Dash to Hackney

With one hour less sleep we awoke to a very misty morning and a chill wind. Our plan was to go to Waltham Abbey Church for the 10:30 service and then charge down to Hackney Marsh (where we moored on the way up) to meet up with Peter and Elizabeth, our friends from Milton Keynes days.


Misty Morning

We just had time to make a quick call at the Co-Op supermarket close to the church for some more milk and potatoes and then joined the congregation at the church. Although a rather elderly makeup there were a good number of children (who proudly showed their work at the end) - a good adult choir, musical director and organist (two organs!) We did not stay for coffee as our estimate for arrival at our planned destination seemed quite tight.
Back at the boat the mist had cleared and was replaced by a bright blue sky, although a chill wind lasted for another hour or so.

Waltham Toen Lock

Progress down the next few pounds seemed much faster than on the way up but certainly we were fortunate to have several of the manual locks ready for us. we certainly noticed the difference from the Stort Navigation Locks. However, for some reason, progress through the water was faster and we were constantly ahead of schedule - even so we opted for lunch on the go. Three locks we shared with a local single handed liveaboard.

Government Row

Above Enfield Lock we took a closer look at Government Row (having now studied its origins) and below the lock we also snapped the former waterways offices and workshops.

Goodyear Airship

As we were arriving at the lock we spotted a Goodyear Airship in the distance - taking a fully zoomed picture whilst steering into the lock landing resulted in a less-than-clear image!

Enfield Workshops

The short arm below Ponders End Lock has quite a collection of well-decorated working style narrow boats.

Arm below Ponders End

We made the briefest of stops at the sanitary station above Stonebridge Lock - hardly long enough for Christine to fill and ready the lock!

Above Tottenham Lock

Arriving at Tottenham Lock our photo this time included Belle as well as the sailing vessels (used as offices) that we recorded on our blog last week.

Alongside the preserved wharf crane we included on out upstream blog is a more recent gantry crane but it also st5ands starkly as a reminder that the navigation had a utilitarian origin.

We looked for diesel at Lea Valley Marina but they were closed until tomorrow morning, so perhaps we will return for a top up before our venture out onto the tidal Thames.

Beehive

On the way up we noticed the Anchor and Hope Inn overshadowed by modern developments but missed a shot of the adjacent older building which looks quite uncomfortable in its new surroundings! We later discovered from Google that this used to be the Beehive pub until the second world war when it was closed. Legend has it that the lanlord was raided fror bootlegging! In any event, both buildings survided whilst most else around was bombed flat - hence the post war blocks of flats.

Anchor and Hope Inn

The pub was popular and several boats had come upstream to enjoy the sunshine - and no doubt a drink or two - so many that they 'breasted up' almost right across the navigation! Most of them passed us later after we had moored.

In the end we were at our destination almost an hour earlier than expected - better that than late, although Mike had been preparing the meal in the last few long pounds. He make a quick trip to a nearby shop for some ice cream to go with the mincemeat tart.

We enjoyed time with our visitors - seems strange entertaining in this situation!

10.2 miles - 7 locks