We'll Defeat the Graffiti Idiots – 10am next Thursday 11 June.
BREAKING NEWS – WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THE MINDLESS VANDALS
We can't let idiots with spray-cans ruin Brentford's brilliant canalside artwork. Volunteers to help clean the mural are being called for by Dick Vincent, London Towpath Ranger for the Canal Trust.
He believes that the protective coating over the painting will still be effective and, with careful work, the obliterated pictures can be recovered undamaged and returned to their original pristine condition.
Brentford people can bring back to life the giant rat and the scene of Canary Wharf and simultaneously send a message that mindless vandalism will be defeated.
That's Dick's hope and aspiration.
Dick is appealing for people to help with the recovery work – just turn up at the canal sheds at 10am next Thursday, 11 June. All ages welcome. He promises FREE refreshments. Brentford TV will be there to record progress.
Meanwhile the police are taking the matter seriously and investigating. The graffiti idiots also daubed part of the Holiday Inn and neighbouring buildings. Let's hope they are caught and brought to justice.
It was created in order to rid the canal walk of eyesores – but now disciples of a US graffiti cult have hit back and destroyed part of Brentford's magnificent Grand Union mural.
Yet, boastful of their international connections, they have insisted on leaving a trail of clues – CSWO, 'Owse', 'Hunta', 'Pork' and 'The Real B'.
Do these mean anything to you? If so, call the police.
When it was painted nine months ago, the artists from Positive Arts coated the mural with chemicals designed to protect it from harm. But – in what looks like a concerted and prolonged onslaught – vandals have applied thick layers of paint spray to destroy two of the finest panels.
They have obliterated the final scene showing a giant rat. They have completely destroyed a depiction of the Thames at Canary Wharf.
But, perhaps unwisely, they imposed the initials CSWO – suggesting they are followers of the graffiti cult CSW, which has many followers on Facebook. As it's unlikely the leader flew over from his base in Los Angeles on a mission to deface Brentford, the culprits are probably some fifth-rate imitators who are well-known to their contemporaries.
Let's hope their names are given to the police.
When the mural first appeared last Autum, it was a welcome improvement to the canal sheds and hailed as a new mural masterpiece, perhaps Brentford's greatest work of art – at least in size. Yet the talents behind this public painting remained unrecognised – some out of modesty, others because they were young offenders.
Ironically it had been people like those young offenders who had earlier sprayed this historic wall with graffiti, seriously spoiling the qualities of a listed building. But, over several days, a team of youngsters helped turn it into a wonderful stream of colour: a 200-yard long depiction of life on the Grand Union, from barges and bargees to birds and voles – and the alarming rat.
It's official title was The Brentford Canal Sheds Community Mural Project and it was created jointly by Positive Arts, the Canal and River Trust and Hounslow Youth Offending Service. It was specially treated to resist graffiti, and boaters moored alongside were thrilled to wake up to it every morning. One said at the time: 'It's brilliant. We hope it stays.'
But now there is a sense of dismay as the mural stands serously damaged– just as the Floating Cinema moors in Brentford Lock (4-6 June) for a weekend of festivities.
The damage is shown here:
To see how the mural looked before the damage go to
Premier Inn - Brentford
New internal and external signage at the Premier Inn, Brentford
Kings Arms, Brentford
Kings Arms, 19 Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Greater London, TW8 8EA, England
Click on the blue link above to read more about the Kings Arms or to book your stay there.Or visit for bargain prices on many more hotels in Greater London in the UK and around the globe.
Paddington Central, W2 | Benham and Reeves
Part of the Paddington Basin canal-side development, this stylish two bedroom apartment has balcony views of the surrounding waterways that border a newly regenerated district. Ideal for corporate professionals and families on long-stay holidays its modern design and zone 1 location offer plenty of advantages over many traditional hotels in the W2 postcode.
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Winkwell
The second in the series of walking and talking in West Hertfordshire takes us to Winkwell, a lovely hamlet on the Grand Union Canal best known for its canalside pub.
Grand Union Canal Near Weedon 29.03.2013
A walk along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal between bridge 24 and bridge 25 near Weedon on the 29th March 2013.
The Grand Union Canal stretches from London in the south to Birmingham in the north for 137 miles with 166 locks. It has arms that reach Leicester, Aylesbury, Slough, Wendover and Northampton. The present Grand Union Canal came into being on the 1st January 1929 and was mainly formed by the amalgamation of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal.
Starting at the A45 that runs through the village of Weedon Bec, scenes are taken near William Piper Narrowboats yard towards bridge 25. Also to be seen and heard are high speed trains passing on the West Coast Mainline that parallel's the canal for a short distance. (See my uploads for this footage of the West Coast Mainline from the same day).
Filmed in the company of Amy (AHHomeVideos).
Grand Union Canal film 1934 Beulah Library Roll F22
16mm slient film made for the Grand Union Cannal Company in 1934 its a journey form London to Birmingham with emphaasis on the canal side industrial sites.
Viewers are invited to e-mail details of location and/or people featured in this clip to viewer@eavb.co.uk
This footage may be purchased from BEULAH at eavb.co.uk
British Waterways Board
TRENT & MERSEY CANAL STOKE-ON-TRENT.
Views along the Trent & Mersey Canal,from Middleport, Burslem through Etruria to Stoke.
Upwards Through Buckby Lock Flight on the Grand Union Canal
Having moored up the evening before just down from Buckby Bottom Lock on the Grand Union Canal, I set off on another bright morning to make my way up through the Buckby Flight of seven double locks. I start off solo but am then joined by another boat, which is of great assistance but I finish the locks solo again. I moor up for the day, mid-afternoon and discuss the pros and cons of going up or down double width locks.
This series of videos started with ‘Tunnelling to Watford Locks’, which can be found here:
Alternatively, you may wish to see the review on my first year of boat ownership here:
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Cycling the Grand Union from London to Northampton: 3 April 2017
After a very early start from London on this 95 mile trip to Northampton, I reached the starting point of the tow path to find it blocked. The resulting diversion set me up nicely for a treat riding behind a bike with a cute dog in a pannier, which I then followed right through Camden Market. Once the freezing fog cleared and I got out into open countryside, it was fantastic - especially seeing two massive swans landing on the canal right in front of me (20:20). The ride was very tough going in places, but a few nice canal-side pubs kept me properly fed and hydrated. Perhaps I'll go for Birmingham next time?
GRAND UNION CANAL, AYLESBURY ARM, LOWER DIXONS GAP, HERTFORDSHIRE
Adam Rayner visits the Grand Union Canal Aylesbury Arm, Wingrave Road, Bridge 2, Locks 6 to 7, Lower Dixons Gap, Hertfordshire (tringanglers.org.uk or tel: 07796 178313 SAT NAV HP23 4QG which is the new Cara Homes'canal side Dixons Wharf development) for the Angler's Mail Where To Fish series. This video was shot in 2013.
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How a Canal Lock Works ?
The canal in this video is part of the Grand Union Canal, showing and how a Canal Lock works to get boats from lower levels to higher levels of the canal and visa versa.
The Grand Adventure 2016
An entertaining and often funny look at our journey chugging along the Grand Union Canal aboard Hannah the Narrowboat with our friends Martin and Sarah aboard their own boat Pride of Nuffield. We travelled from Gayton Marina in Northamptonshire through the Blisworth Tunnel, which is one of the longest in the UK and through Stock Bruerne, Cosgrove, Milton Keynes and on to Leighton Buzzard before turning around and heading back to Gayton Marina. We really do take life slowly on our canal journeys preferring to stop at any spot we feel like rather than pile in the miles! You could probably do this journey in under a week if you wanted but that's not the way we do things. This light hearted film takes a look at where we went and what we got up to, including a spot of Pokémon hunting!
Narrowboat Timelapse on The Grand Union Canal - Braunston to Norton Junction
All signs point to Braunston. Well at least the milemarkers along the Southern GU count down the distance, so I thought taking a trip in the boat there was in order. Winding at Braunston Turn, a trip up the Braunston Flight, through Braunston Tunnel and on to Norton Junction, finally mooring up on the VMs for the night to contemplate the trip back down to London. (My steering became a little bit erratic toward the junction due to me paying less attention to the tiller and rather too much to the fantastic scenery playing out before me. Oh and spot the couple 24 seconds in stopping after the Gongoozler Cafe boat where the man waters the hedgerow. Hmm, Classy...)