Bubbles and Boats in Paddington Basin - 27th July

We had a late start this morning as we only had a couple of miles to do and did not want to arrive at Paddington Basin before people were ready to leave on a Sunday morning. It was just as well as the majority of the canal into the basin was lined with moored boats so we could only go slowly. Surprisingly we spotted this coot with some tiny little chicks on a nest, I would say that they had only just been born. This heron had chosen a strange place to fish, under a bridge. The unusual wall mural has been created from litter by the Stowe Youth Club and artist Kevin Herlihy.

As we approached Little Venice the boats which lined the towpath were breasted up and were opposite Houseboats making a very congested feel to the area.We passed the C&RT Office which marks the entrance to this wide junction of the Paddington Arm of the GU and the Regents Canal just as a  trip boat was to set sail. Business must have been good as there was already a queue for the next trip.

We turned right down the arm into the basin and passed an unusual wooden broad beam boat coming out which raised our hopes that we might find at least one space free. As we turned the final corner into the basin we were amazed to find there were just two spaces waiting for us as another boat was about to leave the basin. We soon got ourselves onto the pontoon mooring and chatted to our neighbours one of whom had a lovely garden on his roof for us to look out onto.

Later I had a look around the basin and spotted these couple of unusual boats moored near the entrance. The one on the left had an enormous  life raft on the roof, being used as a paddling pool to cool off in the heat; and the other was selling 2nd hand books way into the evening. As we had entered the basin we had crossed over these two sets of bubble aerators which help to keep the water clean and which seems to stop all the duck weed from filling the basin.

A little further on near Sheldon Square are these two very life like figures of Commuters standing at opposite ends of a strip of concrete looking at one another.

Sheldon Square is like and amphitheatre with lovely grassed steps and a variety of shops including a Sainsbury Local at the base.