Tottenham to Ponders End

After my hard work moving rubbish into the hopper at Old Ford Locks 19, I recommenced my scheduled itinerary. I cycled up to Tottenham Locks, pausing only to say hello to James, the data checker I shared some courses with at Milton Keynes, and to take a couple of photos of the new moorings going in by the flats where the old Lesney factory used to stand.

New Leisure Moorings opposite Wick Woodland.

I reached Tottenham just after 2pm. I was delayed when the new holster I'd made for my bike lock turned out to be not as strong as I'd have liked, and I had to go back to pick both it and my bike-lock up from the path where I'd very nearly lost them into Pymmes Brook.

An innocent bystander.

Stonebridge was as charming as ever. A car fire (apparently deliberately torched to remove evidence of drug dealing) had claimed the nearby Boater Information Board as a victim.

However I was pleased to see the Elsan was cleaner than usual, and that someone had restored the toilet paper dispenser in the toilets. Even the showers didn't look grotty, even if, as I gather from the boaters, they're not exactly wonderful to use.

At Picketts Lock, I sadly witnessed retired lock keeper Alfie Saggs being treated by ambulance men. He was still in fine voice, but he's not as strong as he once was. I wish the finest man on the Lea well.

Ponders End posed different problems. The last boater through had already reported the hydraulic chamber was having problems, but as I closed the top gates and lowered the paddles on the manual chamber it became clear that there was something blocking the top, towpath side paddle. I reported this urgently, hopefully someone will come down from the yard at Enfield to fix it.

I finished off by returning to Stonebridge for tea, a sarnie, and a chat in the café there.

2 hours.