Friday 31st May – Day 314
We wake to a drizzly morning as it’s time to finally do the Camden Locks! . First up it’s Little Venice for the planned boat services, that done and it’s through Maida Vale tunnel and onto the Regent’s canal! ((Which Peachy only just realised as she went through it!)) we pass very large mansions, London Zoo and all the other iconic things to see before we arrive at Camden Lock!
There doesn’t seem to be anywhere obviously to moor, so we glide to the lock gate and pull the boat in. As I’m setting the lock with thankfully only about 50 people watching. On a nice busy day there will be hundreds!! A lockie turns up and once The Plot is in he wanders up to the next lock leaving me to close this one.
It’s windy as well as drizzly today so the boat ends up on the wrong side of the lock. There is no option but for Chris to throw me the rope and for me to pull the boat over so he can leave the lock. My Yorkshire muscles ((You go Peachy)) do me proud and I yank the boat over knowing many people are watching me and I can not mess it up. When I’ve done a bloke watching said ‘WOW’ haha. Then it’s out the lock, close the lock and the scary people watching, lock done and onto the next lock.
I’m really impressed by the next stretch of locks, they are easy to do and once I’ve relaxed I really enjoy them. It’s mixed weather with the rain stopping and starting but we are soon through the locks and then it’s Islington tunnel which we get through in a blink of an eye and before we know it we are moored at Islington Eco-mooring and find our pals Jon and Greta on Narrowboat Boo Boo. We have a good old natter with them and plan to do the locks and journey to Limehouse basin together.
Chris and I take an interesting wander around Islington and get some shopping and another big day ticked off the list. They really are coming thick and fast now! ((Similar to you but you’re a bit slowly generally!)) Day done. Until tomorrow. x
C.L. Peache 