This is Brownings Pool on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal at Little Venice in London. This is to be my 'home' for the next ten weeks. One of the houses in the background is valued at £5 million......!!!
I am here working voluntarily for the IWA on behalf of C&RT to manage the western checkpoint on the exclusion zone imposed by the security services (note - imposed by the security services - not BW). It is our job to scrutinize all the boats that want to enter the exclusion zone to ensure that they have the right permits etc. before they proceed into the zone. We have an 'office', kindly supplied by Black Prince Narrowboats.
At the end, which is 9th September, the IWA will benefit from a payment from C&RT similar to the profits from recent 'Nationals'. Other festival stalwarts are manning the eastern checkpoint and are mooring managers for the moorings let by C&RT for boaters attending the Olympics.
Whilst we have been in position for a few days (the exclusion zone came into force on 3rd July) our work starts tomorrow when several boats, moored on the transit moorings at Little Venice, check in at 0800 hrs, receive their paperwork, and then begin their journey from LV, down to Commercial Road Lock and into Limehouse Basin for the night, before setting off up the Limehouse Cut at 0600 hrs onto the River Lee and then past the Olympic Stadium. They may well be subjected to checks from armed police and sniffer dogs before starting their journey past the stadium.. They will not be able to stop on route until they have passed the eastern checkpoint situated at Lea Bridge on the River Lee. Passacge past the Olympic site is only allowed between 0600 hrs and 0900 hrs, and 1900 hrs to 2100 hrs and is subject to immediate suspension dependant on the security state.
This system will continue for the next ten weeks to take in the Paralympics as well. All passages have to be pre-booked, basically NO PERMIT - NO ENTRY. If you do try and enter the exclusion zone without authority I have no doubt that you will receive a very quick visit from the local SWAT team!!!
