Into London (belated)

Yes, the same 'family reasons' kept The Best Mate and Tigger in dry dock on Maundy Thursday while Piglet and I took SONFLOWER the rest of the way to Paddington Basin. This time we took it a bit steady. Only nine locks (and we shared three of them) the first afternoon and we were moored below Cowley lock before sunset.

Just after sunrise on Good Friday morning we were on our way and moored at Bulls Bridge Tesco at 8am for a little shopping. Piglet woke up just as we pulled away and drifted through the flotsom strewn murky waters of the Paddington Arm. We didnt stop again until Greenford Visitor Moorings where we used the water point and winding hole and washed both sides of the boat. Breakfast of bacon and eggs was taken in traditional fashion.

Then on again until Mitre Bridge No6 (Scrubbs Lane) where we paid our respects to my brother with a scattering of rose petals on the surface of the water.

Then to Paddington Basin and a berth next to M & S HQ under the beady eyes of their security guard. After a quick lunch we were off to Trafalgar Square to be tourists and watch the open air theatre 3pm production of a "Passion Play".

Then we picked up tickets for the evening performance of the show "We will Rock You" and ate a pre-show dinner in Meds on Cambridge Circus before resting awhile in the beautiful garden before a very enjoyable evening out. Our Standing Only tickets didn't mar our enjoyement of the music of Queen and the humour of Ben Elton.

Then back to the boat for bed and the return journey back in the morning for Easter: to Rickmansworth by tube and Banbury by car.

18.5miles, 9 locks

A photo

Piglet at the helm entering one of the 103 locks on the recent cruise toward London.

First Cruise of the Season

It is hard to believe but we have got to April without going anywhere apart form local moves to get water, gas or pump out.

But We have just started the cruising season. We left home mooring with a full crew last Saturday and got to The wharf at Fenny Compton that evening. The Best mate and Tigger left us on Sunday morning to return to shore for family reasons leaving me and Piglet to crew the boat "as far as we could" toward Paddington where we hope to enjoy the IWA Cavalcade at the end of the month.

It was a hard cruise with the two of us as the Grand Union Canal is full of heavy gates. The traffic was also very light with more boats moored up in their hire bases than out on the cut during the holidays. We only had company in two of the wide locks during the last week. We achieved a mooring below Batchworth Lock this morning. 101.75 miles, and 103 locks.

The weather stayed fine but cold. We made a couple of connections on the way. I met Mike from Rochester and discovered that the blog has got a reader! He recognised the boat and introduced himself.

We are glad to have a short break as we wait for the rest of the crew to join us again for the next part of the journey.