Dear friends and family,
The last time I wrote to you I was in central London, about to make my way out of town by myself. It was forecast to be a very wet day and I'd never moved Therapy anywhere near so far by myself before. I grounded her as I moored up for lunch but otherwise managed well, there being no locks to deal with all the way from Paddington to Maypole Dock where Ewan and I both drew up at 3pm, exactly at the appointed time. I was delighted to see Bunty again (and Ewan too) and was really looking forward to having her back on the boat with me now that I was out of the city. She is a remarkably adaptable puppy and quickly switched from farm routine to boat routine.
Ewan helped me through a couple of locks before dusk and reunited, we settled down for the evening. Ewan had plans to visit his daughter Steph in London next day and an old friend from school, Chantal was meeting me at lunchtime. Following my success the day before I decided to try the next flight of locks, the Hanwell six by myself. As well as opening and closing gates and winding paddles up and down, this meant climbing out of the lock on a side ladder after Therapy was lowered to the bottom of it by the reducing water level. It was tricky. However, at every lock I was helped by passers by and for the final three, a young couple took over the windlasses (the winder things) and then came on board for a cup of tea.
Chantal arrived as planned and we had a very relaxing afternoon with only one lock to get through. Like others, Chantal fell on love with my little dog and tried to hide Bunty about her person when she left.
I pushed on to Brentford where I met Ewan and we moored up for the night. The next stage of our trip was on the tidal Thames and early Sunday morning saw us leaving the Grand Union Canal through a big lock and catching the last two hours of the incoming tide to take us to Teddington. It was very exciting and Therapy seemed very small on the big river.
Ewan had to go back home, but it was now half term holiday and my next guests, my grandchildren, Mary, 8 and George, 6 joined me the next afternoon. Oh yes, and their parents Katy and Mark too. That evening we moored on a small island in the middle of the huge river, that we had to ourselves; it was such fun.
