River Thames from Teddington to Brentford
The Saturday after we arrived in Brentford we took the bus over to Teddington to visit some ex colleagues from the days when we lived in Teddington.. Knowing that Tony and Nolene were planning to make the passage from Teddington to Brentford in Mary Russell, we cadged a lift back home.

Soon after leaving Teddington Lock we passed Marble Hill on the left, standing serenely in the park.

Richmond bridge was busy, as always on a warm Saturday evening.

Through Nolene's flowers we spied the two bridges at Twickenham.  The railway has the more elegant structure in the foreground whist the A316 is a rather ponderous looking bridge.

To confuse things the next bridge after the Twickenhams is another Richmond.  this footbridge spans the Half-Tide Lock which we do not need today.

As we approached Ham House we met another boat heading upriver and as we did so the little passenger ferry shot across between us.












Ski-boarding is cheaper than boating but does lack passenger facilities.

Just before we start looking for Brentford Creek Syon House slides by.

So far we have been working against the incoming tide but now we are on dead water before it changes direction and our speed has increased noticeably.







The tide has now turned and we have to find the entrance to Brentford Creek which will take us through Thames Lock to the calm  waters beyond.

Suddenly we realise that the strange sculpture on our left may be the substitute for a sign.  Another  example of appearance being considered more important than boaters' safety.

Here we enter a Dickensian world of quiet boats and taciturn people where the usual boater's bonhomie is likely to be met by a glare and maybe a shrug.











Tony has timed our arrival well and the lock has only an inch or two  to adjust for us to enter the most welcome approach to Brentford Gauging Lock.

After a couple of pints of London Pride and a home made pizza at the Six Bells in what I thought was Brentford High Street I begin to question our navigation skills when we get the bill.