Kids' mural made from canal rubbish
a bit of Brentford art.....but it's still a dump.
approaching Thames Lock, Brentford
The armada ready to leave Teddington Lock on the tide
The high spot of the day was seeing two adult swans - one of them was carrying several cygnets on its back, snuggled down between its wings - going home tired after a long day out. I have never seen this before, but sadly did not have my camera handy.
Down the tidal section of the Thames - neap tides, so nothing tricky. An hour of splendid scenery saw us locking into Thames Lock at Brentford. http://www.flickr.com/photos/12113806@N04/3515818607/
The journey up to Bull's Bridge was notable for an obvious lack of maintenance - thick, choking weed, polythene sacks, and general detritus. We had a half hour stop while Howard groped under water through the weed hatch to remove about a sack full of rubbish from the propeller.
To say this is the main canal access to London suggests something grand. It isn't. It still has a heavy industrial character - appropriately enough - with a few pockets of residential boats guarded by dogs and presumably resisting the usual BW attempts to get rid of them. A new waterside deveolpment by the same crew - Engineers Wharf - a truly, memorably awful, piece of work - square slab blocks of flats round a square bit of water stuffed with narrowboats. No planting, no design, no life, no quality. Is this really the best they can do ? If so, they should seek work elsewhere.
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