This morning was spent with domesticities, such as doing the washing, shopping at Morrison’s and plane spotting! Joy sat on the back deck reading, and consistently failing to snap the best low-fliers.
The engine was checked, the anchor was checked, lifejackets checked, the maps were checked and at last the time came to venture out through Thames Lock.
Katie, the lockkeeper, opened the gates, and through we went taking some paperwork to Teddington for her, onto that big and busy waterway watching out for shipping, as we carefully edged out into the Tideway, what did we see… Nothing!
Upstream we went with the incoming tide helping us along.
The first encounter with other craft was two skiffs coming towards us, who told us to stick to the middle of the channel as the tide was still coming in.
Next was Richmond Lock, which had its barriers lowered so it was just another bridge. Twickenham Road Bridge, Richmond Railway Bridge and Richmond Bridge followed in quick succession.
En route we spotted two narrowboats we ‘knew’; Sawdust, from the Oxford Canal and Wee Dram, another ex-Oxfordshire Narrowboats vessel which used to belong to our friends Paul & Jackie.
While at Richmond we saw the Royal Barge Gloriana, the rowbarge which was in the vanguard of the Royal Jubilee Flotilla. As we approached Twickenham, a small ferry darted across in front of us. We then met two of the river ‘steamers’. Before we knew it we were at Teddington Lock waiting for for the green light.
Because of the state of the tide there was very little difference in the water level, in fact, after we moored up they opened both sets of gates so boats could go straight through for a time. We moored below the lock and sorted out licences etc. and waited for a visit from Rowland, Jeannette, Thomas & Cornelia (my nephew, his wife and children) who live nearby.
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| Richmond Lock | Twickenham Road Bridge Richmond Railway Bridge |
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| Ferry | Pleasure Boat |
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| Pleasure Boats | Joy liked the sky! |
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| Radnor House | |
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| Lock Moorings | Visitor Moorings |
nb wrens-nest 