The Early Bird Keeps His Berth at Paddo Basin

We have two of Elaine's friends coming to stay with us from Macclesfield tonight.  As we were very low on water we thought we had better do another early morning 'stealth run' to the water point.

We both woke up very early so we cast off and crept away, it was 4.30am!! 

We got back to the berth at 6.00 am ... it is now 17.35 and there are 5 empty spots in the basin - you just cant pick it.  We did go back to bed for a couple of hours ... it was just too early.

As the boat was now facing the other way around I polished the port side; I really can recommend the Craftmaster polish, it does a good job, still took me hours though!

We both gave the inside a good clean in preparation for our guests.

In the afternoon I took the dogs for a good walk down to Hyde Park, as we will be going out and leaving them in the boat for a few hours.  On the subject of leaving the dogs on the boat, I was reading the NB Parisien Star blog today and the subject was how hot their boat gets inside in this heatwave.  Our boat just doesn't get hot ... all I can think of is that we have double glazed port holes, it has also got two houdini hatches that we cover when going out in the daytime sun, we also leave all the windows open.  When we come back to the boat even if the temps are in the low 30s it always feels cool inside.  At night we sleep with the front doors open and the cratch doors open and it is just perfect - in fact it gets a bit too cool and we have to shut the doors. Conversely, the boat keeps the heat in well during winter, perhaps it's the insulation? The roof is scorching in the sun, plus the sides being black get very hot!  Answers on a postcard please.

Back to the walk, I had a nice lay down and an ice cream.  Elaine stayed on the boat as her back is still hurting.

Self portrait.

One thing for sure is that we certainly need some rain, check out the pic below of Hyde Park, looks more like the Aussie Bush ...

Passed a nice little mews on the way back where they were having a couple of parties...nice - we wouldn't mind living there!

Went past the hospital on the way back ...still no Kate, but there was a lot of attention going on around this American chick.....

....Don't know who she is though. 

Going back to last night's blog where I was cruelly conned by a heartless Kate impersonator, she was also conning this hapless Italian journalist, but check out the chap in the red...Its The Dalai Lama having a sticky beak!  All the celebs are there !  (The Dalai Lama is displaying a 'Kate and Wills' badge so we think he is camping out in front of the hospital with David Beckham's dad).

Let's see what mischief we can get up to tonight with our guests !

World Exclusive!!!!!! We Speak To Kate!!!!!!!

We took off on our walk to our favourite pub in Paddo, The Queen Victoria.

Over the bridge to the rear entrance of the hospital, the sun streamed down ...


When we turned the corner, we spotted this young lady ... crikey ... it was Kate!


I zoomed in to get some good shots!

'F*&k the paparazzi, we're rich', I screamed!!

'I can sell these photos for millions' I said, then I got really greedy, 'let's try and have a exclusive chat with her'.   I would have to say she looked very well for 9 months up the duff!

I used Sammie as the bait to lure her in ...

.... it worked she loved him ....

We had such a laugh and a chat ... she loved Sammie.  I loved how much money I was going to make with this world exclusive;  I bade her farewell and wished her a safe delivery.  She said that if we were hanging around in London that we could be godparents, goodness - we only just met!!!

Also hanging around was David Beckham's dad, at least that is what he told us.

Elaine and Bombo had a pic taken with him ...

As we skipped away to the pub I hugged a policeman and said, 'we're rich, woohoo'!

His reply shattered me, 'You muppet, she is a bloody Kate impersonator, didn't you notice she didn't have a bump'.

'I only looked at her face', I replied!


Oh well, money doesn't make you happy.

We ended up at the Queen Vic  where we had a couple of pints and a packet of crisps ....

Quite lucky really, I nearly phoned ahead and ordered Moet all round!

 

Odd Job Day In Paddo Basin

Yet another hot sunny day - I am just loving this heatwave, let's hope it last 'till about 1st November.

So what to do on such a hot day...polish the boat of course!  It hasn't been done for ages and was looking very grubby.  I could only do the stbd side as it was in the shade for a few hours. I used T-Cut, then waxed it with some U-Beaut wax.

It took me hours, but she came up pretty good. 

Check out the shine, I will have to spin her around and do the other side tomorrow.

The dogs sat up on the roof as there was a nice breeze blowing.

It's stopped!

Elaine sat inside - felting soap. Note Bombo sharing the sofa!

Sammie just relaxed.

I also defrosted the fridge, it doesn't take long in this heat.

Elaine pulled most of the carpet tiles up the other day so I had to stick protective felt on all of the chairs and stools.  

Jobs done!

Now we are off to the pub, with a check up on Kate on the way. 

Girls Girls Girls

Firstly to last night!  It was nearly midnight when we had two late night visitors to the side hatch.  Elaine was showing Bombo the view from the side hatch when a couple of young ladies came over to see him - they were just on their way home after a night out.  We all got talking and they ended up having some drinks with us ... they sat outside while we stood inside the boat and we had a good chat and a laugh!

Nice to meet you Natalie and Sam !

Sam loved Sammie, he reminded her of her dog back home in South Africa ... but he just wouldn't turn his head around to get a good photo with him !  

This morning we had another visitor to the side hatch - this was the work colleague of the chap that had collapsed outside the boat yesterday.  She thanked us for our help, she also said that he went to his local hospital to get checked over, his heart was OK but his ICD was faulty and he was having an operation today to have it replaced.

More medical dramas today at the end of the blog!!


Later on this morning we had another visitor to the side hatch ... this time it was the C&RT enforcement officer; apparently we could not stay moored under the road bridge for various reasons, one being that it is classed as a terrorist threat!  She was very nice and said she was just heading off to the basin to issue some tickets to some overstayers, so suggested we have a look down there in a little while!!

I took the dogs for a walk and to have a look at the basin to see if there were any spaces available. I was in luck - there was one spot, plus the enforcement lady was busy putting notices on boats.  By the time I went back to the boat and started reversing down the arm two more boats were leaving ... her threat to ticket them worked - we now had the choice of three spaces ... magic!

Today I was going to be surrounded by girls!  Elaine's sister was coming for visit with her two daughters and two grandchildren. Plus one of the daughters was bringing Ted, the dog.

El's nieces Leyna on the left and Josie ...

El's great niece, Evie ...

El's great niece, Connie ...

 

We had a lovely lunch on the pontoon, there was also a very good Michael Buble tribute singer in the square, serenading us!

We all took turns keeping an eye on the girls whilst they fished ...

Connie and Evie, who caught lots of fish and released all of them ...

Sammie loved his new friend Ted (a lot!) ...

More fishing ...

El and sister, Julie ...

Here they all are...

...Such a pretty bunch ...

It was a splendid catch up in fantastic 30 degree weather again!

We did have some boys, although Ted did have a bow in his hair ...

Josie had to leave at about  17.00, the others stayed for a while longer.  We decided we would go on the tube with them to Charing Cross station to help with the little girls and dog, on the way to the tube we went to see if Kate was in.....not yet!

 

It was so hot and packed in the tube on the way to Charing Cross - on the way back it wasn't too bad but, having gotten so hot and bothered, it would have been rude not to pop into the pub for a swift cooling ale before heading back to the boat!


... and so to tonight's medical drama...

As we were walking back from the pub we spotted a chap, naked apart from his underpants lying under a hedge, in the flowerbed.  He still had electrodes connected to his chest, he had a bandage on one arm and a bloody hole in his other arm!  He was foreign and was mumbling what we thought sounded like, "Help, get police".  (There was one man talking to him as we approached but he seemed to quickly give up on him, there were also a lot of journalists around who were completely ignoring him!)  We were only about 150 metres from the entrance to St Mary's, and there were lots of cops there waiting for Kate to arrive, so we went to tell them what what going on.  The inspector in charge was very efficient ... he sent one PC with us and another to inform the hospital.  When we arrived back at the bushes he was gone ... but a chap said he had seen a half naked man staggering towards the basin.  We then walked up an alley and found him under a fire escape curled up and still moaning, but when he spotted the cop he got very agitated.  So, he sent Elaine to get more help whilst I stayed with him in case he needed a hand to control him.  His mumblings now became a little clearer ... he was saying, "No police, I don't want to go back to jail - I kill"  (!!)   The cavalry arrived shortly afterwards and we left them to it!

Exciting times in Paddo!

Paddo to Limehouse - Saturday 13th July

We were up before sparrows and slipped the mooring whilst the rest of the basin slept ... apart from the nutter next door with about 200 kilos of calor gas stored on the deck.  He is always walking around with his muzzled dog - I think he should muzzle himself, he has got some cracking scars on his head so perhaps that explains his odd behaviours!

It was far too early for the dogs they went back to sleep straight away.


Passing some nice places in Regents Park ...

The Zoo aviary ...

Into a deserted Camden Lock, which we were very happy about!

This is where it gets a bit bizarre ... whilst I was sitting in the lock waiting, I spotted this young girl walking past with a dog, who looked like Elaine's niece, Josie.  I called out her name ... it was Josie! She hasn't been to Camden for over a year, doesn't live in the area and just happened to be walking a dog for a lady that had broke her ankle.  It seems to be the way with us and Josie!  In May 2012 we came to London with the dogs ... we were in St James park on a bridge ... Elaine sent Josie a SMS to tell her we were in London.  Josie replied she was sunbathing in St James Park and could see us on the bridge! It was her first time to St James Park that day!  Strange or what?!

Whilst I was waiting for the next lock a couple of the old bill came over for a chat,  Bombo must have sensed who they were ... he didn't bark of grumble like he normally does - good boy, respecting the police!

Passing some space age units ...

St Pancras Cruising Club, with the Eurostar behind on its way to Europe ...

He's moved from Rickmansworth!

Approaching Kings Cross ...

We encountered a few early-morning drunken lads on one of the locks but Elaine soon had then working for her ... god knows what they got up to after we left ... we could see them hooning all over the gates they had just helped to close!

And finally into Limehouse basin, on what has been the hottest day since we have been here - just over 30 degrees and not a breath of air, such a shame you can't jump in the water to cool off.


The St Pancras Cruising club had been down to The Thames Barrier ... here some of them are in echelon stemming the tide waiting to come into the lock.

We were joined in the afternoon by Elaine's sister Julie and her husband Paul.  We had a chat on the boat then went to the Narrow  pub - a little later on Josie joined us. 

It was a very trendy pub, but with a great view of the river; it was a bit exy but we thought bugger it and tried to book a table in the restaurant part for dinner - it was fully booked!  We later found out that it was owned by Gordon Ramsey - no wonder it was exy!

Back to the yacht club we went for a really good and very inexpensive dinner.

Sammie doesn't get the facebook pose ... (takes after his Dad ... El)

This was our Limehouse mooring with Canary Wharf in the background ...

We walked Josie back to the railway station as she was going clubbing with her mates.  On the way we noticed these little bronze heads on the wharf edge, there were four of them.  This is Julie's foot beside it, so you can see it to scale!

So that's it we are up to date.

We are now waiting for our allocated time slot to go off up the Thames and through the centre of London.  The boat has been checked, anchor made ready, tow line ready, breakables stored.  The dogs and us are lifejacketed, the cats will have to share the life ring. The weather is very hot and humid, with zero wind, there is a fair chop on the river caused by all the trip boats.
This is it lads ... Over the Top!

Kate Update ...
There isn't one, as we have left Paddington.  You will have to read the papers and let us know!


PS:  For those of you who are following our whereabouts on Water Explorer - don't believe it for now because it has stopped working!  Work in progress as to whether it is our computer or our GPS ...