Old Father Thames has also had his dark days. During the Great Stink of the 1850s, the River Thames honked with raw sewage to such an extent that the Houses of Parliament had to close down. Cartoonists of the day drew many images of a woebegone Father Thames, wallowing in his filthy abode. We hoped that things had changed as we tackled the guaging lock, which was self-service. It was electric and the control box had a button for each gate and each paddlle.
We had to wait a while in the lock for our companion narrowboat who were at the Services.
Margery Alice was slow in coming but finally dawdled up beside us.
There were workmen on a high scaffold working on Brentford High Street bridge and so there was a safety boat under the bridge in case one of the workers fell in the river. “At least I’m in the shade”, the safety boat man said as we passed.
We arrived at the Thames Lock bang on time and then swooshed out onto the majestic River Thames. We soon passed Isleworth, where I was born at West Middlesex Hospital in 1958. Steve identified The London Apprentice pub and the church with the graveyard where his paternal grandparents were buried (and also a plague pit from Black Death days).
The state of the tide was fine for us to pass under one of the arches. Richmond Lock and Footbridge (which we knew as Isleworth Toll Bridge) is a lock, rising and falling low-tide barrage integrating controlled sluices and pair of pedestrianbridges on the River Thames in south west London, England and is a Grade II* listed structure.[1] It is the furthest downstream of the forty-five Thames locks and the only one owned and operated by the Port of London Authority. It was opened in 1894 and is north-west of the centre of Richmond in a semi-urban part of south-west London. Downstream are Syon Park and Kew Gardens on opposite banks. It connects the promenade at Richmond with the neighbouring district of St. Margarets on the west bank during the day and is closed at night to pedestrians – after 19:30 GMT or after 21:30 when BST is in use. At high tide the sluice gates are raised and partly hidden behind metal arches forming twin footbridges.
Another potential barrier to our progress was safely behind us.
We passed all manner of boats including this paddle steamer.
We passed through Richmond upon Thames after the imposing home of Bamber Gascogne (does he still live there with his peacocks?). Steve lived socially in Richmond through his teenage years and twenties. Walking there along the towpath from Isleworth or taking the 37 bus from Hounslow Bus Garage.
Next was Kingston-upon-Thames where Steve did HNC on day release every Thursday in 1978-79 at Kingston Polytechnic.
We passed Thames Dutton marina where Steve had taken a holiday boat on the Thames for a week-long return trip to Oxford in 1980 (or there abouts).
It was so hot that after we had passed through Teddington Lock and paid £147 for a 14-day Thames license, we moored up so that Vera could have a scamper about in the woods. Another paddle steamer passed us by.
Before long we were chugging passed Hampton Court Palace. Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, chief minister to and favourite of Henry VIII, took over the site of Hampton Court Palace in 1514. It had previously been a property of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. Over the following seven years, Wolsey spent lavishly (200,000 Crowns) to build the finest palace in England at Hampton Court. Today, little of Wolsey's building work remains unchanged.
It has a lot of distinctive chimneys and a maze.
We went through the huge Molesey Lock with several other boats.
And Sunbury Lock to pass by Sunbury upon Thames where Steve had worked at the BP Research Centre from 1980 to 1987 before setting off for his Latin American Tour 1987 - 1988 Blog: https://latinamerica1988.blogspot.com. He also had a travel break during his BP service. See Europe and Asia Overland 1983 - 1984 Blog:
There were lots of impressive house boats along the way.
How about this for a houseboat, or a house!
Walton bridge seems to have been upgraded since the 1980’s.
Through Shepperton Lock and we were met by sister-in-law Janis at Shepperton Manor Visitor Moorings. They were full, as much as all of the moorings in this area, but we moored overnight in the Mooring Prohibited area as we were hot and exhausted, and Vera had been cooped up in the boat all afternoon.
We went to Steve’s brother Nick’s house for a shower and a takeaway curry to recover from a stressful day. Janis kindly drove us to the house but it was close enough for us to walk back to the boat in the evening for an early night.
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