A whistle stop car trip to Edinburgh and back to meet the newest member of the family resulted in a long day on Tuesday owing to very heavy traffic and then the proposed rail strike. Having planned to return to the boat on Wednesday without a car in tow, we realized the train was no longer an option and we’d be best to get back to the boat on Tuesday night. That resulted in a very quick turnaround once home. I did a clothes wash, found some sort of meal from the freezer to feed us and packed as minimally as possible so that we did not have too much luggage. We always disconnect the batteries when we vacate the boat so consequently the fridge is bare and as we’d be arriving after the shops shut I also needed to pack some fresh food. Walking down to the station I felt like a bag lady with a backpack, handbag and bags on both arms. R was similarly attired minus the handbag! He’d just managed to find the time to sort some necessary paperwork but I have to say it was not the most relaxing way to return to the boat, with the clock ticking before the midnight strike began!
The warm glow of lights from The Jolly Fisherman beckoned us in as we arrived at St Margaret’s station just before 10pm. A welcome nightcap and warm up in their cosy bar before we ‘walked the plank’ was too tempting to resist. Our boat was moored further along the towpath, only accessible by plank, which we thought to be a good security measure when we left it for five days, little expecting to be arriving back in the pitch dark! Thankfully it was neither too damp nor cold and it was a bonus to wake up on Wednesday morning knowing we had beaten the traffic chaos! K and her Canadian friend Ty popped in for morning coffee and to celebrate her birthday. She was brave to tackle our plank after recent knee surgery!
A final visit to the local chandler and a bill of £32 to sort the diesel tank leak put me in good spirits as I had no idea how long the repair job had taken and they charge at an hourly rate. I had to ask for an invoice – they seem to have forgotten all about the job! The afternoon saw the arrival of MM, R’s schoolfriend who lives in Australia. He had to take a taxi from Tottenham Hale tube but didn’t seem to mind, probably because he had found a good BnB deal at Roydon marina hotel. We moved the boat along to the Stort River and moored up after the first lock. That way it wasn’t too far for MM to walk to his hotel, nor was it too far for us all to walk to the local pub in Roydon for supper. Good pub grub, especially the chips but I was disappointed with my glass of prosecco that seemed devoid of any bubbles and I didn’t mention it until the glass was almost empty so I don’t think the waitress believed me! She certainly didn’t give me another!
A lovely day with MM yesterday travelling from Roydon to Ponders End. It was bittersweet to know we were leaving the River Lee as we have really enjoyed our time in Hertfordshire but equally it was uplifting to resume our travels, knowing we are heading for the big smoke, with the excitement and diversity of the large city. The sun shone and the wind was calm so we negotiated the seven locks en route with ease and MM was quite a pro by the end of his visit. I think he’s booked in for a longer trip when we hopefully go on the K&A next year. As a novice to the canals, he found it hard to believe the tranquil canal life running parallel to the hectic busyness of the commuter suburbs of London. We arrived at Ponders End, happy to find the train station a five minute walk from the boat, with a train due in three minutes! Bidding MM farewell we wandered around the locality and were saddened to see a fair few shops closed down and signs of obvious hardship. Ponders End seems to consist of factories and light industry interspersed with high rise housing and rows of back to back small terraced houses. A large Tesco probably accounts for the closure of some of the local independent shops but it was useful for us to buy an easy supper. With the fridge still turned off, I am buying food daily. Overnight I am impressed by how cold the milk stays hanging outside the hatch in an insulated carrier bag! I really think I need to look into buying solar panels for next spring/summer – most of the boaters we have met swear by them and I am missing having ice for my gin!
I bought a wide necked thermos back to the boat and having purchased a small pot of live natural yoghurt and some UHT milk I set about making my own yoghurt batch. Bring careful not to make the milk too hot, I added it to the warmed thermos with a tablespoon of the bought yoghurt. I then left it overnight and was delighted with the results. Far easier than all the faff of trying to make kefir. Poor R is probably in for a lot of yoghurt dishes in the coming weeks. It’s not his favourite food having over indulged before we were married – he lived near to a Sainsbury that used that particular store to test out all the new yoghurt flavours and R was one of their biggest guineapigs!
Today started early, not good for R who was so awake in the night he made himself a cup of tea and took to the other end of the boat to read. By 0745 we were moving along the cut with the deadline of arriving at a specific marina by 10am for a ‘pump out’. As it was over two hours from us the early start was obligatory. Alternatively we could have waited for the next available pumpout slot at 1pm but then we risked arriving at the Limehouse basin too late to find an overnight mooring. All went well until the Tottenham Hale lock. As you approach it there is a choice of two locks to enter and no obvious indication as to which lock is not in use! Choosing the lock on the right we realised we should have gone to the left. Whilst he had the chance R jumped off the boat to set the lock, leaving me to reverse the boat far enough back to enter the left lock rather than the right one. Factoring in the prevailing wind I found it impossible not to reverse without being blown to the side where there were three widebeams, one of them in immaculate condition! I had no option than to use my pole to avoid a side on collision and it was a fairly nerve wracking experience. At any time I was expecting an irate boater to shout at me. Either they had left for work, were fast asleep or they were used to this problem. I heard later from a seasoned boater at the marina it was a common hazard at that particular lock to get blown off course, which made me feel slightly better! The locks were clogged with quantities of ribbon weed that R did his best to remove and as we got nearer to Limehouse, we were amazed at the prolific amount of bright green duck weed. (Not to mention the discarded rubbish including a double mattress. I checked the weed hatch at the end of the day and was relieved to find nothing untoward was attached to the propellor.)
The pumpout was worth the early start. Having now experienced a few, this one was by far the most thorough. Not only did Ab, the kind guy do the whole procedure for me, he also thoroughly rinsed out the tank. We weren’t sure how full it was – our indicator is a little unpredictable, but we did notice the boat no longer leaning sideways afterwards! As we probably won’t find another working pumpout until the other side of London (apparently many of the CRT ones are broken) I feel mightily relieved to know the facilities are clean and empty! In addition we were able to refill the water tank after mooring up alongside the marina long enough for us both to have hot showers! I can’t tell you the joy of knowing we wouldn’t run out of water because we could refill the tank to the top after the shower! It’s the little things that give the most pleasure!
Ab was very chatty and told me he used to be a chef working 60-70 hrs per week, like his father and brother. Then covid hit and he ended up assisting his girlfriend move a narrowboat. Pulling up at this marina he asked, almost tongue in cheek, for a job. They employed him instantly and he’s been much happier. He’s also a musician so he can now get to all his gigs because of his regular work hours. He said his mum once asked him if ‘he wanted to earn lots of money or to be rich’ meaning to live a life that he felt gave him satisfaction doing what he loves, which is music. A very philosophical conversation for 10am!
Although the scenery becomes less picturesque, we still observed some beautiful autumnal trees and reservoirs of sparkling water when the sun was shining. There are plenty of colourful boats, some with amazing designs to cheer them further and a prolific amount of guady graffiti, especially under the concrete bridges.
Arriving at Limehouse basin we stopped at a deep mooring with a very precarious exit position! We went for a walk and discovered a great spot just after the first lock on the Regents canal. So, thinking we had finished for the day, we found a final burst of energy to move the boat. Just as well because it’s next to a Mediterranean takeaway and we are treating some friends to supper tonight who live nearby. V is a great friend of our daughter Ho and we’ve known her since primary school. Even though she’s younger and more agile, I wasn’t sure how she would like our previous precarious mooring!
NarrowboatTLC 