Packet Boat Marina, GU Slough Arm – Tuesday 16 October 2012
First job today was to try the new locks around the marina.  BWML have replaced all locks as it appears that some keys are still held by moorers who have moved away.  We now all have one key that will open the outside gate and the showers etc, residential owners’ keys will also open the car park gate and a BW key will allow access to the office through a pedestrian gate for non marina boaters who want to use the pump-out facility.  Then in to the office to surrender the two redundant keys.  I then headed in to Uxbridge for a six-monthly visit to a chiropodist, and then after lunch in to Hammersmith to see the optician, fortunately no new spectacles required.  The weather has been sort of lovely, the sun is out and nice and warm, but, it is very windy which drops the temperature.

Packet Boat Marina, GU Slough Arm – Thursday 18 October 2012
Wednesday I spent most of the day at the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) in Fulham.  In a previous ‘life’ I was the historian for my Territorial Army Unit (256 [City of London] Field Hospital), and a history of the reserves in London is being prepared for publication in 2014, so I have been asked if I will update the part relating to the Reserve Army Medical Units in London.  Of course I said yes because it gets me access to another archive that may have some details missing elsewhere.
Today I have been down to Fleet in Hampshire to see my Dentist – a long way but he doesn’t hurt and knows my aversion (claw marks on the chair arm rests).  Another good visit as no work needed.  Both days have had the sun out.

Packet Boat Marina, GU Slough Arm – Monday 15 October 2012
Friday the sun was out and it was warm so I spent the day washing the outside of the boat.  I also made various medical appointments required so I will be busy this week.
Saturday I went off into Uxbridge for a look round and got a copy of the latest Pratchett book ‘A Blink of the Screen’ which is a collection of his shorter fiction.  Some I had read previously in magazines, papers and multi author anthologies but it is nice to have them together.
Sunday was my first day back at St Columba’s Church (in Pont Street, Knightsbridge) where I am an Elder.  The team I’m on are the duty Elders this month so there were responsibilities for me.  I am also a member of the Kirk Fabric Committee so the afternoon was spent with the rest of the committee inspecting the Manse (Minister’s home) to see what needs to be done to let the property.
Monday I have continued cleaning and sorting in the boat, this will take a few days due to the appointments for this week.

Packet Boat Marina, Grand Union – Thursday 11 October 2012
The weather has not been good so I have left the outside cleaning.  I have gone through clothes and taken some to the cleaners to get done properly, rather than washed in the on-board machine.  I have also sorted other clothes to go to the laundrette so that they get a better clean and dried rather than hanging about in the boat.  I have also started sorting out stuff that can be sent for re-cycling as not required (not used in over a year on the boat).
I’ve been to arrange an appointment with the clinic to see the diabetes nurse and getting my annual flu jab and tomorrow I will book routine appointments with the opticians (annual) and dentist (six monthly).  These have to be arranged around the cruising season.
I have already had requests to meet up when I return to London (?) for information about the Unit history so I will have to get that ready.

Packet Boat Marina, Grand Union – Wednesday 10 October 2012
I left at 08:30 and had gone through Stoker’s and Springwell locks and was waiting for Copper Mill lock to fill when I saw a wide beam rubbish container coming so I signalled that they could go ahead.  This seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to the crew as they are used to abuse for taking locks and jumping queues.  The wide beam takes one lock and the ‘tug’ which pushes it takes a second, so I went down with the tug and had to do no work, a good decision.  They were going through Black Jack’s, Widewater and Denham deep locks to remove a burnt out wreck near the A40 road bridge, so that left only Uxbridge and Cowley locks for me to do.  As there has been an almost continuous run of moored boats I have had even more comments about the quietness of the engine, including an angler who didn’t hear me approaching!
I have moored up and reported to the office, collected mail (threw away 99%) and electric cards.  Tomorrow (weather permitting) I will start cleaning.

Batchworth (Rickmansworth), Grand Union – Tuesday 9 October 2012
I left at 08:30, later than I planned but still had a good run as the sun has been out for most of the day and I have covered 13 locks and 6 miles.  The routine at locks has interested others as there were groups of gongoozlers as well as other boaters.  I have also been asked is the boat electric as it makes so little noise.  There have been about half a dozen boats going north, everyone is commenting on how few have been out this year.  I popped into TESCO here as it has a 2-hour offside mooring for boaters.  The way I have been working locks I should get to Packet Boat Marina tomorrow, then start the winter routines.

Kings Langley, Grand Union – Monday 8 October 2012
Saturday I moved as planned into Berkhamstead and managed to do some shopping and renew my Rail Pass.
Sunday I went to the local Baptist church, an interesting service but I knew none of the songs.  The sermon was on words at the end of the Lord’s Prayer which do not appear in the Bible!  I then went for lunch in the ‘Crystal Palace’ at bridge number 141 as they do a carvery on Sundays.
Today I headed on at 08:00 and have slogged through 16 locks in 6 miles, it has also been raining lightly all day just enough to eventually soak through.  I am moored near a railway bridge so I can adjust to ‘civilisation’ again after the countryside.

Dudswell Locks, Grand Union – Friday 5 October 2012
I am definitely ‘over the hill’ and everything is downhill from here on!  I stopped off at Cowroast marina to refuel and have gone on a couple of locks to find a mooring.  Today I have covered 11 locks and 6 miles and seen only 3 boats going north, but it is almost a continuous line of moored boats from Tring.  It has been cloudy all day with the sun struggling to break through, tomorrow I only plan to go into Berkhamstead (2 miles and 8 locks).  The boat I called Valhalla is actually called Walhalla and appears as the show boat in November’s Canal Boat magazine if you want to see what I meant yesterday.

Marsworth Locks, Grand Union – Thursday 4 October 2012
Back onto 08:00 start, the sun was up but struggling with the early morning mist.  By about 09:30 there were clear blue skies with only a few fluffy white clouds so it has been a pleasant run.  There was no-one else going south so I have had to single hand nine locks.  There has been a few going north including the wide-beam ‘Valhalla’ which looks like a nuclear submarine, and is painted matt black with name and number in gloss black.  It does look lethal.  I have decided to stop while the sun is still shining.  Tomorrow will see me at the summit of the Chiltern Hills.

Leighton Buzzard, Grand Union – Wednesday 3 October 2012
A late start as I had to go to the post office to mail some bill payments.  This was in the local convenience store and two separate teachers had brought their junior classes to do some practical sums – first decide what you want to buy, then how much is it and have you enough money?  Then off to the lady at the till, pay and get change and receipt then leave.  In the car park I heard them checking that the till-run was correct, at least that will be useful rather than the notional apples etc that I had.
I started at 09:30 in sunshine but a cold wind (I had put an ear warmer hat on).  Today has been uneventful just another steady run.  I passed ‘Scarweather’ a Braidbar boat and was at Fenny Stratford by 11:00.  The lock has a rise of 13 inches, and a swing bridge across it so it is interesting, then on to the Soulbury Three where there were lock-keepers who did the work for me.  It started to rain as I was working the Leighton lock and has been on and off since, including rainbows, sunshine and thunder.  I have moored at bridge 115, having done 6 locks and 11 miles.  This will be the last of the long mile runs as there are now 66 locks in about 35 miles to go so from now on there will be more locks than miles back to Packet Boat Marina.

Gifford Park (Milton Keynes), Grand Union – Tuesday 2 October 2012
The satellite box is dead easy to set up, even I managed.  Put box on roof with handle pointing north and connect cables, go into boat and turn the bits on, use searcher to find satellite, watch TV!  Today was another 08:00 start but it was cloudy and decidedly chilly.  I was at the Blisworth tunnel by 09:00 and going through met a working pair, another working boat, and three hire boats.  The tunnel is wide enough for two boats to pass but has a wider middle section which is newer and made of concrete sections.  Of course none of the boats I met were in the wide bit, they all passed in the two end sections.  At Stoke Bruerne there were still a few boats from the weekend and I joined up with ‘Lady Claire’ to go down the locks.  There was a pair coming up at each one so it was an easy run.  It was then just a run to Cosgrove for the next lock (3ft drop), then o round the north of Milton Keynes.  The sun has been out for most of the day but it has also been cloudy.

Gayton Junction, Grand Union – Monday 1 October 2012
Yet another 08:00 start in sunshine with no wind (all the wind generators seen were turned off).  An easy run through the tunnel as I was following a hire boat which turned up the Leicester arm at Norton junction.  At the top lock there was a boat moored on the lock bollards, the lock-keeper thought I was trying to open the gates with the boat until I reversed to tie up!  On the way to lock 8 (Grand Union numbers start at Braunston) there was a working pair (boat and butty) travelling breasted up, and they had a problem in the bridge, at one stage it looked like they were jammed, but managed to move on.  Another breasted-up pair were just coming out of lock 9, and a friendly lock-keeper went ahead to ask another single boat to wait for me, which they did.  I then completed 10 to 13 with ‘Geya’, the lock-keeper walking ahead of us and setting the locks.  I then stopped to check the café and chandlery at Whilton marina.
There has been a steady stream of working boats as there was a Stoke Bruerne at war festival.  After the locks they were not breasted up but tied together on ‘snubbers’ with the engine boat towing the un-powered butty. 
Fun with boat names today has included ‘Tree Frog’ moored opposite ‘Lying Toad’ and the working boat ‘Ultima’ with its butty ‘Thule’ (what else could it be?).  I have also seen ‘Sanity?’ who knew all about the two Braidbars ‘Sanity’ and ‘Sanity again’.  Others boats seen included ‘Loie Fuller’ still at Stowe Hill Wharf, and one whose name I couldn’t see but was ‘Robson Family – Lord Vernon’s Wharf’
Today has been another 20 lock-miles with cloud patches but mainly sun until I moored when they sky went black and it started raining.  Tomorrow it is on to Stoke Bruerne.

Braunston Tunnel (West), Grand Union – Sunday 30 September 2012
Again I left at 08:00 in sunshine but it soon clouded over.  Hilmorton locks were all in my favour so an easy run through them.  It was a steady journey with only a bit of interest at Bridges 79 & 80 where the bridges are being re-built by C&RT.  The canal is down to one boat’s width to allow the work and, of course, there were boats coming the opposite way at both.  I moored by the ‘Stop House’ in Braunston while waiting for friends, then we went on through the six locks.  Today’s run was 9 locks and 10 miles and tomorrow I start by going through the tunnel.