Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE FELIS CATUS II YEARS

THE RUN HOME & THE LIMEHOUSE FESTIVAL

Autumn 1996

We resume the story the day after the end of the National Waterways Festival at Windmill End. We had only one more IWA Golden Jubilee Event we planned to attend, the Limehouse Festival, so our next move was to work the boat back to London.

I didn't do any photography on the journey, partly because I'd already got good coverage of the route. I think I'd probably decided that for the IWA's Golden Jubilee year I'd concentrate my photography on the many events we were taking part in.

We started at 07:30, winded before Griffin bridge, went through Windmill End junction and joined a multiple hearse-race through tunnel. We followed David Salt on Caldon Witch, a cruiser with a stern light, who was dodging from side to side, possibly the only way to keep his speed down to that of the rest. There was a traffic jam at Tividale. We got rid of rubbish there without mooring & left other necessities until later. Back to the main line and to Ladywood junction where we joined the Oozells Street loop to go to Sherborne Street Wharf for a pump-out. Then we went round the corner at Old Turn to moor by Tindall bridge (on the way to Cambrian Wharf), whence Wendy shopped.

We guessed that Fazeley-Hawkesbury might be less busy than Lapworth-Hatton, so set off down Farmer's Bridge locks. Lots of traffic up Farmer's Bridge gave us a good road, so we thought we might have guessed right. We diverted via the Bordesley Branch as I had a hankering to revisit Garrison locks, which I hadn't seen since 1986 (and Wendy not since 1978). Round Digbeth and Bordesley junctions it was glorious to do some almost lonely boating after the crowds of the weekend. We turned onto the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal and found Garrison locks in good nick and Nechells lock now permanently open at both ends. At Salford junction we joined the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal and moored at Butler's bridge, near Tyburn at 18:46, by a bit of artificial landscape hiding the car-park of a multi-cinema, where bollards were provided (for boating cinema-goers?). There was lots of shrubbery for the cats. We barbecued some rather good venison & orange sausages.

Our start was delayed waiting for Orinthia, so we weren't likely to reach our day's target of Atherstone top. We set off at 09:17 and lost reverse gear while manoeuvering before Curdworth top lock, so tied up to investigate. When Kate Boats had replaced the gear cable they hadn't tightened some of the retaining bolts properly and they had fallen off. Fortunately I was able to work out what was supposed to go where and we had some (barely) suitable replacement bolts in stock, so were back in action again. We were followed down the locks by a very efficient but slight grumpy boater. At Fazeley junction we ran into an absolute downpour followed by rain on-and-off for a while. It was quite cool now, so I lit the stove for the first time for months. We joined the Coventry Canal and moored at 18:39 at Bradley Green, a pleasant spot a little before Atherstone bottom lock.

In a drier day, but rather windy, we started at 08:27. Atherstone locks were in much better condition than we remembered them. At Hawkesbury junction we dealt with Elsan, rubbish & water. The facilities here are very well looked after. Then we turned into the Oxford Canal. At Stretton Stop we bought a few odds and ends in Rose Boats' chandlery (including a greater variety of nuts and bolts than we had in stock, after yesterday's experience). But they didn't have the sort of boarding plank we want. From then on we were following a very slow boat with a beautiful torty-and-white cat on its roof, and it was far too narrow to pass, so we decided that if they didn't stop at Newbold, we would, which was what happened, and we moored at Newbold Wharf at 18:21, I once again was not very impressed with either of the pubs. We were moored next to our friends Richard and Angela Peters on Vardo. Other boats moored here that we recognise include Rumpole (a Cavalcade regular) and Peluche (who was on the BCN Explorer Cruise). We barbecued again.

We were only slightly delayed by Orinthia and set off at 08:12. We'd hoped to stop at Braunston Turn, get rid of rubbish, take on water and visit Midland Chandlers in the continued search for a bigger and better boarding plank. But there were far too many boats moored to do any of this. However we did manage to hand a bag of rubbish to another boat to take to the skip. One of the boats here was Vardo, who decided to come up the locks with us and The Answer Too (from Dunstable & District BC). There were a lot of delays and queues : unusually for this flight. We didn't meet too many other boats in Braunston tunnel.

When we arrived at Buckby top lock, Vardo fitted into a lock with two boats ahead of us (a narrowboat towing a cruiser who was suffering from a broken throttle-cable), so we had a new partner. Buckby locks felt as slow and frustrating as ever, although at the end the clock rather belied this impression. At 18:54 we arrived at The Old Wharf Inn, Bugbrooke and managed to get the last space on the pub mooring, next to a pleasant family in a Concoform hire-boat. The mooring was even the right way round for the cats' favourite exit. We ate at the pub: excellent.

Orinthia was a bit out of sorts this morning. We suspect she'd lost an argument with another cat : possibly the rather smart tabby I saw at the pub the previous evening. We set off at 06:04 and while waiting for a partner before Stoke Bruerne top lock we stopped for a chat with John and Brioni from Stokie (who were here to collect a cargo of coal) and to cook breakfast, which we ended up eating on the hoof when a partner-boat arrived. The other boat turned out to have plenty of able-bodied crew, so we had a fast passage down the locks (well under an hour).

Before Wolverton station we stopped to get money from the supermarket. (Oh, yes, you can!). At 16:11 we arrived at Willowbridge Marina, where we planned to leave the boat until the next trip. My barge-sailing friends Steve and Wendy Yates were on their boat Dytiscus, so we moored outboard of them, causing the marina to halve the price it was charging us for the mooring! We left the marina a list of jobs we want doing: oil change, adjust stern gland, un-bung the bilge-pump (it turned out we need a new one), see why the oven isn't working and replace busted light switches in the loo & back cabin. We had planned to travel home that night, but decided that one last leisurely barbecue was a better idea.

We made a considerably later departure than planned because of Orinthia' s wanderings. We went by taxi to Bletchley station.

AUTUMN WEEK-ENDING

Wendy came up from home, I from my Aunt May's funeral in Northampton. We settled with the freelance engineer at the marina who had been given the work to do in the engine room. The other jobs (light switches and the oven) hadn't been done. I managed to sort out the oven. We had a pump-out and bought diesel (good price) & Phurnacite. We set off at 17:33 and moored at the foot of Soulbury locks at 18:29. I lit the stove as it was getting quite cool and we were expecting a cold night. I went to the Three Locks (much as ever, still very food-oriented but thankfully not busy early in the evening) while Wendy cooked on the barbecue, which is getting very rickety on its legs.

It was a later start than we might have had, as I needed a good sleep after a very long day yesterday. We set off at 07:52 and found several gates leaking badly in the Soulbury flight. We had to fill the pound above the middle lock, as the water was barely over the top cill. At the top lock, Homo BWiensis arrived and said that this is quite usual. His section have only just taken over responsibility for these locks and think they've been quite neglected. There's a stoppage scheduled in the winter for gate repairs here. At Leighton Buzzard we moored on the shopping mooring and took a mammoth load to the launderette. I went to Texas Homecare for the necessities for putting in new switches and a less rickety barbecue. While I was fitting the new light switch in the loo, Wendy visited both Waitrose and Tesco, then retrieved the washing. Ben arrived as I was trying unsuccessfully to find out why the new light switch wasn't working.

The afternoon found us locking with Penny Farthing (two handed). They were experienced boaters but new to this section. At Peter's Two we came up behind Willow (alias Harmonium Emporium) and another boat. The other boat stopped above the locks and we were worried if Willow might slow us down, as Wendy had memories of them leaving gates open in the past, so we were quite pleased to see them moored soon afterwards. From Marsworth junction we followed our friends Daniel and Deborah on Tadworth & Argo up the flight. We moored at 19:36 just before the Grand Junction Arms at Bulbourne and christened the new barbecue. Ben went to the pub to find taxi numbers (which we never actually used) to get to the station. After supper, Ben walked to the station to head for home. Wendy & I decided to stay on board. The loo light was working immediately we moored, but not later in the evening.

We had a leisurely sort-out in the cabin before walking to the station mid-morning (and just missing a train!). The loo light was working again. Curiouser & curiouser.

We arrived in the early evening, having hoped to come up rather earlier, and as the weather wasn't very encouraging we decided not to move off until the morning, so we barbecued & I went to the pub afterwards.

We started at 07:10, soon after first light. Once past Cowroast lock it was slow going, with mostly a bad road. Opposite Castle Wharf, Berka we had a quick word with Frank & Roger across the cut. Lindy was away for the day. We did some minor shopping (including some meat from EAstwood's, one tghe best butchers we know anywhere) before getting under way again, now in company with an anonymous boat that was 3-handed, although two of them were totally new to boating, so not very efficient. We stopped below Winkwell top lock and I went to the Three Horseshoes for lunch while Wendy rested.

In the afternoon we went on to below Home Park Farm lock, where we moored at 18:36. We found there was decent depth for mooring for a way below the lock: much better than at Hunton Bridge itself. For dinner we had Eastwood's "Venison Provencale" which was very good, although actually not provencale at all : the sauce was more like Black Bean Sauce.

Once again we started soon after first light, this time at 07:02. We arrived back at our mooring at Hillingdon Canal Club, Uxbridge at 14:06 and had to move another boat a few feet to get into our mooring, but I got into the Clubhouse in time for a drink and to watch most of the Grand Prix.

We came up to the boat in the evening for an engagement party at the Club.

We set off at 10:02, rather later than Wendy would have liked, but I took a long while to wake up after last night. We shared Cowley lock with a friendly boat called Wet Paint. At Bull's Bridge Tesco we made a big provisioning stop then went on to Willowtree Marina on the Paddington Branch for gas, coal & a pump-out. We arrived at our destination, the visitor moorings by Paddington Stop at 17:15.

LIMEHOUSE FESTIVAL

We had arranged to go down the Regent's with Richard Bird and Dorothy Robbie in Tarn. I was delayed at home with a pile of work. As Wendy arrived, Tarn was setting off (with Eric Garland in the crew as well), having left a note on Felis Catus II to say they were going to shop at Camden. Wendy set off single-handed at 12:30 and stopped before Hampstead Road lock, waiting for Richard & Dorothy to finish shopping. She found the loo light was on. Later Dorothy said it had been on all night – clearly I'd failed to switch off the fuse-box when I came up yesterday, but why had the light decided to work now? Wendy switched the light off, but it refused to switch on again!

Wendy set off again at 14:05 in company with Tarn. At Battlebridge Basin they met Martin Ludgate on the London Canal Museum's tug Bantam 4 who joined them for the rest of the way. FC2 was first into Islington tunnel and first out, with time to set the lock before the others appeared (Wendy's only lock-working of the day), Bantam 4's engine having packed up in the tunnel (Martin had the fuel cock in the wrong position or something). At Roman Road bridge I joined, having calculated fairly accurately where the boats would be from the last available data. We arrived at Limehouse Basin and moored at 18:20 on the "beach". The water level was low for climbing on and off. This got worse and wasn't topped up by the tide until Monday morning. Wendy was going down with 'flu and so she couldn't face the climb and decided to stay on board for the duration.

At the Limehouse Festival
Vintage fire-boat Massey Shaw

At the Festival I spent part of the day on the Branch stand. We had a barbecue in the evening – not a communal one but a small one with the Russells. We ran the engine for an hour to charge up the battery. Bob Bush (Forester) is working for BW temporarily. Graeme Heap (of the Dutch barge Azolla) also visited (by train because he's still rebuilding his engine)

More at the Limehouse Festival
	The Grand Jubilee Draw

I led a towpath walk in the afternoon. We were presented with a special T-shirt to mark our being one of the five boats who have been at all the events on the London Region Jubilee "Golden Milepost" set of plaques. The other boats involved are Panacea, Robert Child, Lucy and Dinah May. We had intended to leave the boat on the visitor moorings this evening and go home, but those moorings were so full of boats waiting to lock out tomorrow morning that there wasn't room, so we decided to stay the night.

We took the boat over to the visitor moorings before heading for home.

OCTOBER HALF-TERM

We came up to the boat after work and left Limehouse Basin via the Limehouse Cut at 17:28. The Cut and the Bow River section were shallow, and channel quite narrow. We moored above Old Ford Lock at 18:36 by which time it was dark. We moored a bit nearer the Planet 24 studio than usual.

We were woken by the cheerful noises of The Big Breakfast Show and cleared a lot of grot off the blade before starting at 08:40. A clean prop, depth and daylight made a lot of difference to our progress! We headed up the Lee, finding that Enfield & Rammey Marsh locks were now partially electrified. There were also anti-vandal locks at Enfield. Some teenage anglers there were very helpful. Before Waltham Town lock we stopped to visit the Old English Gentleman and do some minor shopping. We moored for the night at 18:10 before Fielde's Weir lock, where we were benighted. The mooring we used to like (although strictly we weren't allowed to moor there) on a park above Dobbes' Weir is now too overgrown to use. We had intended to be there, so had to go on to the lock mooring below Fieldes Weir Lock. The cats liked the spot, and we found some Biffa Bins for our rubbish.

We started at 07:46, continuing up the Lee. Hardmead & Stanstead locks were a bit hairy because of having no ground paddles, Stanstead especially so because of the swing bridge. We decided that we were short enough to fit between it and the top gate, which was quite true, but the amount of surge made it difficult to stay in the right place. The lock is now festooned with warning signs about the fierce paddles. At Hertford, we went right up to the Head of Navigation, then backed out from the head of navigation and winded at the Mill Pool. We tied up at the Old Barge for a beer and to go shopping. There is a good Waitrose in the waterside development opposite.

In the afternoon we headed back south, stopping at Stanstead Lock Marina for a pump-out and a long chat with John Milton, who I'd met on one of my Bow Back Rivers walks. He told us that the new notices at Stanstead Lock appeared a few days after Mark Bensted & Madge Bailey made a dog's breakfast of locking through. Then we re-passed Fieldes Weir junction and went on to moor at 17:50 at Broxbourne where we found a "kitchen-window mooring" for the cats.

It looked like a later start than we had intended, so Wendy went into Broxbourne for a newspaper. Part of her route was along the New River Walk, with notices pointing out (correctly) that it is neither new nor a river. We were under way at 08:56, with a bad road for much of the way, but good depth and width so we could press along quite quickly. We had thought about lunch at a new pub we saw, but Wendy preferred to press on, so we did, in the hope of reaching Islington that night. We passed through the Hertford Union Canal and onto the Regent's and did indeed make the Islington visitor moorings by 17:22. The gates from Colebrook Row are now open in the day-time, & there's a new gate under Frog Lane Bridge. Both are closed at dusk on a BW key. Orinthia explored the roof of a cruiser in front of us and nosed inside, but was put off by a dignified resident cat (a Dido look-alike in a collar). Later Orinthia swore at a friendly tabby (from the same cruiser) who tried to visit us. I went pubbing.

There was noisy rain in the night, so we made a rather dozy start. The towpath and canal were both very full of leaves. Islington Council was using a wind-blower to clear the footpath on the other side, and lots of the leaves from their efforts ended up in the cut. Reluctantly we suppose broken hips are a more serious hazard than leaves on the blade, even in a tunnel. We started at 09:30 and enjoyed a good road to Camden. We stopped on the Gloucester Avenue moorings for me to dash to Tottenham Court Road for some computer stuff. While I was gone, a conversation outside the boat turned out to be planning some filming at a house opposite : a TV adaptation of Family Money. Wendy met Nina Bawden. We set off again and reached the Paddington visitor moorings at 14:13, left the boat outboard of Bob Bush's Forester and went off home for the Mottingham IWA social.

We arrived a bit later than we had hoped (yet again!) so set off at 13:07 after a fairly quick gin with Bob for as quick a run as possible back to the club. We passed through Bull's Bridge Junction at 16:12 and reached our H.C.C. mooring at 17:20. There was some confusion about moorings : so we tied outside Ellesmere and another anonymous boat. That night was the club AGM, and I stayed quite late in the bar after it. I had a nasty fall crossing the anonymous boat, lost my Psion and a torch in the cut and had to rescue my wallet.

We went home at mid-day. Ron (who was now harbourmaster) would sort out a proper mooring for us.