Hawthorn

Hawthorn 

The Hawthorn grows mainly in Europe and can grow as a tree or shrub. It is used widely as a hedge/boundary tree in the farming community which is why most of us on the canals and rivers are very familiar with it.  There are many myths and legends connected to the Hawthorn tree, these are some of them.

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I make pendants from individually cut slices of hawthorn (collected from windfall wood, no trees are harmed in the making of these charms). They are then varnished and decorated by me. You can find them here:
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I chose Hawthorn for the base of these charms as the essence of the tree cleanses the heart of negativity and stimulates love and forgiveness.  I also love the folklore associated with it and living in a Narrowboat on the Canal it surrounds me on a daily basis.  

Hawthorn is respected as a tree of enchantment under the protection of the faery realms. It guards wells and springs. Its beautiful flowers are said to help your prayers reach heaven.

It is also said that if you sit under a Hawthorn on May 1st you are liable to be whisked away for good to the faery underworld. (Hawthorn has a big connection with the faery realm).  The original May Poles were also made of Hawthorn and people would decorate their houses with the blossoms. Hawthorn is the tree most representative of the struggles the Christian Church had in suppressing pagan beliefs and celebrations. 

Magikal Uses for Hawthorn include:

Wands made of this wood are of great power. 

Hawthorn can be used for protection, love and marriage spells.

The Hawthorn can live over 400 years in some regions. In May, it blossoms with an abundance of small white flowers with round petals.  The fruit or Haw has a two or three seeded fleshy pome scarlet on the outside, yellow and pulpy on the inside.  

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The Hawthorn has many medical properties. Among them being antispasmodic, cardio vascular, sedative and a vasodilator. Young leaves and flower buds can be added to salads. Teas are made from the berries and flowers. Also strong liquor is made from the buds. Berries can be made into a jelly. (Please note, if you are considering making any preparations or remedies please get the advise of a qualified practitioner before proceeding). The wood has been used for making handles and engravers blocks. Also the wood from the roots was used to make boxes and combs.

The Hawthorn is sacred to the Goddess Brigid and fertility. It also has connections to magic, happiness and chastity amongst others. Spring weddings would include bunches of flowering Hawthorn to help with fertility, with prayers to the Goddess for the happy couple. It is also the tree of True partnership, love and commitment. In ancient Greece the bride and groom would wear hawthorn flowers on their heads and the wedding party would carry burning branches of Hawthorn.

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Women would hold on to some Hawthorn as they called upon their Goddess (Brigid or Aine in UK or Ireland) to increase their fertility throughout the year. This would be in the form of a branch or wand. On the other end of the scale the leaves of the Hawthorn would be placed in someone's bed to bring chastity.

Hawthorn branches would be placed on a home to adorn it during the spring and summer this was called “going a maying”. Hawthorn is not usually in flower on the 1st of May this is because May Day was traditionally on the 13th May until it was changed in 1732.

On May Day morning the branches, with its abundance of flowers would be collected and woven together and placed on windows and doors. The weaving together would strengthen the magical properties of the Hawthorn as would the morning dew. A home would look and feel surrounded by abundant white flowers of the Hawthorn, adorning your home after long winter months and knowing the spring was here and summer round the corner. This was also said to protect your home against evil spirits for the year.

Hawthorn is also a tree of protection. It is said that it prevents lightening from striking the home, storm damage too, and it also brings happiness to the sad and depressed.

Hawthorn would be protected by the locals as it was said to have a guardian spirit that would be angry if the tree was not cared for. The penalties given to those who cut a sacred Hawthorn or any of the seven Sacred Trees of Europe were severe especially in Ireland and ancient Britain.

The Hawthorn is a very important tree to local wildlife. Boundary hedges were used for taking parts of the trees for its use but a Hawthorn standing alone would be left as this was considered a faery tree and is sacred to the faeries. The faery triads of trees are the Oak, Ash and Thorn and if all three trees grow together it was said one could sit by them and see the faeries. Tying together Oak, Ash and Hawthorn with a red ribbon would also bring protection from the Faeries. Tying ribbons or rags to a Hawthorn on May Day was an old custom to give gifts to the faeries.

The hawthorn has associations to Kings and Queens, Saints and also Christianity. The Holy Thorn on Wearyall Hill in Glastonbury is one of our most famous of Hawthorn’s as it flowers on the Midwinter Solstice and on Christmas day a flowering twig is cut and sent to the Queen. This tree is said to be from the original Hawthorn planted by Joseph of Arrhythmia two thousand years ago. The crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head was said to be a hawthorn.

Recourses: http://www.thegoddesstree.com/trees/Hawthorn.htm

               

                http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/treelore/hawthorn.html

Hag Stones

I've always had a thing about these, but never been fortunate enough to own one.  I really  love the folk lore that surrounds them and have always been fascinated by how long each hole took to be created and by what it was made.

I have often OMG'd when seeing another person wearing one, and they have looked at me knowing I know what it is and how hard they are to find.

Being a boater I particularly like the association with water that they have, being mostly created whilst being tumbled around by currents and tides, so they say.

I happened to mentioned Hag Stones whilst sipping a pint in a particularly nice canal side pub.  We had just sat down in the beer garden which was covered in loads of pebbles and I happened to say 'I wonder if there are any Hag Stones in amongst this lot?'  

Both Yogi and Eddie looked at me with blank expressions, wondering if I had had too much lager already lol.

So I explained how Hag Stones are very rare as they have a naturally made hole going through the stone and how there was a lot of myth and legend associated with them. 

With that, both of their heads disappeared under the beer table as they started to look for them in the pebbles beneath their feet!!

Whilst they were rummaging through the stones around them I shared the knowledge I had regarding them, which wasn't much, but kept us all amused for the next hour or so. 

I knew that the hole had to have been made naturally and to find one was considered extremely lucky. 

I also knew that if you looked through the hole you were supposed to be able to see through into the fairy realm.  Fishermen used to tie them to their boats and believed that they could help protect from evil spirits and witches.  They were thought to guarantee good winds and haul for the fishermen too.  People used the stones for protection, for their house, animals and from witches.  The funny thing is that witches used them too; for healing, cleansing and fertility.  I find it particularly interesting that these stones could be used by, and protect you from witches.  I like dual purpose lol

The people on the tables around us must have thought we were barmy!  That's what the sideways glances,whispering and friend nudges were telling me anyway.  Hey ho, we were having fun and the guys found me some right nice stones between them.  They will get transformed into pendants at some stage but unfortunately none of them had holes in. So sadly, I was still without my coveted stone :0(.  

Pint glasses empty and pockets full of potential pendants we headed back across the lock to Rae and Chetwynd.  Boys in front and me trailing behind as per usual.  Eddie stopped suddenly and bent down, then arose triumphant, holding his right hand aloft in victory!  He had found one, miles from the pub, hidden in the grass! 

Just goes to show, doesn't matter how hard you look for something, it will appear when it is good and ready and not before.

Both Yogi and Eddie are now my official Hag Stone Detectors and they have been very successful in their efforts to find these elusive treasures.  Thanks to their efforts , I have a small collection of the precious little buggers for sale in my ebay shop. 

The WitchCrafter

Resources 

I particularly like the description on this website: 
http://thewaysofawitch.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/hag-stones/

About Me

Blowing my own trumpet is not something I am comfortable doing but I have been asked to write a mini biography to explain who I am and what I am about. So here goes.

I fell into boating by mistake really.  I moved in with my other half on his boat, after just visiting him for a cuppa!! I never went home. There was something about being so close to nature I found irresistible. Six years and seven boat changes later we're still here and could not imagine any other way of life.

I don't have a degree, I'm not a member of any organisations, I own nothing but my boat and its contents and my beloved MG Midget which I talk to a lot and lovingly call 'Little Red'.  I am forty something and female.

I was involved in  (along with many other boaters) organising and vocalising objections to the Lee and Stort Proposals which the then BW were trying to introduce. The Upper Lee and Stort voted for me to represent them as their spokes person to discuss alternatives with the then BW.  I made a point of trying to speak to as many boaters as I could to ensure I could confidently say my voice was the voice of the boaters I represented. I would go with the majority opinion even if i didn't agree with it.

After a lot of work from the Lee and Stort group and the London Boaters The proposals were eventually withdrawn.

After that I negotiated a reduction in the costs of Winter Moorings with BW  in the Lee and Stort area.

Since then I have been travelling the network from Essex to Huddersfield and most points in between.  

I have been following the SEVM strategy with interest and have my reservations regarding the new shorter visitor mooring rules. I am worried that available 14 day moorings are going to be eroded by lack of maintenance.  Leaving the only alternative being the shorter stay VM's. causing me to have to move much more often than every 14 days. This would be more costly to me and to the environment I live in. More diesel costs, greater wear and tare on locks etc. 

I want to preserve my way of life,  to be able to move freely around the network without fear of not being able to find a free 14 day mooring.  I want to be confident that the canals and rivers will have somewhere for me in 10, 15, 20 years time.    I understand the need for enforcement and maintenance but feel very strongly that cash is being wasted on fruitless ideas and not being invested back into the network or spent where it is actually needed.

We may be the minority of licence holders but we are on the water the majority of the time.  We probably understand what is needed on a national scale better than anyone.  I want our voice to be heard and intend to do my best to make sure it is.

Continuous Cruisers have been until now a vastly untapped recourse.  Unfortunately, their value is being seen from a monetary point of view and not as a notional one.  If you added together the costs that are saved by those of us who live aboard and cruise the network maintaining it as we go, giving advice to visitors and helping those holidaying on the water.  It would far outweigh any revenue that could be raised by possible overstay charges for example.  We are the unsung volunteers.

Continuously Cruising Liveaboards help to keep the canals and rivers running during the Winter, our movements keep the locks in working order, keep the silt at bay and our presence on the towpath gives peace of mind to walkers and cyclists as the nights draw in. 

Well that's me.

Ronni Payne

Buckby Top Lock

Well, after the most leisurely cruise up to the top lock, including a two day stop over half way up. We arrived at Buckby Top Lock on Sunday. Just in time for the marvellous roast dinner which is served by the New Inn. I highly recommend it,as do Yogi and Ed. 

We have had a good couple of days trading and I got two commissions for my rope work. One was for a pair of tiller tassels which the lady planned to use as bell handles. The other was for a long decorative rope which hangs on the side of the boat to protect your paintwork should your chimney tip over.  (Or for you to grab to pull the boat in). I also had a request to make some dog leads for next time we came through.  So will need to get some clips. 

We are off through Blisworth Tunnel Tomorrow for a stint near the Admiral Nelson before heading down into Braunston proper. 

My experience of CART handling the launch of Stoke Bruerne new VM rules

We haven't been trading that long so this was our first time trading at Stoke Bruerne. We arrived about 5pm on Thursday night ready for trading the weekend. 

             

Friday 23rd August

All the new signage is in place stating the new rules start today when on the Internet it stated the start date was tomorrow.  Also some of the arrows were pointing the wrong way causing confusion there too. Zones were not clearly marked on the towpath so we just guessed that the first couple of  zones would be between the tunnel mouth and the top lock. Shortly after us another trader arrived and tied up. 

In the afternoon an Un-uniformed volunteer on his first day arrived and started taking numbers, we advised him there was an anomaly being that the signage stated it started today but CART website states it doesn't start till tomorrow? He phones CRT fella who arrives within the hour to argue the case till he is shown the evidence on the cart website and backs down.  (After volunteer has already taken our number).  A reasonably heated discussion ensues with said CRT  employee who hasn't spoken to anyone who is against the VM changes and as far as he is concerned everyone is all for it apart from us.

We were given a map which showed the various zones.  The third trade boat which arrived earlier 

Moved down two locks to the next available zone. 

Saturday 24th August. 

Another Trade boat arrived today which had phoned Suzie Mercer I believe and booked a three day stay in the zone we were in, to enable them to meet some family which were due to visit. They, i beleive were unaware of the two trader limit and wasnt advised by Ms Mercer when they called either. So now we have three trade boats in one zone lol.  That afternoon Julia Moore and Jeff Wyatt arrived to take numbers and a very awkward situation arose when they arrived at our boat.  There was a chap, who I have spoken to on the internet many times moored in front of us, he is most unhappy with various members of the CART 'team' and had been telling us all sorts of horror stories earlier in the day.  He happened to be chatting to Yogi as Jeff Wyatt approached.  The chap in question greeted him politely, and the conversation went something like this:

Neigbour: 'Mr Wyatt'. 

JW 'Ah Mr &&&&& , I didn't recognise you with your teeth'. 

Neighbour: 'Pardon?'

JW ' erm, I didn't recognise you with your glasses'

It was quite awkward and obvious that Mr Wyatt didn't like my neighbour. 

To try and dilute the situation a bit, I asked why CART had imposed a two trader limit?  To be told that the RCTA had requested the limit and not CART.  I didn't think this was the case and explained that it had been enforced by CART upon us as an exchange for being able to stay for two extra days. But they were both adamant, this was not the case, RCTA has stipulated the restriction and went on to say they 'had hoped that traders would police themselves'.   This made me a bit cross and I said I would check with the RCTA as I was sure this was not the case. 

This prompted our neighbour to point out various other instances where CART had said stuff that wasn't true or accurate. Including, how CART had said they had had loads of complaints regarding Visitor Moorings being full, but a FOI request proved this to be untrue. 

Mr Wyatts attitude towards our neighbour was terrible, he became very aggressive, shouting 'he did not appreciate being called a liar!'  This then degenerated into what I can only describe as a slanging match. For a CART representative to behave in such a way is unacceptable.  

It was awful to witness,  to have such a blazing row, using such insulting language was very unprofessional and definitely not the behaviour I would have expected from someone at that level of management. I have never met him before, I have a fair impression of him now, and its not a good one. 

That evening I advised the RCTA what had happened and was advised that Susie Mercer stipulated the limit.  I became more cross.  People in a position of authirity, giving information to the public need to be giving the correct information. If I had not been a member of the RCTA and known the truth of the matter I would have taken Julia Moore at her word. Ending up very misinformed.  

Sunday 25th August

Jeff Wyatt appeared again today, taking numbers and hovering outside my boat. My neighbour was sitting in his chair on the bank soaking up the sun. 

I engaged him in conversation, I felt I had to, he was hovering. So I asked him about the lack of 14 day VM at Stoke Bruerne. Saying I thought, seeing as CC's made up 10% of boaters, shouldn't 10% of VM space be allocated to14 days?

He explained about how years ago VM were marked up as 14 days to give boaters a different place to moor, to enjoy different areas etc. (or words to that effect, I cant remember exactly). He then went on to say that there will no longer be any 14 day visitor moorings . The definition of a VM will be a place to moor that is less than 14 days.  Basic towpath moorings will be 14 days and visitor moorings will always be less.  He said he planned to mow extra grass on either side of the visitor moorings to  make it easier for people to moor outside the VM for 14 day's and wouldn't be putting any rings in ( which would make it a facility). 

I said thank you and turned to serve a customer, or do something to politely indicate the conversation had ended. 

Mr Wyatt went and sat apx 10 feet away on the bank just behind my neighbour, opposite his boat.  He played with his paperwork and made a phone call, all the while watching my neighbour, who was sitting facing me so had his back to him.  He sat there for ages, looking very aggravated and gave me the impression he was trying to goad my neighbour.   You could actually cut the atmosphere he was creating with a knife.  It prompted me to advise my neighbour to 'stay calm and don't rise to it'. 

After about ten minutes Mr Wyatt approached my neighbour with some paperwork. 'I have to give you this' he said with no explanation of what it was. I thought it was a ticket.

'No thank you, don't want it' was my neighbours reply

'Thats your choice' he continued still holding the folded paper out  ' but I have to give it to you'

'What is it? I asked as it seemed we were not getting anywhere with the paper transfer. 

It was explanitory notes stating that if my neighbour was here tomorrow he would incur the £25 per day fine/charge.  He explained he didn't need a copy as he planned to move to the next zone tomorrow. I asked him to give it to me as I would be interested in reading it. 

We  also mentioned that instead of giving every visiting boat 2-3 leaflets per visit perhaps the charity's money could be better spent on some clear explanatory signage.  Again we were told everyone apart from us it would seem thought it far better to make all those copies. 

So, it would seem that everyone that CART speak to is all for the changes but everyone I spoke to was against and I made a point of staying on the fence when I spoke.  

I was told by some boaters that it was actually the villagers that pushed for the restrictions as they didn't like the 'scruffy boats' staying there. Don't know how true that was but by the end of the weekend Stoke Bruerne had lost all its charm for me.   We left Sunday evening as by this time we had had enough. I don't think we will be returning any time soon either. 

Lady of Leisure :0)

I have been taking it nice and easy today.  It has been a double edged sword really.  Am feeling a lot better and starting to look around me thinking this needs doing, that needs doing.  But still cant really DO anything apart from shuffle about up and down the boat. 
Ed is chief lock wheeler for the next few days.  he has picked himself up a bunny suit to wear whilst performing his duties.  Keeping warm is paramount in this weather and what weather we have had today!!
Bright sunshine, rain, snow hail all in a 3 mile stretch of canal!! Not that I have had to encounter any of it stuck indoors looking at the walls lol :0)
I'm not used to being inside Rae when she is travelling, it's a weird sensation.  You have the familiar thud, thud, thud of the engine but added to that you have a multitude of vibratory noises.  I spent quite a time standing in the kitchen listening intently, moving  a saucepan to stop one rattle, a hanging spatula to remove another.  The poker in the living room was another all gradually reducing the noise but never quite finding every one. 

The other thing I noticed was the swaying, which is more noticeable when we are just coming out of a lock.  When the prop is turning on tick over it causes Rae to rock from side to side.  We have noticed it before from the outside but experiencing it from the inside is another matter.  I had to open the front doors to stop me from feeling sea sick! 
Fisheries Lock was our final destination today.  Ed is a keen metal detector and he had spotted a place he wanted to have a quick look at.  He has just come back through the door actually with a story that had had to interrupt this part of the blog.  He is quite excited as he had found a silver coin, round with no bevelling but as it was so dark outside he couldn't make out what it was.  He eagerly took it out of his bunny suit pocket, looked at it in the light, and said 'Bugger, its a bloody dogs name tag!!'  He also found a small white ceramic jar, which is currently covered in mud so you will have to wait to find out what that was.

We made a pit stop at Apsley Sainsbury's to stock up on provisions and to fill and empty the relevant tanks, as you do when you live on a boat.  We then hit Sainsbury's, all three of us!!
I used the trolley to lean on whilst giving directions to the items required.  Bottom shelf, orange wrapper. Top shelf green bag etc etc  We must have been quite a spectacle, but between us we got the job done.  I do now have a Wok full of goodies though all hand picked by the men :0)

Losing track of time

Ok, what day is it today? Will have to check calendar as I have no idea!! River time gets you like that, you live in perpetual Sundays. Ok, after checking my phone calendar I find that today is Tuesday 12th, I saw the kingfisher on (checks Facebook for date of post) March 5th!!! God I have to catch up on a weeks worth of blog!

I have been remiss I know, but in my defence I have been pretty much flat on my back the whole time staring at the ceiling. I have a few photos that Yog took but not many. They help to jog my memory when writing so lack of photos is not a good thing. Hey ho, will give it a go. Will start with a list of my missing days and using facebook, photos and my crap memory will try and fill in from there.
Mar5th eve- I remember the hangover the day after so this evening was spent with Mick & Marie putting the world to rights and consuming red wine.

Mar6th- Yog spent the day observing the work in the lock as they tried to raise Martins boat.  Can you believe that C&RT put a Section 8 on the boat while it was in the lock to claim salvage rights on it if he didn't manage to raise it!!  They offered him no help at all and made their hindering presence known throughout the whole situation.  eg: He bought a load of wood from nearby Travis Perkins because C&RT wouldn't give him the use of theirs, and they refused to let him use it because it hadn't been 'tested for H&S' (after he had bought it).   As far as I know it cost him in excess of £4k to raise his boat in the end, I bet C&RT were devastated he managed it.  Now don't get me wrong, I don't expect C&RT to foot the bill or anything like that but to offer NO HELP at all and in fact appear to try and hinder him at every opportunity whilst leaving the poor chap to fend for himself in that awful situation is unforgivable in my opinion.    Why am I not surprised though, lets face it they are happy to tell you downright lies to get what they want, as has been proved in recent FOI request answers.

Snowdrops at St Mary's

While Yog was busy monitoring the activities at Batchworth lock, I decided to venture out into Rickmansworth Town Centre.  My back was starting to feel better enough for the thought of a quick jaunt round the charity shops to be a pleasurable thing rather than a pain wracked endurance test.  I remember I was feeling a bit stressed, not sure why now, I think I was still feeling guilty about missing Pamelas Birthday, that as well as the one or two word texts I was getting from her were giving me the impression she was still not a happy bunny, there was probably no reason for it but I was stressing. I would normally get a mini essay at the very least!!  Its horrible having your best mate 200 miles away.  You cant just nip round for a moan when you want, or shoot up the shops for a quick coffee.  Everything has to be organised in a military fashion, free weekends, train tickets, shopping itinerary.  Its all important stuff, and to miss you exit to get to it is most upsetting for all concerned. 

So, feeling the need for relaxation I felt myself drawn to St Mary's Church Rickmansworth.  As I walked through the graveyard I noticed how well kept and tidy the exterior of the church was.  There were snowdrops lining the path leading towards the door as well as dotted around the grass surrounding the various weathered graves.  There was a sign outside inviting you in and I accepted the invitation.  Inside was completely devoid of human occupancy, just me and the huge stained glass window facing me.  I sat myself down on one of the seats near the back and just looked at the building interior.  It was beautiful, silent and relaxing.  As I sat there taking in my surroundings I felt my stresses just draining away, as if being gently removed form my muscles and fibres.  I thought about the work that must have gone into this building, the arches, the glass, the woodwork, everything about the building just made you want to look at it and wonder when it was made and who made it.  I am so glad I took the time to venture inside. I felt much better. 

 I covered the High Street with renewed vigour, my charity shop haul was a good one.  the local butchers had a good spread which I duly cherry picked from and I even allowed myself a posh coffee in the local coffee house.  By the time I returned to Rae, Martins boat had been raised and removed and was now moored above the lock.  Albeit a but damp and soggy round the edges.  All that remained now was for the booms to be removed and we could be on our way again. 

Mar7th- The booms were removed by 10 am and we were on our way again.  It was a shitty day though, not my favourite pastime locking in the rain but needs must and all that.  Waterproofed up to the nines we started off through Batchworth Lock, past Martins boat and onwards towards Cassio Bridge Lock  which was due to re-open tomorrow after having new gates fitted.  I managed to get half way through the second lock of the day before my back pinged and I was done for the rest of the week. Yog had to manage on his own for the rest of the day, we still managed to get to where we needed to go even without me doing the locks!!  Which was just as well really because I was done in and broken, good and proper.  So much so that Yog had to do the dinner and everything.

New Gates at Cassio Bridge

Mar8th - They finished the lock on schedule and we headed off again, me stuck in bed and Yog on the tiller, travelling basically single handed.  We got as far as Iron Bridge Lock before we stopped for the evening and Yog took off his tiller hat and put on his boatwife hat instead because I was still flat on my back and boatwife duties as well as locking duties were the last ting I needed to worry about.   
SatMar9th- Today was my darling daddies birthday, if he was still alive he would have been 76 years young.  Stuck in bed, I felt I was 176.  Yog chugged on and got us to  Lady Chapels Lock and then did Shepherds Pie for dinner, with grated cheese on top!  He is getting adventurous with his ready meal cooking!! Saying that, He does better than I do with them, I can never get them out of the plastic trays without them looking like a something that has been regurgitated, but Yog actually gets them looking edible???


SunMar10th - I have no recollection or photo brain jogger for this day, all I can remember is that I did nothing all day and that Yog cooked fishermans pie with frozen mixed veg.  (a new addition to his repoitoir).
MonMar11th- It was bloody cold today, I know this because I managed to walk to the local shop near Hunton Bridge, where we moored for the night.  We then had Pizza for dinner, which Yog cooked.  He then tried to get hold of James Bills the coalman on facebook.  He had checked in 4 locks behind us and was heading our way!!  We had less than half a bag of coal to our name and needed replenishment!!
TueMar12th -Excellent, James has just pulled up next to the boat, he got our message two locks back.  How marvelous that you can use Facebook to book a coal delivery!!  Better still he takes card payments and I didnt have to walk up the hill again to get some cash for him.  Coal safely onboard Yog headed off towards Kings Langley, Ed is on his way by train and we have arranged to meet him there.  Ed has arrived, I am now uptodate and am going to celebrate with a ciggie and a cup of coffee.  

You cant always believe what you read on Facebook

We started the day today with a stroll around Uxbridge, found a nice cafe near the station and had some breakfast.  Checked out the charity shops, which were all a bit commercial, lots of new stuff and the other stock in there was quite expensive considering it was second hand.  All I came home with was a black striped shirt which I am going to use to make some pirate bunting for decorating Rae. 
John on Amedeaus had caught up with us the previous day and was heading to Denham Deep so when we got back to the boat we headed off together and shared the locks,  Poor old John had only just got up when we returned, already full of breakfast, essential and fun shopping done and under our belts.
We had read on facebook that unfortunately a boat had gone down in Batchworth lock. So it was going to be another short but sweet day and we planned to stop at Rickmansworth anyway to catch up with Mick and Marie on NB Illusions as it had become somewhat of a tradition to do so :0).

Yogi, not Paying Attention!!!

We shared the first two locks with John and after that we were on our own.  What a lovely day it was too!! The sun was shining and you could feel the warmth on your back from it.  The towpath was busy with walkers, joggers and twitchers all enjoying the weather.  I had the opportunity to get my own back on Yogi at Denham Deep Lock, he was so busy looking at James Bills Coal boat in the dry dock he didn't  notice that the gates had equalised so I had to remind him to 'Pay attention!!' Something he had quite vocally done to me when I made him wait 3 minutes at Old Ford Lock on the Regents Canal!!  Ha Ha I think he got the point :0)  We had been checking the situation in Batchworth and it seemed that the owner of the boat had been left to recover the boat himself, C&RT had basically told him he was on his own!!  There were also rumours that he had left his boat unattended in a filling lock whilst getting himself a cup of tea!!  At the time we were feeling less than sympathetic towards him it has to be said.

Wide Water Lock

Just after passing through Black Jacks Lock I spotted a Kingfisher.  Well, I didn't just spot it, I experienced it.   It came shooting out of the water with a tiny fish in its mouth,  the fish was flapping furiously and I only saw it because its wet scales caught the sun.  It was less than an inch long and shone brightly in the tiny birds beak. It had landed on a branch not 3 feet away from me, holding its catch proudly, looking straight at me it seemed.  Watching me fumbling around for my camera to take a photo and realising by the time I had it, it was too late. 

We reached Rickmansworth late afternoon and moored up just above Stockers Lock right next to a huge fallen Oak.  All you could see was the underneath of it a huge expanse of dried roots and stones about 7 feet in diameter.  It looked like it had stood right next to the towpath and the rains had weakened the roots to cause it to topple away from the canal.  Lucky really, because it was a big old boy and would have blocked the canal for ages.  I couldn't help myself, I jumped in the hole, and started picking away at the root ball to get stones from it.  I figured that to be under the centre of a big ol'  tree like that they had to be be old, and I got some beauties from it.  All different shapes and colours of flint.  Am going to be making some pendants from them and am looking forward to seeing how they turn out.  Yog took a walk up to the lock to check out what was happening with the boat and met the owner Martin, he explained what had happened and it was quite a bit different to what had been appearing on facebook that day.

Basically, he had just bought the boat and wasn't used to the length of it, he entered the lock as normal, tied it to the bollard as normal and went to order tea and a bacon sandwich BEFORE opening the paddles.  He returned to the lock, did the paddles and didn't realise that the boat being 10 feet longer was that much nearer to the back gates of the lock.  The rudder got stuck in the gap between the gates and that was it, he couldn't even see what had happened as he was at the front with the paddles but once he had realised,the first thing he did was jump onto the boat to rescue his old dog and just had time to grab his wallet before it was too late. 
It just goes to show how quickly things can go wrong.  But at least he and his dog were ok.  Things could have been a lot worse. 







Short But Sweet - Cowley to Uxbridge

What a lovely day today has turned out to be.  The sun is shining and it really feels like summer is on its way.  We can feel the boats passing us,  on the move up and down the canal.  Every time he hears an engine or feels the boat move he is up, nose in the porthole watching them leave him behind.  Its giving Yog an itchy tiller so we will soon be on the move too, I can feel it in my water.

True to form, we set off around 11am (this is the afternoon for Yog I should add).
Our day would be spent at a nice leisurely pace as neither of us are in any particular hurry.  Only one lock to do today, as I had decided to stop in Uxbridge.  My iPhone and Facebook had told me there were charity shops to be explored there so it was a no brainer!!  Also the fact that my back was still twangy, there was no way today would be a mission from hell day, I needed my back for charity shopping!!!

Yog moored at the lock landing and came to help me do the lock (well, pretty much do the lock really) so I took great pleasure in supervising the rooky lol.....Shall see what the repercussions are for that comment lol



We managed to bump into Louise Yeoman, a boater I had spoken to quite a few times on the Cowley & Uxbridge Boaters Facebook Page.  They have been having similar problems in this area as we had a couple of years ago on the Lee and Stort, with C&RT getting heavy handed cave man on boaters. So it was a good opportunity to put a face to the profile picture as well as try to answer any questions she had as well as give her the benefit of my experiences.  Or in other words, a perfect reason to stop and drink more tea!!

Funnily enough, another boater I had previously met through the group Steve Jay, rang me whilst I was drinking tea with Louise.  So we arranged to meet him in Uxbridge as we were both heading that way. 

So we said our goodbyes and headed towards Steve and his nearly out of date beer!!

He had mentioned he had quite a few bottles on his boat that NEEDED to be consumed before their sell by date.  Yog and I are not the kind to refuse a plea for help, so we immediately headed off in his direction!!

It wasn't that long before we were sitting aboard his stunning widebeam. (as in boat, not anything rude). Sipping nearly out of date beer whilst his mad dog (also called Ronni) did his best to shag us at every given opportunity!!

I am so glad I had the forethought to stick some food in the oven before meeting up with Steve as after a few tinnies with him I was not in the mood for cooking.  So thanks to my excellent preparation we had half cooked sausages and cold beans when we got back lol.

At Last the Grand Union

The next morning, once the log delivery had been made we stopped at Highline Yachting to wait for them to open.  We have learnt from experience, that you never pass a facility if you need anything, however small or insignificant it may seem.  We needed to top up our diesel supply so we stopped and waited for them to open at 10am.  The chap there congratulated us as we were the first customers he had had for diesel for the new price of £1 per litre.  Great!!

All topped up we headed off again towards the end of the Paddington Arm. 

I mentioned briefly about coconut spotting yesterday and today I took the time to have a look and find out why they are there in the canal. 
Coconuts
The link above is quite a good one and gives you more detailed explanations of the meanings given to Coconuts by the Hindu faith but a quick summary and by no means an educated view would be this. 

An image of Lord Shiva

Coconut plays a vital role in all puja rituals. The coconut is a satvic fruit. It is sacred, pure, clean, and health giving, endowed with several properties. It is also offered on occasions like weddings, festivals, the use of a new vehicle, bridge, house etc. The marks on the coconut are  thought to represent the three-eyed Lord Shiva and therefore it is considered to be a means to fulfil our desires. It is also used in funeral rituals and to represent the ancestors.

Our engine, although still smokey is running well.  Yog has stripped her down and rebuilt her so many times now he can do it quicker than he can put together an Ikea flat pack!!  Each time, she runs that little bit better, the smoke gets that little bit less and she sounds that little bit nicer.  She sounds so lovely when we are going along too, you can feel the engine thudding gently vibrating the boat under your feet, sending a quiver through your body.  At the same time the 'phut phat phut' of the exhaust adds a  rhythmic drumming to the journey.  Every time we stop at a lock or to moor up there is always an old chap, they all react the same, nose in the engine room with a nostalgic look on their face, look up, point in engine room, ask 'what engine is that?' Yogi replies '1946 Dorman crane engine' Old man smiles and replies 'lovely old thing, they don't make them like that any more!!' he then turns and carries on with his day, happy to have seen something 67 years old still working, and she does, sometimes 10 hours a day bless her. 

Our gentle chug continued to Bulls Bridge, where we stopped briefly for supplies and a quick Tesco Cafe stop. Yog was most impressed with his fish and chips AND we managed to do the shopping WITHOUT killing or even maiming each other!  We arrived at Cowley with time to spare and decided to celebrate our sucess in Tescos with a pint in 'The Malt Shovel' which was much deserved and needed by that time.

And yes, I did feel as knackered as I look!!!

March 1st 0/10

Friday 1st March - Rotton Day 0/10

We were well and truly on our way, the Paddington Branch of the GU will be our home for the next few hours, not my favourite place in the world but a necessary evil to get where we want to be. 

But the 1st March has not started well, not at all well!!  I was supposed to go and visit my bestest pal Pamela today to help her celebrate her XXth birthday weekend, but instead I am stuck in bed unable to move. The exertions of the last few days have caught up with me in a big way and have completely scuppered my plans. I can barely walk and my hip feels like it has popped out of its socket!!

The whole reason for the rush through to the other side of London was to beat the forthcoming lock repair stoppages.  We needed to do it before I left for Huddersfield.  To delay would have meant a hefty wait whilst CART attempt to repair the locks, which from experience drags on and on. Days turn into weeks and so on.  Not a risk either of us was willing to take as we are both keen to get back to the Midlands and we had Ed to help us, so it felt like now or never.  

The swearing and shouting coming from our bedroom this morning would have made Roy Chubby Brown blush.  I was very upset and quite distraught that I was going to have to miss my trip.   Poor old Yog came into the bedroom with tea  and a slide of paracetamols at one point.  He got sworn at so ferociously that he didn't even attempt communication with me until I spoke to him later in the day.  Poor old sod,  tea and paracetamols normally works so he had run out of solutions and had no idea what to do to make things better. 

By mid morning, Ed had left to go back to his daughters and pick up some things and Yog was at the tiller chugging.  I was in bed looking at the ceiling.

Pamela is upset with me, Yog has run away to the tiller and I am left with just myself for company, all miserable, in pain and snivelly.  All I can do is lay still, any attempt to move hurts.  I am trapped in my own sad world that I have created myself and everyone I love, is either cross with me or unable to help.  I am the most upset with me, my poxy body has let me down and stopped me having some well earned fun and games.  Today is a 0/10.

I never envisaged that I would put my back out though and Pamela is not happy with me for damaging myself :0(  I can feel it through her texts.  You will know what I mean if you text your mates a lot, you can tell when they are not happy, even if they say they are OK, you look at the screen in front of you and you know things are not what they appear to be in the words before you. And I knew, Pam was not a happy bunny either. :0(

Unhappy as we both are about the situation, Ive done the damage now and have to take the consequences, and trust me its not just my back that's causing me suffering.  Pamela in her own way is getting her feelings across!!  We are both hacked off at me because I've broke myself.  

Even now with the benefit of hind sight,  I'm not sure I could have waited and travelled to Huddersfield before we set off.  The thought of waiting for CART to get their act together on my return, being stuck on the Lee waiting for them to sort out the middle lock on the Hertford Union, then the Top Lock doesn't bare thinking about.  Mile End Lock repairs have been going on for ages so you cant even use Lime House Cut as an alternative at the moment. So anyone wanting to travel west to the Regents is buggered for now and the near future.

I think I will watch the stoppage list and see how long it does take them as I am damn sure it will be well over a fortnight, probably nearer a month.  

Todays summary reads March 1st 0/10
Travelled 8 miles, him on the tiller and me stuck on my back. Everyone mightily hacked off.

We made it to Northolt last night before stopping.  By late afternoon I could just about walk and had managed to get myself to the counter so I could watch the coconuts go by for the last 30 mins or so of the days cruise.   We spotted a lovely big pile of logs on the towpath and moored right next to them.   A young mum with a puchchair was also there putting some of the logs into a blue ikea bag.  She was going to drag them  and the buggy down to the nearby marina where she was moored with her baby.   We volunteered to deliver some logs to her boat the next morning to save her dragging any more down for a few days which she of course accepted.   Yog cranked up the chainsaw and chopped a good few days supply for both of us.  Then he came in and gave me tea and paracetamols :0)

The London Rush



Hertford Union Canal -

Our first locks today were the 3 on the Hertford Union Canal, the reason for the rush to get through London was to get through here before the upcoming closures.  Half of me wishes we had waited for more reasons than you could know.  These have to be the leakiest and most in need of repair I have ever seen!!  Bottom lock the water was pouring over both top and bottom gates.  Middle lock was leaking so badly that the pound above was very low and it took the extra weight of the boat to open the gates as the water just wouldn't equalise.  Top lock was probably the easiest of the three but wasn't much better. 

At  Actons Lock we managed to catch up with 3 young lads on their way to Uxbridge.  Cool, now we had someone to share the lock load with for the rest of the day.  Which after yesterday was a godsend for me!!  Also, I have to say, they were very entertaining!! Leaping about on and off the boats and in and out of the locks in a way that I can only dream about nowadays!! (not that I ever leaped about like they were doing!!).
If I'd have attempted any of their leaps of faith onto the roof of our boat from the top of the lock it would have been accompanied with a hefty thump and probably a nasty bone crushing sound.  They, by comparison were made of rubber or some similar compound and had no such problems!! 
The boat they were on had a lovely hand-carved front door and was shaped into what looked like a pagan green man with coloured glass for windows and a lovely friendly face.
The owner, (I think his name was Daz or Gaz) said it had taken him 3 years to get her to her current state and she was a lovely job.  You could see the labour of love that had gone into her.

Our arrival at City road Lock was made memorable by Daz/Gaz nearly ending up in the drink whilst making one of those leaps I was telling you about into a row boat that needed to be rowed round to Word on the Water a beautiful Dutch Barge converted into a book shop, well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity.
Lucky for him he remained dry and the little row boat was delivered safely.  This is when he admitted this was the furthest West he had ever been and was quite nervous about going through the tunnel.  Apparently it had been their topic of conversation whilst at Actons Lock, they had never been through a tunnel and the only light they had was a rechargeable LED lol!!  They were understandably relieved when we turned up with nice bright lights to go in the tunnel ahead of them!!

The journey through was somewhat delayed by a wide beam and a trip boat coming through towards us.  Once they were through and out of the way our path was clear.  Ed and I were on the front of Rae watching the tunnel go by all around us and I could hear the noises coming from the lads in the boat behind.  We looked over the roof into the black abyss behind Rae, trying to make out the shape of their boat, we couldn't see the boat but could see the tiny glow from the LED they were using to feel their way behind us.  It was funny :0) for those of you who are interested use this For More Information on Tunnels.

The rest of the day went pretty much without a hitch and to plan.  We arrived at Ladbrooke Grove about Half an hour behind schedule, grabbed some Sainsburies ready cooked food and hit the sack. That had been three heavy days of graft to avoid the Hertford Union Stoppages, but we had managed it reasonably unscathed.