30th November 2009 - recieved this from a fellow boater and thought I'd pass it on via the blog although you may by now have already seen it and hopefully signed it. thanks Carol

If you enjoy the canals please go to this link to sign the petition Inland Waterways Association Newsflash

Saturday 3rd October 2009

We are taking Molly to the vets today - she needs a kennel cough booster as we may put her in kennels whilst in Scotland for our daughter Sharon's 40th!!!! in November.

Before we set off I saw a group standing by the foot-bridge in Paddington Basin, one of them had a cine camera - they seemed to be doing some sort of documentary which included the bridge opening and closing:-

the chap second from left is talking in front of the camera and the bridge has been lifted and rolled up very neatly onto the opposite wharf the bridge opening up and gently being lowered onto the wharf.

I forgot to take a picture of the bridge in its original position!

We eventually set off by underground to Kings Cross to the vets

and afterwards took walk around the village of St Pancras St Pancras Old Church stands on one of the most ancient sites of Christian worship possibly as far back at the 4th century; the present building was built in the 11th or 12th century. During the civil war Cromwells troops and stables were barracked in this Anglican church; the church's treasures having been buried to keep them safe and were not rediscovered until the early 19th century during restoration work.

the interior from the altar and from the door

St Pancras International Station - still being refurbished

the British Telecom Tower Sir Isaac Newton statue at the British Library inside St Pancras International - poet John Betjaman

and the statue of the couple saying goodbye or hello (?) in the background

a very busy station

Sunday 4th October

we're off to the market - Camden Market to be exact onto the Regents Canal and long lines of residential moorings
looking back through bridge 1 on the Regents Canal to Little Venice

and under Maida Vale tunnel - Cafe Laville was busy

I think this building over the canal must have been on Edgware Road

the architecture and the grandness of the buildings was something to behold!

especially these on the edge of Regents Park and the canal

elegant metalwork colums support ...
... a very elegant bridge

the Regents Canal runs through London Zoo but there's not a lot to see from here

Lord Snowdon's Aviary at London Zoo - not sure what the birds are though!

Wild dogs

gongoozlers (canal boat watchers) on the bridge at Cumberland Basin

taking a left turn by the Feng Shang Princess Floating Restaurant

more gongoozlers at Camden Lock

where we moored for our tour of the market and canal sides

very strange dwellings indeed

canal bridge hole art

the house between the two 'ship shaped' buildings looked very pretty...

... but had bars at all the windows

When canal boats were drawn by horses the ropes pulling the boats etched into the iron strips on the bridge holes to protect the brickwork - this one near Camden Lock was obviously well used in a past era.

looking back towards Camden Lock and Market and the elaborate warehouses on the left

a colourful scene - masses of people too

these beautifully decorated warehouses are now shops and restaurants

statues in and around the market are numerous

and the crowds are nearly impenetrable - these are in one of the many eating areas

this building work was going on opposite our mooring - if you look carefully into the left had window you can see beautiful stained glass windows on (presumably) the front of the building. The rubbish from the build was being removed by canal.

and so into the market itself - the sights, sounds, smells, noise, colours, crowds are a sight for sore eyes!

I tell you - Camden Market on a Sunday is an experience not to be missed.

The diversity of goods for sale, the nationality of sellers and buyers and the food that was being cooked and eaten at the stalls was vast.

Tuesday 6th October

heading south now from Camden - in the rain!

dreadful weather - I do hope we've not seen the last of the

wonderful indian summer we've had lately

we're turning right here into Battlefield Wharf to visit the London Canal Museum

we stayed the night - this was the scene on the opposite wharf

- these lights were on all night - what a waste of energy

Wednesday 7th October

We had fully intended to follow the Regent Canal to Limehouse Basin (where it meets the tidal River Thames) but decided that the 7 large locks were just too much for George to do on his own (his foot was painful for some unknown reason), so we decided to head back to Little Venice this morning.

we met these German visitors by the zoo, they congratulated us on our fine boat
the entry into Maida Vale Tunnel from the south was not so stylish as the other end!

We moored once again at Ha'penny Bridge