RETURN TO THE DEBEN - Part 1

I had vaguely thought I might get as far as the Folly Bridge, Oxford where the bridge is too low for Lady Cate to pass. However I was told the water gets too shallow by Abingdon. Then the bad news - no lock keepers. It's a great chore getting through locks on your own, even if they are powered. Then the good news - a fine weather window combined with good tide timing was coming up. So, as they say, no brainer. The main objects of my journey being completed I decided to return.





 So back under the M25.

Passing this lovely little classic near Chertsey Lock - which was not manned but I had caught up with a small convoy who were happy enough doing the work. 

From Chertsey to Shepperton:

 

there are some splendidly eccentric house boats on the Thames.

This is Sunbury Weir where we would play as children, with St Mary's Church in the background.

Between Sunbury amd Molesey Locks is the School's Boathouse together with that of Lady Eleanor School.  

Plenty of activity -

Don't know when the girls started rowing. Sadly, in my day, the girls' school was wholly out of bounds. We even had boys playing the women in plays rather than work on joint productions. Thank goodness that'a all changed. 

Hampton's yellow blades.

Hampton Church where the school started in 1556.

Garrick's Villa. The actor David Garrick was a patron.

Nearby a fantastic old houseboat in fine condition.

Another houseboat with a flower laden floating patio.

Molesey Boat Club which the school shared when I rowed.

And so to Teddington to stay overnight.

And then on ...

Passing The Star and Garter which used to be a home for retired world war vets run by the Poppy Fund people but is now a hotel and apartments ...

and the new residential developments between the river and the town. Prince Charles got quite worked up about the original designs and these are the result of his concerns. Nicely classical.











Through the Victorian Richmond Lock as the sluices were in action. Had to wait an hour here. Half an hour for the water to be enough for us to get out and then half an hour for a late tour boat.

That half hour mattered as you will see.








The river was very busy and full of the usual tourist attractions and then this! An extraordinary contraption straight out of a Bond movie moored alongside HMS Belfast.

I couldn't photo it from the boat as I was too busy so I caught the riverbus to the Tower the next day and took these.

Apparently it belongs to Andrey Melnichenko.

The problem with leaving Richmond Lock half an hour late meant I was 10 minutes late at South Dock. The staff had gone, not willing to wait to open the lock for me. So be it.

So I had to moor on Greenland Pier where the huge riverbus catamarans come in for passengers.














They make a huge swell, especially by the piers as they accelerate away.











 So the mooring was like being on a permanently bouncing trampoline. I put a bow line out to port to hold Lady Cate off the pier and we spent the night sort of suspended off the pier in the bouncy water. I slept in the wheelhouse clothed and lifejacketed!

The photos don't show the waves very well although they are sometimes 3ft high. I've got a .mov file showing Lady Cate bouncing around but it was too much for this bloggging software to take!

I got in to the marina first thing the next morning.

UP THE THAMES - A sentimental journey.

Today to Teddington on the rising tide. The weather was very windy but bright. The water very choppy with wind over tide combined with commuter and pleasure traffic. The river is tremendously busy. Having to concentrate I had little chance to take pics but here are those I got on the way.

Liveaboards by the fuel berth outside St Katherine's Dock.

You know what!

This one too!

HMS Belfast. Not a good shot but the ride was very bumpy and the traffic non-stop.

The wooden model of Medieval London that will be ceremonially burned to commemorate the 350th anniversary of The Great Fire of London.

And so by winding river ways including the Boat Race course (which I rowed in reverse in the Schools Head of the River Race) to Teddington (Tide End Town) and the peace of non-tidal waters.

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I decided to stay overnight after all that excitement and popped over the famous old suspension bridge to look around.

 

And there was this towering former church - a dramatic piece of architecture - now used as a Lanmark Arts Centre. Note the huge spider crawling up the wall.

 Inside was a lady on stage bashing out a tricky Chopin piece on a rackety old piano to an audience of mothers and babies! Starting them young these days it appears.

 

This is the wide weir at Teddington Lock viewed from the suspension bridge.

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And so on a sentimental journey up river to Weybridge.

Passing Hampton Court ...

... to think that monarchs were rowed here all the way from London.

Passing Hampton School's budding oarsmen with their bright yellow blades. That really took me back. I loved my school rowing.

 
There were lots of young rowers out, surely before term time. Something was afoot. A sampler day for those rising to the third year and so being able to join the Boat Club I guess.
 
We used to share with Molesey Boat Club. Now the School has its own wonderful boathouse. I couldn't get a pic as there were so many oarsmen out. Must try to get one on the return trip.

Classic Sunbury-on-Thames riverside properties.










In Sunbury Lock where I used to 'help' when a boy.

The upstream weir down to the side stream where my brother Nick and I played as boys.

Weybridge. Moored within 50 yards of my first home, a houseboat in Dunton's Boatyard.

I told you it was a sentimental journey.