Copper Mill Lock (cruise retrospective)

Tuesday was shaping up to be a beautiful day as we drove out of the marina topped up our fuel tank and made off down the last couple of miles of the Paddington Arm, then turned right, back onto the GU Main Line.

It was a good journey. Uneventful, not exciting, just simply very pleasing in its rich variety. Hayes, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Cowley. At Uxbridge Lock, we were joined by NB Sylph on their way to Gayton Junction to meet friends. As we waited together for the lock to empty for us, a raucous noise drew our attention to eight parakeets mobbing an intruding crow, a green flash against a very blue sky, and the cacophony of their voices.

But it was hereabouts, strangely, that seemed to mark the end of London. After the lock and the A40 bridge, the scenery made a distinct change into something far more relaxed and rural. And beyond Denham Deep Lock, where Sylph moored for the night, we were back into that glorious watery stretch where huge lakes sprawled out on both sides of the canal.

At Widewater Lock, we had to wait while another boat descended. I strolled up to meet the skipper, and to lend a hand. The boat was a rusty, dirty, decrepit widebeam that had seen very much better days, though probably a long time ago.  I remarked that the guy hadn't opened the ground paddles, just those in the gates. He laughed wrily.

"I haven't got a clue what I'm doing, mate. I've never done locks before today."

I opened one ground paddle, and he followed suit with the other. He peered into the chamber.

"Blimey! That's filling fast! I wondered what they (indicating the ground paddles) were for! No wonder the locks have been taking me so long!"

I tried not to laugh. He told me his story.

A film company were looking for a rustbucket boat for a film they're making, starring Billy Zayne. They found one such on the web, and this canal rookie was commissioned to drive it from Rickmansworth to Bow. I didn't ask how it was he got the job. So here he was. Solo, and totally uninstructed in canal navigation. I gave him a quick lesson in locking, helped him down that lock, and off he went, shaking his head in disbelief and muttering, "Ground paddles!"

We moved on.

We moored after Copper Mill Lock, and had an excellent meal at the nearby Coy Carp Vintage Inn restaurant. We nearly missed the opportunity, though. The building faces a small lane, and its face is painted grey, its windows look dead. It's all drab and untidy. There are no signs on it, no adverts, nothing. We sighed in disappointment, and turned to go. Then my attention was caught by a car driving into a little turning off the road. I walked down to investigate. The actual entrance to the restaurant, the "front" of it, is at the back of the building!

And very nice it was, too!

The weather was still fine, warm even. Midges hung in dense clouds over the water. Could this be the change in the weather everyone's hoping for?

Cassio Lock to Denham Deep Lock - feeling like London

As I type, we're moored at Lea Valley Marina on the River Lee. We bought a bottle of gas here, but we also needed to be plugged into mains electricity for a time, so we're staying until tomorrow.

Continuing with our trip, though...

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It was clear from the start that our overnight here below Cassio Lock was not going to be peaceful. The place was full of geese. Fighting for mates or just plain arguing over them, pursuing desired mate, her protests against unwelcome pursuit, and the ultimate mating. It was raucous, to say the least. And it didn't stop all night.

We spent pretty much the whole of day 23 alongside the rivers Gade and Colne, which joined and left the canal at irregular intervals. For much of the time, lakes stretched out to both sides of us, too. It's a lovely area, full of birdlife, and very sunny on this day.

We descended the first three locks with NB Far Canal; two chatty skippers and a shy crew of two. I chatted with a young man coming up through the locks on his way from London. He gave me lots of "useful information for boaters visiting London"; to avoid mooring in one particular good-looking spot because there had been a spate of boat window breakages there recently; that breasting up to moored boats was the norm, even if the owner isn't there at the time; Paddington Basin being a good option over weekends, because more boats move out then. He and his wife were on a trip from London to Lincoln, Leeds, Liverpool and Llangollen. They're having an L of a time, he said!

Far Canal left us after Batchworth Locks while we stayed for services, moving on a short way afterwards at the canalside Tesco. Hats off to the designer of the mooring here, who had the whole structure clad in wood, to prevent damage to boat paintwork.

We stayed for several bites of lunch after our shopping, after which we carried on, skirting Harefield. Copper Mill Lock, Black Jack's Lock, still surrounded by lakes and country parks. Beautiful. 

We moored above Denham Deep Lock, the deepest on the Grand Union at 11 foot and 1 inch.

Somehow, it was beginning to feel a bit Londonny. The large buildings on the southern horizon, the frequent aeroplanes overhead, and the incessant noise of the busy A412.