Voyages of Gabriel: Cavalcade to Weybridge

Mon 1st May Little Venice

Terry and Chris left on Barley Twist as they wanted to be on the tide from Brentford early tomorrow morning.

We had a heavy rain shower, and we had to bring in our literature for a while.

We met Mary and Jim, friends we have known for 45 years, as we walked towards the food stalls. They had other friends with them, so we agreed to meet later in the week as we pass them where they live in Old Windsor. We went to the beer tent and listened to Braunston Pickle (Barbara and Lionel) and Chucklefoot (Roger).

Roger Barbara Lionel

Chucklefoot and the dancing lad

Back at the boat, we found that Iquitos was leaving, and so was Shiraz, leaving Gabriel with no-one to moor to. If we moored alongside Annie and Walt, we thought we would stick out too far into the channel, so we decided to moor alongside the quay, and Webbies tied onto us. Mike Moore, the waterspace man, came and told us we couldn’t stay there, as the trip boats needed to return and required the space.

Webbies went off to find somewhere else, Babs came and tied alongside Annie and Walt, and we eventually tied alongside her, and Pippin came alongside us.

We took down the bunting later when it had dried after the rain this morning.

Lorraine, Mike and Babs all came for late evening drinks and nibbles aboard Gabriel.

No boating today.

Tue 2nd May Little Venice to Willowtree Park

It was sunny this morning as the remaining boats made their plans to depart.

The remnant on Monday morning

Egyptian Goose

We took down our banner and made ready to leave. Annie and Walt departed towards the Lee.

Mike and Lorraine departing

James spoke to the man on Mariner III from the Wey Navigation, before he set off for Willowtree. We waited for Barb to be ready, as we were tied alongside, and then we set off.

Leaving under the Horse Bridge

There were still more life boats as we continued our journey

Life boat 11

Kensal Green gasometers

Unusual boat incorporating a van

Life boat 12

Water art

We passed a place where there had been a fire on a boat, and there were several police around, and the towpath was closed.

Burnt out boat

North Circular Aqueduct

Life boat 13

We passed Mariner III, who was travelling fairly slowly. There was no mooring available at the first Sainsbury’s at Kensal Green, but we stopped at the second one, at Alperton.

As we passed Horsenden Hill we saw Shiraz, with a fuel boat alongside. Mike was not on board. Soon after that we saw several terrapins sunning themselves on logs.

Three terrapins

Another terrapin

We stopped for water at Black Horse Bridge. It was fairly slow, and Hazel had time to take a shower. A boat was half on the water point moorings in the same position as when we had passed through on 11^th April.

We saw our first family of swans with cygnets.

First swan family

We stopped before Willowtree Marina, where there is a bit of a park, with long grass and wild flowers. We needed to put out the plank as we couldn’t get close in to the side. We hung the washing out to dry, and Hazel’s bra fell off! It fell off the clothes line into the water and disappeared out of sight. James managed to retrieve it with the landing net.

We said farewell to Ray as he went past on Stronghold. He is heading for the Midlands.

0 locks, 10 miles

Wed 3rd May Willowtree Park to Brentford

Moored near Willowtree

After a very quiet night we travelled the short distance to Bull’s Bridge, and turned left at the junction. We spotted Stronghold moored opposite Tesco but we didn’t disturb him as it was early morning. There was an amazing amount of rubbish at the junction, presumably blown there by the strong breeze.

Bulls Bridge

Rubbish

When we arrived at the top lock of the Hanwell flight, there was a water tap and some rubbish bins. We looked for the elsan point but it seems to have gone. We will need to use the one at Brentford instead.

Top Lock Hanwell

Two locks down we passed Babs moored up in quite a nice location. We’ll remember that for next time. She wasn’t ready to come down the locks with us, and was sharing with another boat. We hadn’t seen Mariner III, as we assumed he had already gone down towards Brentford. So we were on our own in the locks.

The sky was overcast and there was a cold wind, so Hazel got a bit chilled standing on the back of the boat. James was pushing lock gates and winding paddles so he kept a bit warmer.

The Hanwell locks are interesting, having side pounds (no longer working) and descending past what used to be a mental institution. The old boat entrance to what was known as Asylum Dock has now been bricked up. There is also an old cast iron foot bridge, reputedly the first produced by Horseley Iron Works of Tipton.

Asylum Dock

Cast Iron Bridge

The moorings in Brentford were fairly full, but we found a place in the old warehouse. When we first came here in 1998 there were several of these warehouses, with canopies over the canal so that loading could take place in the dry. Now modern housing has replaced all except one, and the canopy of that one has no roof.

Under the canopy

Canopy reflections

Cormorant drying out

We found yet another life boat, this time circular, with two extra floats.

Life boat 14

We went to Morrison’s for some items, and on the way there we found a small fruit and veg shop which was selling guavas. We bought two. We haven’t had fresh guavas since our honeymoon in Penang in 1975.

We didn’t see Babs or her friend, but Mariner III came and moored behind us. They must have been out of sight in Willowtree Marina when we went past this morning. We agreed a 7.30am departure to share the locks. We put our hood up as we had some rain. When it stopped, James went to empty a cassette to save time in the morning.

10 locks, 7 miles.

Thu 4th May Brentford to Weybridge

The tide was an early one, and we needed to be at the Thames Lock at 8am. As we left we saw Pippin, who had been moored alongside us on Monday night, and they left for Limehouse on Tuesday morning, coming down through London to Brentford, arriving yesterday evening. We also spotted Madam, which used to belong to a friend of our Louis, who sadly died a few months back.

Mariner III leaving the Brentford mooring

Pippin

Madam

The Gauging Lock is key operated and James had the tough job of pressing the buttons, so Mariner III went first. When we arrived at the Thames Lock, another boat, Floating Charge, pulled out in front of us, and they shared with Mariner III, while we waited for the lock to be refilled for us. Eventually we overtook them both.