Home to Cowroast

Once again apologies for my failure to post our boating 'adventures'. I've spent the last couple of weeks frantically trying to cope with the lack of one third of our small department. We have now recruited another teacher who knows one end of a computer from another, and I hope very much, that life will start to return to some degree of normality.

31st October 2009

We set off around 9 am. Not too early, but after at least one of the other Cowroast boats moored near us had set off - so the locks were against us for several locks. It was not going to be a hard day - it's only 15 locks from Winkwell to our home mooring at Cowroast.
Berries by a lock in Berkhamsted.















In Berkhamsted we stopped for a top up of supplies, but there were few delays on the trip. I found that, for the first time since my fall down the stairs, I could actually tackle the odd lock, although I still found my right ankle, and left hip painful at times.

Chalice at Dudswell, only a few locks from 'home'.













We caught up with a charming extended family at Dudswell upper lock, and worked up to Cowroast with them. A couple, with a daughter/step-daughter, and a couple of nieces.

The family said that the summit pound was low, and they had had problems a couple of days earlier when travelling south. We didn't find a problem then, but we have since heard that there is a water shortage due to low rainfall levels.

Approaching the marina one of the 'on-line' Cowroast residents appeared - nice to get another welcome home Jim!
Locks: 15, Miles:5.4
Total Locks: 90, Total Miles: 91.9

Above Winkwell

Friday 30th October 2009
Today was the day that many of the leaves started to fall - coming through Cassiobury Park it was like being in a leaf snowstorm.
Leaves falling in Cassio.

















Later in the day it became a bit less windy, and the sun came out. We kept going on through Watford, Kings Langley and Hemel Hempstead. We knew that the Narrowboat Trust were somewhere behind us as we had met their lockwheeler, as well as someone with a sleeping bag waiting by a lock for them to arrive. At Apsley we thought they would catch us up, as we were waiting a long time for the lock.
















Blackbirds Moor - Boxmoor














For once, having moored several times after dark, we stopped at around four pm, just above the swing bridge at Winkwell. As dark fell the Narrowboat Trust finally passed us - they were heading for Berkhamsted that night - "we don't stop for the dark," said the man we'd met by the lock with his sleeping bag.

The Narrowboat Trust coming through Winkwell















The Narrowboat Trust pass Chalice















We had planned to get some blogging done in the evening - but after dinner we went to the pub for a quick drink. There we met up with the Cowroast resident we'd shared locks with in both directions on our trip. Somehow the blogging didn't get done as we swapped stories and discussed boats and canals.
Locks: 19, Miles:9.8
Total Locks: 75, Total Miles: 86.5

To Common Moor

First - an apology for the delay in posting recently. We had a problem with power one evening, resulting in no computer, then we spent far too much time in the pub with a fellow Cowroast resident - meaning no posting. I lost far more time than I intended on NOT moving Chalice to her new mooring (this will eventually be posted - promise). Also, I've got back from the trip to try to catch up with all the things I need to do for work - and I'm still limping around and finding it very tiring. Added to all of this my head of department at school is about to begin treatment for a major health problem and will effectively be off work for the rest of the academic year - I'm being asked to help to cover, and to help produce suitable work for the rest of the classes that need to be covered. I will catch up, but it will have to be when I can - sorry.

Thursday 29th October 2009

We wanted to get to at least Common Moor lock, to be back at Cowroast before dark. We made the long trip through the lockless miles to Cowley with Alan steering - I was doing some washing for part of the journey - I'm not entirely sure why. As we came out of the Paddington Arm at Bull's Bridge a boat was turning in - at the helm was a very pretty young woman, wearing what looked like a genuine mink coat - not exactly what I would consider typical boater clothing.

Arundel passes fully loaded with sand - right down to the gunwales.















Arundel as she passes















Autumn leaves at Black Jack's Lock















It was a pleasant, warm autumn afternoon, travelling up through the locks towards Batchworth where we stopped for supplies at the big canalside Tesco store. It was beginning to get late after this, but we didn't really want to stop in Batchworth - so pressed on for a little longer. We planned to go through Lot Mead lock, and then moor up, but the canal was so shallow we decided to go on through Common Moor lock, despite the gathering gloom.

At the lock there was a boat in the lock - at first we thought it was moored there, as we could see no-one around, and there was a generator running on the back deck. Eventually, a man appeared and explained that he was waiting for someone else to arrive - we spotted the boat's light in the distance as we were talking to him. We worked the two boats down, and then worked up ourselves, mooring, in pitch darkness, just after the lock.

Going up through Common Moor Lock in the dark - the lights at the top gate are our head torches















Locks: 11, Miles: 16.9
Total Locks: 56, Total Miles: 76.7

Camden Lock

Wednesday 28th October 2009
We couldn't agree as to what we wanted to do today, Alan and I both wanted to go to Camden Lock market, but we thought that we would be very unlikely to be able to moor there. Eventually we decided to head up towards Camden and if we couldn't get a mooring we'd just turn back. As it was we found a mooring right by the market.
Passing the Zoo on the Regent's Canal














Autumnal Trees on the Regent's Canal














The market has changed enormously since we used to go there in the early 1980's. It covers much more land than it used to, and it still has a 'hippy' ambience, but, like so many things now, there is a strong commercial element. It was good to go around looking at things but we didn't spend much money. We looked at some beautiful pottery and tiles, but who goes to Camden Lock to spend more than £5000 on a vase? Everywhere there were piles of hot food of every different type - mexican, moroccan, chinese, thai - with the vendors calling out to you as you passed, offering samples of their products. We ended up eating pancakes - some might think that boring when so much else was on offer, but they were very good.

Afterwards we set off to head back up towards the end of the Paddington Arm. A long journey, and it was getting quite dark by the time that we passed the visitors' moorings at the Black Horse pub. There was one mooring left, but it proved impossible to get close to the bank, so we headed off again, knowing that we didn't have to deal with locks. However, as dusk fell it was quite difficult to see where the towpath was at time. Eventually we managed to find a mooring offside on some parkland near Northolt, hammering the mooring pins into the ground in complete darkness by torchlight. Even after we had moored there were boats passing in the dark.

Locks: 0, Miles: 15.5
Total Locks: 45, Total Miles: 59.8

The Museums

Tuesday 27th October 2009
We wanted to spend some of our time in London seeing some of the sights, or doing something. I was born and brought up in London, and spent four years at University and training as a teacher close to Euston. I used to visit the museums or just wander around looking at things, but I haven't spent much time in London recently.

At Little Venice - we wonder if British Waterways have sold off too much of the office properties?





Bilster at Little Venice - a boat once owned by Alan's brother.














Bilster













I wanted to see the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum, and both Alan and David voted for the Science Museum so we got on the underground to South Kensington. Not surprisingly, it being half-term, the queue for the Science Museum was extremely long, with a 20 minute wait to get in, but once in it was fine.

Alan and I remember the Science Museum from our childhood as being large numbers of glass cases with models in - if you pressed a button then some wheel or cog would turn. It's far more interesting for kids now, with interesting childrens' sections but I have to wonder if it has been too 'dumbed down' for those who are not going there with children. At times it was difficult to find the information relating to some exhibit or another and some of the notices often gave only superficial details. Perhaps the Science Museum doesn't expect adults who are not accompanied by children to go there? We did learn some things - but from each other.

We looked at the engineering section, including the few remaining steam engines there. Then space, flight, time, and computing - I'm someone who used paper tape, so the old computing equipment brings back memories. Perhaps the most scary exhibit was an complete dentist's torture device - just like the ones Alan and I remember from the butchery of our school dentists.
The 'narrow boat' display at the Science Museum.













Towards the end of the afternoon I wanted a quick visit to the Natural History Museum , Alan had to find a post office to get an important letter sent with the impeding postal strike so while he went to deal with his letter David came with me. We looked at some fossils, the mammal skeletons (especially the whales), the section of giant sequoia and the hominin fossils. Once again I had the distinct feeling that the museum was designed entirely from the point of view of children - a bit like 'Disneyworld does the Natural History Museum'. I do feel that museums should be interesting for children - but surely we are not the only adults who want to visit museums.

Alan eventually met us and we decided to head over to Coptic Street by the British Museum to the Pizza Express there - Alan and I used to eat there when we were first together. It has hardly changed at all in nearly 30 years.

Back at Paddington Station we discovered a urinal that hadn't been there when we walked through earlier in the day. The Urilift looks like a manhole cover during the day, but the urinal rises out of the pavement at night - it is operated by a remote from a local business (such as a bar). Another team puts it back down again in the morning.

To Little Venice

Monday 26th October
Today my ankle really aches, doubtless because I had to walk a lot yesterday, so I made a point of taking it easy.

We turned Chalice just north of the General Elliott, and set off south. After the lock at Cowley we had no more locking to do today.

The sky was blue, with only spreading contrails, and most of the leaves are still on the trees - many still green, but most turning yellow or orange. The weather was seasonably mild.

We stopped briefly at Alperton to get milk and a few supplies, but the day has mostly been on of steering through the long pound to Little Venice. We arrived not long after 4 pm and moored. A lot of the regular visitors moorings are made over to 'winter moorings', but we found a place towards the end of the usual mooring places.

I cooked dinner early and spent the evening with my feet up, reading, and then watching 'Life'. Early to bed, to rest my ankle - I want to spend some time doing things now that we are here.

I'm very aware of how different things were this time last year when we were here. It was colder, and our morco failed - it seemed to be working, but the water coming out of it was no more than tepid at best. Alan and I spent a lot of time trying to get it working - to no effect. This year we have the calorifier for hot water, and a new morco as backup. We've also got the completely re-modelled area in the middle of the boat, with seating, better storage, and a useful table - much better than the old 'bunk room' that was used for dumping bags and any equipment.

Locks: 1, Miles: 18.4
Total Locks: 45, Total Miles: 44.3

The Wedding

Sunday 24th October 2009
Farah came to my school as a trainee teacher, I was her mentor. She stayed for a year after completing her training with us. She was universally liked - a charming young woman, and an inspirational teacher. She had met Aslam when they were both at university, and was clearly in love, but coming from a traditional Asian background it took a while for the couple to get their families to agree to a wedding.

We got the invitation to the wedding a couple of months ago, and planned our October trip to include the wedding. At school I was told to take lots of photos.

This morning Alan took the boat for a short trip to ensure that the batteries were charged, and the water was hot for showers. We had hoped to move the boat a short distance from the General Elliott to avoid tonight's Karaoke - this was not possible, and we ended up moored immediately in front again (as I type this the karaoke is in full flow- and actually some of it is quite good!)

Alan went to recce the station, and check that there were no problems with engineering works this weekend.

While getting ready Alan discovered that his smart trousers and tie had somehow been left at home in the rush to get away - so he ended going to the wedding in (brand new) jeans!

I knew that it was quite a long way to walk to the station, and set off with my crutches, but immediately turned back, deciding that they were more trouble than an aid. I decided to hobble rather than use the crutches, which are not easy to use, and make the whole of my upper body ache.

We made the journey from Uxbridge to Alperton and arrived at the Clay Oven at around 1 pm - this was a mistake. Although it was the time on the invite it was clearly not the time that most people were expected to arrive. Farah's mother told us that she was getting ready - and would eventually appear from behind a curtain that was set up at one end of the hall.

The hall slowly fills with guests - the Clay Oven specialises in Asian weddings of all denominations.

We were told to sit anywhere, in a hall with about 500 seats around tables. Then sat for close on an hour and a half before very many other people arrived. Women were arriving in the most amazing clothes, encrusted with sparkling jewels. I began to look at the clothes to decide which were my favourites. A few women arrived heavily veiled, but with robes which also sparkled.

A couple of young women came and sat next to Alan, one was heavily pregnant, and knew Farah from when they had both been teaching assistants prior to training as teachers. Then an Asian couple came and sat next to me - the woman was also heavily pregnant. I asked if they could explain some of the customs and what we could expect. No, unfortunately not, they were Hindu, and didn't know the Muslim customs.

What we did ascertain was that the marriage itself would have already taken place - we were told that this would involve the couple each saying three times that they agreed to the wedding. They would not necessarily have both been present at the same place at the same time.

At around three Aslam, the bridgegroom, arrived with an entourage, and made a procession through the hall. Food arrived, and then the curtain was removed at the end of the hall, to show Farah sitting on a raised dais. She looked absolutely stunning, but sat quietly with lowered eyes. The Hindu couple next to us made sure that we got vegetarian food.

Farah sitting alone at the end of the hall - brightly lit for the video.








Farah with attendants - the groom's sisters I believe.











Farah was surrounded by people taking photos, she looked amazing, but a very different appearance to the person I had worked with. I went up to take a picture or two myself - she spotted me in the crowd around her, smiled, and gave a little wave - suddenly I could see the vivacious and friendly Farah I know.

Later on Aslam moved up the hall to sit next to his bride. Both sitting quietly, looking slightly bashful and shy, not talking to each other. Aslam's brother explained to me that traditionally the couple would not have met before, and so each were playing a role.

The couple sit quietly together showing traditional shyness and respect.











The couple with young attendants.












Cath talks to the bride and groom.

As the afternoon progressed we could see that the rules of etiquette were being relaxed and the couple were talking to the guests, so we went up and had a talk to them. I had not previously met Aslam and Alan had met neither of them. Farah's hands and feet were painted with henna, including Aslam's name in the patterns. She said that the henna painting had taken about two hours.

Farah's hands, the patterns were also on the tops of her hands and on her feet.











The happy couple.












We left a bit later, by the time I got back to the boat I was very tired, my foot aching, as was my left hip because I had been putting far more weight on it than usual in an attempt to relieve my right ankle.

An excellent meal in the General Elliott, and once again blogging courtesy of their free wifi.

It's been a genuinely fascinating day, we met some lovely people, and got an insight into another culture. We must remember to turn the boat back towards London in the morning, as after this morning's brief trip it is still facing northwards.
Locks: 0, Miles: 1.6
Total Locks: 44, Total Miles: 25.9