Sunday, April 03, 2016

On towards London

Wednesday was a lazy day. We often have them. Sometimes we moor early so that a normal day's travel the next day will take us to a particular spot, and that was partly the reason that day. Another, very good reason, was that I had arranged for Louisa to meet us at Nash Mills, where she lives. Louisa is a friend and ex-colleague from my last school, and I hadn't seen her since the day I left, back in July 2011. The poor lady, now teaching at another school (now a Head of Department, after only four years fully-qualified - brilliant!), had been doing revision classes with some of her students. In her Easter holiday! (I remember it well.) So it wasn't until about 3:30 that she arrived, and we spent a good time catching up with each other's news.
We continued our journey the next morning, down Kings Langley, Home Park and the Hunton Bridge Locks. We were followed part of the way by a widebeam from Waterways Experiences from Nash Mills Wharf, and were met by another coming up the locks. Waterways Experiences were formerly called Outreach Projects, and it was from them that Grace and I hired the widebeam Fellowship of Watford on which we took a youth group some 20 something years ago. It was that week which triggered our dream to have our own boat and cruise the canals. Two of the men from the ascending boat fondly remembered the Fellowship.
Sinking boat, reported to CRT
On next to the beautiful Grove Park on the outskirts of the not-so-beautiful Watford. Overlooked by a grand hotel, and dotted by a golf course, this park is a really lovely place to moor. So we did, for lunch, by the Crow Bridge.

We were very tempted to spend the night there, but that would have spoiled our (very vague) schedule, so we moved on. Through Cassiobury Park, helped at one of the locks by a very enthusiastic 11-year-old boy, and mooring not far below Cassio Bridge Lock. Now we're in new territory.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, hope to be able to say hello to you both as we’re currently moored below Coppermill Lock and will be heading north again tomorrow (Tuesday). Carol and George, wb Still Rockin'

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    1. Awww, so sorry to have missed you. The blog's out of sync with reality. We're in Paddington Basin at the moment, and heading towards the Lee & Stort. But we'll keep our eyes open for you on our way back. Have a great trip!

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    2. Ahhh! I discovered today there are TWO Coppermill Locks - one on the GU and the other on the River Lee. I'm sure we must have missed you by now, but which one did you mean?

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