We like this weather; setting off at 8.20am, we shared Uxbridge lock with one of the Pirate Castle charity boats from Camden, it was returning to base from Watford, where a new engine had been fitted. He was stopping for diesel at Uxbridge marine, we stopped to have a look at their chandlery, I bought some snaplink carabiners for use with mooring chains and spent the rest of the time looking, but purchased nothing more.
Arriving above Cowley lock, we found that the lock café was open: two bacon sarnies (southern slang) all too soon had gone down very well indeed.
As we finished them, one of the commercial gravel barges arrived. We worked the lock with the boatman and had a good chat at the same time.
We saw a water vole near West Drayton; strange, BW now seems hell bent on preserving them. Only a few years ago, the lengthsmen were paid a bounty on any that they caught.
Perhaps the environmentalists don’t realise the damage and leakage that the voles can cause.
We stopped Bulls bridge as Myra was feeling sorry for Tesco; poor things only managed to make £2.95 billion profit, if we can help them we will. The fact that there is no other supermarket handy for the canal may however, be nearer the truth.
Whilst Myra was there, I was chatting to Roy from NB Gerald No.13; ‘The BCN boat’ as his friends call it.
He was a locomotive fireman based at Leicester in the 1960’s. Yes, Myra did come and drag me away, but not before we managed to exchange email addresses. We hope to meet up with him again later on the year.
Going down Hanwell flight, with the long brick wall of the former Hanwell Asylum for company, we passed the site of Asylum Dock. This was not used entirely as one might imagine, given its location. Coal was shipped inside by the entrance in the wall; some 25 tons were unloaded by hand each night. The asylum opened in 1831 and was closed in 1960. Fortunately, care of such unfortunate individuals has changed dramatically since those days. Today, institutionalisation remains with us, however the individuals are now free to come and go as they please, housed in the rather better surroundings of the Palace of Westminster.
Arriving at Brentford, we saw a difference since our last visit. A lovely new BW office, lovely facilities block (why don’t they speak English?) with toilets, showers and washing machines.
On the other side of the basin, there are a lot of high rise apartments and even higher up – the flight path to Heathrow lies immediately above.
We are here for one night only, the noise is almost unbearable, I think that the third runway should be built in Amsterdam or Frankfurt; perhaps they could move the second one there at the same time.
2009 Totals – Locks 101; Miles 99; Bus pass uses 2.
