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My Teddington to Brentford dilemma!


nipper

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I've never had a reply to an answer phone message or been able to get them to answer. When I last phoned CRT (August) I was told the lock is manned as per the published opening hours which of course doesn't help now as it appears to be pre-book only. What a shower!

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I've never had a reply to an answer phone message or been able to get them to answer.

 

Same here.

 

Booking for the Tinsley flight, which has no specific manned days or hours, was made very easy by the simple fact of the phone contact being a mobile number, so the on-call lockie always has access to it.

 

Has anyone written to CRT to complain about the booking arrangements at Brentwoodford?

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Last time I used this lock the answerphone was indeed in the lock hut. If you don't get a return call, then phone the CRT London office (or main help number) and they will sort someone out for the required time. Note that operational times are restricted at this time of year.

 

If worst comes to worst, I'm sure the yard there wouldn't mind you mooring alongside one of the barges/boats moored near the lock, but I wouldn't set off without knowing you can get in.

 

Mike

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I made it, and now tied up at Bulls Bridge and it has just started to pour down with rain!

 

7-30 at Kingston Visitor moorings and now 2-30 at Bulls Bridge, that ain't bad, considering there are 13 locks involved as well!!

 

Nipper

Edited by nipper
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I made it, and now tied up at Bulls Bridge and it has just started to pour down with rain!

 

7-30 at Kingston Visitor moorings and now 2-30 at Bulls Bridge, that ain't bad, considering there are 13 locks involved as well!!

 

Nipper

 

 

Esp as you went via Brentwood too :)

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I made it, and now tied up at Bulls Bridge and it has just started to pour down with rain!

 

7-30 at Kingston Visitor moorings and now 2-30 at Bulls Bridge, that ain't bad, considering there are 13 locks involved as well!!

 

Nipper

 

Sounds like good going. Once you get to Cowley you'll be out of the shite open sewer/rubbish dump and back to a nice waterway.

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Sounds like good going. Once you get to Cowley you'll be out of the shite open sewer/rubbish dump and back to a nice waterway.

 

Have you been down Hanwell and into Brentford of late?.

We did it a couple of weeks back and prior to that it was about 4 years ago.

A bit of a transformation has taken place, probably from a lot of volunteer input.

Hanwell was almost 100% free of litter and graffiti, and the water was mostly water, not that black treacle stuff we met on our last trip. Zero weedhatch adventures too..

Brentford itself felt a lot better too, and a good drinking pub.

 

..............Dave

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Have you been down Hanwell and into Brentford of late?.

We did it a couple of weeks back and prior to that it was about 4 years ago.

A bit of a transformation has taken place, probably from a lot of volunteer input.

Hanwell was almost 100% free of litter and graffiti, and the water was mostly water, not that black treacle stuff we met on our last trip. Zero weedhatch adventures too..

Brentford itself felt a lot better too, and a good drinking pub.

 

..............Dave

 

In that case I take it all back. I haven't been up and down the Hanwell flight for about 5 years. You've got to admit - it really was shite though.

 

Edit: I remember coming back to my boat moored at Brentford once, and some black bags full of rubbish had floated down the river Brent and ruptured as they hit the first group of boats (our boats). Out of the bags had emerged thousands of maggots which were crawling all over the pontoons and boats. I thought I'd walked into a horror film!

Edited by blackrose
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Sounds like good going. Once you get to Cowley you'll be out of the shite open sewer/rubbish dump and back to a nice waterway.

Yes, I have already had to go down the weed hatch twice today, first time since July!

 

To be honest, while at Kingston the water really did smell filthy, with a greasy scum on it!

I hesitate to mention the lack of elson points and the large amount of constant moorers on the river!

 

But at least you can see whats going on your prop here cus the water seems very clear!

 

I look forward to getting past Cowely, but first, i may decide to have a ditti along that other open sew..r, The Paddington Arm, if i can be sure to get a mooring around Little Venice or the Paddington Basin!

Anyone near there?

 

Nipper

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Have you been down Hanwell and into Brentford of late?.

We did it a couple of weeks back and prior to that it was about 4 years ago.

A bit of a transformation has taken place, probably from a lot of volunteer input.

Hanwell was almost 100% free of litter and graffiti, and the water was mostly water, not that black treacle stuff we met on our last trip. Zero weedhatch adventures too..

Brentford itself felt a lot better too, and a good drinking pub.

 

..............Dave

Last time I went BW had to put a sheet of ply over the paddle to fill the lock and get us through. Today they would probably say, sorry its closed until we can drain it and fit a new paddle.

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Yes, I have already had to go down the weed hatch twice today, first time since July!

 

To be honest, while at Kingston the water really did smell filthy, with a greasy scum on it!

I hesitate to mention the lack of elson points and the large amount of constant moorers on the river!

 

But at least you can see whats going on your prop here cus the water seems very clear!

 

I look forward to getting past Cowely, but first, i may decide to have a ditti along that other open sew..r, The Paddington Arm, if i can be sure to get a mooring around Little Venice or the Paddington Basin!

Anyone near there?

 

Nipper

 

If you're not going to be back in the area for a while and you have time then you've got to do it (assuming you've never been down there?) - you'll find a mooring somewhere.

 

I especially enjoyed the feeling that I could smash into the back of the shops in W Kilburn. tongue.png

 

IMG00015-20100513-1404.jpg

Edited by blackrose
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Yes i was there in June just before i went on the Thames and explored that river,then the Kennet and Avon and the River Wey twice ( Grandchildren!)

 

But I have a need to go back that way because i have found out i still have £3-50 left on me Oyster card!!frusty.gif

 

Also the fact that i still have plenty of time to get to Braunston for Christmas!

 

Nipper

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I'll have you know that it isn't all sweetness and light you know!

 

Lets take this morning, I was up so early this morning to get the tide that i only got one cup of tea in bed and definitely no toast!

 

I also like to have coffee at around 10 with two digestives, but i was far to busy!

 

I'll have you know that life can be tough as a Constant Cruiser!

 

But, you know what? I wouldn't swap it for the world! icecream.gif

 

Nipper

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Go Christmas shopping in Oxford Street inyour boating gear. I did, and was followed around the shops and always found an assistant to help. The best service I have ever had smile.png

 

Your wicked!

 

Anyway, whats Christmas shopping? fatigue.gif

 

Nipper

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Coming in late on this one. The persistent confusion with Thame Lock Brentford is... Seasons, WINTER and SUMMER - April to October.

 

In SUMMER the lock is manned two hours each side of local High Tide. Manned, permanently - no need to book. They are always there. Simple. The fact that during summer the Teddington Lockies always ask if you have booked must be a main source of this confusion. Summer = No Booking.

 

In WINTER the lock is not manned. If you haven't called and booked then there will be nobody there.

 

The answerphone is actually in the lock-keeper's hut so as you can imagine, it only gets checked when the keepers happen to be there. Which may not be every day. So I always book two or three days before. And... the keepers will ALWAYS ring you back on receipt of your request to confirm the booking. ALWAYS. But in summer they don't ring anyone, because they are always there and there is no booking system, even if you feel compelled to phone in a booking, which will be ignored.

 

The two houses beside the lock are the family homes of CaRT staff who will have some access to the lock systems. But is their family homes so I would never consider knocking them up when they are off work unless it was an emergency.

 

Although I have never been 'locked out' on arrival at Brentford, my contingency plan is always to go back out of the creek and to moor on the floating pontoon beside the Brentford Dock entrance gate. There is enough depth there to remain afloat at all times, whereas the creek dries out and you never know what you might settle on.

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Coming in late on this one. The persistent confusion with Thame Lock Brentford is... Seasons, WINTER and SUMMER - April to October.

 

In SUMMER the lock is manned two hours each side of local High Tide. Manned, permanently - no need to book. They are always there. Simple. The fact that during summer the Teddington Lockies always ask if you have booked must be a main source of this confusion. Summer = No Booking.

 

In WINTER the lock is not manned. If you haven't called and booked then there will be nobody there.

 

The answerphone is actually in the lock-keeper's hut so as you can imagine, it only gets checked when the keepers happen to be there. Which may not be every day. So I always book two or three days before. And... the keepers will ALWAYS ring you back on receipt of your request to confirm the booking. ALWAYS. But in summer they don't ring anyone, because they are always there and there is no booking system, even if you feel compelled to phone in a booking, which will be ignored.

 

The two houses beside the lock are the family homes of CaRT staff who will have some access to the lock systems. But is their family homes so I would never consider knocking them up when they are off work unless it was an emergency.

 

Although I have never been 'locked out' on arrival at Brentford, my contingency plan is always to go back out of the creek and to moor on the floating pontoon beside the Brentford Dock entrance gate. There is enough depth there to remain afloat at all times, whereas the creek dries out and you never know what you might settle on.

 

Yes, I was far to busy looking at that float and the mooring posts, and logging them into my brain, to realise that I was going past the entrance at quite a lick.

 

Still, a swift about turn of the tiller and a gun on the 50hp beta was all that was needed to put me into the entrance the right way around.

I wonder why that red bouy is on the other side of the river to the entrance, cus, it gets in the way when one has an elderly moment! blush.png

 

Nipper

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Yes, I was far to busy looking at that float and the mooring posts, and logging them into my brain, to realise that I was going past the entrance at quite a lick.

 

Still, a swift about turn of the tiller and a gun on the 50hp beta was all that was needed to put me into the entrance the right way around.

I wonder why that red bouy is on the other side of the river to the entrance, cus, it gets in the way when one has an elderly moment! blush.png

 

Nipper

 

The red buoy marks the rowing zone, from Brentford down to Putney. See https://www.pla.co.uk/assets/rowingchartupperarea2015.pdf - the zone starts a bit further upstream.

 

In essence rowing boats from the various clubs are allowed to use the part of the river between the buoy and the bank to paddle against the tide, even if that means they are on the "wrong" side of the river. Red and green buoys from there down to Putney, and two crossing points. So for example if you are going up to Brentford on the flood tide, you may have a green buoy to your right and an eight paddling downstream against the tide beyond that.

 

(you may want to sit down with a strong coffee first.. Full version here.)

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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Blimey , that's some code of practice!

Now I am beginning to understand why the crews of the rowers and other oared boats come mainly from the universities and colleges.

Thanks for that Scholar Gypsy, it's good to know that they have rules and obey them!

 

Nipper

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