Connie's Homepage


Me	Hop Picking in Kent	Fuchsias
Boating	Hunny Design	Links

June 1979. Our early boating trips were with Dave & Jane Green on Willy No Name I. They were easy to recognise on the canals because their boat was almost always closely followed down the cut by a Citroen Diane! Most people leave their cars in a pub car park or beside the canal while they go boating. Dave & Jane towed theirs behind the boat on a small butty. To load the car the butty was positioned at 90^o to the bank, two planks were rested across from bank to butty and the car was driven on board... very slowly! If you look very carefully at the picture you should just see the pale blue of the car roof. One of our most memorable trips was through the Dudley Tunnel. Dave wrote an article for a canal magazine which, with his permission I have included in this site.
There followed a long gap during which time Alison was born, Geoff died, the children grew into teenagers, there wasn't much chance to go boating and then...
Easter 1997 (Willy No Name) This time Ali and I were invited to join Dave & Jane for a cruise from Warings Green to Ivinghoe.
	I recall having my first 'encounter' with Hatton flight on this trip! A memorable experience indeed! It's just as well this lock was easier to operate.
But the hard work was worth every aching limb to see the sunset captured here at Stoke Bruerne.
River Thames, August 1997 We joined Dave & Jane together with over 20 other boats at Limehouse basin for a trip up the Thames. Some boats were to leave river to rejoin the canal system at Brentford but we were going on as far as Hampton Court before taking a train home, leaving our hosts to continue upriver.
	Leaving Limehouse lock to take advantage of the incoming tide. Several safety measures were required for this trip, including the wearing of lifejackets by all members of the crew.
A 58 ft narrowboat doesn't look so big when it's out in the Thames, passing under Tower Bridge and alongside the battleship Belfast.
	The boats came out at Limehouse in groups of 6 so it was some time before the entire convoy of 25 narrowboats finally reached Teddington Lock. While Dave "goes shopping" i.e. went to sort out the Thames Licence, Jane and Ali take a break and watch the last boats arrive.
Birmingham, April 1998 Dave & Jane's birthday bash (trip report)
	July 1998 (Bourne End BBQ) Now and then it's nice to moor up and join a few other boaters to sit around.. and talk about.. boats! At some point the conversation always turns to toilets and the pros and cons of pumpout versus porta-potti!

Home