On Sue's Chertsey Mooring

Having followed much of her River Nene and Great Ouse  advice we were determined to try Sue's Chertsey mooring. Well she's not going to need it tonight!

So, a slightly longer journey today - al of 2.1 miles!!  It's all very well but it doesn't give you much to write about!! Still, more room for photos.


Last night's mooring

Will we beat the rain?

 Room for a skinny one?

They don't get much bigger than this

Lovely Shepperton Lock

 And our view tonight

All this for me?

But what about a swim? 

 LJ

Not pushing ourselves!!

Everyone who blogs and travels the Thames post photos of property. It just has to be done. We'll get to the grander stuff later but we were moored opposite these last night.

This looked fabulous after dark with the lights on

This is obviously empty and ripe for renovation - the estate agent suggest demolition and rebuild.

This is a favourite. It was on the market when we came down in April and is still on the market at £700K. Waiting lottery win.

And 1.7 miles later, taking the Shepperton route rather than the Desborough Cut, we are in a green oasis! 

Too posh to pick?..,,,,,,,

Lovely lock keepers on these big Thames locks and plenty of boaters who have got a scoobie about what they are doing. We were behind this small cruiser in two locks. It went way over to our left as we moved out of the second. Alistair thought it was to let us pass and put the power on. It then came right across our bow and was probably closer than this. With a weir on our right .... Not nice for us or them.

 We're taking it slowly. Moored at Walton after 5 miles. With a doggie pub that had great write ups yards away we thought....rude not to. Had lovely lunch. Chargrilled Haloumi for me, in preference, to  roast beef and other delights. I just love Halloumi.

I found a lovely off tow path walk for LJ. Didn't see anyone else once we'd left the towpath. 

But I did find a quarter of a mile of  these beauties. They wouldn't still be out there if they were near a canal towpath! Crumble or pie?

Happy at Hampton

Despite the rain!  I sympathise with this chap today. I spent the morning trying to resolve the photo problem in blogspot. Slow, slow going and not quite finished. I've had to reload each blog but am working on the theory that no-one is actually looking at the old stuff. Still it's been good to look back though I'm glad we only started this blog in May!


We do like Hampton. Had amazing pizzas from Square Olive last night. We've declared a bit of a holiday as we at at The Canbury in Kingston on Wednesday night and that was well worth the short walk through the town. A top pub with the nicest team.

We moved in the rain, heroes that we are, to let hotel boat MAGNA CARTA, moor. There was not enough space for her anywhere and as some boats had moved off  from the far end of the mooring we are a) in a better position and b) up by a bottle of claret which the crew brought down to say thank you.

The sun finally came out and LJ got a decent walk. Like Windsor, the trees here are home to some exotic species

Glorious Gloriana

Out onto the Thames Aat 1316. In at Teddington at 1402 and waited for the lock for 10 minutes not complaining as we had excellent company and shared the lock with her!

NB NIGHTJAR travelled down to Brentford with us but hung back as they were waiting for their son to arrive. What a shame for them to miss this.

The Thames is calling

Only a mile and a half of the Grand Union left to complete and we will be on the Thames tomorrow. A lovely passage time of 1315 in the lock at Brentford.  Just two locks to go through and likely to have travelling companions. Couldn't be better.

The last stretch of the GU to the Hanwell flight was very quiet. The other boats spotted on the way either stopped or turned for the Paddington Arm. BUT, as if by magic, we got to the first lock and there was NB NIGHTJAR, our lock 'buddies' of two days ago. Good lock companions and great chat.  Could NOT have been better.

We hope to be at Hampton Court tomorrow, there or Kingston any road up. 

Does this mean ...

That we're back in civilisation???

Good travelling companions

We'd travelled down from Cowroast to Berkhamsted with a classic boat, NB ARDEN with, for the purists, a Russell Newbury engine. They moved off about 90 minutes before us yesterday morning and we thought that was that. Not so. Some idiot had emptied two pounds between Berkhamsted and Hemel and there were delays of up to 3 hours. We waited for an hour, with ARDEN in the pound below us and once we had the green light, we travelled down to Hemel with them. We moored and the went on. 

Today we came up to NB NIGHTJAR as we both left Sainsbury's at Apsley. I was only topping up on what Waitrose couldn't provide yesterday. What a brilliant crew. So good, instead of stopping at Watford, we pressed on with them so a total of 19 locks and 10 miles complete today. A long, long time since QISMA did 7 hours cruising and 19 locks. Alistair is just telling me our lock speed is 3.93 mph and the speed between was 1.37. With all the  locks against us except one .......

The most elegant Gongoozler's ever?

I had such trouble loading photos yesterday but this couple are so stunning and were so lovely they deserve a blog of their own. More later.....

Meanwhile back on QISMA ...

One of my occasional spooky days yesterday.

I'd disembarked to go to Midhurst to mind Max and Oscar for my friend Marion. Not sure if Max would be as welcoming as usual as I wasn't bringing his mate - LJ that is, though knew Oscar de la Rente, the cat, wouldn't object.

Marion met me at Chichester station. Had a mooch round Chi. Drove back to Midhurst, lovely cuppa and home,made jam tarts, walked Max. Pottering around about 1845 when I got a text from my friend Karen, who I don't see nearly often enough, to say she was in the pub in Singleton where we'd gone to celebrate my 50th with Graham, her Dad and Rollo, the chocolate lab. Marion lived in the village until last year.

They had to drive past the end of Marion's street to get home so she immediately said call in for a coffee.

We were very quickly off the mark with subjects ranging  to the fashion for tomotoes in hanging baskets. Karen's Dad, Norman, who is fant attic AND a Yorkshire man, tells us 'they are all the rage'.

I was telling the story of my early retirement and Karen remembered that after a lifetime of being a MOD 'warrior' or faceless bureaucrat who ruined the lives of service personnel, whichever corner you are in, that I finished my career at the Ministry of Justice. She asked me if I'd ever come across one particular person, chances seemed slim but  no, not only did I know her, I'd must been talking about her, without naming names and she was a close colleague. Now moved on to MOD and is Karen's boss.

Meanwhile, back on QISMA, Alistair went down to the Marina at Cowroast, fuelled etc and bought, what he hoped, would be replacement glass for the cracked glass in our much loved headlamp. I have to say I was a tad nervous but ....

Moving day

We were still debating moving up to the summit today when, just as the rain started to ease, a hire boat came along, complete with volunteer lock keeper. We were out onto the tow path like, well like a very very quick thing and off we went.

What a lovely team to share locks with. Dad,  Mum and two under 10s on their fourth boating holiday.  At the second lock we met a single handed coming down so lost Keith, the co,integer lock keeper  but it didn't matter. Shame I didn't get chance to tell him I saw a terrier cocking his leg on what may have been Keith's lunch!

It is so quiet here that it's hard to believe it's a Bank Holiday weekend.

Up safely and off to Tring. Alistair and LJ will sit here until Friday whilst I go off to see some friends. I did the 5 minute trip by train into Berkhamstead to stock up before I depart on Monday. We reckon nearly 3 hours by boat!

As we came along we saw a couple of convoys. Followed one with a second following us. Only one boat in each with an engine working. We reckon it's keep the enforcement team off our backs day.

Ladies who lunch

Ladies who lunch is the QISMA expression for boaters who don't come off the boat to work the locks. We adopted the phrase after following, in teaming rain, what we thought was a single hander up the Stratford Canal last year.  I may have told the story before, if so, sorry!

We pulled off a mooring behind this chap, with a lock ahead I walked up. He stayed onboard and let me work it for him. I don't notice anyone else on his boat but my head was down and I was busy. Off he goes, I empty the lock, we go in etc etc. get to the next lock and he's waiting for me. Bit of a cheek but ... up I go. Then I spot her. Wifey sitting nice and snug inside playing Sudoko. The look on my face must have given the game away. 'Oh' says he' 'my wife is having her lunch'. Undaunted, off he goes to the next lock and YES, he waits for me. Waited in vain. I got onboard QISMA, told the Captain to pull over and put a clear lock's distance between us.

If he'd said she had a bad back, or was feeling crook, whatever, but having her lunch!!

We saw them again near the Hatton Flight, fortunately we were teamed up with our friends
on GOLDENGIRL.

I am very nearly at the point ...  Our paths crossed today! Fortunately going in opposite directions! 

They remain second on my list of boats never to share a lock with. 

AN OUTBREAK OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Sunshine and boating and a long walk along the tow path. What could be better? Milton Keynes is ideal for this as a cycle path runs alongside the towpath for several miles. Screened by a hedge it means the towpath is perfect for walking. Not sure the cyclists get to see as much of the canal as they might like. How PC of me to think of that!

AND we've been really adventurous and found a new mooring for tonight. 

On Sue's beloved Nene

We left Peterborough at lunchtime. Topped up with shopping and water and emptied of rubbish. Good place to be. We were heading for Alwalton Lock which we'd loved on the way down and had great walks for LJ.  Great to get to the lock and find no-one moored.

We'd not been here long when a boat pitched up and asked if we'd mind them coming past and mooring behind us. Of course not. In the end they didn't, decided to go on to try their luck at Ferry Meadows.  I don't think it was anything we said. They have travelled the entire length of the Nene in THREE DAYS and have hated it. Said there was nowhere to moor. Now heading for the Great Ouse. Not members of GOBA. Good luck with that.

I had a bit of a run in with some local teenagers this evening. I'd taken LJ off for a swim. About 30 of them there, no doubt celebrating end of term. Whilst I was there half a dozen of them started to try and destroy a bridge over the creek which is part of a popular circular walk.Of course, I couldn't leave it alone. Went over and asked them to stop and asked why they wanted to wreck the area and spoil it for everyone, took their photo!  Two girls very worried that I might call the police but and this is the amazing part, none of the others got involved. We will check it out tomorrow but about half of them left shortly after LJ and I departed.

A reminder of Bill and Ben .....

An awful lot of WEED! Such slow going across from Salters Lode to Marmont Priory Lock. Lost count of  how many times Alistair was down the weed hatch. Maureen, the lock keeper is a real character and lovely to talk to. Things got better after that but we were very relieved to see a mooring spot as we arrived in March.

We plan on an early start tomorrow to be in Peterborough at lunchtime. Alistair is hoping to get an afternoon appointment at the NHS walk in dentist. Well, hoping is perhaps not quite the right word. 

Waiting for the river

Lovely cruise down to Denver Sluice and we got the last mooring space only five minutes before there was a passage through the lock. Good luck for us. Went to Jeynes Pub as too hot to cook LJ only allowed in the garden which was fine today but we won't be troubling them again and not because we're leaving! The setting is fantastic and it was really busy but our food was indifferent to poor. Not expensive but not good value. Shame as we have had some excellent meals whilst we've been here. We're now waiting for the tide to turn to make the short passage down to Salter's Lode.

Lj had some great swimming. It really seems to help his stiff leg and totally wipes him out for the night. He just loves it bit it's a bit annoying when he starts crying to be taken in the heat of the afternoon - especially when we know the bank's too sheer for him to get in. Still not the case here.

Looking for a lost relative? Last night's mooring.

Good Samaritans - that's us!

We were the last boat away from Jude's Ferry this morning - no surprise there. Had a very good meal there last night. Excellent pub menu. I was excited by the full German style menu of Schnitzles. No contest for me. Shame dogs only in garden. Not a winter pub for us but what a lovely nice landlord. We Good Samaritans at the lock and gave some milk to a cruiser coming up who we learnt as we chatted had run out. Actually, the cruiser in the first photo.

I'm sure Alistair had a plan. We stopped at Prickwillow for water. QISMA had a very thorough outside clean. The inside had something between a good going over and a 'lick and a promise' one of my Mum's sayings.

We carried on then leaving the River Lark and headed in the direction of Denver Sluice. Settled on a lovely quiet GOBA mooring for the night which allowed for a leg of lamb BBQ. Tomorrow we will book our passage through for Wednesday.

So, some phots from today.

Best meal of the summer?

Sadly, I am not going to provide the restaurant tip of the year. The best meal was our barbecued Sea Trout which we had yesterday. It's part of my birthday bonanza - well not really a bonanza but I use that excuse to justify the expense. Still, it is only once a year - fish and birthday. It a,ways reminds me of the first time I ever ate Sea Trout. It was in a pub restaurant in Cointy Londonderry. I asked the waitress what was the difference between Rainbow and Sea trout. She replied 'the difference is that we've got Sea Trout' and I've loved it ever since.

I haven't even got a photo but I DO have a photo of the QISMA Summer Cocktail

Recipe stolen from The Mill at Brampton - WOW!

We left Ely feeling sad yesterday and turned onto the River Lark - no pins on this especially as late yesterday evening my back went and by the time I was sent to bed I was crying with pain. No need to get the hankies out. The boat medic doused me up with painkillers and this morning I'm well enough for us to head off to Jude's Ferry and the end of this particular line.

We've just set off from Prickwillow. I always think Prickwillow, Prickwillow, Prickwillow but a Google search doesn't explain why. I keep thinking it's in a poem - or something similar is and I'm just confused. If any of you are able to offer an explanation of this I'd be very grateful!


Leaving Ely

Dressed Overall

Spot the Yorkshire Rose!

I wondered what Alistair was up to this morning and when I got up I found,that the flags were up on QISMA for my birthday. Our neighbours tell us we've been the Kate Moss of boats today, being photographed non stop.

We've been out and about enjoying Ely on market day. Lunch at Peacocks Tea Room - highly highly recommended. This evening at the Cutter Inn. Lots of lovely messages from friends, relatives, fellow bloggers and Tweeters. I have had a lovely day.

Tomorrow we are heading for the River Lark, our last excursion for the 2013 trip. After that, it will all be retracing our steps to the K&A. 

Not the only swimmers around

Seals as we came along past Earith towards Hermitage Lock.  What a treat! 

As we were going to St Ives we met .......

Well boats! And, hard as this is to believe, we had to queue for a lock for the first time since we left Newbury last February!

Ahead of us were two day boats full of 4th July revellers on their way to St Ives to meet friends and have a BBQ.

We've been saying how like France this stretch of the river must be, lacking only a game of boules - et voila!

We had a fantastic two nights at Bamford Mill and I had the second best drink of my life's, Hendricks Gin, cucumber, elderflower cordial, ice and soda. The new boat cocktail. 

And a fantastic lunch yesterday. It will be getting an entry on LJ's favourite pubs page any minute now!

The view from QISMA wasn't bad either.  Only intermittent Internet so no blog yesterday. 

Meanwhile, back in the real world

What a lovely weekend we had but time to move on and we've arrived in St Neots. We hear it was really busy on the moorings here so we're glad we didn't come in over the weekend.

We've had some discussion over how to pronounce the name. Fortunately, Graham Norton had the same problem with a request on Saturday so, thanks to Bobbi, the weekend travel guru on Radio 2, we arrived wiser and not likely to offend the natives.  For those,  the least bit interested, it's Ne-ots with every letter pronounced.

A small but good shopping centre. Gifts and cards for upcoming birthdays duly acquired and Waitrose took a fair bit of dosh. I've treated Alistair to some Heston Blumental ribs, reduced obviously, for tomorrow when I'll be on the 2 side of the 5:2 coin. I find it so much easier to manage when I feed him something I have no interest in eating! We'll see how they compare with his usual, more average, fayre.

Only one photo for tonight. I don't want to detract from the message that St Neots is trying to get across. Which I totally support.