Friday 26 June 2009

Where does time go?

The last 4 days have flown. Here's a quick synopsis:

Tuesday
Walked down Portobello Road. One of the street pianos was getting some good use. What a lovely atmosphere. Everyone laughing and having fun. How talented people are. All sorts of people having a little go - we had classical, blues, chopsticks. I'll go back before I start back for home. Met Luke and we went for supper at The Crypt at St Martins. Healthy veggie option for both of us.

Wednesday
Took bus to Limehouse and walked along the canal (can't leave it alone!). Called in at the Ragged School Museum - small but good to see it. Had lunch in Broadway Market, London Fields - part of London I had never been to. As time was getting on I went to meet Luke out of school. I am not joking, I was waiting for him to come out of school (the sixth form college where he works) and it was just like 30 years ago!!!!! We were going to go to a gig in Leytonstone but it was going to be a nightmare of a journey - 3 buses - to travel about 2 miles. So we went for a meal at Stoke newington. We went to a vegetarian Kerala "Indian". The food was superb, so different from the norm. Well done, Luke's friend, Olivia, for the recommendation.

Thursday
Having seen what Luke has done to his boat yesterday (new paint job), I stayed home and started sanding and priming Olivia. She's like the Forth Bridge though - will I ever finish it?

Friday
Cruised to Little Venice and back to use their boat facilities. Then did a bit more sanding, etc. Neil Young tomorrow. Should be a lovely day.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

Summer in the City

Walked down to Paddington this morning. It's a half hour stroll. Then over to Courtaulds gallery as they have an exhibition on the Bloomsbury Group. It was quite a small exhibition but, luckily, I'm a member of the Art Fund and don't have to pay admission! Browsed the bookshops of Charing X Road which took me back to the Sixties. I'm glad some things don't change. Met Pat for afternoon tea at Browns. It was okay but not as good as their meals. if you are going to do tea I think you really have to go to the Dorchester or equivalent. Anyway it's all very nice. Am loving the weather (albeit humid). Meeting Luke tonight. Don't know whether we will find a gig to go to or just chill out.

Monday 22 June 2009

Moored in the metropolis

Left Uxbridge before 9am and motored down to meet Pat at Hayes. An hour later I was off to meet Rose at Greenford with a tentative arrangement to meet Tom somewhere along the route. In the end Tom also made it to Greenford and we had a quick meal before starting out. Coming into London by the back door is so different and so much nicer. No traffic jams. Rose took delight in taking a photograph of all those poor snarled up drivers on the North Circular while we cruised quietly over the aquaduct. Moored up and the first "significant" event was when Rose says "Did you see who that was?" as a jogger passed. It was David Cameron. A flotilla of boats moored behind me partied into the early hours. I wouldn't mind but it was that electronica music, where you are waiting for the next missed beat and are lucky not to have a heart attack! On Sunday morning I had a quick walk around Kensal Green cemetery which is huge. Didn't spot any famous names but some of the memorial stones are spectacular. Then I hopped on a passing bus to meet up with Tom. We went to 2 free music events: One Taste at Kensington Gardens which was very chilled; good sound system. Then to Leicester Square to catch a couple of blues bands who were finishing off West End Live. Humid today. (Mustn't complain though). We went for a very nice curry near Covent Garden then I hopped on a bus back.

Friday 19 June 2009

South of Watford

I have reached Uxbridge. I know that I am back in the metropolis because we are now having hourly police/ambulance sirens. I got back to Olivia via public transport - bus, train, tube, walk. The weakest link was my home town of Thrapston with its two-hourly bus which meant I had to hang around Kettering for almost 2 hours! Couldn't even shop as I had 2 big bags with me.Have done 10 locks and 9 miles today BUT only one more lock all the way into town. The promised breeze was not too bad at all, although I had a short walk and when I got back, Olivia was broadside across the cut, as her pin had pulled out and the wind had caught her bow. Better the bow than the stern as it meant I could hop on, get the centre rope and pull her back. While I was so doing, a gallant gentleman stopped to help me. Thank you.
If any of my "followers" - that's all 3 of you - can be at Greenford tomorrow (Saturday) about 3pm, we can have a nice little cruise into London. It's a brilliant way to arrive - through the back door.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

End of Phase 1

I have moored up at Watford and returned home to finish some marking! Pat came out to help but we only did a very short trip as I needed to find somewhere decent to moor for a period of time and preferred not to be on mooring pins, as boats passing too fast easily pull them out leaving the boat drifting aimlessly mid-canal. Hopefully I will be back in a week or so to take Olivia into London. I have some Annual Leave coming up so should be able to stay for a fortnight without travelling back and forth.

Sunday 7 June 2009

Inside the M25 orbital

I guess you could say that I have reached London. Actually moored at a little place called Hunton Bridge about a mile North of Watford. I had to moor up here as a storm was brewing. I had a pretty good day with much better weather than originally forecast. I asked my neighbours on Ashworth to see me through the swingbridge as it is much quicker and, therefore, less frustrating for the cars, if someone other than the helmsman can operate the bridge. Then it was through 4 more locks to moor near Hemel Hempstead. I wanted to get some work gloves as all these locks are giving me dishpan hands. It's all the pulling on ropes that does it. Got 2 cheap but functional pairs at Robert Dyas. Also bought myself some new plimsolls as my current pair have no sole left. So started out in the afternoon fully kitted up and ready for another 8 locks. I got some help through 2 locks by a lad who was out for a walk but was obviously a canal enthusiast (or nerd). His contribution was gratefully received. On the whole though there was not much canal traffic today. I think the weather forecast must have put them off. I managed to get stuck on some shallows at Kings langley. i thought it would be a nice place to moor but, alas, it wasn't. I was struggling to pole off when a passing family stopped to help and successfully pushed the bow out far enough for me to get going again. You do meet some nice people out on the canals. Seriously though the further South I get, the fewer people bother to say "Hello". Some look positively miserable. One funny sight today was a great big fish hanging off a lock gate (It was dead). I guess the strong flow from last night's rain had washed it up and it had got stranded. It was one of those things I just should have taken a photo of.....but didn't. I also saw a boat with two huge solar panels fixed upright to catch any rays. Nothing unusual about that except that one of them had a big round tank on it. Apparently it is to heat water. I've never seen one of those on a boat before.

Saturday 6 June 2009

At the swingbridge

Had quite a productive day once the weather cleared. Went through 10 locks and covered about 4 miles!! A friendly waterways worker helped me with a couple of the locks in berkhamsted and then I met a lovely couple who helped me through the last 2 locks. I went and had a drink with them. Also another boater joined us. He has qualified as a microlight pilot and is taking his boat up The Grand Union all the way round the Nene and the Great Ouse to Bedford. It's a fair old trek. In the morning I start with a swingbridge where I have to stop the traffic with a traffic control until I'm through. Cold again tonight so have lit the fire again.

Well it had to rain sometime

Here I am sitting in the rain (not literally - I am in the boat) close to Berkhamsted, awaiting a break in the weather. I have made good progress since Friday and, as promised, things have got more interesting. My gas bottle ran out and I couldn't work out why the next bottle wouldn't work. No gas was coming through so I couldn't light the gas. Anyway after a bit of head scratching, a very "dry" day and a text request to Rick for help, I was able to suss that there is a valve which needs turning to the left for one gas bottle and right for the other two, so all that I needed to do was switch the valve. Dur. While waiting for a lock to fill for me, I decided to have a long awaited cup of tea, so switched off Olivia's engine. Then she wouldn't start again!! I called out RCR (the AA of the canals) who couldn't come until this morning and we discovered that a cable had not gone "home" properly so a little fiddling got it where it should be and she started perfectly. At least I now know what I need to do should it happen again. One good side effect of he rain is that I am getting on quite well with my marking!

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Can you believe we had another sunny weekend

I picked the boat up at MK. I swapped it for the car. I cruised up beyond Stoke Hammond - 2 locks and 7 miles. At Stoke H the lock was set for boats coming down and 2 boats entered while I was hanging around there. On one, a hire boat, were at least 6 burly beer swilling rugby types. While I set one side, the mother and small son of the second boat set the other. Throughout the whole process the beer swillers did not lift a finger to help - they didn't even get off their boat! Laughable. You meet all sorts on the canals. On the Saturday morning I set off for the 3 locks at Soulbury. The IWA were out in force helping all boats through the flight. Most of the helpers were dressed as boaters from the past and this time I didn't have to lift a finger. I did put some small change in their collecting bucket at the end though. So you see, you lose some but then you win some. At Leighton Linslade I tied up opposite a guy and his gang of charges who were learning kayak suvival skills. They must be mad voluntarily falling into that murky water. I went into the town to get a bus back to MK for the car. I parked up an hour's walk ahead of the boat so that the next day I would be cruising towards the car instead of away from it. Started out again that evening but only moved up to a less lonely mooring for the night as by that time there was quite a crosswind and it was catching Olvia's bow. On Sunday I started out early through 2 locks with "Tartan Rose" but left them to carry on while I moored up near the car, in order to pick up and drop off some of my kit. I carried on to the spot I call Peacock Place because you can hear peacocks calling. We stopped there for the night when I last went down to London. It was somewere on this stretch that Rose hurt her foot so I will have to be careful. After a short break I went through the next three Seabrook locks and a swing bridge. I went through 2 locks on my own absolutely perfectly but at the third lock there was quite an audience so of course that is the one where I slipped and fell over. It's one way to get some help but is not the recommended approach. Luckily I didn't break anything fo a change :~). At the swing bridge a chap who was out for a relaxing Sunday afternoon with his lady friend, helped open the bridge and as I ran back for the boat, I fell down a hole. Silly place to put one, I say. Recall earlier I decided I must be careful on this stretch! Still not hurt but one very wet leg, sock and plimsoll! After mooring up at Marsworth I walked back the 3 miles for the car and then went for drink in the Red Lion. Felt I had earned it.