Berkhampstead Winter Mooring

[Porcupine]

Hey All, 

 

I am thinking of winter mooring in Berkhampstead this year. Would you recommend it? Is it a nice place to while away the cold months? It seems close to town and has a water point nearby. So it seems to offer everything I would need. 

 

Thanks,

Matt 

[matty40s]

I spent the very cold winter of 2009 frozen in at the lower end of Berkhamstead, 13 weeks. The day I was about to run out of coal, was also the day that the coal boats ran by Pete Hawker, Bletchley and Argus appeared tied up behind me when I came home from work in London.

Lovely little town, good shops, handy station and still some free car parking if you are prepared to walk a short way.

 

 

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I spent the very cold winter of 2009 frozen in at the lower end of Berkhamstead, 13 weeks. The day I was about to run out of coal, was also the day that the coal boats ran by Pete Hawker, Bletchley and Argus appeared tied up behind me when I came home from work in London.

Lovely little town, good shops, handy station and still some free car parking if you are prepared to walk a short way.

 

 

 

What a fantastic photo Matty. In colour too! 

 

I lurve colour photos where the winter weather makes them black and white.

[matty40s]

There was a couple more which showed how cold winter used to be...

 

 

...and how quiet Berko used to be...

 

 

[frangar]

I used to moor locally and went into berko by boat often to get water & do shopping etc in the early to mid 90’s…..last time I came through by boat about 4 years ago you had more chance of finding a space in Waitrose car park than mooring up….most boats looked welded to the bank…

[Porcupine]

Thanks guys, sounds nice then. Just might be a bit busy. I think you have to wait until October 1st to apply for a CRT winter mooring - so I’ll get in soon after that. 
 

Cheers,

Matt 

[blackrose]

A friend of mine paid for a winter mooring in Berko back in 2000 after being cautioned by BWB for bridge hopping too slowly. He was a bit of an old eccentric and his boat was similarly outlandish. I think the council had some complaints, not because of any bad behaviour, just that some of the snooty locals simply didn't like the look of him and his boat. The lady Mayoress actually came down to his boat and told him she didn't want him moored there, not realising he'd already paid for a winter mooring. He left after winter and didn't go back complaining about "social cleansing".

 

Last time I moored there for a couple of nights was in 2008.

 

 

[GUMPY]

32 minutes ago, blackrose said:

The lady Mayoress actually came down to his boat and told him she didn't want him moored there, not realising he'd already paid for a winter mooring. He left after winter and didn't go back complaining about "social cleansing".

 

I remember her complaining about livaboards in about 1996, when challenged she said of course that doesn't include you as your boat looks nice.😱

You have to remember that she used to live on a boat in Berko, moored on the towpath and if tales are to be believed had a generator buried in the towpath.

There is at least one person on here that remembers those days😁

 

[frangar]

1 hour ago, Loddon said:

I remember her complaining about livaboards in about 1996, when challenged she said of course that doesn't include you as your boat looks nice.😱

You have to remember that she used to live on a boat in Berko, moored on the towpath and if tales are to be believed had a generator buried in the towpath.

There is at least one person on here that remembers those days😁

 

Are we talking of the delightful Lindy Foster Winereb??

 

The person who thought no one should live on a boat apart from her….who maintained her hire fleet were “working boats”…who shopped her then husband to the police for being drunk…living with her would drive anyone to drink! Who basically thought she ran berko even before she somehow became mayor…

 

I’m not her biggest fan….🤣

[GUMPY]

You may think that,  I couldn't possibly name her.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Loddon

[frangar]

6 minutes ago, Loddon said:

You may think that,  I couldn't possibly name her.

Nothing I’ve said isn’t true! 🤣
 

She told me that living on boats should be banned…but it was alright when she did it!! 

Edited August 22, 2021 by frangar

[roland elsdon]

2 hours ago, frangar said:

Are we talking of the delightful Lindy Foster Winereb??

 

The person who thought no one should live on a boat apart from her….who maintained her hire fleet were “working boats”…who shopped her then husband to the police for being drunk…living with her would drive anyone to drink! Who basically thought she ran berko even before she somehow became mayor…

 

I’m not her biggest fan….🤣

Grumble rumble and bumble tigger.

we had the job of picking up and dragging back one of her sunk hire boats ( hirers fault) many years ago, from Grove to Berko. She certainly didnt hold back about the hirers!

Always liked her, you knew exactly where you were.

[frangar]

3 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Always liked her, you knew exactly where you were.

I guess someone had to….what I thought of her would probably get me banned from the forum…she might well have thought the same of me….