Lower Regents

Grey and grim in good company. PA & JH



1.5 hours.

Limehouse Patrol

We gathered the usual suspects at Old Ford Lock 19. JH, SD and me.

Foliage for the foliage survey.

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2 hours.

Tottenham to OF19

NS PA JH

Graffiti wiping and boatside trash.

2 hours.

Day Four at Old Ford Lock 19

... and three days full, still the boater bins haven't been emptied (as of 4pm Friday.) I can understand why boaters get frustrated about this.

Today's been an interesting day, with just two boat movements IJ and myself were confined to investigating customer complaints about graffiti, and minor bits of maintenance about the stables.

Early in the day volunteer manager SM turned up to borrow our benches for a meeting of volunteer lock keepers at Old Ford 8 (Regents Canal.) He arrived as IJ and I were discussing communications and whether the keys for Carpenters Road Lock should be issued sooner (now) rather than later (at the time the first boaters request passage through the lock.)

Later we were also briefly visited by waterways boating manager SA, and we discussed the improvements to the stables and the future improvements to the sanitary station.

Then the long afternoon came, with no boat movements. IJ and I chatted about work, retirement, kids and how the world has changed. It made me feel a bit old. Next time we should discuss contemporary music and today's popular beat combos.

By the evening we received an email with the welcome news that the keys for CRL should be issued sooner. We are of course waiting with bated breath.

6 hours.

Day Three at Old Ford Lock 19

Today I had a pre-arranged Towpath Ranger walk from Ponders End to Tottenham. I had to be at Ponders at 11am, so I popped into Old Ford 19 for just a few minutes at 10am to greet RA and RC who were volunteer lock keepers today.

Then I headed for Ponders End locks along a route away from the towpath so I could go a little quicker.

I returned along the Lea to Tottenham. It's fortunate there was only a little rubbish to report, so FA and I made good time.

Alfies Lock looking gorgeous in the October sun.

I returned to Old Ford  having missed our first operation of Carpenters Road Lock. RA & RC helped one of the Lee & Stort Olympic Park trip boats through on a visit up to Forman's fish smoking factory.

Then, while waiting to help them on the return passage we painted the door and frame of the stables building in quick drying gloss black, and touched up the paddle 'triangles' and some other paintwork around the lock.

Then while RA & RC worked Carpenters Road Lock for the trip boat once again, I busied myself removing some purple graffiti from signs and paintwork below Old Ford Lock.

All in all, this was a much busier day.

2 hours Towpath rangering.

3 hours Lock keeping.

Day Two at Old Ford Lock 19

There were no boat movements today, so MF and myself spent a lot of our time kicking our heels, making sure the place was tidy, handing out maps and leaflets and watching for any boats that might want to use the lock.

We may want to paint the stable door black,
to match the other side.

Inside, on the volunteer kitchen side.

Inside, on the Welcome Station side.

In the end we went home at 3pm.

5 hours.

Day One at Old Ford Lock 19

I popped into the Welcome Station early to mount some heritage displays for the public side of the station. But by 10am our full complement of volunteers had arrived:

Today's team: Me, FM, DL & BW(no relation.)

A possible future location for a bike-rack
and a definite future location of an Elsan cupboard.

"We love hard work and can watch it all day."

Codelock of doom.

We spent much of the day clearing rubbish from around the bins opposite, sweeping out gutters, repairing locks, repainting white parts of the gates, cleaning windows, removing graffiti and planning improvements to the site.

Oh, and we helped two boats down through the lock.

6 hours.