Little Venice to Bulls Bridge

Tue 7th May

We had hoped to visit the Walkie Talkie building and go up to the Sky Garden. Although it is free, it is managed with bookings, and it all looked full until late May, so we had given up.  While looking online today, two places suddenly appeared for Thursday at 5pm. We managed to book them, and so we needed somewhere to moor until Friday, and we couldn’t stay where we were in the Pool, as the trip boats needed the space.

Everyone was leaving, and we said farewell to Lorraine and Mike on Annie and Walt

Eric and Sally leaving on Cherie

Mike and Lorraine

We set off to explore mooring possibilities in Paddington basin.  There was only one space and that would have blocked someone in. We also saw a notice saying that there were mooring restrictions the next day for maintenance. As we left there Brian and Margaret on Zavala were coming in to turn. We cruised back and managed to moor alongside another boat on Delamere Terrace, where we can moor for seven days. Zavala also moored up two boats further on. Auberge and Chedoona were behind us.

Into Paddington Basin

No mooring possibilities

Zavala coming to turn

It was a wet day and we did very little.

0 locks, 1 mile.   Dep 0830, arr 0915.

Wed 8th May

The boat inside us left, so we moved to the towpath. This was quite useful as we had no need to worry about other boats coming or going.

We took a number 27 bus to Camden for shopping. Hazel bought two hats. We had a Chinese food bowl in the early afternoon and visited Lidl. We took the bus back.

Camden footbridge

Lanterns for sale

Camden from the lock

We found that a widebeam boat had moored alongside us, which was not a problem and we had expected to find a boat there. We spoke to them and established that they were staying longer than we were, and we needed to move out on Friday. At some stage we needed to change positions.

Wills had sent James a text earlier, but James hadn’t seen it. At about 15 minutes notice, Wills finally rang us inviting us to a bible study, run by Westbourne Park Baptist Church. James looked online and thought he could get there in time. Hazel stayed behind as she had done a lot of walking today.

James walked down Blomfield Villas and tried to find a way across the A40 Westway and the railway lines. Everything is designed for cars around here, and James ended up climbing a barrier to reach a pavement on Ranleigh Bridge. He arrived at the church just a minute or two late. However, he found that the church was surrounded by barriers, and there was no way through. 

Westbourne Park Baptist Church

He phoned Wills to say where he was and to ask how to get in. Wills said that the bible study wasn’t at the church, and he would come to meet him. Wills turned up after a few minutes, and they walked back to a private apartment in Blomfield Villas, very close to the boat! This was where Ibrahaim lived. On the map of the area below, our boat is marked in red, Ibrahaim’s flat in yellow, and the church in black.

Street map of the area

The Bible study was very good. There were only four including James, and the passage was was from 1 John chapter 1. The exciting thing about this passage is that it is an eye-witness account of Jesus life, death and resurrection.

No boating today

Thu 9th May

Lazy morning. As we were towpath side, we took the opportunity to empty a cassette in the facilities block nearby.

We had planned to take a number 23 bus to Trafalgar Square to connect with a number 15 to the City. We found a number 23, but the driver said that the bus no longer goes to Trafalgar Square. We didn’t have a bus plan B, so we caught the tube. Never again! The number of stairs and escalators and long walks was quite tiring. We would much rather travel by bus even though it may take longer.

We arrived at Bank Station and headed for Leadenhall Market. We had a pleasant Malaysian curry in Pod, which we have never used before. It was very good.

City streets

Leadenhall market

Inside Leadenhall market

Then we had a coffee somewhere else and took our trip up the Walkie Talkie. The lift to floor no 35 took about as many seconds. Sadly, due to rain, the outside viewing gallery was closed, but we wandered around looking at the views, and the gardens which were amazing. We also noticed quite a few boats on the Thames.

The Walkie Talkie Building

Indoor plants

Variegated plants

Bird of Paradise plant

Selfie time

Busy waterway

The Tower and Tower Bridge

A new hat and a view

We managed to find our way back to Little Venice using three buses. We were back early enough to change positions with the widebeam boat, enabling us to leave with no problems when we are ready in the morning.

No boating today

Fri 10th May

Alongside the widebeam

Auberge and Chedoona behind us

The first thing we did this morning was to reverse back to the facilities where we filled the water tank, emptied cassettes and disposed of the rubbish. The bins here are in a locked cage, and there were several large bins, none of which were recycling. It was only after we had disposed of everything that we discovered some more bins on the other side of the wall, on the pavement, where glass, cardboard and plastic each had their own bins.

The canal has a problem with duckweed around here, and they have a machine for collecting it. There are also two places where they pump air into the water to stop the fish dying.

Weed problem

Weed machine

Aerating the water

We put down the hood and departed, saying farewell to Brian and Margaret on Zavala as we left. It was a glorious sunny day.

One of the older bridges, Harrow Road Bridge

We had a passenger for a while

Hawthorn blossom

We stopped at Sainsburys at Ladbroke Grove for a few items, before crossing the North Circular on an aqueduct. Soon after this we stopped at the second Sainsburys at Alperton, to remove some plastic bags from the prop. Sadly, there is a lot of rubbish in the canals around here.

North Circular Aqueduct

Plastic on the prop

Wildlife on screen

Horsenden Hill follows this, with a golf course and greenery, and we sometimes spot terrapins in this area. Today we saw two large ones, sunning themselves on tree branches.

Terrapins

We said farewell to Mike Phillips who was sitting enjoying the sunshine near his boat Shiraz, which is now up for sale. We carried on through Northolt, and found a pleasant mooring at Willowtree Park, where we could hardly see a house. James had to remove more plastic from our prop.

Moored at Willowtree Park

More plastic on the prop

 Spring is here

Evening at Willowtree Park

Apart from the terrapins, our wildlife spots today included a young cormorant on a nest on a chimney, parakeets, and several sandpipers. Sadly, we have still seen no swallows since the one at Rickmansworth a few weeks ago.

0 locks, 10 miles. Dep 1030 arr 1555

Sat 11th May

Today’s destination was Bulls Bridge, less than an hour away. Rain was due mid-morning, so we wanted to arrive before then. However, if we arrived too early, we may not find any vacant moorings as no-one will have left. Thankfully we got it right, and we arrived at Bulls Bridge Tesco and there was a mooring for us where we just fitted.

The only thing on the agenda for today was a Full English Breakfast in Tesco, plus some shopping. Having achieved these, we decided impulsively to visit Osterley Park, a National Trust property that we have never seen. James had researched bus routes years ago and written them in the Nicholson Guide.

The bus was H28, and we must have visited every habitation in the county on the way as we took 1 hour and 15 minutes to get there, through slow traffic at times. The bus stop at Osterley Library was a short stroll from the gates to the park.

The house was beautiful and impressive, with wonderful ceilings by Robert Adam, and helpful and knowledgeable guides strategically placed in the rooms. We timed it well as they were due to start making a film on Monday, and some of the rooms would have been out of bounds to the public. We saw some equipment in place already.

Osterley Park and House

We caught the bus back.

0 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0815, arr 0905.

Next: a visit to Twickenham Green Baptist Church on Sunday, and an appointment at Denham Marine on Tuesday. Rickmansworth Festival at the weekend, where we are due to perform on the Batchworth stage at 1140 on Saturday 18^th May.