The Towpath Where The Boats Were Moored Later On

A Memory of Harlow.

There used to be a very large weeping willow there that used hang over the river. We used to cast underneath it as fish used to congregate under it. This is the bank where I did most of my fishing from. On the left of picture was our flower garden, a pear and apple tree, a water well then a lawn then a vegetable garden right to the top, where the horse grips are. In those days the barges were pulled by shire horses, not until the late 1950s did monkey boats come in (Narrow Boats) and over the bridge are the telephone wires where my dad saved a swan which got caught up in them. It broke both wings but survived and when it got better it could not fly any more, but it came down to the lock gates every single day as if to say thanks to him. I've got photos of him feeding it with bread. When I was 3 I lost my toy speed boat under the bridge. It sank but was never found. I cried my eyes out over that.