Tuesday 1st May
May seems to be carrying on where April left off weatherwise. Actually I made a mistake, it has been the wettest April since records began not just since 2000 and is as a result of something to do with the jet stream not global warming. Anyway, this morning we awoke (at 5-30am) to heavy rain again, quelle surprise! We were moored near where the River Brent enters the canal and the water was racing past the boat at an alarming pace. Despite this we set off at 7am to go down to Brentford Lock. There were a couple of weirs along the way to avoid and the water was really rushing over them. In fact the water was rushing straight over the top and bottom gates of the second lock as well!
We got to Brentford about 8-15am and mooring up was a bit of a problem. Mooring space was limited so B and B pointed out a space on the end to us and carried on towards the lock. We got in to the space after 2 attempts battling with the flow. B and B made an attempt to get in to a space further down but were dragged past it so they ended up on the lock approach.
We heard that the Thames was in the red so we walked down to Thames Lock to see the lock keeper and find out what was what. The lock keeper phoned Teddington Lock for us and they said we could go if we wanted but advised us to wait until tomorrow, so that is what we are doing.
This mooring is quite nice as we are right on the end, in a wide bit of the canal, opposite allotments and a row of cottages. If you don’t look forwards towards the flats near Brentford Lock you could be in the country. We are right under the flight path for the Northern runway at Heathrow airport and the planes come over fairly low here but you soon get used to it. Mind you, last night every time a plane came over the picture on the tv froze, a bit annoying when you are at the denouement of a programme.
After seeing the lock keeper and deciding to stay here we went up the high street and did a bit of shopping in Morrison’s then we went to the Magpie and Crown, a real ale pub. They had plenty of real ales on and we plumped for Twickenham Original, very nice. They had Old Golden Hen on which we didn’t try, pity it wasn’t Old Speckled Hen and a couple of others. B and B joined us in the pub for a couple as well.
This afternoon, following tea and a piece of Barbara’s lovely fruit cake Ken got the dinner ready then, for the first time in ages, due mainly to weather conditions, did some fishing (largely unsuccessful) and I did the ironing and cleaned the boat (bank side, front, cratch and half of the roof anyway) as it was filthy. After dinner Ken resumed his fishing but was besieged by canoeists so he gave it up as a bad job!
Tomorrow we are going to Hampton Court, weather and water levels permitting.
