reprovisioned, we moved up to Better Boating to fill with diesel. They were busy dispatching hire boats so we had to tie on and wait a while before we could be served. 160 litres later we were on our way to Caversham lock.

We travelled on through Caversham and Tilehurst before attempting to moor out in the countryside before Pangbourne – it was not to be, the river edge was far too shallow so we continued on and found another right size gap between the moored boats at Pangbourne River meadow. Another pay for mooring location but needs must as Beale Park is now no mooring at all.

Our overnight mooring was at /// maker.wisdom.liver

Timelapse video of the run from Marsh Lock to Reading Tesco is at https://youtu.be/6m6qH1vP7_M

Trouble at Boulters lock

Thursday 27th August 2020

Despite our best efforts to seal Jannock off, about a dozen returning Wasps got in. They obviously were ‘going on a bear hunt!’ Can’t go over it, under it or round it, so they just found a teeny hole to go in through and then couldn’t get get out of it either. What with the wasps and workman’s radio blare from the other side of the hedge, we were glad to be setting off just after 9am.

Cliveden Reach

At the first lock, we waiting whilst a wide beam went up in front of us then we followed.

As always, Boulters lock was a pain. With a lock landing that accomodates two boats, we were 3rd in a line of 6 craft and so we remained hovering below the lock, waiting while the lockie filled the lock with craft coming down. He then sent some out to do a re-shuffle which took longer than it would have taken to empty the lock and refill with some from the lengthening queue below in.

Henley Mooring

There were three ‘staff’ at the lock – two for talking plus the working lockie who was continually distracted by the other two wanting to talk to him as well. Must have been a visit from ‘the management!’ A crowd of gongoozlers gathered on the lockside despite the Covid notices to the contrary. As the gates opened for us to go in, the management seemed to dissapear and the blue ‘self service’ signs went up. A crew member from another boat went up to work the lock and was reprimanded for ‘interfering’ by the lockie. He then told the gongoozlers to go away, they had been there for ages. another jobs-worth morning I suspect.

We travelled up past Cliveden, fondly remembering swimming here in 2006, whilst avoiding the paddleboarders and on-coming cruisers rushing to join the lock queue. We were being overtaken by boats ourselves.

 

At Cookham lock we were next to a family-sized cruiser whose steerer showed a distinct lack of rivermanship. As the lock opened, he showed no sign of setting off so Brenda started taking Jannock out. As we were passing he asked graham “shall I go first then?” He hadn’t even started his very smelly engine. As we travelled down the lock cut he started to overtake, we slowed down as Brenda was concerned that another craft would meet him on a bend. Luckily, when the inevitable happened near the bridge, the on-coming craft had chance to slow and manouvre out of his way. He shot past us and them and them proceeded to tie up on Cookham moorings in the middle of a three craft space. A lot of new boaters sign language was invented today – most meant prat!

Rainbow over Henley

The weather decided to persist down most of the afternoon. Brenda spoke to the lockie at Hambledon about the abundance of apples in the garden. Apparently the EA have sent boxes for their collection. They will be gathered and made into cider – raising funds any way they can?

After we’d left Hambledon lock, with the skies darkening as we traversed the regatta course, we entered a total grey-out thunderstorm so we moored up at the end of the Henley visitor moorings, not something we’d normally do as it involves a fee of £10 but needs must when you want to avoid getting drowned. At least any monies paid will go into council coffers.

Mooring in Henley at ///loving.notes.twinkling – more likely wet.wet.wet ;^)

Video footage – Dorney to Cookham https://youtu.be/4S2KQZeYxQo

Cookham to Hurley https://youtu.be/8U7ZdOTOdNw then camera ran out of memory.

Enormous oyster

Wednesday 26th August 2020

The rain had stopped and the wind had calmed down some-what so we set off upstream at 09:30. A lovely river cruise was orchestrated by the continuing worrying engine noise – more jingling than Christmas!

Windsor Castle

A lunch of oysters was taken while we waited for Penton Hook lock. OK so it was only an Ice Cream Oyster but I’ve never seen so much ice-cream piled into one of these shells before. We then pulled over onto the visitor moorings above the lock for Cap’n to become marine engineer again. His diagnosis was a loose cabin alternator fan rubbing on the casing so it needed sorting.

 

 

Brenda carried on playing ‘shall we live in that multi-

The Lucy Fisher

million £ house? shall we have that pretty slipper launch?’ while proper lunch was made. Is envy a sin or what pushes us to strive on? Discuss!  Our lunch today was more food than many eat all day – we are so lucky!

The eFoil under water bits revealed

 

A pleasant cruise past all that is scenic, and Windsor Home Park and Castle. We moored at Dorney Lake, much to the annoyance of the wasps living in the bank beneath the tree that our stern rope was tied to. We kept all windows and the rear doors and hatch closed all night but still about a dozen had to be removed from within Jannock in the morning.

Filming in progress

 As we passed Boveney Chapel of St Mary Magdalene there were people dressed in medieval clothes and what seemed to be film lighting rigged. After supper, steak pie and a very quaffable red, we walked along Dorney common, passing the chapel. We found out that a ‘short’ was being made about a medieval minister (presumable religous rather that political) and his daughter. It’s sure to have salacious detail! And it’s not very far from Down Place where Hammer Horrors were made.

Tonight’s mooring /// cases.chin.chip

A timelapse vieo of today’s trip is at https://youtu.be/sGcejam2VgA

A damp walk around Kingston

Tuesday 25th August 2020

Only four months to Christmas!

Lovely building in Kingston

It blew and rained a hooley last night. Tied up securely to the bank we had no bother although Graham had to find a drip tray to go under the back window, it’s always been prone to leaking when the wind and rain come from the right direction.

Hampton Court

Then down the engine-ole to continue the cabin battery electrics repair (He wears his pants on the outside, but never a cape ;^) One of the batteries was very hot and emitting gas yesterday after the new alternator was installed. It appeared that one cell in the battery was dead – not sure whether that took the alternator out or the act of the alternator failing took the battery cell out. He suspects the former. Battery taken out of circuit we’ll have to see how we cope with just two left.

The best barge on the Thames

Moored in Kingston meant we could go landside and explore once he’s finished rather than sit in and watch the weather. Apart from the usual shopping centre there wasn’t much of note in the town centre. so back to the boat, lunch and set off upstream having given our mooring spot to a widebeam that was looking for somewhere to tie up.

eFoil- electric hydrofoil surfboard

 

 

Although not much rain, there was a gale force wind that made progress unpleasant. This combined with a jingling noise now coming from the new alternator gave us good reason to moor up in the wier stream at Sunbury. Not long after we’s tied up a bloke appeared riding an eFoil – an electric hydrofoil surfboard around all the mooring boys opposite the bank where we had tied up before dissapearing off downstream again.

Our Sunbury mooring ///reduce.tubes.cats

Back to the Thames

Monday 24th August 2020

Herons Breakfast

Today we got drenched, twice, and the second time lasted for about an hour. Two sets of wet clothes each, ten numb fingers for Brenda and we are promised more tomorrow.

Paddington Arm Bee Hives

Graham was up and at-em early, leaving Paddington basin just before 8am. A brief stop for a self pump-out at the offside sanistation on the Paddington arm and on upto Bulls Bridge through all the clawing floating weed. We turned left at Bulls bridge junction and headed down to Norwood top lock. All down through the Hanwell flight there wer boats travelling towards us and a couple of Volunteer lockies to aid us on our way. Graham found one of the Hanwell lock gates to be the hardest gate to open for a very long time.

After we left the flight Graham also noticed that the cabin alternator warning light was on. We continued down through Osterly and Clitheroe’s locks before pulling over on Brentford visitor moorings to swap out the alternator, always a spare handy of course. Whilst there Brenda decided to leave some surplus paperbacks in the sani-station as she remembered there was a book swap there last time we came this way. The BW key fitted the lock but a digital entry code was required as well to open the door. No-where is there a clue as to how boaters are expected to obtain the code. A bloke wandered up and went in the door, a few minutes later he emerged so she asked. He told her that all the local boaters know the code and then told her what it was. Another boater, nearby, also heard and wrote it down.

At Brentford lock, Graham asked the lockie about the situation at the sani-station. He said that he did not know the code but believed that it changed weekly. That is how CaRT stop boater’s loos and showers being used and abused by anyone. Yet Brenda got the impression that the bloke who told her the code was not a boater anyway. We asked how visiting boaters could get the code but the lockie had no idea.

Alternator swapped, a lock share identified, Graham went to set the guaging lock just as the heavens opened. We both got utterly drenched as we descended and then moored up waiting for Thames Lock.

Leaving Brentford looking back

Out onto the Thames and turn right, heading upstream/ No trip boats about so no bucking bronco moments this trip. We travelled through another rain storm up to Teddington lock where the keeper remarked upon how wet we’d got in a very short time. He also offered up the information that tomorrow was going to be worse as we were in the overture to storm Francis.

We continued up stream to Kingston where we moored on the visitor moorings on the North bank of the river, registered with the on-line moorings website for our free 24 hr pass and then sat down to a nice warming curry. We plan to explore Kingston-in-the-wet tomorrow morning hoping the bad weather will pass before we need to set off.

Overnight mooring ///pets.fund.film

Timelapse videos -  Bulls Bridge to Brentford https://youtu.be/8izPKYe-F8k 

Brentford to Kingston  https://youtu.be/PXma9UVulEw

A day in London

Sunday 23rd August 2020

Graham was up early and set off before I’d even risen from my bed. Breakfast was taken on the move because there are no locks on this arm and we had planned a busy afternoon.

It was a pleasant enough cruise into Paddinton despite the extra engine effort needed to plough through total cover duck-weed. A couple of paddle boarders were pleased that we cleared an easier path for them for a while. There are great lengths of moored boats and floating homes along here keeping our speed well down once we had passed Perivale.

It was strange to see plenty of empty moorings in Little Venice but it was just as well that we had booked a berth in Paddington Basin. The good news is that the basin now has a Coop (see previous posts) for ‘free stuff’ and a Brewdog bar. The bad news is the number of paddle boarders and go-boats to try and avoid.

Then off on our adventure – first we visited the Museum of London at the Barbican. Due to a lack of foreign tourists it wasn’t very busy and so we saw everything with ease. Then off to Petticoat Lane, where the market was packing up, to go for an early meal (with cocktails) at the London Steakhouse.

Once we had eaten, we then went to the Shard for our pre-booked visit to the viewing gallery, the second part of our Christmas gift from Matt and Alice – thanks! When you enter the Shard they take your photograph, I presume to sell it to you on the way out like flumes and roller coasters. The photographer says “smile please”. That made us laugh as we were all wearing masks – not even the photo that you’d want really!

Back to Jannock via the Brewdog bar where I had a cup of tea and Graham sampled several different beers. I discovered that I like Dead Pony Club which made him happy as he gave me the rest of his to go and try something else.

The Shard

North East view

Tower Bridge

The railway from Kent

Loo with a view

 

Our mooring in Paddington was /// deny.wolf.slate

A timelapse video of the run in is at https://youtu.be/FofVbQo8NTI

Onto the Paddington Arm

Saturday 22nd August 2020

After we set off, our first lock was Denham deep lock where we passed through solo following a single  boat in front of us and assisted by the crew of a boat waiting to ascend. Below this lock is a working

boatyard that has a narrow floating dry-dock. It was occupied by a working boat with all water having been pumped out.

Once past the apparently disused gravel wharf we passed under the A40, a road I’ve used many times to get into London when I was working, now used rarely by me. On through Uxbridge lock and down past the Boat Centre where a narrow boat was being craned out onto hard standing.

At the boat yard by Cowley Peachy junction I pulled in to try

and get some diesel but they were not open. Unfortunately the closed sign was on the office door which is not visible from the canal so we untied and continued on.

We continued down to Bulls bridge junction where we turned left onto the Paddington Arm. We followed a widebeam round the junction but they pulled over as they wanted to walk back to Tescos. We stopped shortly afterwards at bridge 20 and we went to explore Southall Broadway. The warm sun and the bustling street full of shoppers made us feel like we were on a capital H holiday. Add in the Asian supermarkets, the fabulous clothes and jewelry shops, the fabric shops (of course I did! two lots) and the restaurants and street food stalls with their tempting smell and holiday it was. Having bought freshly cooked samosas and jalebis for tea we wandered back towards the boat via an ice cream stall.

Back at the boat and there were a couple of children looking at Jannock, a girl of about 13 with her little

the Famous Jam-ole

brother 10ish. She asked “ is that your boat?” When we said yes they were both very apologetic for looking at it. We told them they were welcome to look and, but for Covid, we could have given them a ride up the canal (with parental permission, of course) She explained that they were from Italy, living in central London and visiting auntie who lived in one of the terraced houses facing the canal. As well as their beautiful manners, I bet they were both multi-lingual.

After a cup of tea we set off again – destination Willow tree park which is an excellent overnight mooring if you want to arrive at Paddington mid to late morning the following day.

Mooring location /// rinse.wash.barn

Timelapse video of journey can be seen at https://youtu.be/87U5nz6KJMM

The hanging Gorilla is still there!

Friday 21st August 2020

No rain today, just reasonable sunshine but with an added strong wind.

We started the day by passing through Common Moor lock and then passing down through all the residential boats moored on the offside. As we approached Lot Mead lock we could see what looked like a CaRT workboat there and so wondered if there was to be another delay to our schedule. However, it was an ex-CaRT workboat and they were waiting in the lock for us to share.

We also shared Batchworth but they stopped at Tesco’s for provisions. On arrival at Stockers we had to turn the lock and didn’t have to wait too long before they arrived to share – all the way to Copper Mill even though they stopped to pick up a butty en-route. The gorilla still hangs from the dis-used building above Springwell although he is now monochrome and his stuffing is starting to fall out. I suspect he’s been there all the time we’ve owned Jannock.

Once through the lock we stopped to fill with water and then moved around the corner from the Coy Carp and stopped again for lunch. Graham spent a couple of hours mending things including fitting the wooden end back onto the tiller as Brenda broke it off today.

On the move once more for a short trip down through Black Jacks and Widewater to moor for the night opposite Harefield marina. A Kingfisher sat on the stern rail of a moored boat did not flinch or fly off as we passed. Best photo chance I’ve ever had of one of these birds.

Our overnight mooring was /// expose.harder.dock

Today’s timelapse video can be seen at https://youtu.be/MlKBBhZadls

Assisted passage

Thursday 20th August 2020

It was sunny when we woke up and stayed dry all day – surprising some pounds still appeared to be low after all the rain we had yesterday and during the night.

We passed this boat moored near Hemel Hempstead – a tree had fallen into the canal just missing the stern. A stiffish breeze was Brenda’s excuse for some excessive bobbing about whilst waiting for locks to be set. Once again we seemed to be following the same inconsiderate boater as yesterday until Kings Langley when the bottom gates were closed on our arrival.

We found ourselves being further held up by an assortment of newbie single handers who seemed to have little idea of the whys and wherefores of actual boating, just how to move their home from A to B. One lady admitted that she’d never hammered a mooring stake in before, but was going to give it a go as the only space available near Grove bridge had no piling. I was impressed by the SSSI that had established itself in this boats rear fender.

Earlier, we had heard of a lock closure, with restricted use for narrowboats only, at North Grove lock (71). CaRT were moving

boats through on ropes to reduce the chance of the damaged top gate failing further. It had collapsed due to rotten timber and being hit hard by a boat. It was open from mid AM until mid PM with a lunch break in the middle. We were 4th in the queue when we arrived and it took one and a quarter hours before we were roped through – engines off and no crew allowed on-board during this operation. We were told it would likely be mid-September before the gate could be repaired.

A busy day with thirteen slow locks and a delay near the M25 ;^)

A timelapse video of this journey can be viewed at  https://youtu.be/FjAlM30n9O4

Overnight mooring ///tribal.zeal.sand

And then it rained.

Wednesday 19th August 2020

We woke to gentle rain, an improvement to the thunderstorms and floods of the last few days but enough to keep us tied up most of the day and tell ourselves it’s a holiday after-all.

We read, played games and re-organised our schedule out of necessity before finally deciding to set off at 4:30 in the afternoon. The rain was much reduced but accompanied us, coming on harder just as we moored up in Two Waters Park, above Boxmoor lock.

Fisheries lock

Our progress was impeded by a single hander ahead of us who had left all the lower gates open and paddles up as he’d left each lock. This gave us twice as much work to do, closing up and resetting paddles before filling the lock again. Luckily, we’ve perfected a technique to deal with the other top gate swinging open as Jannock enters through the single open gate – it involves Brenda moving the boat across to the far side and shutting that gate whilst I draw the first bottom paddle after closing my side.

Finally tying up at 19:10 meant the catering department decided on a tin of minced beef as the quickest dinner – classy eh?

Tonight’s mooring /// riding.nests.digits