Monday 16th April, 2012.
We both slept well and awoke to another golden morning although frost still lingered on the grass.
Milos and Sylvie arrived about 10:00am for a day's initiation into the mysteries of English narrowboating. He is Czech and she is French, so the idea of English narrowboats was a mystery to them!
We had tea and cake, they had a quick tour of the boat and a brief history of the narrowboating tradition - and we were off.
We sailed down to the New Inn at Send where we moored up with some difficulty two feet from the side as the edge at this point is a river bank, not a straight canal side. We had lunch, which included an excellent tarte aux abricots provided by Sylvie. She and Milos very kindly also brougth a bunch of anemones, one of M's favourite flowers.
Both Milos and Sylvie took turns on the tiller and helped at the locks. They also spent some time walking on the towpath, despite its rather muddy condition due to all the recent rain. At the winding point just past the flood gates, we turned around and headed back to Pyrford.
We all agreed it had been a great day and went for a glass of wine at The Anchor pub!
Hours 138.9 - Miles - 8 - Locks 4
Monday, 16 April 2012
Sunday, 15 April 2012
A London Day
Sunday 15th April, 2012.
Awoke to a golden morning with the birdies singing happily, a clear blue sky and the waning moon in the south. Cold though! Up early to be ready for Peter and Mary Grove, who arrived at 10:am. Peter is the auditor of Marion's choir and needed to return the approved annual accounts to Marion so that she could send them out for the AGM next month. Since Peter and Mary live in Woking, it made sense to meet them on 'Many Meetings' at Pyrford. Even more so because it was here that they kept their own narrowboat 'Esmerelda' for nearly eighteen years. They used to take choir members out for day trips on the Wey Navigation. Mary would provide a splendid lunch and we would all take turns on the tiller. Marion has very happy memories of those trips. How lovely it was to return their hospitality, albeit only with coffee and cakes!
When Peter and Mary departed at about 11:00am, we set off for Woking Station to catch the train for London. Robin had bought tickets for 'Yeoman of the Guard' at the Festival Hall as part of Marion's birthday present. Before the show we had lunch at Wagamamma's next to the Festival Hall with Erika and Dan. It was an absolutely stunning performance with the chorus at the rear, the full orchestra and then a plain apron at the front with no sets and just a single prop - an executioner's block! We both loved the show - it just goes to show that less CAN be more!
By 7:30 we were back on board for another early night.
Awoke to a golden morning with the birdies singing happily, a clear blue sky and the waning moon in the south. Cold though! Up early to be ready for Peter and Mary Grove, who arrived at 10:am. Peter is the auditor of Marion's choir and needed to return the approved annual accounts to Marion so that she could send them out for the AGM next month. Since Peter and Mary live in Woking, it made sense to meet them on 'Many Meetings' at Pyrford. Even more so because it was here that they kept their own narrowboat 'Esmerelda' for nearly eighteen years. They used to take choir members out for day trips on the Wey Navigation. Mary would provide a splendid lunch and we would all take turns on the tiller. Marion has very happy memories of those trips. How lovely it was to return their hospitality, albeit only with coffee and cakes!
When Peter and Mary departed at about 11:00am, we set off for Woking Station to catch the train for London. Robin had bought tickets for 'Yeoman of the Guard' at the Festival Hall as part of Marion's birthday present. Before the show we had lunch at Wagamamma's next to the Festival Hall with Erika and Dan. It was an absolutely stunning performance with the chorus at the rear, the full orchestra and then a plain apron at the front with no sets and just a single prop - an executioner's block! We both loved the show - it just goes to show that less CAN be more!
By 7:30 we were back on board for another early night.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Another Overnight Stay
Saturday 14th April, 2012.
Arrived back on 'Many Meetings' after a happy reunion with Karen. She was our unintentional matchmaker in that we first met at her aerobics class 22 years ago. It was wonderful to see her again as we had not seen her for about 15 years.
Dry and sunny, though cold. The marina looked lovely in its rural setting with all the trees showing the first green softness of the spring's new growth.
After packing everything away and a quick supper, it was off to bed for an early night. This time we remembered to bring 'blankie' so the bed was nice and warm - hooray!!
Arrived back on 'Many Meetings' after a happy reunion with Karen. She was our unintentional matchmaker in that we first met at her aerobics class 22 years ago. It was wonderful to see her again as we had not seen her for about 15 years.
Dry and sunny, though cold. The marina looked lovely in its rural setting with all the trees showing the first green softness of the spring's new growth.
After packing everything away and a quick supper, it was off to bed for an early night. This time we remembered to bring 'blankie' so the bed was nice and warm - hooray!!
Monday, 9 April 2012
Overnight Stay
Easter Monday, 9th April, 2012
Robin has an appointment in Guildford tomorrow. Rather than risk delays in tomorrow's early morning traffic on the M25, we decided to sleep on board tonight and just do the short hop down the A3 in the morning.
The original plan was to spend Monday cruising down to Guildford on "Many Meetings" and to moor up there overnight and then use the excellent bus service to get round the town - but the weather forecast determined otherwise. It turned out to be very cold, wet and windy. So glad we went for the warm dry option.
Dinner is now in thedog oops - oven. We each have a glass of Shiraz. Wish we had brought "Blankie" for the bed! What a change from two weeks ago on the Thames!
Robin has an appointment in Guildford tomorrow. Rather than risk delays in tomorrow's early morning traffic on the M25, we decided to sleep on board tonight and just do the short hop down the A3 in the morning.
The original plan was to spend Monday cruising down to Guildford on "Many Meetings" and to moor up there overnight and then use the excellent bus service to get round the town - but the weather forecast determined otherwise. It turned out to be very cold, wet and windy. So glad we went for the warm dry option.
Dinner is now in the
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