Cowley

We awoke to a sunny dawn on Saturday (17/07/2021). Yesterday was the start of the promised heatwave

We continued on our way to Brentford, passing some nice developments in Uxbridge.

We filled up with diesel with challenging access at Uxbridge Marina..

And we made use of the services by the Malt Shovel pub, which we later returned to for a cold beverage after mooring up beside a park in Cowley.

Not our beer, we were sticking to Dry July.

Vera enjoyed a romp over the park (Cowley Recreational Centre) as the heat of the day began to subside.

There were some house boats as well as Dutch barges on this stretch.

We were getting on to the London Canal Network now.

It was another start to a hot sunny day with “phew what a scorcher” Sun headlines in the offing.

People were living on anything that they could get to float on the canal.

We reached Bulls Bridge Junction where an arm went off to Paddington and picked up my sister and her husband, Robbie at Tesco Extra.

Cyclists struggled to get passed a swan family on the towpath in Southall.

There have been a lot of gentrification and redevelopment since I was here last.

21st Century tower blocks overlooked the canal.

And we began to see London red double-decker buses.

Actually this one was Bull’s Bridge Junction with the turn off to Paddington (13 miles).

Steve waited for Kate and Robbie at the Tesco car park. You can just make out The Duke through the fence on the other side of the canal.

Brentford was now 6 miles away.

Swans here were happy to be swimming on the river rather than blocking the towpath.

We picked up Kate and Robbie and stopped further down the canal at the Old Oak Tree pub to try and cool down.

Kate and Robbie left us at the pub and we headed for Hanwell, passing through 2 locks and mooring up before the Hanwell flight of locks on Sunday night.