Only Three To Go
You might remember we experienced some pretty awful weather when we were moored in Llangollen for the winter last year. A few weeks ago, I received the poem below. It was written by Trish Hill, who was on one of the boats moored up with us, and I asked her if I could post it on the website, because I thought it was pretty good!
WINTER WANDERERS
There once was a time that nearly stood still
on the canal, below the castle that stood on the hill.
The boats they all moored, a formidable sight,
topic of many a conversation in The Sun at night.
Lilea Rose, Florence, Sol y Sombre, Chardonnay and Spadger,
Liberty Belle, Morning Mist, Great Escape, sometimes Badger,
All watched over by a linesman who knew
when you arrived, who you were and when your licence was due.
However
the weather
proved a distraction
as the north winds did blow we surely saw action.
Trees felled...not by axes
Snow fell so no taxis
Work ground to a halt as the river swelled higher,
And the trees that did fall provided wood for the fire.
But the boats all remained some ropes fastened tight,
And some wandered the street from morn until night.
But a love of diversity during that wet windy winter
Saw them embracing each other 'my brother my sister'
All brought together without prejudice or discrimination.
Bonding forever no messing no recrimination.
Now all moved on, different directions, different strokes,
and I will always remember that great group of folks.
Trish Hill
Sunday, 9th September
We've just had a great week away. We went on the Thames with our friends Sheridan and Ron on their Dutch barge, from Pangbourne to St. Katherine Dock, which is right by Tower Bridge in London. Ron had one of those 'special' birthdays to celebrate, and he and Sheridan invited about sixty of friends and family to a hog roast at The Swan at Pangbourne. They arrived by boat and moored outside the pub. Trev and I travelled by train, it was so convenient, the station was less than five minutes form the Swan. The party was a success, and the roast pig was delicious.
Then on Sunday we set off gently downstream. We passed through Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Sonning, Marlow, Maidenhead, Eton and Windsor, Runnymede, Staines, Chertsey and Kingston-on-Thames. It was a delightful trip, the Thames getting ever wider.
The countryside is pretty, the towns very pleasant and the variety of craft on the river made it all very interesting.
We took four nights to reach Teddington lock, which is the last one before the tidal Thames, and then, on Thursday morning, we were up at 5.30 ready to go through the lock at 6.30. We had to go down against the tide as we needed to arrive at St. Katherine at high water. The gates can only open at hight water because it's fairly shallow there.
Eventually we arrived at St.Katherine Dock, and tied up outside to wait for the lock to be opened. We were right by Tower Bridge.
As we waited an old Thames sailing barge came out of the dock.
Then it was our turn to go in. We moored up next to a yacht which had just come in from Australia. Imagine that. Well, I can't imagine it, actually. The couple who owned it were American and had salied it from The States to Australia and then to the UK. They invited us to have a look around, it was a beautiful boat, so well fitted out and quite different from a narrowboat. They had a water making machine on it, to convert seawater to drinking water. When they're out at sea for days they take it in turn to sleep.
Ben Fogel rowed this little boat single handed across the Atlantic.