London Boats

[OldGoat]

Being marginally affected by CoVid, with time to hack around the web, I came across this LONG video -

 

Being temporarily stuck at home with some time to spare, I discovered the above video - a walk at a reasonable speed from Limehouse basin to King's Cross. It's a trip we haven't done for many years and I wanted to see how much of it I remembered.

In those days moorings weren't too much of a problem, more of  ?do we want to stop there?

 

EVERY, EVERY space that you can imagine where you could bang a pin into the towpath or find a bollard - or anything that you could tie to was wall to wall boats, mostly two abreast. Many in undercoat paint only, some completely covered in tarpaulin. Very few seemed to be occupied, but it was a sunny day - perhaps the occupants were down at the pub.

 

Absolutely nowhere for a visitor to moor (thus I won't be returning to old haunts).

 

It's a shocking reflection on London's housing problems that people should have to take to the water to find accommodation and - since CRT permits it and a indictment on CRT for not providing basic facilities (rubbish, sanitation, water).

That said everyone seemed to be Having A Good Time (look towards the end for people enjoying the facilities at King's Cross).

Everyone seemed at ease with the towpath, running, walking, cycling at high speed all with a common purpose - Wow!

 

The Video is well presented with a track at the bottom of the display - so that you can jump to a specific section. Just as well it's two hours long.

The route used to be dark and gloomy, with the remains of industry lost rotting beside the canal. Now it's light and looks clean. No boats moving, just moored up.

Well worth a view - leave a comment or a 'like'. 

 

Newbies on here saying they're going to London should waitch this video first.....

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by OldGoat

[Athy]

51 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Being marginally affected by CoVid, with time to hack around the web, I came across this LONG video -

 

Very few seemed to be occupied, but it was a sunny day - perhaps the occupants were down at the pub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's a jaundiced view; didn't it occur to you that they might be at work?

[OldGoat]

6 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's a jaundiced view; didn't it occur to you that they might be at work?

On Good Friday?? (10th. April 2020) -

Do you want me to throuw my toys out again??

[Athy]

6 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

On Good Friday?? (10th. April 2020) -

Do you want me to throw my toys out again??

I don't think you mentioned the date.

Again? Why, is it something you regularly do?

[Bee]

Didn't watch it all the way through, just skipped bits but it didn't seem that bad to me.

[OldGoat]

2 minutes ago, Athy said:

I don't think you mentioned the date.

Again? Why, is it something you regularly do?

Oi - I didn't think the date mattered - but since you kindly pointed out that that boat dwelllers might be working I checked the date on the video - I know not whether it was the submission date or not. It could be that they had ALL 'gone-down-the-pub'...

 

Again - somebody, probably chided me about something inconsequential - thus I retaliated with a new logo, which I can't remove - do you want to help??

6 minutes ago, Bee said:

Didn't watch it all the way through, just skipped bits but it didn't seem that bad to me.

It wasn't a complaint, just an observation - confirming others who have said London is full.

There are only gaps because there are no bollards or bits of grass where you can bang a pin into.

 

Don't shoot the messenger!!

[Quaffer]

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.

[GUMPY]

Much to my surprise there was plenty of room just before Islington tunnel. Used to be my favourite mooring in the days before the gate at the top was opened so it became a throghway. Very convinient for The Island Queen.

[matty40s]

4 hours ago, OldGoat said:

On Good Friday?? (10th. April 2020) -

Do you want me to throuw my toys out again??

I dont think I have never worked Good Friday. 

However, I have never worked for financial or government employers.

[Wittenham]

that was a nice trip down memory lane:  at 29:57 it passes the flat i lived in when first married.  The area had fewer flats on the canal then.  I used to regularly cycle/run that route to my job on Gray's Inn road.   Sometimes ran the other way [to Limehouse], but too many rocks thrown from bridges or the other side of the canal...

 

Thanks for sharing.

[mrsmelly]

13 hours ago, matty40s said:

I dont think I have never worked Good Friday. 

However, I have never worked for financial or government employers.

Having worked for the government I can say I worked most bank holidays including christmas day for plenty of years 

[WotEver]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Having worked for the government I can say I worked most bank holidays including christmas day for plenty of years 

Ditto, but not the government bit

[Victor Vectis]

25 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Having worked for the government I can say I worked most bank holidays including christmas day for plenty of years 

Had you been at t'pit you would have got double time for bank holidays.

 

?

[OldGoat]

14 hours ago, Quaffer said:

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.

Oh dear, my bad.

Naively I took the date on the listing as when it was recorded - not submitted.

Regardless it's an interesting video - as others had commented.

Generations ago I was a student at Northampton College - and I wanted to see if the annex at Cranmer (?) Street was still standing. I think it is... but the whole trip brings back pleasant memories...

[WotEver]

4 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Had you been at t'pit you would have got double time for bank holidays.

 

?

Plus a day off in lieu...

[mrsmelly]

17 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Had you been at t'pit you would have got double time for bank holidays.

 

?

I did!! 

[matty40s]

It also shows we did have a Summer.....where Spring used to be.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Having worked for the government I can say I worked most bank holidays including christmas day for plenty of years 

Christmas comes once a ferking, when it does your ferkin workin. as we use to say. The company did try to shift crew change days so we got New Year or Christmas off.