Victor—The upper reaches to Lechlade and down river

The Thames again

IT WAS 10 years since we last did the non-tidal Thames from Oxford, then it was down to Teddington, so this time we completed the river with a cruise up to Lechlade and back.

Taking over the boat just above Duke's Cut at the bottom of the Oxford, we had our first real look at those brand new narrow lock bollards. So absolutely useful as your boat moves about 12 inches in the stop lock. Mind you, as I've mentioned before, very handy for tripping over.

Bollards for a 12 inch rise?

Then it was onto the river to the first lock at Eynsham to pay for a licence for our trip. But like many others, I could not understand why different size letters are needed for the boat's name on the stern for different size boats? Surely if a name has to be seen, why the hell need does it need to be different sizes. Seems stupid.

One thing that was most useful was the booklet giving lots of information, including free mooring sites, pump-outs, water points, rubbish disposal and so much more. Showing once again how out-of-date is Nicholson's.

Coming into the mooring at Eynsham, the very first boater we met came up and told he was a regular reader. And we met many others during the cruise, both on the Thames and later on the Grand Union, with some revealing conversations.

Well balanced gates

Easy to close the heavy Northmoor Lock gate

And the sluices. After struggling with that difficult un-greased British Waterways winding gear, the Environment Agency ones are out of this world. Just a few easy turns of a wheel and up or down they quickly—and easily—move.

At one time British Waterways wanted to take over the Environmental Agency waterways, but didn't succeed. Just think what a mess they would have been in now if it had. Perhaps the Environment Agency take over British Waterways—yes please!

No speeding cyclists on Thames paths

Of course some of the locks were manned, which was easier still. But all is certainly not sweetness and light with the agency, for many lockies are worried about it selling-off their cottages, as was published in narrowboatworld. Haven't we been there before? So Perhaps after all it may be best to leave those in the ivory tower in charge—better the devil you know, eh?

Anyway, back to the Thames. We have cruised most of the major navigable rivers, all with their different idiosyncrasies with the Thames (or Isis as some like to call it) up Lechlade is totally different, it being like no other.

S bends

We have all met bends on rivers and canals, but believe me, if you haven't cruised up to Lechlade, you ain't seen nothing yet. Not just bends, but 'S' bend upon 'S' bend. I certainly wouldn't like to take a 70 footer through there.

The river twists again to go under the far bridge

At one period our Thomas thought the four legged member of our crew ought to be let off the boat for you-know-what, so seeing a suitable bank headed for it, completely against the advice of She Who Must Be Obeyed—getting the boat completely grounded on a mud bank in the process, and then having the ignominy of flagging down a Oxfordshire Narrowboats hire boat, and having to be dragged off! And lucky is was too, as it was two hours before seeing another boat.

Looks like a decent mooring—but wasn't!

Eventually we made it to Lechlade, but She Who Must, etc, etc. wasn't satisfied with the town, but had to push on to the very end, so we saw where possibly the restoration of the Cotswold Canals would join the Thames to the Severn.

The Thames is to the right and the start of the proposed Cotswold Canals by the house on the left

It took us over nine hours to get up to Lechlade, but with the flow it was back in six hours twenty minutes! Locks and all.

Gone electric

Back at Oxford with the bigger locks, but once again the agency had helped the boaters, for out of normal hours the old winding gear had gained an addition—an electric operating device for boaters' self-operation, giving easy push-button lock working.

A very useful addition to the lock mechanism

On second thoughts perhaps the agency should take over British Waterways after all.

Back then on familiar territory, it being our second trip down from Oxford, with gale force wind sharing the steering, with many an interesting manœuvre, but no grounding—he had learnt his lesson!

No bandits

Moored for the night at Wallingford, with the wind having died down at last. But no sign of the bandits dropping bricks and stones on boats, as was previously reported.

Peaceful at Wallingford

The following day most of the locks were manned with the exception of Sonning, but no matter how the buttons were pressed the paddles wouldn't rise to let us fill this lock. Until someone who knew the workings, opened the top gates fully and closed them again, then everything worked. It seems if narrowboaters don't open the gates to their full extent, it shuts down the system.

Not for dogs

For those of you who have four legged members of crew, it's not a good idea to let them off the boat at the landing stages below Thames locks, as invariably they are steel lattice.

The moorings above the locks are mostly solid however, giving no problem.

"I don't fancy that"

Refugees from British Waterways

Over the last few days have seen literally scores of narrowboat refugees from British Waterways waters, with either expired licences or none at all and with no sign of an Environment Agency registration or visitor registration showing.

Unlicenced boats outside Tesco at Reading

An whole batch of them were taking up the moorings outside Tesco in Reading, so it needed a very awkward manœuvre indeed to squeeze in between two dilapidated boats. It seems the agency has the same problem as British Waterways. But we were told that their days are numbered as the agency has a much more intensive system of enforcement, with one locky telling—"It has an army of bailiffs chasing them." And I saw a couple of agency patrol boats flirting about, bearing out his comment.

Windsor

And so to Windsor for a couple of nights, with very pleasant moorings on Baths Island, with in fact plenty of moorings on both sides of the river

Approaching Windsor

As our programmer, Jason, lives in the town, we all had a very pleasant trip down river and back with his family. And yes. lifejackets were worn when we left the moorings.

The 'Windsor' crew

It was here we learnt that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead had made its own feelings known about the Environment Agency flogging-off its lock keepers' houses. And yes, we were supporting the campaign by displaying the Save Our Service poster on the boat.

There are many strange boats on the Thames

By now we were realising the virtual lack of those squat hire boats that were so prevalent on the river the last time we cruised. In fact we only saw the Lady hire boats, and far from being squat, were nearer being gin palaces. Mind you, with one locky telling us these are at over 3,000 quid a week, it was little wonder they were mostly taken by either the Yanks or the Europeans. We have more sense!

Rules of the river

Even the smallest, the locky explained, were a grand a week. It was easy to see they were hire boats, as the rules of the river were somewhat, er, lax. Mind you, having paid that much lolly, they might think they own it!

A boat working Culham Lock before us whilst the locky was at lunch clouted the lock mechanism, so we let the locky use our boat to get at the damage to do a repair. Mind you, he didn't look at all comfortable spread across our anchor!

Lock repairs at Culham

What I did discover was that no few famous hire companies had gone the way of all flesh. Little wonder, with the Environment Agency putting up red boards at the slightest increase in fresh down the river. Then of course the only way an hirer could have any chance of a cruise was being taken by pilot to a canal. Obviously the narrow Oxford Canal was out, and if a hirer paid out such a lot of cash for a leisurely cruise of the Thames—well, it was the Thames he/she would want to cruise, not a clapped-out canal up from Brentford with the hard work of the Hanwell Flight, with ungreased paddle gear and the now normal stiff gates. Word soon gets around and the business suffers.

The Thames' lockies are remarkable fellas, for we asked the one at Romney Lock about the weather forecast, and without further ado he called up the weather people and gave us a four day report!

Absolutely beautiful displays on the Thames locks—this is at Culham Lock

So the last lap on the non-tidal river to Teddington, and though a Sunday it seemed that only the hardy canoeists and sail boats were about. Just three plastics and a solitary narrowboat. Possibly as it was teeming down, could have been the reason.

It's in this sort of weather when turn and turn about comes into its own, as each can get wet at the tiller, then dry off in comfort whilst the other takes over.

It was the day we saw a clump of the invasive Pennywort on the Thames. That's the stuff that has taken over the Soar. And believe me, if the Environment Agency leave it to its own devices, its multiplying capabilities will soon have it completely out of control.

Floating pennywort below Sunbury Lock

A call at Kingston on Thames to invite our contributor Roger Fox together with Caroline on board, and a most interesting chat indeed.

The difference in ten years? Most of the mechanical locks have been converted to user electrics, and being early starters before the locky came on duty, and cruising during their lunch break, these were a blessing indeed, after those blasted wheels of before, which were vastly different from the simple ones above Oxford.

Reduction in hire boats

And the reduction in hire boats was dramatic, in fact the reduction in boats altogether, with literally thousands moored, but very few moving, with many days having the river to ourselves until nearly noon.

So to the end of the non-tidal Thames at Teddington, and off the following morning before seven, as dawn was breaking, with all navigation lights blazing. Altogether a pleasant enough, and very easy cruise, once we had mastered the art of securing the lines bow and stern in the locks below Oxford.

Spring tide level with the non-tidal river at Teddington

Down then on the tide to Brentford in company with a couple from Christchurch in New Zealand, who then shared the Hanwell Flight with us up the Grand Union Canal.

Two boaters struggle to close a badly hung gate on the Hanwell Flight

The phrase 'down to earth' springs to mind as we met the ungreased paddles and hard to move gates of the Hanwell Flight. And then 29 locks to our second evening at Iron Bridge with 28 against us. God, we were back!