End of a journey

We woke up to a lovely warm sunny morning on Monday- typical on the day we were going home for a few days before setting off up North. We spent the morning enjoying the sunshine and hoping that summer is finally here.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy days

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Well talk about weather for ducks........we've seen more rain in the past 3 days than we've seen all winter. We set off from Common Moor Lock on Tuesday only to be told that they were going to be shutting locks 50 and 51 at Berkhamsted on Wednesday at 11 am for 2 or 3 days...that meant we had 30 locks to get through in one day !!!!!

 

 

Cassiobury Park Locks were lovely, we were listening to the muntjacs barking but didn't manage to catch sight of one. We  carried on and went past 'The Rising Sun' where there were Morris dancers outside putting on a dance for everyone.

 

 

 

Berkhamsted is a really nice little town...it's got a fantastic butchers which sells allsorts of different things so we made sure we picked up sausages and chicken for a bbq when it wasn't quite so wet .We finally moored up at 10 pm and fell into bed shattered.

It rained all night and all the following day...Jess was going to visit his dad and Pete and Greg went off shopping on the bikes. I thought this would be a good chance to catch up on some reading, so snuggled down in the warm.

How good does this mermaid look all made out of rope?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are all sorts of unusual sculptures outside this little fabrication shop.

 

 

 

 

I'm sure they won't come that cheap though.

While we were waiting for the lock to fill we saw these alpaca's and goats in someone's garden.

 

 

A nice mooring at Stoke Bruerne, where we were lucky to get a mooring as there was a canal festival on  and all the old working boats were there.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy days

Up the Grand Union

We set off at about 9 this morning and carried on up through the locks. It was a miserable  day and it kept raining on and off. We had a quick stop at Tesco's to replenish supplies (unfortunately the ones who went shopping remembered the beer and forgot the midget gems which ruined the day-PETE) and saw this post for Braunston on the other side of the canal.

 

 

Greg's sharp eyes spotted this terrapin basking on a rock.

 

 
 
As we neared a lock we saw a man struggling to bring a fish in that he'd caught. eventually he managed land a 16lb pike. We managed to take some photos of it and he released it back into the canal.

A bit further on and we spotted another terrapin...

I only just got his picture in time before he disappeared.

 

This poor crocodile was chained up in the garden.....With a big bone just out of reach- how cruel!!!!

Black Jack's mill is a bed and breakfast set in an old mill. I love this picture on the wall.

Greg managed to capture this picture of a Jay sitting just above him near a lock.

Happy days.

Off the Thames.

We left Sunbury at 10 0 clock on Sunday morning still not knowing if we would be able to get off the Thames at Brentford as we had been waiting to hear from the lock keeper because  high tide was going to be at 17.20 that evening and the Brent lock closed at 6pm. We decided to set off any way and hope for the best.

 
 

 

I thought this was a woman sitting on the steps till I waved and she didn't wave back....

 
 

This looked like Steptoe's  yard.

 

 

 

 

Greg's eyes lit up when he saw this cannon...I told him it was too heavy to get on the top of the boat..

 

 

The Hamptons.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

One of the 'look a like' paddle steamer boats that goes up and down taking the day trippers out.

 

 

 

 

There are a few moorings at Hampton Court but you have to get up early to get one. 

The golden gates looked amazing especially in the sunshine.

 

 

 

This covered in walk way looked interesting.

 

 

 

 

Ultra modern.....

I wonder where this leads to....

As we were chugging along these little sailing boats were whizzing around in front of us...how they manage to stay the right way up I'll never know, I was worried that I was going to knock one over.

It's the first time I've  ever seen a life size yellow duck in a boat... I think they were raising money for charity.

These boats below cost a cool half a million each.....

 We arrived at Teddington Lock just after lunch to be told there were other boats leaving at high tide and that we could join them.

Chitty, Chitty ,Bang ,Bang.

Finally Brent Lock.

Happy days.