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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour
The 1993 Cruises
The Easter River Wey Trip
A family one week attempt on the River Wey, nearly thwarted by high water levels! Family boating holiday's were at this time characterized by hardly any meals out, or pub visits. This is because at the time we were of the un-clean...................of young sprogs!
Friday 2nd April - Shoved off from Harefield Marina at 14.55, after Linda managed to slide off from work. Neil had prepared the boat the day before. arrived at Norwood Top Lock at 18.25, just as the poor lock keeper was trying to knock off! This led to a reasonably fast descent as the locky prepared all the locks for us! Arrived at bottom of Hanwell Flight at 19.40 and moored up, just past the entrance point of the mighty River Brent!
Saturday 3rd April - We were not in a hurry, as we were booked out of Thames Locks at 10.45. We left at 9.05 and got into Brentford Basin at 10.05. Here we stayed until 10.30, when we sidled up to the then open Gauging Locks. Straight in at Thames Locks after the interesting Brent section, below the basin and out of Brentford Gut into the tidal river Thames, at 10.45. The normal hour up to Teddington, where we took the cheap option of a £10 day licence. (£30 for 7 days) trouble free passage up the Thames and got into Thames Lock on the river Wey at 16.30. After completing the formalities we were off up the river section, through Town Lock and moored for the night, just above Coxes Lock, at 17.30.
Sunday 4th April - Left at 10.10. moored above Newark Lock at 12.40 for an hour lunch stop. The cut above had just been dredged, the sandy dredgings forming a new towpath surface, that Wendy though was a beach! Stopped above Triggs Lock for some reason (we can't remember why!) between 15.50 and 16.30. Worsfold Flood Gates were shut as the river was up and we had to work through this attractive little turf sided lock, with REAL paddles. Eventually stopped for the night in the cut above Bower's lock at 18.10.
Monday 5th April - Another start at 10.00 as it had been raining. Linda was worried about Broadford Bridge near the end of the navigation as it was very low and in a main river section. We carried on straight through Guildford and eventually reached the low bridge, we cleared it without about one and a half inches to spare! Linda took a good note of the upstream air draught indicator, for the way back. We attempted to have lunch just above the last lock, Catteshall Lock. It was pouring with rain and we were using the last mooring post. An officious National Trust liveaboard Mooring Warden went ape-shit about this so we buggered off and winded before Godalming Town Wharf (13.30). We carried on back and stopped at the Manor Inn Beefeater pub restaurant for a quick meal - Wendy made a fine job of rearranging her Junior Meal without eating ANY of it (she is still good at this!) This was between 13.45 and 14.00. Linda was sure that the river had gone up and we wanted to get back down under Broadford Bridge that night. At Unstead Lock we took the cratch off and cleared Broadford Bridge by and inch or two (it would have hit the cratch!) It was still grot weather, so we carried on, back through Guildford and stopped again in the lock cut above Bower's Lock. (17.40
Tuesday 6th April - A late start (11.00) after having shopped in the nearby Sainsbury's. Stopped for lunch above Newark Lock (13.00 - 14.00), much improved weather by now. Moored for the night, just above Thames Lock, at the end of the Wey after the famous "Nearly getting sucked onto the weir incident!" Worsfold Flood Gates had been closed, but Walsham had been open.
Wednesday 7th April - Passed out through Thames Lock, back onto the Thames at 9.45. It was raining again and the Thames lock keeper at Sunbury did not seem interested in selling us a day licence so we carried on - we thought that we could pay as we exited Teddington. At Molesey Lock the Section Inspector threw a wobbly, got terribly officious writing out unlicensed craft forms, then refusing to issue us a licence as the Sunbury lock keeper should have done It. Linda got terribly worried, thinking that we were going to be arrested. Teddington Lockys told her not to worry, saying that the only out come would be that the NRA would get their money late! We passed out of Teddington Lock at 14.00 and punched the incoming tide, getting to Brentford at 15.30. Thames Locks were straight through as it was a fair Springs and the tide was over the lower weir - bugger! The outcome was that Brentford Bridge over the semi tidal River Brent was too low and we had to wait an hour, for the tide to turn, so we could get under it. We finally got through at 16.45 and were moored up in the basin above the Gauging Locks at 17.00. That night it was still raining, Linda glad that we were finally off the (serious) rivers. Fish and chips to celebrate that night!
Thursday 6th April - We left Brentford at 10.30. We overshot the boatyard at Harefield and carried on to Tesco's at Ricky, where after shopping, we stopped for the night. Tesco mega prepared meal and wine that night!
Friday 7th April - Left Ricky Tesco at 10.30 and was back in the boatyard at 12.35.
Pictures taken with Linda's new compact Samsung Camera the prints are actually very good. Scanned with Neil's new Acer1240UT Photo Scanner. USB - Sloooooooow, but good!
 Newark Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 The dredged sandy moorings above Newark Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 The dredged sandy moorings above Newark Lock. Don't the sprogies look sweet! River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 The dredged sandy moorings above Newark Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Papercourt Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Papercourt Lock. This picture carries on from the last. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Triggs Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Bowers Lock. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Onslow Bridge, just repainted. Guildford. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 the Old Town Wharf. Guildford. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 Beside Debenhams. Guildford. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 At the end, above Debenhams is this millstream. Guildford. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
 The approach to Millmead Lock. Guildford. River Wey and Godalming Navigations. |
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