A Helping Hand

Sunday, 30 November 2008 19:50

3 hours 23 minutes, 7.59 miles, 3 locks

The quiet evening became a quiet night – we both slept in! John had a few things to sort out on his laptop and then we set off in lovely sunshine. It was a bit cold though with the stiff breeze – I had 6 layers on!

We had decided to wind before lock 4, St Pancras lock. However as someone was at St Pancras Cruising Club to dispense fuel, we bought fuel at 20/80 and a gas bottle.

We then winded using the entrance to their basin and made our way back towards our night mooring. We were now at the beginning of our return journey along the Grand Union and down the Oxford canal to be near Banbury for Christmas and the New Year!

We just missed sharing Kentish Town lock (3) as we could see the gates closing. I got off (my foot is much better) and went to the lock to find that the Police were locking up a dingy. They apologised for not seeing us and promised to wait in the next lock!

As the next lock was prepared by one of their colleagues, the dingy came back, moored and one of them came to help me with the lock. He did not want us to crush him in the lock! I walked on and chatted to his crew another Constable. He explained that they were trialling the dinghy as management had bought two to replace the RIB they have been using without talking to the “users”. (Now where have I heard that before?) They were not impressed as it was too flimsy, light and tippy! Not a good buy then!

As they helped us with the top lock I remembered that I had said yesterday that as the locks were so hard it would be good to share them with another boat. I did not expect it to be with a plastic dinghy owned by the Police and to be locked through by them!

They work on the Thames too – but in the usual boats. I think the RIB will be re-commissioned as they think the dinghy is only suitable for flood work!

They asked us to report any “suspicious” behaviour to Wapping as “they know about River and canals” unlike a regular Police Station! Their work is mainly drug and alcohol related and also terrorism so we wondered if the chap sleeping under Marylebone Railway Bridge was “under cover”. Particularly as the dinghy, which had been following us turned around there to continue the trials!

We enjoyed the run in the sun and seeing blue skies over Little Venice and even the grey industrialised bits were better for the sun!

We moored at Sainsburys at Kensal Green Bridge to shop and as it was dark when we finished decided to stay the night.