Tales of the River Bank

It rained a fair bit last night, which was good, the grass certainly needs it. This morning we woke to a lovely blue sky with the temperature being a little on the cooler side.

We carried on sorting out the cratch - it is now nicely sorted with the majority of stuff in the hold (and some stuff under the bed). We now have plenty of room to manoeuvre on our forward deck for anchoring ... and even sitting in!

In the early afternoon we decided to walk to B & Q in Chiswick to buy a few odds and sods - we left the dogs on the boat as the temperature had risen considerably.

Lots of guerrilla  knitting in Brentford ...




The old Fire Station, which is now a Persian restaurant.  Great building ...

After buying the odds and sods we ambled down to the Thames where we found a..........
really nice pub!

The Bell and Crown sits right on the river bank - the tide was just starting to come in when we arrived.  We can't believe how paddle boarding has took off in this country, must be quite nice drifting along with the tide.

The birds were having a good time picking around on the foreshore ...

Then a really special treat ... Gloriana cruised past, a narrowboat passed in the opposite direction!

It is a splendid looking vessel, and it made it under Kew bridge unscathed!

Then we caught the bus back to the boat, we still have some credit on the Oyster cards.


As I sit typing this the planes are passing low overhead on their way to land at Heathrow - it's quite handy with Flight Radar 24 running in the background, you can see where they have all  come from!  Elaine especially likes me telling her this......not!

Landing gear just coming down, she has just come from Joburg

Tonight we are off to a local Indian restaurant - as a bonus it takes the Tastecard, which has been a good investment.  Early morning tomorrow !

Tropical Brentford

Has anyone else noted that when moored up at Hanwell the canal bubbles under the boat, giving you the impression that you are sinking?!

No big plans for today so we thought we might as well head down to Brentford and check out the lock  for going onto the Thames.  (We don't plan very far ahead!)

Before we got going I took the dogs for a good walk.  I walked to the top of a nearby hill, I could just about see Heathrow and noticed that the planes had been landing and taking off towards the east for a change, I don't think it was a wind decision as there is none, perhaps they like to share the  love noise.

Bombo assumed the position and off we went, all of two locks today.


Mr heron was looking particularly handsome.

When we arrived in Brentford we grabbed the first mooring spot we came to, as we always do, just in case there are none further on. We moored opposite Glaxo Smith Klein.

We grabbed the dogs and walked down further towards the gauging locks; the place was deserted! So I jogged back to the boat, holding onto the camera securely, and bought the boat down first to the service point for a fill and dump, then reversed back to a nice spot ... perfect!  I'm glad we didn't have to raft up to another boat, not that we are unsociable its just that I like to open the side hatches and get some air through the boat, plus I don't want to have to hear my neighbours goings on - and the dogs would bark a lot!

So don't tie up next to us, OK!  Talking of air through the boat, what about this weather?  As the title says, it's like living in the bloody tropics, it is so humid.  Not that I am complaining, it is still 300% better than last year's summer and is easily equal to our old Australian summers!

Good mooring spot ...

Another posing Mr Heron. this one was standing in a big planter box on the gauging locks.

We then took a walk in the balmy conditions down the towpath to the Thames Lock.  On the way we spotted this ... could this be the first of a bumper season?  Last year was crap.

At the lock we spotted a tide chart ... looks like a early start Monday then!

The tide was well and truly out on the Thames side of the lock ...

What a neat way to dry dock boats, let the tide go out and hey presto!

I took a walk back down the lock at about 17.00 when the lockie was on duty - nice young chap, who told me this was his first job with CaRT!  We are 'locked in' for 06.30 on Monday ... Yikes!

On the way back to the boat I checked out a few of the pubs, so tonight it will be The Six Bells, as they have a band playing.

... and now the rain has just started here, which will cool things down a treat!