BarryMay2005

THE GOLD LICENCE TAKES A HAMMERING!

Sunday 8 May 2005

Loaded the boat and away from Coppermill by 10:15 sharing locks until Widewater. Warm sunshine made it all very pleasant.

Stopped at Toll House Tea Rooms at 13:45 for liver and bacon and hot chocolate, delicious. Sat outside to keep an eye on the boat, but no traffic at all.

Then the grot of Hayes before starting the Norwood Two and Hanwell flight by 17:30. This was barely 45 minutes after a fierce shower of rain combined with a wind that threatened to rip the umbrella from my hands! I said as much to Ray, the Waterways Patrol Officer who steers VERULAM, registration No. 60000 at the Canalway Cavalcade each year.

He lives on his wide boat that has an unpronounceable Welsh name opposite Maypole dock.

I had a ‘medium’ road down the flight inasmuch as most locks were with me, some gates open and some locks almost full. I was just emerging from the bottom lock by the mouth of the Brent when Phil phoned to confirm he’d meet me at ‘The Fox’ after ‘Corrie.’ In the pub I was greeted by Terry Streeter from Nb ‘Arun.’ He joined us for a convivial evening involving London Pride and several ‘Fox’ regulars. The pub is a gem amongst waterside establishments, long may it reign!

Monday 9 May 2005

Woke at 07:10 and listened to Nick Ferrari, at the same time abluted and had breakfast. Warm sunshine for the first couple of hours. Got underway at 11:10, completing the journey to Thames Lock by 13:05. I checked in with Sam, the lockie, and he locked me out into Brentford Creek as soon as he had six feet of water under my keel. ‘Caie Two’ cruised maidenly onto the river at exactly 14:30. Sam had pointed out the clouds and suggested that if it wasn’t raining then I would probably feel the cold wind on the open stretches.

He wasn’t kidding! Not noticeable at first, I gradually got chilled despite the German Coat doing its usual sterling service. at Teddington Lock the lockie gave me the optimum times for returning on the 24^th or 25^th and warned me that the Thames rule for lines ashore would apply further up river, i.e. front and stern lines despite being single-handed. Sure enough at East Molesey Lock the lockie insisted on just that. It was a joke—I was the only boat in the lock and, tied up on slack lines, I moved about more than when on just a centre line!

He told me that the locks were manned until 18:30, tea being taken from 17:00-17:30.

Luckily at Sunbury Lock a boater coming downstream operated the lock and I got away with just the centre line, the lockie appearing just as I was about to motor out at the end of his tea break. I made the moorings at Shepperton on the old river course by 18:30 and gratefully retired inside the boat where the Refleks stove soon made me as warm as toast.

Tuesday 10 May 2005

07:10 and I was awake,I tried the Eberspacher but it was a repeat of January’s trip—all the right noises only for the system to fail to fire up. Luckily it wasn’t required for hot water. That remained scaldingly hot. No, I just thought it would be nice to get up to a warm boat.

Setting off at 09:45 I realised I hadn’t dumped the rubbish into the bin I’d been looking at all night--blast! A quick tie-up again and rubbish dumped, I then set off again and was amazed to see a Wimbledon Towel in the water just like mine! Mental note—don’t expect a towel drying on the front doors to remain there! This was the low point of the day, before I could turn the boat around, the towel had sunk.

12:30 saw me having lunch in ‘The Swan’ at Staines Bridge and the high point of the day was when I tied up there I realised that the Eberspacher had finally got going—the interior of the boat was now up to Hades’ heat

A brief stop for a coffee at Windsor around 15:45 was followed by a mooring above Boveney Lock by the Old Church by 18:00.

Wednesday 11 May 2005

Despite a late TV finish when ‘Carter’ was ‘got’ I was wide awake at 0640, so I made a pot of tea and sat outside in glorious sunshine. I set off at 09:15 and boated slowly into ‘The Racecourse Marina Entrance.’ The serpentine nature of the passage meant slow going and I began to doubt if there was a marina at all!

Eventually I emerged into a massive area packed with Gin Palaces and stopped at the visitor moorings. The chandlery’s books were nothing that I didn’t have or want but at least there was a water point that I took advantage of! Returning to the river I passed on through Bray, Maidenhead, Cliveden, Bourne End and Marlow. I phoned Tony when approaching Hurley and we liaised above Hurley Lock and repaired to ‘The Rising Sun’ for a refreshing couple of London Pride pints. He recommends that I try to moor at ‘The Flowerpot’ jetty in Aston which I did by 18:15. A stunt-flying-Spitfire[?] over my head there for twenty minutes or so competed with three kingfishers for the best visual spectacle of the day.

A good fry-up before walking up the lane to the pub for a pint of Brakspear’s Special. I wish I’d waited to eat there too! The food smelt wonderful and looked good too as everyone bar me seemed to be ordering and eating it---c’est la vie!

Thursday 12 May 2005

A noise woke me at 06:40 after a deep sleep. Sunshine flooded in through the windows but the way the boat was straining at the ropes suggested that the wind was going to be a problem—it was! All day the wind blew strongly and coldly on my back. Setting off at 09:15 I was soon in Hambleden Lock followed by the long, long straight stretch that is the Henley Regatta course.

Following Neil Arlidge’s notes, I moored up at the council free moorings just before Marsh Lock. I noticed a cyclist laden with Tesco bags and ascertained where the store was. I got some milk and a toothbrush [my charger on my automatic toothbrush had failed] and some oil for the engine as none was on board. It’s not needed at the moment but it’s there. I set off for the afternoon stint after a coffee and it was wind, wind and yet more wind until Pangbourne Meadow where I gratefully tied up and relaxed for an hour until walking to ‘The Ferryboat’ just over the toll bridge [20p for cars.] A great pint of Courage Best in a cosy, paraphernalia-filled pub. Thence back over Whitchurch bridge into Pangbourne for a great curry and back to the boat, knackered.

Friday 13 May 2005

First thing this morning at 08:20 the wind had not abated, so, it was into that wind that I set sail towards Whitchurch Lock. The T° was much more pleasant however, with the sun poking through the cloud more and more often. On reaching Goring I decided to stop for a brunch of bacon and egg sarnies. I resumed my sojourn at 12:35 hoping to clear Goring and Cleeve Locks before 13:00 when the lockies go to lunch. Luckily, the lockie at Cleeve saw me approach and waited rather than stop for dinner bang on time, most unusual but very welcome. The waterpoint at Cleeve was just above the lock and I took full advantage.

On through South Stoke and North Stoke, Wallingford, Shillingford to Day’s Lock by 16:00. There the lockie told me that ‘The Plough’ at Long Wittenham up the weirstream arm has had a platform jetty built at the bottom of their garden. Reached there by 17:00 and tied to the said jetty, strolled up the long garden to an attractive 16^th century inn and enjoyed a pint of ‘Tanner’s Jack’ checking the menu and food serving times whilst doing so. It was happy hour between 17:00 and 19:00—30p off each pint—great! Returned briefly to the boat to watch ‘Corrie’ then enjoyed an evening meal, altogether a satisfactory day.

Saturday 14 May 2005

This wind is persistent! Still blowing strongly this morning as I set off back down the weirstream at 09:15 and slowly turned into the Clifton Lock cut and, for the first time on the river, actually had to tie up and walk up to the lock, only to be challenged by the lockie’s dog, with no sign of the lockie for several minutes. It transpired he was arranging for an ambulance for a boater that last night fell in the lock injuring his back, with the result that this morning he was unable to move. It turned out that the injured party had married the lockie’s ex-wife who was on board at the time!!!!! Embarrassing all round! [Of all the locks, in all the world ya hadda fall into mine!]

At Abingdon I tied with difficulty [wind again!] then walked over the bridge into town to get a paper and have a cuppa.

Then on through the long, tedious pound to Sandford where in the lockside ‘King’s Arms’ two pints of ‘Directors’ went down exceedingly well. The Isis was busy with punts and I was tempted to stop for the day at the moorings above Osney Lock. I should have done, there are bollards, the stretch is straight and narrow and more important, wind free! Still, onwards and upwards through Godstow and King’s Locks to moor for the night at Hayley Pool by 18:20.

Sunday 15 May 2005

At last! The wind has been banished today and the sun reigns supreme. An early morning sky was cloudless and the sun was very hot—the best weather of the trip so far. A relaxed start at 09:00 towards Eynsham Lock. The waterpoint was only noticed by me as I emerged from the top gates but I reasoned that the water could be picked up at Northmoor Lock, the next but one upriver. Of course, I had reckoned without Nicholson’s accuracy—no waterpoint! The lockie allowed me to moor at the end of his moorings for a drink, I was gasping. I read and dozed in the gorgeous heat. As I untied to press on, the lockie asked me to deliver some Rizla papers to his colleague at Shifford Lock. This I duly did, but only after stopping for a delicious pint of ‘Morland’s Bitter’ at ‘The Maybush Inn’ hard by Newbridge.

The signs read ‘No mooring’ because the banking had collapsed somewhat but I ignored them---the mooring rings were still in place for God’s sake! Rizla papers duly delivered I then filled the water tank and set sail for Tadpole Bridge and ‘The Trout Inn.’ Great moorings but the pub not open on Sundays—d’oh!

Monday 16 May 2005

My bladder alarm woke me at 06:20 and returning to a warm bed didn’t open my eyes again until 09:05! That’s the latest I’ve slept for ages anywhere! The sun was trying its best to appear and after a long considered preparation to move culminated in the prop turning by 11:05 in warm T° . After Rushey Lock the river became serpentine to a greater degree than before and it took several hard ‘steers’ to negotiate some of the bends. It’s hard to equate this ‘ox-bow lake potential’ stream with the mighty river of the capital! At Radcot I had a chance to make and eat brekky whilst the lockie was enjoying his lunch. The first of two light showers occurred just after leaving the lock—the first rain for over a week. The second shower was just before St. John’s Lock. Max, the lockie told me that the sky behind the church had been bright pink, sandwiched between two layers of white only minutes before. I still got a dramatic silhouette of the spire as I came through. I chugged to the end of the navigation ‘because it was there’ before turning and mooring with great difficulty, you’ve guessed, owing to the wind, at the bottom of the garden of ‘The New Inn Hotel’ by 17:15----mission halfway accomplished!

Tuesday 17 May 2005

06:05! Too early, but I couldn’t get back off to sleep so I resigned myself to the inevitable and arose by 07:00. I was intent on getting to the church by 08:50 because I was hoping to get permission from the vicar to ascend the bell tower and get a picture of the boat in situ by the riverside. I spent most of the next couple of hours going from the church to the vicarage and back again in a vain attempt to track down the elusive vicar, but to no avail. Harold and Barry arrived safely at 10:30 and we had tea on the lawn before Harold set out for home again. I wasted another couple of hours trying to get up the accursed

tower and it was a frustrated wind—blown departure without the picture I really wanted. By Buscot Lock we stopped for a sarnie during lockie lunch—hour and pushed on to Tadpole Bridge and ‘The Trout’ by 16:30. It was still closed but did open at 18:00. We duly had an afternoon pint followed later by something similar but this time with an evening meal.

Wednesday 18 May 2005

‘Morning Barry’ said Barry—it was 09:10! Slept like a log and it was a pleasant, sunny morning. The silence here has to be heard to be believed. In 2005 there are very few places where the loudest noise to be heard is the insects! Occasionally a big splash as one of the huge unattainable fish turns over in the water. We set off at 10:15 for a steady plod down to Newbridge via Shifford Lock and ‘The Rose Revived’ where the plan was to have a lunchtime pint. However, the lack of mooring space and an appearance of not being open led to us carrying on past and relying instead on some in house ‘London Pride.’ I took the opportunity of sitting up front to imbibe. On through Northmoor, Pinkhill and Eynsham Locks in reasonable T° s with the sun, when out, making it very warm, providing the wind didn’t blow!

Eventually through King’s Lock, the last manual, and Godstow Lock, the first automatic one then a sharp turn up the weirstream to moor outside ‘The Trout’ a fabulous weirside inn that was originally a hospice built in 1138 for the nearby nunnery. No doubt Inspector Morse who drank here frequently was aware of this—he knew everything else!. It’s very shallow in places, it should be an adventure getting going tomorrow---I’ll keep you posted!

Thursday 19 May 2005

Well folks, the retreat from Godstow Weir went like a dream! A slow tickover in reverse to the floating rowers’ pontoon, fastening the stern and allowing the current to wind the boat! I was just telling Barry how painless it was when we ran aground! Four hours later and £40 lighter, the payment to a coal boat to come downstream from above King’s Lock and give us a snatch—not once but twice after I got stuck again with the wind blowing me back on the shallows, I was severely depressed with a sore throat from turning the air blue all morning.

Finally on our way by 14:30, we chugged through Oxford and Iffley, Sandford and Abingdon Locks, stopping in Abingdon for tea and a boat—cooked meal by yours truly whilst Barry got some money from a cash point. After some TV we went for a pint followed by a bag of chips. Back to the boat by 23:30 - a day I’d rather forget!

Friday 20 May 2005

Both of us enjoyed a good kip and I awoke once during the night to the sound of rain beating on the roof—I turned over and resumed my conversation with Morpheus—bliss! Around 09:10 we both arose and Barry forayed into town to pick up supplies whilst I washed up last night’s meal things. We leisurely left the moorings around 11:00 and faced into the wind all the way to Culham Lock and beyond. Barry, cooking a bacon and egg sarnie for both of us got a woman on another boat salivating in the lock as she remarked that we ‘must have had bacon for breakfast.’

Aeolus kept up the pressure as we turned down the weir stream for a pint in ‘The Plough’ at Long Wittenham. At least we weren’t going to run aground in this stretch! Onwards through Day’s and Benson Locks, Wallingford and North and South Stoke . When the wind let up even momentarily, then the warmth of the sun made itself felt. ‘The Beetle and Wedge’ and ‘The Leathern Bottel’ were both indifferent to our cash so, after we moored below Goring Lock for the evening a sojourn to ‘The Queen’s Head’ was necessary to slake our thirsts. Later I returned to the bridge in order to collect a takeaway curry from the adjacent Indian restaurant—delicious! Bad TV picture but cosy as the rain beat down in the darkness.

Saturday 21 May 2005

07:15 saw me rise--and fall again for another 30 minutes or so. Sunny intervals came and went, I heard several showers in the night and the morning was much the same. Barry went to the shops and I showered hoping the weather would improve. Barry just got back before the heavens opened and we waited for an ideal time to move on. Eventually we did at midday in fine drizzle and strong gusty wind. Through Whitchurch and Mapledurham the weather slowly improved. Caversham Lock saw bright sunshine. I decided that we’d have a foray up the Kennet and Avon canal hopefully to Aldermaston Wharf, but, in the end, owing to strong wind and shallow water, progress was slow and we called a halt some four locks and one swing bridge up near Theale when we settled for an omelette because no pub was in evidence after ‘The Cunning Man’ where we’d had a pint earlier.

Sunday 22 May 2005

07:55, it’s bladder time but repaired back to bed until 09:10—a gloriously sunny morning. By 11:00 Barry was duly dispatched to the swing bridge so he could hold up traffic. The Kennet and Avon glided by until 13:20 and ‘The Fisherman’s Cottage’ hard by Blake’s Lock. One Sunday roast later we re—emerged onto Old Father Thames with a hint of rain as we passed through Sonning, Shiplake, Marsh and Hambleden Locks to pull up for the night at ‘The Flowerpot’ at Aston. Barely five minutes after our arrival, Phil my brother was calling down the boat, he and Di his wife had driven out to meet us and we repaired to the pub for a couple of pints before ‘Corrie’ and ‘Heartbeat.’ I tried the film later but the lure of the pub was too strong and after several more pints eventually returned to the boat around 00:15 where Barry had remained to read and watch TV. A good convivial night without the generator running on the boat next door!

Monday 23 May 2005

06:50 up for the loo, then back to bed but only until 07:15 and a cuppa. Very warm sunshine, and the coot’s nest that we saw getting started last night had grown to a block of flats this morning with mum, dad, and the kids[?] all helping. A substantial breakfast while listening to Nick Ferrari now we could pick up LBC once more, then we set off at an amble at 10:15. Past Tony’s boat above Hurley Lock then the lock itself, swiftly followed by Temple and Marlow and Cookham Locks. We stopped at Cookham Bridge just before the lock cut and dined at ’The Bel and the Dragon’ in Cookham itself. After Boulter’s Lock a small deviation through Guardsman’s park just below Maidenhead Railway Bridge then on to Bray and Boveney Locks to arrive at Windsor Bridge by 17:45 twenty feet from the arch!

Lots of faces passing by with two I repeat two guided tours of the boat, one of which took my number! We’ll wait and see. After ‘Corrie’ a mini tour up to the castle and a pint in ‘The King and Castle’ before returning to the boat by 22:45.

Tuesday 24 May 2005

Nick Ferrari from 07:30 as the rain fell steadily until midday. We left the boat for a mooch round Eton in the hopes that the weather would improve. A bonus was finding a small library with internet access, free for thirty minutes. We both caught up with our E-mails and returned to the boat after a swift half in ‘The King and Castle.’ On the stroke of noon we puttered under the bridge and away east to Romney Lock. Slowly though Old Windsor and Bell Weir Lock and by 14:30 we were safely ensconced outside ‘The Swan’ at Staines Bridge. I showed an interested guy around the boat, telling him that this was one of our favourite stops for good service and food. He turned out to be Jim, the pub manager! He was more than pleased to get such unsolicited praise from a customer! Later, Barry went for a stroll around town whilst I read and chilled out generally.

Early evening saw us have dinner after pulling the boat back some twenty yards at Jim’s request to accommodate a trip boat that finally arrived about 21:45. Jim bought me the pint he’d been promising all day, but he did give me four beer glasses as well!

Wednesday 25 May 2005

The constant sound of the air—conditioning unit of ‘The Swan’ lulled me into a deep sleep that only finished at 08:10. A few spots of rain didn’t presage a particularly good day but the air T° was definitely up! A hearty breakfast was followed by a departure at 10:50 down to Penton Hook, Chertsey and Shepperton Locks. We followed the old course of the river around Desborough Island but sadly, no sign of my Wimbledon Towel! On through Walton to Sunbury Lock, the only double one on the Thames, then East Molesey hard by Hampton Court was soon astern. The weather now was phenomenal—the hottest day of the trip so far as we pottered to a stop at Teddington by 15:25. Just over an hour before the top of the tide. Enough time for a pleasant pint of ‘Hoegaarden’ in ‘The Anglers’ next to Thames TV studios.

Onto the tideway for an hour’s run to Brentford and Thames lock where Sam called out his greetings. We had fun and games at the Gauging Locks with Barry getting confused at the plethora of buttons and two other boats getting confused at the plethora of chambers! Eventually stopped at 'The Fox' by 19:15 and a foray up to the Uxbridge Road for an excellent Thai meal at 'The Thai Cafe.'