Paddington Basin for the weekend

6-8 June 2014

Have been having a rest in Paddington Basin.  The family have been busy though.

Friday:  Susan and Pete got on a train at Paddington Station to Oxford Circus so that Susan could buy some more camera equipment from Camera World.  Successful trip.  Both of them though were glad to get back to me and Mazey as they are no longer used to the crowds.....

Susan and Pete practised night-time photography with varying results.  They were also checked out by the offices' security guard.....

Day-time Paddington Basin

Night-time Paddington Basin

Saturday: The family chilled-out and watched the many boaters who came into the Basin and tried to find a mooring.  They wanted to offer help but there are signs to say no double moorings allowed.  A few even struggled to turn around at the end due to the winds which form a fierce vacuum at the end of the Basin.

Sunday: In the morning Pete helped Gary, the boater moored behind me, to break into his boat.  He had locked-up and walked away before realising that he had left his keys on the boat!!    Both Susan and Pete smiled at the memory of them doing the same thing to me on the Oxford Canal a few years' ago.  Susan chatted to his girlfriend and noticed her beautiful gold butterfly necklace.  Very special on this day for Susan as it is her mum's 5th anniversary of her joining the angels.  They both worked at St. Mary's Hospital which is behind where we are moored.

After breakfast at Starbucks with Mazey, Susan and Pete went for a walk into Paddington Station to hunt out 'Paddington Bear'.

Paddington Bear first appeared in a book written in 1958 by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum.  There are now about 20 or more books still in circulation.  The bronze statue in the station was created by Marcus Cornish and is located near the Paddington Bear shop.

Paddington Bear

Whilst there on platform 1 they also found 2 other statues: Isambard Kingdom Brunel and a war memorial which commemorates the railway workers whose lives were lost during the First World War (3,312 men and women in total across the two wars).

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

First World War Memorial - reading a letter from home

Paddington Station was the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and most of the mainline station dates from 1854 (160 years old now) which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was an engineer responsible for the designs of tunnels, bridges, railway lines and ships.

After the history lesson they then walked around Little Venice and saw the London Waterbus and Waterside Cafe.

London Waterbus - journeys through Regent's Park to London Zoo

Waterside Cafe

Walking along the towpath Susan saw this dog sitting on top of a boat and could not resist taking a photo.

Further on they decided to go and eat a late lunch in the Summerhouse, which they both said was scrummy and very special.  They had a table overlooking the canal and shared Sea-Bass and a bottle of wine.

Walking back Susan noticed that the Book Barge had musicians on top of the boat - so she decided to take a 'cheeky' photo.

Book Barge Musicians