The lock keeper here at Weybridge warns us to expect very heavy rain tomorrow. I hope the Thames will not be running too strongly. With any luck we'll get to Teddington before the extra water catches up. Sitting here now in the early evening sunshine it's hard to believe we're due for a soaking soon.
Today has been our last one on the Wey navigation, for this summer anyway. We'll be sorry to leave it although it'll do us good to get back to reality. Life here must be good for many residents. Lots of properties cost over a million quid, and the genteel surroundings and beautifully managed countryside make you realise that there is still a wide gulf between the very well off and the rest of us.
I can only think of two complaints about this navigation. One is the provision of elsan emptying points. Two which we looked at today had no rinsing water supply so we didn't bother as we have spare cassettes in hand. The other is that one or two locks are a bit scary to operate. New Haw lock in particular has you standing six feet over the water on a narrow platform heaving on a rope to shut the bottom gates, then on the top gates leaning out over a wobbly gate platform to reach the swing of the long windlass you have to use. I'm surprised the health and safety mob hasn't been on to them. Maybe because everything is "listed" as of historical value they are exempt.
Blimey, I managed to upload a photograph! Here we are at lunch time today at Coxes Mill.
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