A Stoatin' Time on the Stort & Leaving London

Gorgeous Auntumnal Grand Union

It was the alternator.  We were all wrong.  Kitty was repatriated on 24 September, much sooner than anticipated and by the time we spoke to Caterham the following week, they had established the problem, fixed it, washed her and had her up on their website for sale!!  On 5 October we went to say goodbye to her (yes, I cried - again) and pick up some bits and pieces we’d left in her, including two bottles of Gayda wine we were sure would not make it.  I’m still sad.  It’s a reluctant sale, more reluctant than I ever thought it would be.

Anyway, back on the cut, James arrived on Wednesday evening, the 21^st, and we had a few beers some food and then James sat outside for 10 minutes to settle his sea-stomach.  In the morning the sun was out and with great enthusiasm from our new crew member (despite some sleep deprivation due to light coming in the cabin fairly early) we set off up the Stort.  It is very pretty, winding its way through some lovely countryside and under some very low bridges.  It’s not a long navigation but we decided to take our time and plodded along stopping for the night at Sawbridgeworth.

Still shorts weather as we get ready to leave Roydon

 

Loving the additional crew on the locks!

Pretty footbridge on the Stort

Sunglasses hiding the effects of sleep deprivation

Ramblers enjoying a day out

Couldn't have put it better myself

Misty mooring at Sawbridgeworth

We went for a walk around Sawbridgeworth where there were once many wharves for the malt houses.  Some of the malts have been kept and restored into flats but the wharves are long gone, though we did manage to find an old picture showing what the visitor mooring used to look like when the remains of its crane would have been in action.   After a pint in one of James’s haunts of his youth we headed back to the boat for dinner and drinks and enjoyed sitting out quite late for a September evening.

James was up sharp again the next morning (I really must get a bung for the Houdini hatch), and after a leisurely breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, we set off for Bishop’s Stortford.  Along the way James pointed out places of interest, such as the pub he worked at on the waterside as a teenager and the places his parents used to bring him and his brother for a day out.  It was most enjoyable having a local guide on board! 

A rare photo of the two of us reminding me that no eye make-up is not a good look!!  For me, not Mike.....

Our mooring at Bishop's Stortford c.2016

And our mooring as it was in 1987!  I think I preferred it then...

We arrived in the afternoon and went for a walking tour of the town where Mike convinced me to get a nano-sim so I could use his old iPhone as my Samsung was getting increasingly unreliable.  This opened a whole can of worms and unleashed a temper in me as I couldn’t get the iPhone or the Samsung to do what the guy in the shop said to do in order to transfer my contacts, but I’ve put that behind me and am now enjoying (don’t tell Mike) the reliability and better performance of the iPhone……..  A quick pass round Sainsburys and we then headed back to the boat to get ready for our night out on the town.  We ended up in the Wetherspoons (‘Spoons) on the canal, mainly just to check out what time they started breakfast the following day, but three pints later and James and I insisted we head for a curry.  Drinks accompanied the curry so the next morning the crew was not that sharp at all.  I felt rough as hell to be honest, but we had to up and at ‘em as we had plans to meet up with the rest of the Roberston family and their friends the Prescotts.  We headed back into London where we played table tennis and had some drinks at Bounce, had some pizza and fizz then headed back to the Prescott’s for a night cap – or two.  We walked back to the boat so that we could see the house James was brought up in.  The next morning we all convened on Quaintrelle (after a boater’s breakfast again at ‘Spoons), us, the Robertsons and the Prescotts and set off back to London – well, Mike and I were going back to London, but the rest would get off around Sawbridgeworth and take the train back to Stortford.

A rare action shot of Mike and even rarer one of me in a pub with a soft drink (photo courtesy of Vicki)

Vicki not taking this seriously at all.  Not a competitive bone in her body........ (ta for the use of the pics Vic xx)

PIZZZZZZAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

The Pride of Stortford not looking so proud :(

What????!!!!  Caitlin concentrating????!!!!!??? *faint*

Ollie taking the sunscreen thing a step too far

 

It is the face that only a mother could love.  Or a wife.  Nah...... just a mother.

After our guests had abandoned ship, we continued on, finally mooring up back at Roydon for the night, just below the lock.  It had been a long day after two heavy nights and we were shattered and glad to get moored up, fed and to bed.  The following day was another long one leaving the Stort and back on to the River Lee, where we stopped at Waltham Abbey for a wander and some shopping around 4pm, but then cruised on for a couple of hours while it was still light.  During the night I was sure I heard a horse whinnying but when I asked Mike if he had heard it, he hadn’t so I thought I must have dreamt it.  However, when we left the next morning, we passed this chap, whinnying to get back into his mates.

He was clearly quite distressed (and a bit neglected), so when we got to the lock, I ran back along the path to see if I could get it back to its field.  A female cyclist had also stopped and was quite concerned so we were relieved to find a bit of fencing tied with string that I undid and gave access to the field.  I was worried he would run away from me which was the wrong direction, but I managed to get past him and then shoo him back.  He started running when he saw the gap in the fence!  Once in, he stopped and started munching the grass – not a thank you passed his lips!!  A local chap appeared and said they belong to some gypsies and are always getting out, sometimes ending up on the road and the police have to be called.  The poor horse was not in great shape, very thin, and had a big boil under his eye, so I was glad I was able to get him back to his pals.

We went all the way into London alone, stopping for water at the slowest tap for over an hour, which did give us the chance to meet and talk to Rose, who lives on Bobbie Dazzler.  It was a pleasant way to spend the time and very nice to meet her and hear of her experience living as a London Boater.

We moored up late afternoon at the Olympic park and wandered over to Stratford to the John Lewis and shopping centre there where we managed to pass a couple of hours quite pleasantly and part with some cash to get Mike a new watch.

Canal or field?

The next morning was a quick hop down to Limehouse basin where we fell out – I can’t remember what about – which kind of spoiled our afternoon treat of a spa afternoon and champagne lunch, which we had won in a charity auction back in June.  We were speaking again by the time I picked my mum up at Kings Cross in the evening who had come to spend a week with us cruising.  Poor mum, always likes to be ahead of the game when travelling, leaving plenty of time for catching public transport.  She arrived at Edinburgh Waverley an hour and a half early and when her platform came up, 19, made her way over to wait the last 30 minutes or so there.  As 2.30pm came and still no sign of a train, she found someone to ask who said, “That’s your train there!!!!” And pointed to the other end of platform 19 which is platform 2.  There had been a change, but no announcement!!  Some guys grabbed her case for her and ran but the train was moving off as she reached it.  At the information desk she was sold a ticket for the next train, although when the agent said, “Oh, you’re right, there was no announcement made over the tannoy for this change of platform.” She only charged mum £85 allowing her to use the £41 of her booked ticket against the £126 fare.  Sound ‘fare’ to you???? No, us neither.  So Mike is liaising with our good friends at Virgin Trains and they’re looking into it.

All of that was forgotten as we got ready the next morning for the tidal Thames.  The first time we did it in 2014 the day was disappointingly overcast, and today was exactly the same, except it wasn’t quite as misty but more wet!  We weren’t sure if we’d get to go as there were winds gusting up to 26mph, however the locky didn’t bat an eyelid when we went in to check, just smiled and said, “See you in 45 minutes”.  We popped out of Limehouse into a slightly rough Thames, but having done the Wash, this seemed easier.  Until the traffic started.  Thursday morning was a busy day  on the Thames and we were rocked by the water taxis a lot!!!  Mum thought it was great and was “Wheeeeeeeeeee-ing” away, whilst Mike and I paled and gritted our teeth……..

James was watching us on a webcam - can you see us waving - we're tiny!!!

Had we come out half an hour earlier the bridge would have been raised to let a masted ship through

Mum braving the rain and enjoying the vista

She wasn't sure about the life jacket, but it wasn't optional ;)

Being piped through!!

Being chased by a big barge

Something smaller than us on the water!!

No chimneys :(  makes Battersea almost unrecognisable :(

Still very low water as we get closer to Brentford

Waiting for enough water to get in - how frustrating

We slowed up at Battersea as we wouldn’t be able to get into Brentford until 12.45 when the tide would be in enough to get us into the lock and over the cill so there was no rush and the rain had gone and the wind calmed making it a pleasant cruise.  We got there bang on 12.45 but ground to a halt halfway up the cutting to the lock.  The lock keeper phoned and said she had never seen it so low, we would have to wait about half an hour.  As the tide crept up, we crept nearer the lock and finally at 1.15pm we were able to go up.

Looking back to the Thames

We continued up the Brentford gauging lock and on up and through the Hanwell flight with blue skies and the sun above us – if only it had been an afternoon tide to come up the Thames in this…..

We moored at Bull’s Bridge for the night, taking water whilst mum and I had a wander around the Tesco.

This makes me smile everytime we pass it.  It doesn't look very prized now :(

We were up and away sharpish the next morning, blessed again with blue skies and sun.  We planned to do a few long days to get as close to Luton airport as possible for mum’s flight home the following week.  I have to admit, I really do like the Grand Union.  It’s so varied, industrial one minute and entirely rural the next, and such a history.  Our next night was spent just above Coppermill Lock, which was a bit shallow so we were a foot or so out from the side, but we weren’t needing to get off the boat so that was fine.  Saturday, we continued our northbound pilgrimage with another day of clear skies and sun, and for the first time in a while mooring up in the dark at Kings Langley and on Sunday much of the same took us to Berkhamsted.  After a visit to the Waitrose there on Monday, another long day took us across the summit at Tring and down the Marsworth flight, where we stopped at Startops and went for food at the Anglers Retreat.  Sadly, Monday night is their pizza night so we missed out on sampling their food which is apparently very good, but did enjoy the pizzas. The last time we had done this section of the GU we had met Karen, Neil and Buddy on Chalkhill Blue and did this section with them - happy memories!  So far on the Grand Union we had to lock alone, never seeming to meet anyone to lockshare with, so we took the opportunity of practicing a new technique that we will use in France in the big commercial locks.  We tied the front rope onto the bollard, then keeping the engine in gear, you push against the rope as you go up and it keeps you steadily in at the side, tho' you do need quite a bit of power in some of the fiestier locks!!  We were glad at Berkamsted to meet a nameless boat with a very nice crew that we shared up to Cowroast with, but parted ways as we stopped off for a pump out.

 

Autumn Reflections

Gorgeous 16th Century barns at Stocker Lock

The lock at Batchworth, the first one we ever did with Chalkhill Blue

Coming into Berkhamsted

Finally we got someone to share the locks with!!!

Cowroast

Bulbourne Junction - sadly out of time to pop down the Welford arm

The girls are in charge coming down the Marsworth flight

We were now a few days ahead of our schedule and realised we could squeeze in a ‘new to us’ navigation now. The last time we passed this way, the Aylesbury Arm was closed for winter stoppages, but this time it was open!  So the next morning, we would take a trip down to Aylesbury.