Sunbury

 

 

After meeting up at the Sunbury weir stream, a new mooring for WBCC events, we walked to the picturesque Walled Garden in Lower Sunbury where a tea room and exhibition centre has been built.  The Centre has an embroidered mural made by over 140 local enthusiasts and it depicts  Sunbury into the new millennium.  The centre is run by volunteers  including a WBCC member.  We met the designer of the embroidery and a lady who enthusiastically told us of the history of the mural and the centre.  Another volunteer is Lord Willis (retired leader of the TUC) who kept us entertained with his reminiscences of the visitors to the Centre.

Sunday lunch was booked at Blubeckers on Hampton Court Bridge.  The river had been allowed to drop substantially overnight and we found that one boat’s stern-drive touched the riverbed, or something on the riverbed.  Since we had to move her anyway, we volunteered her as river taxi and set off.  After a short distance, the engine note changed in what sounded like an expensive manner and accompanied by blue smoke from the exhaust, the engine died and everything went quiet.

We dropped anchor and managed to attract the attention of the Mid Thames Yacht Club.  Two gentlemen quickly joined us in their dinghy and with their 5hp outboard, towed against the flow to the moorings where were able to raft off another club boat.

Soon we were off again on another boat for a leisurely cruise to Hampton Court where we joined the others.  On our return, the cockpit sole of disabled boat was removed and the problem was investigated.  They soon identified the cause as water in the separator and fuel pipe.  This was fixed and the engine started again.

The glorious weather on Bank Holiday Monday added to the enjoyment of a very interesting walk around Lower Sunbury led by our local experts.  Later in the day, following tea we set off back to our various moorings.