Friday 4th May
So, we have spent our 4th day at Brentford and there is still no sign of us being able to get away. I can think of worse places to be held up, we have all the facilities here – elsan and rubbish disposal, showers (more of which later) and a water point, which would be more convenient if there wasn’t a Wyvern Hire boat moored on it! Incidentally, it’s the same Wyvern Hire boat which was moored on the lock approach at Lock 66 when we were there! We are within easy walking distance of the shops and we have been on some nice walks to some nice pubs. That said, we didn’t come here with the intention of staying for a week, we want to go on the Thames. However, you can’t legislate for the weather and we are going to have to sit it out until such time as the Thames is safe to navigate.
Getting back to the showers, as we are conserving water we haven’t been having a shower every night on the boat and last night, as I needed to wash my (rather substantial) hair, I went up to the shower block to use the one there. It was ok, lovely hot water, with a powerful jet, although it worked on a push button system and kept turning off after a while so I had to keep pushing the button in again. This was made a bit more difficult by the fact that when I got in the shower and shut the shower curtain the lights all went off! As there was no window I had to shower in pitch blackness, fumbling about for the push button to start the water again every time it went off and locating my shampoo, shower gel etc was a bit of a nightmare. As soon as I opened the shower curtain when I had finished, the light came back on. I decided it worked on a sensor and when I disappeared behind the curtain the sensor didn’t know I was there still and switched itself off! Next time I will leave the curtain open.
Today, after we found out we wouldn’t be moving, we decided to walk the other way for a change and went to Kew Bridge. There were some unusual floating residences along the way (see photos) and some rather magnificent ones as well (see photos). Some moorings just seemed to be filled with a hotch potch of boats of all shapes and sizes and some were just plain ridiculous!
During our walk along both sides of the river at Kew we spotted a pub we liked the look of (as we do) and went for a pint. Ken came back from the bar looking a bit pale as he had just paid £3-65 for a pint of bog standard London Pride! We expected the prices to be high but ……. never mind. Despite the prices The Bell and Crown is a lovely pub with a river view and really posh loos! We just had the one and walked back to Brentford to another pub we had spotted on the way past called The Waterman’s Arms. This was also very nice but being just off Brentford High Street and not benefitting from a river view was a tad cheaper (20p a pint) than the first one.
We have had a better class of drunk past here this evening. Instead of peeing hoodies we have had singing Hooray Henries in black suits and bowties! It’s not dull being moored here. Actually I am missing the noise and sight of the planes. I think the runways for take off and landing are alternated at certain times so the same places don’t get the noise all the time. If I lived here I would probably know all about this.
Talking of noise, the noisiest things round here by far are the wheeled suitcases which everyone going to and from the station seems to have trundling along behind them. You certainly know if one is coming up the towpath!
So the wait to get on the Thames continues, watch this space.
