Victoria Park to Alperton

Wednesday 16th August

We set off just before 9am as we knew it would be a long day. What we didn't know was quite how long!!
John started off steering. First job was to turn around as we were facing the wrong way! We thought there was enough room to turn around just before the lock so John set off.

Just as he was leaving this huge electric boat was coming the other way. John had to pull over tight to the bank so he could pass. Little did we know that this boat would cause so many delays further on!

Once it had passed John easily managed to turn our boat around.

We were now heading in the right direction but we were following the huge slow electric boat and it was headed all the way to Paddington! When we arrived at the first lock we had to wait for it to go through. It only just fitted in! 

I took over at this point and John helped with the locks.

We went past this floating conservatory and then saw a green lifeboat!

We met up with another boater and were able to share the locks with him. His boat was beautifully decked with flowers and plants. 

 I didn't envy this dog walker with this lot! 

I was desperate to stop for a bacon sarnie but no time! 

 We carried on through more locks, each was painfully slow, either the paddles didn't work properly or the gates leaked so they filled slowly.

Even if we had got through the locks quicker we were still behind this giant classroom boat dawdling along. It was all very frustrating as we wanted to get right back to Southall. It was all starting to look impossible.

Even Dex was getting bored waiting!

We had to wait ages for the huge electric boat to go through the 960 yard Islington Tunnel. We must have waited 40 minutes or so. We decided he must have got stuck! But eventually the tunnel was clear and it was our turn to go through.  Our tunnel light is on the blink so John stood at the front with an alternative light just in case!

There was a lovely garden at St Pancras lock.

We carried on. Many of the bridges had people living underneath them. 

 Soon we were approaching the 3 locks at Camden. We had been advised that these were manned by Canal & Rivertrust volunteers but we didn't see any on the first lock.

 I did however get some help from 6 year old Noah and his Grandma! 

 The main lock at Camden was mobbed with visitors and as Timothy West calls them "Gongoozlers" who watch your every move. We did feel a bit like Monkeys in a zoo!

 

 We were glad to have the help of a Canal & Rivertrust volunteer! 

 What you don't get from the photos is the noise, it was overwhelming. The crowds, the building work going on all around and all the traffic. We definitely felt we were in the heart of the city now!

Just past Camden we saw these canoeists having a great time. 

Past Camden we went alongside Regents park and past the zoo again. 

 Didn't see any animals this time but amazingly did spot this fox in one of the gardens!

Back through Little Venice and we said goodbye at last to the slow boat to Paddington - yippee! 

We also saw a cormorant!

So now we were finally heading along the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union. No more locks today! However we still had over 13 miles left to reach Southall. I looked at the map and we decided it was too far in the time we had left. We were both getting tired and irritable. So I started looking at other potential moorings which were nearer. 

 There was still a lot to see on the way including this strange pod type vessel which looked like it had come from another planet! It was called Juno, after the space probe.

 It's amazing how the wildlife thrive in their urban surroundings and make the most unusual nesting places.

Past Pigeon bridge!

 

 Every boat should have it's own gazebo!

 Nice wooden boat

 Dex was really getting bored by now!

 Unusual high rise office!

Dex isn't the only dog on a boat roof! 

 This looked scary!

 We were making a trail through the pea soup!

 Back along the North Circular Aquaduct 

 We could see the top of Wembley Stadium in the distance.

Soon we arrived at Piggery Bridge near Alperton which was to be our mooring spot for tonight. We were exhausted having travelled for 10 hours solid. Luckily there was a Sainsbury's right next to the towpath so we bought an easy cook lasagne and sweet potato fries and that was enough for one day!