MERRY CHRISTMAS
from Yardley Gobion
No not this year - a few years back!
Red Diesel Theft Gayton Marina
Living close to Gayton Marina and Blisworth Arm, I received the following message through our local Neighbourhood Watch and thought it might help to post it.
Theft Red Diesel - Gayton Marina |
Northamptonshire Police are appealing for
information.
There has been a Theft of Red Diesel which occurred Gayton Marina, Blisworth Arm, taken from boats and a crane used on site.
This happened between 01:00-02:00 Friday 21st December 2018
Did you witness anything?
Did you see any person(s) in the area that looked suspicious?
Did you see any vehicle(s) that you were suspicious of?
If so, then please contact Northamptonshire Police on 101
REF 18000619966
You can also provide confidential information should you wish to remain anonymous. These calls can be made to the Independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
101 is the number to use to report incidents and for general enquiries. In an emergency dial 999.
In an emergency, when there is a crime in progress or a life at risk, always call 999.
To report a crime or incident, provide information or for advice, call 101 or visit www.northants.police.uk
To contact your Neighbourhood Team covering Towcester and surrounding villages they can be contacted on the following email:
NeighbourhoodTeamSouthNorthants-Towcester@northants.police.uk
You can also provide confidential information should you wish to remain anonymous. These calls can be made to the Independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org
There has been a Theft of Red Diesel which occurred Gayton Marina, Blisworth Arm, taken from boats and a crane used on site.
This happened between 01:00-02:00 Friday 21st December 2018
Did you witness anything?
Did you see any person(s) in the area that looked suspicious?
Did you see any vehicle(s) that you were suspicious of?
If so, then please contact Northamptonshire Police on 101
REF 18000619966
You can also provide confidential information should you wish to remain anonymous. These calls can be made to the Independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
101 is the number to use to report incidents and for general enquiries. In an emergency dial 999.
In an emergency, when there is a crime in progress or a life at risk, always call 999.
To report a crime or incident, provide information or for advice, call 101 or visit www.northants.police.uk
To contact your Neighbourhood Team covering Towcester and surrounding villages they can be contacted on the following email:
NeighbourhoodTeamSouthNorthants-Towcester@northants.police.uk
You can also provide confidential information should you wish to remain anonymous. These calls can be made to the Independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Progress on the New Milton Keynes Marina
Since we've been back home the new Campbell Wharf Marina near the city centre in Milton Keynes has been coming on a pace. Our monthly walking group held its annual Christmas Dinner at The Barge Woolstone in Milton Keynes on Tuesday. As is customary for our group we had a walk in the morning and it included a section in Campbell Park.
From the park it was possible to see the progress being made with jetties being installed. I see from their web site video that yesterday they installed the footbridge across the Grand Union.
The walk around Campbell Park and beyond (about 7 miles) was very pleasant with the recent rains abating and very little wind.
New marina with jetties being installed
From the park it was possible to see the progress being made with jetties being installed. I see from their web site video that yesterday they installed the footbridge across the Grand Union.
The walk around Campbell Park and beyond (about 7 miles) was very pleasant with the recent rains abating and very little wind.
A couple of obligatory group photos in Campbell Park
Bed Storage Project
Storage on narrowboats, irrespective of their length, is always valuable. Our double bed, which is 4 ft wide and therefore technically a "small double", sat on a fixed base. Originally the storage under the bed consisted of a box stretching across half the bed and accessible via two drop down flaps, and two modest drawers strategically positioned at the end of the bed (where there is a small alcove adjacent to the Alde heating and one of our two wardrobes).
The bed base on Albert was originally constructed from wooden slats. Soon after purchasing Albert I discovered that half the area under the bed base was unused and the space wasted. Getting access to this area was simple - I just cut the slats in half and lifted them out position whenever I needed access. Thus was born Albert's deep storage.
However, the physical effort to gain access was considerable because it required lifting and removing the heavy mattress. Over the years this deep storage has become invaluable, particularly for bedding and duvets, but the effort involved became a chore. Recently, with the change from summer to autumn boating, and the need to accommodate some extra bedding for our grandchildren, we accessed the deep storage on several occasions and it became irksome, so I began to contemplate improving access to the whole of the under bed area.
My concept was for a lifting solid base using gas struts that would allow for easy access to both sides of the bed. I chose 18 mm thick plywood sheeting for the base and used the cutting service at B & Q to get it accurately cut to the bed aperture. The next stage was to provide suitable ventilation via a series 48 x 70 mm holes cut by hole-saw. It took most of an afternoon to carry this out tedious task but I was pleased with the result.
To provide lift (and support) I chose two locking gas struts hinges from SGS. The weight to be lifted is required for specifying the struts. In this case the mattress weight was not easy to obtain. We purchased our mattress in 2016 from John Lewis but strangely the don't regularly provide mattress weights. It took some phone calls and a couple of days before I eventually got hold of a furniture specialist who provided the data. Our mattress weighs in at 24 kg and the base 18 kg.
Fitting the hinges required some physical effort because of the size and weight of the board and aligning the hinges was not simple but I achieved it using the instructions from SGS. Once in place the hinges worked well, so now we can get to deep storage without great effort.
The bed base on Albert was originally constructed from wooden slats. Soon after purchasing Albert I discovered that half the area under the bed base was unused and the space wasted. Getting access to this area was simple - I just cut the slats in half and lifted them out position whenever I needed access. Thus was born Albert's deep storage.
However, the physical effort to gain access was considerable because it required lifting and removing the heavy mattress. Over the years this deep storage has become invaluable, particularly for bedding and duvets, but the effort involved became a chore. Recently, with the change from summer to autumn boating, and the need to accommodate some extra bedding for our grandchildren, we accessed the deep storage on several occasions and it became irksome, so I began to contemplate improving access to the whole of the under bed area.
My concept was for a lifting solid base using gas struts that would allow for easy access to both sides of the bed. I chose 18 mm thick plywood sheeting for the base and used the cutting service at B & Q to get it accurately cut to the bed aperture. The next stage was to provide suitable ventilation via a series 48 x 70 mm holes cut by hole-saw. It took most of an afternoon to carry this out tedious task but I was pleased with the result.
Ventilated Bed Base
To provide lift (and support) I chose two locking gas struts hinges from SGS. The weight to be lifted is required for specifying the struts. In this case the mattress weight was not easy to obtain. We purchased our mattress in 2016 from John Lewis but strangely the don't regularly provide mattress weights. It took some phone calls and a couple of days before I eventually got hold of a furniture specialist who provided the data. Our mattress weighs in at 24 kg and the base 18 kg.
Fitting the hinges required some physical effort because of the size and weight of the board and aligning the hinges was not simple but I achieved it using the instructions from SGS. Once in place the hinges worked well, so now we can get to deep storage without great effort.
Storage
("normal" left & what was "deep" to the right)
SGS Locking Gas Strut Hinge
Back to Yardley Gobion
Frosty Morning in Berkhamsted
We travelled back to Albert on the evening of Thursday 1st November so we could get an early start on the Friday. The aim was to return Albert to Kingfisher Marina over the weekend. It was interesting negotiating the towpath in the dark but it was clear that in the intervening four nights the empty moorings had filled up a bit. We immediately set the stove and turned on the Alde and tried to get the boat warm. The morning was clear and very crisp with a good layer of frost on the roof.
Frost
Moved off after an early breakfast and picked up water in the town. Maggie visited Waitrose for supplies as I waited for the tank to fill. By mid morning we were working our way out of Berkamsted into Northchurch where were at one of the locks we met another boat going in our our direction. We were able to share the locks for the first time since Brentford. The other boat was going to Cowroast for a few days before taking part in the floating Christmas Markets later in the month.
Cowroast Lock
Tring summit
Bulborne Dry Dock
Marsworth Flight
We moored up just below the flight. It is a quiet location away from the train-line.
The next day, Saturday 3rd November, we were again up early and took Albert back across "The Fields" to Leighton Buzzard. A series of Wyvern Shipping hire boats were out for some late autumn cruising and passed us going South. There were also a number of live-aboards moving their boats.
Mike Askin's motor Victoria and butty Mercury at Leighton Buzzard
Bloggers Derwent 6 moored up at The Globe at Leighton Buzzard
On the Sunday morning, 4th November we dropped down our last significant lock at Stoke Hammond where we met a crew coming up (very handy) and then cruised through Milton Keynes to home.
Since we passed through MK a month ago the contractors working on the new marina and other developments at Campbell Park had made significant progress.
New marina in Milton Keynes
So in our month away from Yardley Gobion it appears we have travelled about 170 miles and passed through 176 locks.
Berkhamsted Again
We woke at Hunton Bridge on Saturday October 28th to some cold clear weather. Today our aim was to reach Berkhamsted where we we planned to leave Albert for a few days so we could return home by train for some childcare duties in Northants.
Setting off to operate the first lock of the day
North Grove Lock
We left just after eight and made great progress up through Kings Langley, Apsley and Hemel Hempstead. At Fisheries Lock where we had lunch on the way south, Maggie popped in to the excellent cafe and bought us a take-away lunch. It would have been great to linger and have a meal in the cafe but tempus fugit and we wanted to get to Berko before dark.
On some stretches, notably just north of Winkwell, some pounds were quite low and we were pleased not to be stopping overnight around there.
Also there are many locks where you have to raise a bottom paddle and leave the lock empty. At Bottom Side Lock (57) there were the usual signs requesting this and then at Lock 58 Sewer Lock the signs took a humorous turn, perhaps with a nod to the name of the lock!
Original
Modified
Maggie, who took these images decided not to reveal the modification to the CRT name but it is obvious.
The leakage referred to in these notices is not the usual leakage due to badly fitted gates, faulty paddle mechanisms and worn mitres but leakage into the lock walls due to poor brickwork and a lack of mortar (pointing). At Lock 57 this is very obvious when you look at the dreadful condition of the brickwork. Large sections of the lock chamber walls are missing bricks. Eventually this can lead to the sort of lock chamber failure that occurred a few years ago on the Aylesbury Arm.
Poor lock brickwork
It is obvious that leaving locks empty helps eke out the life of brickwork but it only puts off the day when proper remedial action is required.
We made Berkhamsted just before dark and moored up immediately above Ravens Lane Lock. As we got to the mooring, opposite Castle Wharf which was the same as we had used going south, we wondered quite why the moorings ahead were so quiet. Between the Crystal Palace and The Boat pubs there was only one boat other than Albert - a small fibre-glass cruiser. Only a month ago we had claimed the last overnight mooring on this section. I can only assume that CRT had ushered the boats we saw earlier onto winter moorings elsewhere in the town.
Quiet moorings in Berkhamsted
That night we tried cooking some chestnuts we had picked from a tree in our village on our stove. They cooked well and tasted fine - free food often tastes excellent!
Chestnut roasting
On the Sunday morning we scrubbed up Albert, packed a couple of bags and after an excellent Sunday Lunch at The Boat we head home on the train. It took just over 30 mins to get to Milton Keynes.
Good stuff and the brand has a rowing connection
(see the double sculler)
Hunton Bridge
The next day, Friday 26th October started as a wet a quite miserable day with some miles and locks to be "put on the clock". The run through places such as Harefield were quiet with only a few other hardened travellers on the move. In fact it wasn't until Springwell Lock that we met another boat at a lock going the other. Strangely they appeared to be complete novices at boat handling.
Working Pair near Denham
A morning rainbow near Springwell
As we got near Rickmansworth the weather began to improve and later in the day going through Watford it was really a quite pleasant autumn afternoon.
Wonderful selection of canal ephemera at Stockers Lock Cottage
We stopped off for supplies at Tesco in Rickmansworth and then pressed on through Batchworth Lock. We found it hard to resist (but did) the smell off bacon butties emanating from the cafe @ lock 81. Instead we decided we just had to have lunch on the move again and eat our customary fare of soup and sandwiches as we approached Common Moor Lock.
The trip through Cassiobury Park was as delightful as ever with walkers out in force. We pressed on with light fading and moored up just passed Hunton Bridge Locks. Givwen out troubles here on the way south we didn't want to risk mooring up below the "leaky locks".
Denham (just above The Deep)
We left Brentford basin early on Thursday October 25th because we didn't want to impede our neighbours on the inside (we were breasted-up) and we were keen to make good progress north because we were due back home the weekend. Now we new we were going to make Northamptonshire but we did was to be somewhere convenient to leave Albert for a few days.
The weather was cold an bright and a lot better for locking than on our way down when we had driving rain. A CRT maintenance boat left Brentford just ahead of us and we met it in the first lock (Clitheroe) and we faced the prospect of following it up the Hanwell flight filling each lock. However, just as we reached Hanwell Bottom Lock we found the CRT boat stopped with rubbish around their prop so they followed us up the flight. Volunteers from CRT we supposed to be on duty to help with the locks but they weren't answering their phone; so we went up alone. It was a decent run and the pounds were well filled so we had no problems. Eventually a single volunteer did appear just as we crossed Three Bridges (I usually point out at this point that there are actually only two bridges despite its name - one road and one canal and the railway at the "bottom" doesn't have a bridge). The volunteer set the Norwood Locks, which are the top two in the flight for us.
Once clear of the Hanwell flight it was a clear run with good weather through to Cowley Peachey. Lunch was on the move again (sandwiches and soup). We stopped at High Line Yachting mid-afternoon for a gas bottle since one ran out in Brentford.
Approaching GSK Headquarters at Brentford
The weather was cold an bright and a lot better for locking than on our way down when we had driving rain. A CRT maintenance boat left Brentford just ahead of us and we met it in the first lock (Clitheroe) and we faced the prospect of following it up the Hanwell flight filling each lock. However, just as we reached Hanwell Bottom Lock we found the CRT boat stopped with rubbish around their prop so they followed us up the flight. Volunteers from CRT we supposed to be on duty to help with the locks but they weren't answering their phone; so we went up alone. It was a decent run and the pounds were well filled so we had no problems. Eventually a single volunteer did appear just as we crossed Three Bridges (I usually point out at this point that there are actually only two bridges despite its name - one road and one canal and the railway at the "bottom" doesn't have a bridge). The volunteer set the Norwood Locks, which are the top two in the flight for us.
Entering a lock on the Hanwell Flight next to the "asylum wall"
Once clear of the Hanwell flight it was a clear run with good weather through to Cowley Peachey. Lunch was on the move again (sandwiches and soup). We stopped at High Line Yachting mid-afternoon for a gas bottle since one ran out in Brentford.
Looking down the Slough Arm
Does everybody promise that one day they might go down the Slough Arm just for the hell of it? We have passed it on many occasions and that thought always crosses my mind.
There were very few boats moving but as we got near Uxbridge a few were involved in visiting water points and sanitary stations. The day light soon started fading fast so we finally called it a day just above Denham Deep lock where there was an excellent quiet mooring with rings.
Tideway to Brentford
Enjoying lunch in the sun
Moored up at the lock
Once again the weather was kind with clear blue skies and lots of sun. Unlike the passage upriver this was at a full-moon with spring tide. The difference was marked with the tide taking the water level over the banks near Richmond.
As we left the lock with another narrow boat that was going down to their moorings at Chelsea Harbour, a gaggle of boats coming up on the tide from Brentford arrived. This included the former GUCC working-boat Dover that was featured some time back in a TV series.
Passing NB Dover at Teddington
Thames Conservancy/ Port of London marker near Teddington
Thames full to the brim at Richmond Hill
Passed by a PLA Cutter near Richmond
Richmond Bridge
Richmond
Twickenham
It was another delightful passage but as we got closer to Brentford the tide began to kick-in. It was first noticeable as we passed some buoys but then we definitely began moving more quickly. As always the turn into Brentford created interest. The entrance to the Grand Union is not very noticeable and you have to watch closely to spot it. Also the maneuver turning across the stream usually requires some power and this time was no exception; but we also had to cope with some racing eights and their coaching launches.
Passing some large vessels at Brentford
We had a warm welcome from the CRT lock keeper at the Thames Lock but by then the light was beginning to fade. We made it up through the automated Gauging Lock which had its own clean air initiative.
CRT's clean air initiative at Brentford
The mooring situation in Brentford basin was dire. No free spaces because nearly all berths are either 14 days or winter moorings. A developer wanting to sell posh flats has also taken out some spaces to install a pontoon with no rings and a sign saying No Mooring. The idea appears to be to make those visiting the show flat (basically a temporary box) avoid looking out over unsightly boats. Shades of what happened to the visitor moorings in Paddington Basin, Mind you some of the boats moored up on the 14 day moorings by our reckoning had been there over a month. After some persistence we finally double-berthed (breasted-up) against the inspection launch Peggy May who had come up the Tideway to Teddington with us earlier in the month.
Our overnight mooring at Brentford
In the evening we visited the excellent The Weir which is nearby and had a farewell early dinner with the family. A very enjoyable meal to end the day and our Thames Cruise. It was back to Grand Union locking in the morning.
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