Watford General Hospital and Berkhamstead

May 2017

James ended up staying in hospital for about 12 days, to be honest I completely lost all track of time. He had a tube inserted into his vein behind his knee which went up to where the clot had formed, drugs were slowly (over 72 hours) being released close to the clot to dissolve it, they didn't want to do it quickly as it could just break up and stay in his blood system. As it was the MRI scan had shown up a Pulmonary Embolism (a blockage in an artery in the lungs) and they were also treating that.

After 72 hours the tube was removed and he had to have a compression bandage on for at least 48 hours after. I won't put the gory picture of the tube going into his leg, but here's the compression bandage after.

Meanwhile back at the boat I wanted to move from Marsworth, I wasn't going to join the market at Berkhamstead for the May Day Bank Holiday but it would be more convenient for me to be there. Our daughter Jess and Lee were visiting on their way back from a weeks hols and had booked to stay in Berko to visit us when the market was on. They came to Marsworth and were my lockies going up the Marsworth flight, then along the Tring summit and back down the locks to Berko. We made good progress considering they were complete novices and I was steering LJ, normally I am up working the locks. We got moored up in Berkhamstead and still had time to drive to Watford to visit James.

Berkhamstead Castle

A few days after James came home we moved the boat to Boxmoor, near Hemel Hempstead where we stayed for a couple of weeks. We had to cancel our anniversary holiday round Europe and James was spending the majority of time sat with his leg elevated and having to use a stick to walk. We decided to head for London instead to celebrate. 

We slowly made our way south, not moving for long at a time, it was just unfortunate that there were so many locks to go through, and arrived in Paddington Basin where we were lucky to get a mooring on one of the pontoons.

Approaching the aqueduct over the North Circular

Little Venice

46.5 Miles and 52 locks
TOTAL 146 miles and 155 locks

We're still here !!

Sorry I haven't posted for a while - three months actually, how time flies. Well we are still here, there have been some ups and downs so I'll do my best to do a quick catch up.

Looking back at my last post we were in Blisworth just having had our BSS examination, there were a couple of very minor things that needed attention which James could sort but one we managed to get sorted at Willowbridge Marina near Milton Keynes. We were on our way to The Globe at Linslade for our first floating market of the year at Easter.

The market was very successful and we sold more pens than we expected, so we needed to get to a good quiet mooring so we could catch up on making more as our next market was May Bank Holiday weekend in Berkhamstead, we only had two weeks and we needed to get there.

We left Linslade on the Tuesday and spent a couple of days getting to the bottom of the Marsworth locks, we stopped at the bottom of the two locks half a mile or so before the junction with the Aylesbury Arm. It was a great spot to spend a week catching up on pen making.

We delayed our departure by a couple of days as James had another horrible migraine, he does suffer sporadically with them, but this one really knocked him for six, then he started to get pains in his left leg. On the morning of 26 April James woke me just as the sun was coming up to say he was in agony with his leg and thought we should call 111 to get advice. So we did and after going through his symptoms and trying to find out where we were the advice was to get to Hemel Hampstead Urgent Care Centre as soon as possible and definitely within two hours!

Now as luck would have it, we had bought a car earlier in the year (we sold our camper van after our first winter on the boat and had just been hiring cars when needed), it was our Silver Wedding Anniversary at the end of May and we didn't want it just to pass by so we had planned a trip around Europe and got the car for that. But the problem was at the time James couldn't walk at all and we were a long way from any kind of road access, the only thing for it was for me to move the boat up through the two locks and the small stretch to the road bridge near The Red Lion pub.

So I got LJ into the bottom lock and went to fill it, that is when my heart sank - the very short pound between the two locks was completely empty, the bottom paddles had been left slightly up and as the top gates leaked so much it managed to drain the pound, the only thing I could do was let water down, which took ages. Eventually I made it up the two locks and moored up a little further from the bridge than I would have liked but there was no room further up.

My next problem was getting the car - I had very efficiently moved the car up ahead a few days before, it was at Tring, about five miles away, which was half way between where we were and Berko, our next market stop. Leaving James back on the boat I hastily made my way to pick up the car. When I got back James managed to hobble in great pain to the car and off to went to Hemel Urgent Care Centre.

As usual at these places there was an awful lot of hanging around waiting and waiting, but it was finally diagnosed as Deep Vein Thrombosis but James would need Ultra Sound to confirm it and also find out exactly where it was. He had an appointment at mid-day the next day.

Back we went the following day, straight in for the Ultra Sound then more hanging around for the result, which when finally came was not good news - the Thrombosis was actually quite high up in his thigh so unfortunately they were unable to treat him at Hemel and he had to be referred to Watford General Hospital. Getting Watford to accept the referral proved very difficult and we were again left waiting for hours. Finally the news came at around 5pm that we could go over to Watford and they were expecting us. After battling with the rush hour traffic we finally arrived at Watford and yes they were expecting James, they soon whisked him off and he went through all the admission procedures, including an MRI scan and was in his allocated bed on the ward within two hours. I then left and wearily made my way back to LJ. 

36 Miles and 25 Locks

TOTAL 99.5 miles and 103 locks

Bugbrooke to Blisworth

We stayed at Bugbrooke for the best part of a week, we had our BSC booked in at Blisworth and as we both like Bugbrooke we decided to sit it out there and continue with the pen making.

I do enjoy the walks around the area, my favourite one takes you over the railway bridge and up through fields where you are rewarded with some fantastic views, I then follow the stream back to the canal and home again.

We had visitors whilst there, Maffi and Molly moored up opposite us at The Wharf and popped over for coffee the following morning - Dudley had a Goldilocks and the three bears moment - someone's been sleeping in my bed!

We were lucky enough to get some lovely weather too with the weekend being extremely hot.

On Sunday we set off to be in Blisworth for our appointment with the BSS Examiner, just a couple of small things to sort, one of which we needed to find someone on route to do as we had to get going to be in Linslade for our Easter Market.

4.5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 63.5 miles and 78 locks

Whilton to Weedon to Bugbrooke

We stayed a few days at Whilton catching up with some pen making ready for our first floating market of the year at Easter. 

We did the short run to Weedon and moored up between the aqueducts. We just stayed the one night continuing our journey to Bugbrooke the following day, after topping up with water just before Stow Hill Wharf James went off with Dudley to sort the car leaving me to take LJ to Bugbrooke, he caught up with me just before Heyfield's Farm Marina so I had company for the last mile or so.

Work in progress on the Daventry Relief Road

Only one caravan on the site roday

We treated ourselves to a celebratory Indian banquet at Weedon, the Indian restaurant in the village has a banquet night on a Wednesday where you have a starter, main course, side dish and rice or nan for just £9.95. We were celebrating five years afloat and we both still wouldn't have it any other way.

Me making my selection from the menu

7.5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 59 miles and 78 locks

Braunston to Whilton

Sunday 26th March

Not such an early start this morning, we were off at 9am and passed The Milly M moored further up the canal, we started to make our way up the Braunston locks when Maffi and Molly arrived to help us. 

At Brauston top lock - thank you for your help Maffi

We said our goodbyes at the top and no doubt he will pass us in a month or so as he heads south. Next came Braunston tunnel and we were soon at Norton junction where we carried on and down the Buckby flight. I still can't believe there's only seven locks in this flight, they are so tough going and again we were following a boat down so they were all against us.

We made it to the bottom and moored up opposite Whilton Marina where it all started for us five years ago.

A fat boat stopped in front for a quick break

6 miles and 13 locks

TOTAL 51.5 miles and 78 locks

Long Itchington to Braunston

Saturday 25th March

An early 7am start again this morning, I think James was feeling sorry for me having done all the locks so far I was feeling pretty tired, he went off with Dudley to tackle the Stockton locks and I bought LJ up. Typical the locks were in our favour (except for one where the top gates were leaking badly). It was a lovely day with no wind and we didn't see another boat on our way up.

We carried on through the three Calcutt locks, which I did and we actually had another boat share with us this time. At Napton Junction we turned left and continued on through our usual stopping points at Flecknoe and arrived in Braunston before midday.

At Braunston Turn we went right to stay on the Grand Union, as usual the moorings at Brauston were filling up fast but we were lucky and got a space opposite the pub.

A few hours later we spotted the Milly M pass by and we met up with Maffi at The Boathouse for dinner later that evening.

9.5 miles and 13 locks

TOTAL 45.5 miles and 65 locks

Leamington Spa to Long Itchington

Friday 24th March

We set off at a reasonable time again this morning and were soon leaving the built up Leamington Spa behind and heading into the countryside, the next few locks are all well spaced so I was getting back onto the boat between them. We then reached Bascote where there are two locks then the staircase of two, we were following a boat so again all the locks were against us.

We stopped by The Two Boats Inn ready for the ascent up Stockton locks in the morning.

7.5 miles and 10 locks

TOTAL 36 miles and 52 locks

Hatton to Leamington Spa

Thursday 23rd March

We started down the Hatton flight bright and early this morning, we left just before 7am, all the locks were against us so I was having to fill them first - 23 turns of the paddle up and 23 down, then the same at the other end to empty them. We only passed two boats coming up and both of those I helped so all 21 Hatton locks I filled and emptied, no wonder I was feeling weary by the time we reached the bottom, only the two Cape Locks and that was the locking done for the day.

This is Hatton bottom lock with both paddles down!

We continued on to the very handy Lidl right beside the canal at Leamington Spa and did a massive shop to stock up the very empty cupboards.

5 miles and 23 locks

TOTAL 28.5 miles and 42 locks

Kingswood Junction to Hatton

Wednesday 22nd March

We spent most the day inside keeping dry, we were paying for our glorious day yesterday, the forecast was clearing up by about 4pm. As it looked as though it was clearing we headed off, only to get to the top of the Hatton flight ready for the morning.

We turned onto the Grand Union from the link canal and shortly after it began raining again and didn't stop. Once we reached our intended destination of course it stopped raining and the sun came out.

No photos today it was too miserable.

5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 23.5 miles and 19 locks