Waiting for the tide.... 26th - 28th May 2013

We walked Jack around Hackney Marshes although it was 7 am and I don't think he was really awake then! We wanted to set off early and get through London in a day, and it was going to be a hard day!
We had 17 miles and 11 locks to do today, more than we'd done in a long time!
It was sunny, a lovely day. We were up for it!
We did the mile or so to the junction of Ducketts Cut (Hertford Canal) and turned sharp right, faced with the first of the three locks on this mile long cut. All three locks against us, the rubbish looming under the water like stalking piranhas looking for a prop to cling on to.

Disused factory in Ducketts cut

We managed to get through the locks with the prop still turning, and did a sharp right onto the Regents Canal to see the next huge lock looming.

Coming out of Ducketts cut, sharp right and we're on the Regents Canal

The sun was still shining, so everything was great!
The locks had all hard huge heavy gates, most were against us. The early morning joggers were all out in force, socks down their lycra shorts, wobbling everywhere! Paul didn't notice! I couldn't miss it!
Tourists lined the towpaths, gawping at the locks as we went through. The sun was out and so was all of London! Mental here! We couldn't even let Jack out at the locks, too busy.
We went through the manic canal, boats moored three a breast, everywhere.

Not much room on this roof, hey!

Then there were the posh 'regenerated' areas, all very smart one side of the canal, graffiti and rubbish the other side!

Modern buildings line the canal....

... but the original lock and wall are still here

We approached Camden locks, 3 in total and met a boat waiting to go in. We went in with them, that meant help through the locks and past all the gongoozlers at the locks, so many people everywhere, lining the streets, leaning over the bridges; they would have been all over the locks if there wasn't a locked fence all the way round, only openable with a BW key.

In Camden Lock 

Camden Market....

All went well, and as we got to the top lock we spotted a space to stop. It was 1 pm, time for lunch, and Jack needed to stretch his legs, so we pulled over to let Jack out and go do some retail therapy .... again!
Paul took Jack to Regents Park and had an enormous Ice Cream, and I went to the Market and came back laden with delicious home made cake!
We were only gone a couple of hours, and by 3 pm we were on our way again, out of Camden, leaving the hoards of tourists behind.

Little Venice, looking back towards Maida Vale tunnel

Under Maida Vale tunnel, and we turned onto the Paddington Arm, Little Venice. Mad here too!
Boats moored everywhere, making navigation tricky.
We'd done all our locks for the day, but we still had three hours to go to get to Horsenden Hill mooring.
It was all pretty plain sailing really, some really bad areas, some modernised and brand new areas. Grassy towpaths lined the canal, trees and hedges too. Still green, even here! Sun still shone, and the late afternoons cruise was just great!
It was 6 pm by the time we pulled up under the wooden footbridge to Horsenden Hill, a lovely grassy mooring spot, off towpath, so no cyclists or joggers!

Moored up under Horsenden Hill bridge 

A group of kids were fishing nearby, nice kids, cheeky! They made a right fuss of Jack and fed him almost a whole tin of Spam before I spotted what they were doing!

View towards the city from the top of Horsenden Hill

After tea we all went for a lovely walk up to the top of the Hill via the most beautiful buttercup meadows and woodlands.

Buttercup meadows, Horsenden Hill

It was brilliant, and the sun still shone! Back at the boat we had an early night, slept really well, pleased with our mission completed today... to get out of the manic canal system around London, and we did it!

Beautiful hey!

On Monday, Bank Holiday, we walked Jack around the meadows, and set off in the cold but bright morning. The winds were strong today, it was so cold! After 1 and a half hours cruise we got to Bulls Bridge junction, and turned left this time, towards the Thames!

Bulls Bridge junction, we turned left

As we approached the Grand Junction Arms in Southall we spotted Rob's boat, Lynx. He wasn't on board as the boat was padlocked up, but we waved anyway!

Plastic bag soup.... the canal is thick with rubbish

We went onwards to Norwood, through 'plastic bag stew' to the Sanitary Station at the top of the flight of locks. But it was demolished, and a pile of rubble replaced the offices and facilities building.
There were however three volunteer lock keepers all ready to give us a helping hand down the flight of 2 and 6 locks together. So we had all our locks filled up for us, we just had to get in, and get out. Saved loads of time, and muscle. Two of the volunteers stayed at the top, their job was to fish out all the rubbish in the canal! Short straw I think!

Paul working hard at the Asylam Lock, next to the old Asylam

Nice flight of locks, nice area. Although it was here, about 13 years ago that Norfolk Lass was grafittied on overnight. But you would never have known it. Really done up nice, felt safe and friendly.
At the bottom of the flight we spotted a mooring spot that looked nice at the back of a row of boats, always a good sign when boats are moored together. It was only 12.30 pm, but we pulled over and tied up.

Moored up at the bottom of the Hanwell flight

It was where the River Brent met the canal, and the bottom of the canal was full of river silt, leaf sediment and other shite. So much so, that the whole time we were here, gas was bubbling up all around us, making the noise under the boat a little bit annoying. It was very loud, didn't stop all night! Every time you moved in the boat it let gas out from under as it tilted from side to side! Still, so do me and Paul!
It was lovely and sunny, we'd had a great cruise here, and we were ready to explore. We needed bread, so we went out for a stroll to find a shop and stumbled across a craft barn, where we bought some home made bread for £2.50! It was a community run craft shop, really nice. I also bought a hand painted (purple) glass mug.
We knew that there were 3 lovely grassy meadows all together over the lock in an area called Osterley Park, and had a lovely walk in the sunshine, although it was really windy now.
There wasn't much noise here, really peaceful in fact. Slight traffic, odd siren in the distance, the parakeets but loudest of all, the bubbling still erupting from under the boat!
We left early the next day, it was Tuesday 28th May, and our turn on the Thames.
After a walk round the meadows, we set off in the rain, drizzle at first. We had two locks and about 3 miles to do until we reached the newly modernised Brentford Gauging Lock.

Getting water at the modernised Brentford facilities and moorings

Here we filled up with water, dumped rubbish and ate Snickers for breakfast! Its really posh here, there are some 24 hour moorings, but the noise is hideous! High rise flats sprout up out of the ground, more are being built as we breathe. Here you can do your laundry, shower, fill up water, dump rubbish and pump out! Modern new building, bet thats replaced the one at the top of Norwood Locks thats now a pile of rubble!

One of the lock chambers at Brentford Gauging Lock

We went through Brentford Gauging Lock and onto the semi tidal part of the Grand Union towards Thames Lock at Brentford. The rain was still coming, little harder now as we trundled onwards slowly, taking it all in. We saw the lock in the distance and moored up by the concrete wall, ready to move on when the time was right.

Happy Daze moored up at the Thames lock at Brentford,
last lock on the Grand Union waiting in the rain.... 

It was chucking it down now, only 11am and we were not due to go through with the tide until 4pm. So we chilled in the boat, fire keeping us cosy as the rain stormed down on us all day. We went to Morrisons, stocked up with loads of goodies, and struggled to find anywhere, in the rain to walk Jack. We also struggled to get him up the wall to the towpath, and back down again on to the boat! But it was fine, we managed. By 3.50 it seemed brighter, the rain had stopped and we were waiting for the Lock keeper to let us through. The river was high, it was a spring tide, it was now 4.15, where was the Lock Keeper?