Little Venice

A few of my favorites from the days spent wandering around Little Venice in London....

Along for the Ride

Chris and Lois Willett have been cruising the waterways of Britain in their 60 foot canal boat Hillhouse and Co for the past three years. Although Lois never lived more than three miles from where she was born and had never been on a boat until meeting Chris at 19, the couple never stays in one place for more than a fortnight. "There is still so much of the canals to see and once I see them all, I'll want to go again to see how they've changed," says Lois.
Chris first stepped foot on a boat when he was 16 years old and he loved it. They used to hire boats on holidays and eventually had a share in one before buying their own after Chris retired.





This winter they are trying to take the boat up north before the weather sets in but in the face of faulty electrics and closed lochs, they were forced to take a break at the Willow Tree Marina in Yeading near Southall.
I met them there and we cruised down the Heddington arm of the Grand Union South to Hanwell Lochs. We had lunch and headed back up just in time to dock before dark and the rain set in.



While Chris drives the boat, Lois walks ahead to open and close the Loch gates. While it is possible for one person to maneuver a canal boat through the Lochs, two people make the job much easier and more efficient. The more helping hands you have the quicker it goes. In the wider lochs, like the Hanwell Lochs, two of the thin canal boats can fit through at one time. We happened to catch up with another boat going down through at the same time. The two couples worked together easily and everyone was happy to have another helping hand.


Chris hooks into the power provided at the Marina.



After the boat is docked, dinner eaten and the dog walked, Chris and Lois settle in for the evening to relax, read the paper and watch the news. Rosie fights with the newspaper for Chris' attention. The couple has had Rosie for 11 years and is a consummate boat dog.