Paddington to Limehouse

Sunday, and we fitted under the Maida Hill tunnel with feet to spare - don't know why we were worried - and were soon going through Camden Lock.  There were LOADS of people watching, and I got a bit flustered and forgot how to operate locks, but we got through all right with help from Laura and Gov, who were visiting for the second time.  Seems that they like boating - and seeing us - which makes me very happy.  And Laura, I will take the photo off here if you insist, but you look so lovely!

We dropped them off just before King's Cross and tied up for the night.  It turned out not to be such a good choice of mooring: later in the evening a boat just a few down from us was broken into. Luckily, the police noticed before we did and we missed everything bar the tail-end of the arrest process.  It still made for a slightly unrelaxing night though.


The following day we moved on less than half a mile and found a lovely place to stay right next to the station - another area that's been ponced up out of all recognition since I lived in London in the olden days.  There were chrome railings and fountains everywhere, not to mention security guards. Most of the day was spent on admin, but we had a bit of wander in the evening and marvelled at the new additions to King's Cross St. Pancras.  Now that's what I call a railway station!

It's hard to imagine even thinking you could improve such an incredible building, but all the new bits just work, somehow.

On Tuesday we went through the Islington tunnel - about half a mile long - and tried to find a spot close to where my niece Kathryn and her husband Zsolt have their boat moored, as we were due to meet them the following evening.   We passed their boat, and then literally dozens and dozens of others, all moored two abreast - and not a single space, not even for a little tiddler.

And so we went on, and on, past Hoxton and Shoreditch, past Dalston and Haggerston, and past South Hackney and Bethnal Green, by which time the light was fading, it was starting to rain, and the crew was getting fractious.

And then we saw it - a perfect little space with mooring rings, and even a fish and chip shop nearby.

We were past caring about the company (there was shouting on the next boat about someone leaving their hypodermics on the sofa) and thankfully it was too dark for us to appreciate the view.  We stuffed ourselves with chips and had the best night's sleep we've had in ages.

Wednesday, and we had to decide whether we should turn back towards Islington or press on to Limehouse.  Wonderfully, Kathryn and Zsolt said they'd come to us in Limehouse, so on we went, and moored in Limehouse Basin - the junction with the Thames, which is very, very exciting.  Soon we'll be going under Tower Bridge and past the Houses of Parliament, all in a tiny plastic boat!

We had a little look at the churning water beyond Limehouse Lock and caught the train to Surrey Quays where Decathlon sells life-jackets.  We are now kitted out with rather sleek-looking grey harnesses which explode into inflated orange tunics on immersion in water.  Apparently rain isn't enough to set them off, but we looked at the weather forecast anyway and decided to spend another night here - there'll be more sun and less wind on Friday and the tide will be less ferocious.

Had a lovely evening yesterday in the Grapes pub with Kathryn and Zsolt.  It's one of the oldest pubs in London and is owned by Sir Ian McKellen.   Gandalf's staff - the genuine article, we were told - is in pride of place behind the bar, and there's a little deck at the back where you can look out over the river.

We were even more pleased we'd decided to stay when we discovered that Laura could meet us for lunch today.  She works in Canary Wharf and we just ambled over there from our mooring and met her outside her office.  Laura works on the 45th floor, only four below the pointy bit, and we realised - again - how bumpkinish and slow-lane we are when she received more than twenty emails during lunch, and Mike and I had...   well, none, really, unless you count somebody wanting to know if I'd had an accident that wasn't my fault.

After lunch, we ambled back to the boat again to start preparing ourselves for tomorrow, only stopping to play a few rounds of crazy-golf in one of the big Canary Wharf office courtyards.  Yes, how bizarre is that, but it was free of charge and we aren't in a hurry.  London is full of surprises - including, I have to say, that Mike beat me at golf.

We're seeing Anita tonight - it really has been lovely meeting up with so many people - and then getting ourselves ready for tomorrow.  The trip up the tidal Thames is something we've been hoping to do for ages, and suddenly it's happening.  A little bit nervous, but mostly just very excited.