Quaffer

I hope you enjoy your visit to the southern Grand Union and London.I usually spend the "off season"( Nov-March) on the southern Grand Union mooching about and spent December 19 -Feb 20 in central London,where I also volunteer for CRT. Never had any problem finding moorings on the southern GU. The busy part of the Paddington Arm starts at Kensal Green,and if you want a towpath mooring from there you may have to take what's available ,as opposed to where you might like to target.The bookable moorings at Little Venice,Paddington Basin and the London Canal Museum are popular because they give visiting boaters certainty. The Regents Canal is generally nose to tail ,but gaps will appear.The same applies to the Hertford Union .Breasting up is common and the liveaboard community is much younger and more idealistic than you experience elsewhere on the canal system.I've never had a polite request to breast up being turned down,but if you can ask first. South of Mile End on the Regents Canal there are far fewer towpath moorers,but this may give you pause for thought about stopping there.Strength in numbers does seem to apply ,and never forget that you are in Inner London. Limehouse Basin has excellent 24 hr moorings,while most of the Limehouse Cut is uncrowded but maybe for a reason .The towpath around the Olympic Park and up to Hackney Wick is very popular and crowded but generally gaps will appear from Hackney Marsh ,with a noticeable thinning out after Stonebridge Lock. As part of the on going discussions about the London Mooring Strategy,CRT said they will produce a mooring "heat map" for the London canal system so hopefully this will back up my comments. Try not to be put off by negative comments,especially from people who never visit the London Canals.

I thinks that's a very good suggestion. I am aware that IWA are looking for new ideas for Silver Propeller locations. FWIW I would also suggest either the River Glen or the River Welland,possibly both.Rarely navigated by visiting boaters and quite a challenge to reach.I am thinking about how I might tick these two off !

Thank you.Good luck with the final five. In only managed four in 2020,which took most of the year with the first lockdown a major interruption.2019 was a bumper 14 (BCN helped a lot) ,and I started very slowly with just 2 in 2018 after an engine malfunction delay in Bedford meaning I missed two ticks in The Middle Level as time was running out to get past a winter stoppage on the Nene.

I copped out at Avoncliffe but I was singlehanded that day.

Managed to tick off these two ,so have completed the Challenge and will display this plaque .It was a lot of fun. https://postimg.cc/HV8hdqsd

Wey & Arun Canal has a trip boat and some slipways Chelmer & Blackwater (difficult to reach for canal craft) River Stour (Suffolk) River Tees Stroudwater (until further restoration to Saul Junction.) Hope this helps

The Dragon,Willington is a bit of a mixed bag. The outside terrace is partially covered and has a large glass screen at one end of the sheltered section which gives views over the Visitor Mooring.There is table service ,and food can also be served at these tables.Although these external tables are quite close together ,the fresh air aspect should calm the nerves.It was a popular spot on a sunny Wednesday.However the situation inside is the polar opposite,no T&T ,packed,very popular with the local youth it felt dodgy until we forced some windows open. Two real ales in OK nick ,Dancing Duck Ay Up and 22.However on observing the food which uses the deep fat fryer or reheated food service fare and was distinctly beige ,we pushed off and had a very good curry in The Waters Edge opposite the Post Office,with the Eat Out to Help Out discount thrown in.

It's an interesting video. However I should point out that according to the accompanying notes supplied by the maker,this was filmed in early March 2019,during a weekday early afternoon.This would explain why the boats appear to be unmanned,a very high proportion of the boaters would have been at work. A lot of boats left The Regents Canal as a result of Covid and although the canal is still busy compared with the rest of the network there are more towpath gaps where you can moor these days compared with the video.I volunteer in the area between Mile End and Broadway Market every Tuesday so that's my source.

No ,I just pitched up.There must be at least 40 bench seats in that large garden.

If you are looking for good social distancing The Folly at Napton should tick a lot of boxes.The actual pub building is closed but the team have set up in the large garden below the canal with several tents and lots of bench seating all socially distanced.Get a table number,order and pay for your drink and/or food at a one way bar area,then it's brought to your table.Two real ales on Hook Norton Hooky and North Cotswold Shagweaver in a plastic mug ,decent enough but £4pp. There is a track and trace form to fill out but this wasn't insisted on at the bar (I paid by card),but then I was outside rather than in a covered area.Clearly if the heavens opened this place won't work as the covered area was small relative to the busy garden,but the presence of a folk singer helped create additional atmosphere.

I popped into The Boat Inn on Wednesday evening and was reasonably impressed with their social distancing measures with a well signed one way system and a "Wait to be Seated " sign so that you can be directed to a cleaned table by the staff.There was a lot less furniture inside compared with previous visits.There is also a substantial rear beer garden as well as quite a few benches overlooking the canal at the front.Two real ales available namely Nethergate Venture and Augustinian Amber Ale ,hardly likely to get the pulse racing but decent enough.There were a few punters inside,more outside with food available so this pub should tick the box for the OP.

Yes that's on the Silver Propeller list.?

Since January 2018,I have ticked off and photographed 18 ,so just 2 to go which will probably be Langley Mill and then the safe limit of navigation on the Warwickshire Avon.

FWIW I was doing a litter pick on the Hertford Union and on the Regents Canal between Mile End Lock and Broadway Market on Thursday and there are a lot less boats than usual on these sections.There were towpath gaps in all locations and not that much breasting up.I can only assume that a lot of Continuous Cruisers moved out of central London which marries up with my experience when moored in Berko just before the March lockdown ,when a steady stream of CC boats were all heading north at that time. So if you are planning a trip anytime soon ,mooring should be much less challenging that usual in the locations I passed recently in central London

It would be a shame to miss out on the Rising Sun in Berko if you like quality ale and a great pub atmosphere.The pubs around Boxmoor and Hamel are much less interesting. The Riser are doing takeouts at present. You can always stay on the 24 hours Limehouse Basin VM's overnight,interesting spot and into The Grapes (pub atmosphere) and Craft Beer Co. (ale).

I am aware of the issues at Marple on the Macclesfield Canal,but what is the problem with Marple Locks on the Peak Forest ?

I would imagine that it will only be certain staff members at CRT and trained volunteers who will be recording Inappropriate Mooring formally on the boat licence database. I believe a photo of the issue will be taken and possibly a yellow notice attached to the boat .The yellow notice initiative in London has been effective and may be rolled out further.Enforcement will be by Craft Licencing Support staff. They will judge if there are mitigating circumstances much as they do if a boater is overstaying.

At Stanstead Abbotts there are three boats displaying Winter Mooring permits ,all running through to mid March .The rest of the winter mooring there is pretty much full with Continuous Cruisers. CRT do weekly data collection on the upper Lee ,and there is a good turnover of CCers at this popular spot.

If you can recall the towns or villages where you did stop for a drink that may jog a few memories of the pub you visited.

Could the pub be The Brandy Cask,Pershore which sadly closed a few years ago. There was a riverside mooring,and I seem to remember some mock tudor internal decoration. The Star Inn next door still exists but has been heavily refurbed.It still has a toilet door in the position shown in the photo close to the window however ,so another suggestion. As I'm not local to that area,just a vague guess at this stage.

All Volunteer Lock Keepers are asked if they are planning to keep volunteering outside the "Boating Season" refering to the period 1st November to 31st March.In the London and S E Region a high percentage carry on throughout the year and stats are kept about the picture nationwide which I believe is close to 70%.

The OP should just contact CRT.

The boat name is currently War Horse.

Slightly off topic but how very true in all circumstances at Visitor Moorings.

I navigated down to Bradley Workshops in May and the dredging certainly made it a far easier journey.There was still some weed growth to the sides but again no problem.I was ticking off a Silver Propeller location and with the Great Western not too far away at Wolverhampton Top Lock,spent an enjoyable evening in there.So no idea how safe any mooring on the arm maybe.