Visitors, Celebrations and extra crew

Sunday 26th and Monday 27th March - a catch-up!

 Sunday ~ George's birthday and Mother's day and we had a visit from our son Mark and family.  Three generations of Palin males here, son Mark on the right and tall, handsome Ed in the middle who was 16 on the Monday. A fantastic photo!  Thank you Mark and Sharon for my Mother's Day present seen here behind George, lovely.  We had a great day.

8 o'clock Monday morning our extra crew arrived to help us up the Hatton! Hanwell {edited) Locks ~ George's sister Diane and husband Paul.  After a bacon buttie and a cuppa by 9 we were at Clitheroe's Lock the first of 10 for today in just 2.5 miles.  Di and Paul will wait for George to bring Still Rockin' in (you may just be able to see him coming round the corner) and will open and close the gates, open the top gate sluices to raise the water level, open the top gates to let him out and walk on to the next lock.  In the meantime I'm walking ahead to set the next lock and open the bottom gates ~ we've got a good system here!  When next I managed to speak to George he told me that the canal up the first two locks was very shallow and he'd struggled to get through.

 Seen on my walk - spring is definitely in the air!

George is currently in the bottom lock (97) of the Hanwell flight and I've just emptied lock 95 helping a single-hander as I go.  The guys in the lock above (94) are moving pontoons which have been used as a temporary towpath whilst cables are being laid alongside the canal and one of the workmen came down to inform me that the pound (water between locks) above lock 93 is empty.  As it was just turned 10 and the volunteers would be at the top of the locks I rang them and explained the situation.  I was told that they would start running water down right away and once they'd finished their cup of tea they'd come down to help which they did.

 George bringing Still Rockin' from lock 91 and Di and Paul walking alongside

 ... and into the last lock of the day, it was now midday.  The journey had taken 3 hours mainly due to shallow water and an empty pound.  We pulled over at the top to fill the water tank and eat lunch, freshly made sausage rolls.

 We cruised another six miles to moor up at Cowley just past the Slough Arm and Packet Boat Marina under this lovely blossom.

The day had been warm, very pleasant and great fun!  We sat on the back of SR and celebrated with a few glasses of wine and in the evening went to the Paddington Packet Boat pub for a meal - a bit nondescript but it saved us cooking and washing up!

A really good day!