Alan de Enfield

Keep your 'grab bag' well stocked and close to your primary exit.

Yes its surprising, the odd little 'tricks' that experience teaches you. Crack the door and wait a couple of seconds - very slowly ease the door open and you won't have any smoke escape.

I thought you were talking about coal-dust. How is soot getting into the boat ?

Yes, but Rob's hearth is the full width of the boat and 25 feet 'deep'

Thats one heck of a large hearth - must be most of the boat !

Thats a bit norty - maximum number of wires allowed on a stud is 4. This appears to have 6, or, it maybe even 7. (That number of wires should be fed from a busbar, not a single stud.) Presuming you removed the terminal covers to take the picture ?

What about the other 17 times when you've headed for them after the announcement of the planned closure dates was published ?

Exactly we each suit ourselves how we do it - despite some suggesting that the 'only way' to do it is off the roof !

Well, I don't get off the boat in the lock, I get off the boat (taking a line with me) go to the lock, open the gates and bow-haul the boat in, close the gates and fill the lock. No roof-walking required.

I am not trying to make a point (sorry to disappoint) - I was in fact replying to Arthur's post and not to anything you had posted.

Exactly - (say) 6 hours on duty of which he'd operate the lock maybe half a dozen times.

The same as if he'd sat in the cabin between boats, and less than if they had employed contractors AND a lock keeper. C&RT do not use Volockies on tidal water locks.

If we were to take the example of lock keeper at Cromwwell Lock on the River Trent. Being Tidal the lock only operated for a few hours either side of high tide which gave him plenty of time to maintain and even improve the surroundings. Not only did he keep the toilets / showers clean he painted the building. He sold 'electric cards' and Trent boating guides. He kept the grass immaculate all the way from the lock to the visitors moorings (300 yards or so) He built brick BBQs and seating along the top of the bank, He built a bin compound near the BBQs (no where near the access for the bin lorry, but convenient for the boaters) He jet washed and maintained the floating bridge (down to the pontoon) and the pontoon. He was always 'pottering about' doing something. And of course he operated the lock as required. He also assisted with the maintenance of the memorial to the ten members of the 131 Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers were killed when they went over the weir.

Yes - agreed specialist, expensive, used once every few years equipment is where contractors should come in. But, to sell off C&RTs shovels, chainsaws, wheelbarrows, mowers, winches, boats, generators, weed cutters etc etc that can be used on a daily basis by their own staff is just criminal.