Stockers

 

We pulled pins from Cowley at 10.00 which was a bit of a late start for us and soon arrived at Uxbridge lock where the side wash tries to push you into the boats moored on the opposite side. I do like a bit of a challenge when entering a lock !

We then get to Denham deep lock and it doesn't seem that long since we were last here heading in the opposite direction to London.

Below Black Jacks lock and its a good job this crocodile is chained up or the Bunny would be a goner.

Black Jacks mill next to Black jacks lock is up for sale and has been for sometime . It has 8 bedrooms and 3 acres of land and an asking price of £2.45 million . Maybe not the ideal retirement home for us.

This is Coy Carp and its where we usually stop to fill with water . I wonder what it will look like next time we come this way with a huge housing development going up on the offside. With it being well within the commuter belt to London I bet it wont be cheap.

What a strange name for a boat . But apparently the name comes from a quote in the book by Emma Smith which is called Maidens Trip and is about the adventures of girls working on Narrowboats in the second world war .The boat featured on the front cover of the book is working boat Ascot which is now used as a coalboat and is run by Gary Slater in and around Milton Keynes.

After a few hours cruising and with rain clouds overhead we decided to moor up for the night below Stockers lock at Rickmansworth. A good mooring that is opposite where Black Beauty the TV series was filmed back in the good old Seventies…

                                                                                                   Happy Days