Limehouse chaos,
Lucky Call,
lavvy clogged.
I
had no intentions of writing about this particular trip, dear reader,
because it's only covering old ground, but, as is the way with these things,
events take place which force my hand!
With a few clear days to myself & no commitments to H.N.A I decided to
give "The London Ring" a go. This involves travelling along the
Paddington Arm of the G.U. through Little Venice & onto The Regent's
Canal down to Limehouse Basin thence Old Father Thames [the lumpy bit] back
to Brentford & back up the mainline to home. I contacted various people
re the lumpy Thames as it's always a popular trip. After the inevitable
drop-outs the full cast were assembled.
Chris
& Jackie Lovegrove, fellow occasional quizzers were first to arrive.
Next came my brother Phil & his wife Di. Eventually my daughter Tammy,
son-in-law Matt, my granddaughter Violet & two of Tammy & Matt's
friends along with their two children.
I had been in Limehouse Basin since 10:35 the previous day. It was now 15:25
on the 18 August & I was more than ready to escape the confines of the
east end marina & head west for home along with my very full boat.
Imagine my horror when the gesturing lockkeeper rushes towards me with
orders to tie up on the eastern wall just outside the dock. The news had
come from Brentford that there'd been a power-failure & with no place to
go, he couldn't allow me on the tideway! AArrgh!
With the gin palaces duly dispatched away to Teddington, the lockie was able
to get more information re Brentford Lock. It wasn't good news-the fault had
not been traced & the electrically-operated lock, with no manual
facility remained inert. The problem with that was that Brentford Creek
dries out at low tide & any boats outside the lock will be stuck on the
mud until the next incoming tide-a potentially very dangerous set of
circumstances, so you can realise just why the lockies were so reluctant to
allow me out onto the water.
Discussing the problem with Matt, I was about to suggest a mini-cruise
around the Grand Union, Hertford Union, Lee Navigation & back to
the basin but even that they'd done before. [& I've done
it four 4 times!]
Thinking
on my feet, I wearily climbed the stairs to the lockkeepers' eyrie in the
octagonal building that guards the Thames approach. I suggested that I
would tie up to the pontoon outside Brentford Marina if necessary. The
lockies considered this &, provided that I wrote out a disclaimer for
any unseen hazards ahead, they agreed to let me go! As you can imagine, this
went down well with the crew as well as myself. Finally, one hour late for
optimum riding of the tide, Caie Two was bouncing for England towards Tower
Bridge. I hoped all was safely battened down inside as I clung on grimly at
the tiller. Although overcast, the day remained dry [except for Chris
& my brother Phil who were thoroughly soaked by two enormous waves that
paid no respect to my boat's interior as they made their way in the open
front doors. Bloody amateurs! Anyone in their right minds would have kept
the front doors closed in such conditions! Never mind, judicious use of
kitchen towels soon restored order. Phil's jeans & boots were to remain
decidedly damp for the duration--serves him right! The voyage
continued without further incident until I was passing the London Eye when
the Limehouse lockie phoned with the news that "Brentford is definitely
not on for today but there may be a "window" tomorrow morning
between 08:00 & 09:00--shall I book you in for then?"
I
replied that would be good but I shall go to Teddington tonight as
disembarkation there will be a lot safer than from the pontoon at Brentford.
So, as we came in sight a couple of hours later of the "wonderful"
sculpture that dominates the entrance to Brentford Creek [yeuuccchh!] I rang
ahead to Teddington to inform them there of our intentions. The Teddington
Lockie told me that Brentford was open--he'd just dispatched a boat down
there! I was simultaneously gobsmacked & delighted--back to plan 'A'
albeit one hour later than planned. Why on earth hadn't Limehouse
let me know? If I hadn't made that call we would have gone on to Teddington
totally unnecessarily!
In
fact we were lucky again upon arrival at Thames Lock because there were no
signs of life at all. I wandered above the lock to ask some people on a
narrowboat if the lockie was around & Chris went up the staircase onto
the road above & found the lockie who had arrived ten minutes early for
a pre-booked 19:30 boat. He thought it was us, I said no we've just arrived
from Limehouse, he said 'but you're going to Teddington!'--crazy--talk about
communication breakdown. I can tell you dear reader--I was not impressed but
certainly pleased to moor in Brentford Basin. Once through the lock I
said to Matt happily in a George-Formbyesque manner, "Turned out nice
again-hasn't it?" He soon brought me down, "Oh, the bog's not
working!"
What
else can happen today? Well, the answer to that was, not much. However, the
next morning, another upturn in fortune. Ian Maclachlan suddenly appeared on
"Star." He had brought her down along with wife Val & daughter
Alison to be the "boat-ride boat" for a BW Brentford
mini-festival. BW staff told him as he arrived that the day was cancelled
due to inclement weather forecasts! So, I had a companion boat & willing
crew for the ascent onto the Cowley level! I think I'll quit while I'm
ahead!
