Good Friday 10 April 2009
The omens were good today. The U9 bus from Uxbridge only runs once an hour on
Bank Holidays, I arrived there @ 08:41 & had to wait all of four minutes for
the bus!
At H.N.A. the lock was in my favour with one gate open-perfect. I bought some
eggs from Black Jack’s Cottage just as the rain set in. It was more or less
raining all day, not hard, just persistent.
Arriving @ Bull’s Bridge by 14:15 I managed to secure a mooring by the
waterpoint but the threads on both taps were crossed, &, as a result, it took
four hours to fill the tank with most of the water running to earth. The phone
charger proved defective & I had a flat battery after phoning Sheila & Barry.
I decided to return home by bus tomorrow morning & pick up another charger.
I’ve got a horrible feeling that the inverter produces a sine-wave that the
charger doesn’t like—just like the toothbrush charger on a previous occasion.
A decent telly picture though, I took full advantage.
Saturday 11 April 2009
Slept until 08:00 then, following ablutions, set off for home via E6 bus &
Central Line train from Greenford. I collected the charger then spoke to
Barry, my next-door neighbour, to advise him how long I’d be away. Back to
the boat by12:45, the only other boat on the moorings was Ampersand[!!]
I knocked on the roof but answer was there none—they were probably shopping in
Tesco’s.
Four hours later saw me enjoying a hot ‘cuppa soup’ tied up on the moorings by
‘The Fox’ @ Hanwell. The rain started as if by magic, but I was inside the
boat—ner ner, ne ner ner!
Sunday 12 April 2009
Set off for Brentford by 10:30 in mild, overcast conditions, arriving by
13:15. I set to on the checks & found a massive amount of blue rope [why is it
always blue?] around the prop-shaft. Oil & water were O.K. I cleaned up the
woodwork @ the back of the boat where some sooty deposits had laid themselves
prior to filter changes.
The sluice-side moorings @ Brentford are @ present a no-no because of our old
friend ‘elf ‘n’ safety’ Ridiculous! A perfectly good spot complete with
bollards now unusable. After a pint in the Magpie & Crown I brought Chicken
Burger & Chips back to the boat & had just finished them when Barry [no, not
the next-door neighbour—confusing ain’t it?] arrived.
We set out on the Thames by 16:45 & three hours later were tied up in a very
crowded basin.
Saint Pancras’ Cruising Club had just finished their Easter Cruise & would be
departing in the morning. A pint in ‘The Grapes’ before telly & bed.
A busy & thoroughly enjoyable day.
Monday 13 April 2009
Much banging & knocking awoke me this morning @ 07:15—early boat movements in &
out of Thames lock were responsible. @ a more civilised time of 09:30 a couple
of boats moved off from the visitors’ Eastern wall, enabling me to pull ‘Caie
Two’ along to her ‘normal’ mooring. Jeremy Batch, the Limehouse Lockie that
I’ve met just about every time I’ve come here, gave me a leaflet that showed
local attractions, shops etc. I was pleased to note a small Tesco has opened
on Commercial Road next to the Curry House since I was last here & I duly
purchased milk, bread & corn flakes. A pleasant afternoon’s sunshine before
enjoying a Chinese meal @ the Tai Pan on Commercial Road.
Tuesday 14 April 2009
Disappointingly, I couldn’t separate Nick Ferrari from his many competitors
that broadcast around Limehouse Basin.
I caught the 15 bus to the library opposite Poplar Fire Station where I dealt
with 131 e-mails before returning to the boat by 11:45. I topped up the water
tank over on the pontoon & slowly bade farewell to Limehouse as I ascended the
locks of the Regent’s Canal to arrive @ Victoria Park by 14:15. Surprise,
surprise, there was no room by the park—there never is—so much for moving on
boats that overstay. I had to settle for second best just beyond the next
bridge.
Wednesday 15 April 2009
Still Nick Ferrari-less, I set off @ 09:45 in very cloudy dark conditions. The
umbrella was out fairly soon afterwards but by midday the sun was blazing away,
having realised the Bank Holiday Weekend was well & truly over! I sweated my
way through the hordes @ Camden & stopped for a pint in my favourite market
spot. The crowds milled, camera shutters clicked & fat was chewed. Paddington
was reached by 15:45 just in time for ‘Flog It’ & ‘A question of genius.’
I then caught the 17:47 train to Greenford & a tube to West Ruislip & a curry
with Sheila @ ‘Darjeeling’ very nice indeed. Back to Sheila’s for the night,
my throat proving very troublesome.
Thursday 16 April 2009
A hot sticky night with me not getting much sleep as I fought this darned
tickly cough. After a bath I felt better & walked to West Ruislip station to
catch the 10:12 Chiltern Train to Paddington.
I then boarded a bus to Gloucester place & Marylebone Library for some
E-mailing before returning to the boat. After some coffee I slipped the
moorings @ 13:10 reaching Bull’s Bridge, with a stop for telly [Flog It! &
Genius], by 18:30.
Friday 17 April 2009
I thought I was in for a soaking when I saw the rain falling but it cleared up
moments before I set off, but not before Roger Alsop of Wood, Hall & Heward
passed by, his tug pushing a huge flat & towing a burnt-out cruiser that had
been refloated from its grave @ The Island moorings Brentford. Luckily, Roger
waved me past when I caught up with him.
Cowley Lock awaited Roger & his flotilla but the guys there let me through &
re-set the lock for Roger once more.
@ Uxbridge Lock I joined Alan & Rosemary Smith on their boat ‘Jars.’ They
accompanied me all the way home to Coppermill by 13:00.
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