A day in the life

The November morning of my visit to Thames Lock dawned bright and sunny. After tackling the M4 towards Brentford, I turned off the busy Kew Bridge Road onto the quaint cobbles of Dock Road and was immediately impressed by the white painted locks and their green surroundings.

Sam and his colleague Paul showed me around, and then talked me through their typical day over a welcome mug of hot coffee.

A typical day

For a lock keeper, every day is different. Thames Lock is open and manned 364 days a year, opening at 8am and sometimes handling boats until 6pm. But Sam's duties and priorities change depending on the time of year and weather conditions.

The locks are busiest two hours either side of high tide. Sam's first hour at work is normally spent on lock duty letting boats out from Brentford onto the tidal Thames, while his last hour is often spent letting boats back in from Teddington. Boaters who wish to come through the locks outside of opening hours can book 24 hours in advance, reserving passage as early as 5am. Thankfully, Sam's house is situated opposite the lock so he does not have far to travel on those chilly early mornings!

As well as operating the hydraulic locks, Sam has an important customer care role to play. Boaters can turn to lock keepers for advice and information on anything from tide times to weather conditions, and for people who pass through the locks regularly, Sam is a familiar and friendly face.

Canal maintenance is a high priority. Sam and his two colleagues are responsible for the upkeep of four miles of the Grand Union Canal, two boater-operated locks, two manned locks, two automated sluices and three weirs. This is no easy task. As well as simple tidying - picking up debris, painting the locks, and planting flowers - Sam might find himself repairing a lock, looking after canalside vegetation, and even caring for wildlife. During my visit, for example, a phone call came in about a swan which appeared to have come into contact with oil.

The lock-keepers must also monitor flood conditions, come to the aid of boats and boaters who are in trouble, and remove objects which have been dumped in the canal (anything from household rubbish to stolen cars). They are in continuous contact with other lock-keepers, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the RSPB, the Environment Agency and many other organisations.

How long have you been a lock keeper and what do you enjoy most about the job?
Five years. Before I came here I was a sheet metal worker in the manufacturing industry. This is definitely the best job I have ever had. Every day is different and I enjoy spending time outside in a healthy environment. The lock and the stretch of waterway that we look after is almost an extension of my garden, something that I take great pride in. Being a lock keeper isn't just a job, it's a way of life. One of my son's first words was 'heron'!

What do you enjoy least about the job?
I don't enjoy working weekends. We operate on a four days on, two days off system, which means that I only get one in six weekends at home. This is a slight problem for me as I have young children who are at school during the week.

How many boats pass through the lock on a typical day?
On a busy summer day we would expect to have 15 boats coming into the lock, and 15 boats going out. There is a marked difference between summer and winter. In summer there are always customers to talk to. We can get up to 30 answerphone messages from people asking when they can come through, or how to operate the unmanned, automated locks at Brentford. In the winter, there are fewer boats so we do more maintenance work.

Do you have a favourite time of year?
Not really. It's a privilege working in such a green environment where I can enjoy the changing seasons. It's lovely all year round. You get snow-capped trees in winter, then it's great being outside in the fresh air during the hot summer months.

Have there been any notable incidents in your time here?
I guess the most common incident is boats breaking down, which then have to be towed back. Other than that, we sometimes get stolen cars and motorbikes dumped in the canal. That is always a pain. Fly-tipping is a terrible crime that we continually have to look out for. Dumped mattresses cause a problem. It can take three men to pull them out as they get so heavy when they are wet. Other than that, the risk of flooding, especially in October and March, is something we have to keep an eye on. We had terrible flood conditions in October 2000.

Have any famous people passed through the lock?
Oh yes, plenty! David Suchet is almost a regular, and we have seen Kate Adie too. She is a nice lady, always has a chat with us.

Article published autumn 2004